The Central Moment

The battle with our minds becomes especially strong when we make the decision to pray. But through Jesus’ triumph on the cross and by the power of His Spirit, we have all the spiritual weapons we need to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Prayer often becomes a full length mirror back on onto ourselves. Are there areas of ongoing secrecy in our lives that we have been hiding from those closest to us, or even the Lord himself? May we open our hearts to Jesus and ask him to reveal any areas of compromise as we continue this journey in prayer.

Mediate today on Isaiah 40:28-31 and rest in both the care and capacity of God on your behalf. Have faith in the limitless power of God as you pray in the name of Jesus to whom all authority has been given. Nothing is impossible with him!

What is God doing in your life right now? Is He shaking your world and trying to get your attention, or is He asking you to listen quietly for Him and respond in full submission? How will you encounter the authority of God today?

As we begin our 28 day journey in prayer, we focus first on God’s supremacy. “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9) We do not start our prayer journey with the greatness of our problems, but with the greatness of our God!

A new year always reminds us of two seeming contradictions -- the speed with which time seems to fly and yet how much can happen in just one year. Time is a precious, God-given currency that, like money, can be invested, managed, or squandered. May the Lord bless our days as we live them in light of his eternal nature!

We know little about Jesus’ first 30 years of life except for an event when he was 12 years old. Here we encounter Jesus as a young man but already marked with a sense of purpose and calling. So may it be for us! In the words of a friend, God is looking for people who know what they are living for, live it 100%, and change their surroundings rather than yielding to them.

As we begin to look ahead into a new year, let’s focus on the end of the Christmas story and make it a Christ-like challenge for our own lives -- to keep growing, to become stronger and wiser, and to walk under the grace-filled favor of God.

This day after Christmas reminds us of that part of the Christmas story that did not actually take place on Christmas day, but probably as much as two years later. We traditionally call them ‘wise men’ and, indeed, wise men still seek him. But more accurately they were magi from the east who saw a star and, in that star, saw the hope of a Savior King. 

Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the event that set in motion the greatest story ever told. It is the story of a God who loved us enough to not leave us alone or without hope. The Apostle John caught it exactly: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”