A LONG FORGOTTEN PRAYER

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zechariah,
for your prayer has been heard. And your wife Elizabeth
will bear you a son" (Luke 1:13)
.
When I was a teenager I desperately wanted to find the
girl I would marry. Over the next 20 years I kept praying
for a wife, but that prayer went unanswered. At times I
was convinced I would be single all my life. Then I
finished seminary and went to my first call. Within a
month I was dating the woman who would become my
wife.
For decades Zechariah had prayed for a child. But
when no child came he eventually gave up-but not God.
On the very first day Zechariah prayed God marked that
prayer in His memory. Decades later God vividly
remembers every detail of that prayer, including the
urgency Zechariah felt month after month as he poured
out his plea to God. Now as the clouds of incense are
rising from the altar to symbolize God's acceptance of
His people's prayers, the angel brings Zechariah the
answer to his long-forgotten prayer.
Have you been raising heartfelt prayers to God for years
and years, only to find things get worse-finances,
employment, health, family strains? Does it seem God
is against you -- that He just doesn't care? We learn the
truth in this angel visit. The first moment we offer a
prayer in faith to God, He in His great wisdom and care
chooses the best way to answer that prayer as well as
the best time to answer it. Sometimes, like Zechariah,
we just have to wait until God's time is right, and He
has made everything fall into place.
THE PRAYER:
 Heavenly Father, fill me with confidence that You mark
all my prayers, and will answer them when Your time is
right, and always for my good. I pray in Jesus' Name.
Amen.
(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

A SURPRISE APPEARANCE

"There appeared to him an angel...Zechariah was
troubled when he saw him." (see Luke 1:11-12)
Did your family have a Nativity scene in the front
yard, under your tree, or on a table? I remember
staring at the angel wondering what it will be like
to see one of these beautiful creatures face-to-face.
As Luke continues his account of the first
Christmas, Zechariah the priest is in the temple.
He's laying the incense on the altar. Suddenly,
through the clouds of smoke, an angel of the Lord
appears. But for Zechariah it isn't the wonderful,
thrilling scene I imagined-not at all. The aged priest
is struck with terror, shaken to the core.
As the Christmas story unfolds, we'll see angels
appear to Mary and to the shepherds, keeping
watch over their flocks by night. And both will have
this same reaction: one of being instantly filled with
terror. You and I would be too.
No matter how good a person you are, coming
face-to-face with the holiness of an angel shows
you your failings, and fills you with dread and fear.
How much more terrifying will it be to look into God's
face when He comes with His angels in great power
and glory to judge us on the Last Day?
That's one of the truly wonderful things about
Christmas. The promised Savior did not come as a
fearsome, mighty warrior to strike fear and terror into
each of us. Instead, He came as a tiny Baby lying in
a manger. He didn't come to terrify us; He came to
take away our sin and guilt and assure us of God's
love and forgiveness
.
THE PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to
live among us and save us by Your perfect life, Your
innocent suffering and death, and Your glorious
resurrection. Calm my heart when I'm gripped with
fear, and fill me with peace and joy. Amen.
(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

A HIGH POINT IN LIFE

According to the custom of the priesthood, (Zechariah)
was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and
burn incense (Luke 1:9).
Luke’s account provides us rich detail regarding Zechariah
the priest and the part he played in the first Christmas.
Herod the Great was king over Judea at the time. We learn
that Zechariah belonged to the priestly division of Abijah,
one of 24 divisions of priests. Each of these divisions
worked two weeks out of the year at the Jerusalem temple.
Each afternoon these priests cast lots to see who would
enter the temple alone to burn incense.
Luke takes us to the day the lot fell to Zechariah. It may
have looked like luck or chance to us, but Zechariah knew
better. God was inviting him into His presence. As
Zechariah smelled the clouds of sweet, fragrant incense
rising to heaven, he knew God was pleased with the prayers
His people were offering to Him. These were prayers that
rose from hearts that believed His ancient promise to send
their Savior.

At Christmas we are often invited to other people’s houses.
Sometimes we get the honor of a special invitation. But God
extends a greater invitation to us. Like Zechariah we can
enter His presence in His house. And not just once in a
lifetime can we do this, but every week. At the same time
He promises to make His home in us. What a great privilege
and honor to sit in God’s presence and learn about His
saving love.

THE PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, what a tremendous honor You give when
You invite us into Your house. Thank You for coming to us
and making Your home with us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

SOMETHING MISSING

There was a priest named Zechariah ... and he had
a wife … Elizabeth. And they were both righteous
before God … but they had no child (see Luke 1:5-7)
.
Christmas Eve holds a special place in my memory.
I remember my family sitting together in the living
room after the candlelight Christmas service, enjoying
a crackling fire. The only other light comes from the
Christmas tree and dozens of candles. We spent
hours passing around funny Christmas memories,
while steam rose from our coffee and hot chocolate.
Luke’s account of the first Christmas begins with an
introduction to Mary’s relative Elizabeth and her
husband Zechariah the priest. Zechariah and
Elizabeth were both good, upright people. Not that
they were good enough to earn heaven—none of us
can do that. They were good in God’s eyes because
they believed His promise to save them through the
coming Christ. They had both lived to a good old age
but were childless. In that age it was considered a
disgrace when a couple was without child. For many
long years the couple had prayed and wondered why
God had kept them from having a child. By this late
age, they had given up hope completely.

Is there something missing in your life? Something
you have prayed long and hard for but nothing
changes? Does that make you question God or
yourself? Stick around and see that God always has
a good reason, when He holds something back from us.

THE PRAYER:

Lord God, sometimes life doesn’t seem to have any
rhyme or reason. I want something desperately but,
for whatever reason, You withhold it from me. Give me
patience and faith to trust that You are good, loving and
gracious, so I may wait patiently for Your time. In Jesus’
Name. Amen.

(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

CHRISTMAS, CAN WE BE SURE?

It seemed good to me … to write an orderly account for
you … that you may have certainty concerning the things
you have been taught (see Luke 1:3-4).

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas this year? I always
did. I’d hope and pray, but most years I’d look out the
window and only see the same old, brown grass and bare
trees. Sometimes we feel that same disappointment in our
Christmases. We get our hopes up; we make all our
preparations, but then we feel disappointed when the day
rolls around.

Maybe our problem is building our Christmas excitement
on uncertain things—a white Christmas, the perfect presents,
everyone getting along at Christmas time. Luke had
something different in mind when he wrote about the first
Christmas.

Luke wasn’t your typical writer in the Bible though.
Unlike Matthew he wasn’t one of Jesus’ 12 disciples; he
never met Jesus face-to-face. He wasn’t even Jewish; he
was a Gentile physician from Antioch in Syria. He joined
Paul in his later missionary journeys. In Acts 16 notice
Luke’s commentary changes from “they went” in verse
six to “we went” in verse 11.

To write his Gospel and the earlier chapters of the book of
Acts, Luke gathered his information from interviews he had
with people who saw and heard Jesus, people who lived with
Him, ate and drank with Him. Being an educated man, Luke
didn’t get swept away by the ramblings of dreamy-eyed
followers of Jesus. He made sure to ask for historical
details and evidence from his witnesses—including Jesus’
mother Mary.

THE PRAYER:

Almighty God, I want to learn more about that first Christmas.
Thank You for leaving us a record in the words of Jesus’
own mother Mary. Help me learn why Jesus was born and
why that matters for my life now. I pray in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

REFRAME YOUR LIFE

Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years
old. — Genesis 23:1

I was once in the home of a woman who is an art
professor in New York City. I couldn’t help but notice
a very unusual piece among her drawings and
paintings. The “work of art” was a single cigarette butt,
mounted onto a piece of black velvet, enclosed in a
beautiful golden frame. When I asked the woman what
inspired the art piece, she chuckled and explained
that she made it in order to teach her students about
the value of a frame. Anything can become beautiful –
even an ugly cigarette butt – when placed in the right
surroundings.

What the art professor said is true about art, and it is
also true about life. How we judge the content of our
life is determined by how we frame it. Do we view our
lives in the context of how much we grow? Or do we
see it in terms of how much we gain? The context we
give our lives will determine how we see its contents.
Try this: Reframe your life. Try to see everything that
has happened so far and everything that you hope for
the future in terms of how much you have learned and
how much you will continue to grow.
When you start with a beautiful frame, your life will be
the masterpiece!

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT

I am thankful for God's
Grace.  The Lord has been so good to me. As I
participate in Thanksgiving there is something I
want to keep in mind.

I must remember, especially today, that there are
over 492 billionaires living in this country.  There are over
16 million children living in poverty.  THAT IS NOT RIGHT!
No matter what your faith is, no matter what your
politics are, even if you don't have any faith, even
if you don't claim any politics, THAT IS NOT RIGHT!
This Thanksgiving Day let me remember that there
are over 16 million children who have nothing to be
thankful for, that's right nothing.  Tomorrow as
I sit in front of a wonderful meal, with the family I
love, let me ask myself "What am I going to do
about all those children"?

WHAT ARE YOU AND I GOING TO DO!!!!!

PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION!!!!!!!!!

MAKE YOUR THANKSGIVING COUNT DO WHAT'S
RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!

A FORTRESS OF FAITH

The wicked band together against the righteous
     and condemn the innocent to death.
But the LORD has become my fortress,
     and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
     — Psalm 94:21–22

It’s one thing to have faith when everything is
going well in our lives. Sure, things can change
on a dime, but who stays up at night worrying
about putting food on the table, when they have
a stable job? It’s another thing to have faith in
God when there is no money in the bank and
no bread in the basket. This psalm reminds us
that in even the most hopeless of situations,
we are not allowed to lose our faith in God. In
fact, it is our very faith that has the power to
turn around the worst situation and to bring
about the greatest miracles.

Let our faith be our fortress. When life rains
down all kinds of problems on us, when it
thunders and pours, let us take refuge in our
faith. We don’t need to know how God will take
care of us; we only need to believe that He can.
With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
(section taken from Holy Land Moments)

STANDING ROCK

 Verse
Therefore the land mourns,
and all who live in it languish;
together with the wild animals
and the birds of the air,
even the fish of the sea are perishing.
Hosea 4:3
Voice
We must not, in trying to think about
how we can make a big difference,
ignore the small daily differences we
can make which, over time, add up to
big differences that we often cannot
foresee.
Marian Wright Edelman
[
Prayer
Lord, be with the Standing Rock Sioux
today, and with anyone working today
to move us toward forward, toward
freedom, justice, and the peace you
envision.
Sojourners

HOLD ON TO HIM

Scripture:
It is far better and far wiser to hold on to Him who has
promised never to leave you or forsake you
(see Hebrews 13:5)

Hold on to Jesus, true Man and true God, who was born
one of us so He might resist the evil which corrupts us
so completely.

* Hold on to Him who spent His entire life fulfilling God's
Law and refusing Satan's temptations.

* Hold on to Him who, with His cry from the cross,
brought you back from damnation.

* Hold on to Him who shows in resurrection victory that
all who believe on Him will not perish but have life everlasting.

* Hold on to Him who has brought us back to God. Hold
on to Him who is God's Good News, bringing hope in birth,
forgiveness throughout life, and deliverance from death.

                    HOLD ON TO HIM!.

THE PRAYER:
Dear Lord, I give thanks my life is not empty or futile. My
risen Savior has granted me joy not just in the next world,
but in this one as well. Grant that I may rejoice evermore.
This I ask in the Savior's Name. Amen.
(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

TURNING MOMENTS INTO ETERNITY

Scripture:

Your throne was established long ago;
     you are from all eternity. — Psalm 93:2

How can we, who live in a finite world where everything
is temporary, understand the concept of infinity?
Our lives are only a wave in the vast and endless sea of
eternity. Sure, we can make a lot of noise with our
voices and pound the pavement with our feet, but very
quickly, we will return to the quiet stillness of the sea
from which we came. What’s a wave in comparison to
the great ocean? That’s our lives in contrast to eternity.

I used to have a teacher that would often preface our
Bible study by reminding us that we were “turning
moments into eternity.” When we do good deeds and
study God’s Word, we create moments that last forever.
Most of what we do in our brief lives is gone and
meaningless once we leave the world. But our good
deeds last forever. They live on for eternity.
Considering that truth, how will we spend our time
today? Will the hours be lost once they pass, or can
we make them last forever? What can we do today that
will turn our moments into eternity?

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

UNIVERSAL CHILD

(LET US ALWAYS REMEMBER THESE WORDS
ESPECIALLY DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON)

TO ALL CHILDREN

How many mountains must you face before you
learn to climb? I'm gonna give you what it takes,
my universal child

I'm gonna try to find a way to keep you safe from
harm I'm gonna be a special place, a shelter from
the storm And I can see you, you're everywhere,
your portrait fills the sky I'm gonna wrap my arms
around you, my universal child

And when I look into your eyes, so innocent and
pure I see the shadow of the things that you've
had to endure I see the tracks of every tear that
ran right down your face I see the hurt, I see the
pain, I see the human race And I can feel you,
you're everywhere, shining like the sun I wished to
god that kids like you could be like everyone
How many tumbles must it take before you learn
to fly? I'm going to help you spread your wings,
my universal child

I'm gonna try to find a way to keep you safe from
harm We're gonna be a special place, a shelter
from the storm
I can feel you, you're everywhere, shining like the
sun And I wished to god that kids like you could
be like everyone And I wished to god that kids
like you could be like everyone

(Annie Lennox - Universal Child Lyrics)

I PROMISE!!!!!

LET US PLEASE REMEMBER

When life takes us on all sorts of strange twists
and turns, let us remember that it’s not we who
are driving the car. The Lord Almighty is guiding
us, and He knows exactly where we need to be.
Sometimes it seems that things aren’t going the
way that they should be, but we must have faith
that it’s all part of God’s plan. Our job is to keep
on trucking, and trust God to take care of the
blessings.
PEACE!,

IT'S TIME TO WITNESS THE VOTE

Election Day is tomorrow, and unfortunately voter
intimidation has already cropped up at some early
voting polls. We’re more committed than ever to
#WitnessTheVote: to go to the polls en masse,
and make sure everyone has the right to vote this
Election Day.

We've been working tirelessly to compile these
resources, including instructions on how YOU can
make a difference at your own polling place. Learn
more here.

Voter suppression and intimidation efforts are real,
and they must be countered with peaceful presence
— ensuring all of our brothers and sisters have their
votes counted.

If you are a pastor or clergy member, we urge you
to go to the polls and serve your community. Snap
photos of yourself, friends, and/or colleagues in
your ministry garb, and tweet them to
#WitnesstheVote for @Sojourners to lift up your efforts.
Find all our election resources here, and join us in
prayer and peaceful presence this Election Day!
(Sojourners)

REMEMBER THIS BEFORE YOU VOTE

 Verse

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit
of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17

Voice

To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains,
but to live in a way that respects and enhances
the freedom of others.
Nelson Mandela

Prayer

Encourage us, Lord, to devote our lives to
securing freedom for all, for it was you who first
boldly tethered themselves to the cause of our
freedom.