A Prayer to Lead Us to the Manger - Your Daily Prayer - December 14
Your Daily Prayer
Audio By Carbonatix
By Lynette Kittle, Crosswalk.com
A Prayer to Lead Us to the Manger
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” - Luke 2:7
Listen or Read Below:
Most people looking for the coming Messiah would not have started by combing the nearby stables in obscure villages outside Jerusalem, searching for a manger holding the new baby boy born to be the King of Kings.
Rather, they would look for Him in palaces, places where nobles lived, worthy of hosting the birth of the Savior of the world, offering a luxurious, clean, and secure setting, where a newborn baby would receive the best of care and provisions.
But instead, Jesus was born in a straw-bedded stable among the lowly livestock, far from the comforts and cushions of worldly wealth and nobility.
As Isaiah 53:2 describes, “He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”
Led by God’s Star
During the time of Jesus’ birth, the Magi, who had studied the prophecy concerning the coming of a Messiah, followed God’s glorious star, stopping in Jerusalem to look for the newborn King.
Matthew 2:1-2 describes their arrival: “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’”
In sync with God’s plan, the Magi were on the right track to be led to the manager by following the star. As Matthew 2:3-6 explains, their quest led to Jerusalem and to the attention of King Herod:
“When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written:
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Hidden from a King
Fearful of being replaced by a new king and of losing his power, Matthew 2:7-8 tells us that “Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.’”
After being questioned by King Herod, Matthew 2:9-12 records the Magi’s response and actions:
“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”
Again, led by God, the Magi followed His lead rather than reporting to the King. Like the Magi, we don’t come to Jesus in the manger on our own, but are led by the guidance of His Holy Spirit. Without Him, we would not be able to find the Messiah, just like Herod couldn’t.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father,
Today, especially as we look forward to another Christmas, we ask Your Holy Spirit to lead us to the manger, to Jesus, and to help us lead others there, too.
Open our eyes, ears, and hearts to experience the wonder of the manger and to see the beauty and simplicity surrounding His birth.
Reveal to us the spiritual meaning and significance of Jesus, Savior of the world, being born in a stable, lying wrapped in a cloth and laid in a manger, rather than in a jewel-crested cradle lined with fine linen.
Let us be willing, like the Magi, to seek Him with our whole heart, and share in and experience the joy and reverence they did in finding Him so long ago.
Soften our hearts to lay our treasures before Him, bow down, and worship Him, as the King of Kings.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional spoke to you on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/jchizhe
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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