Prayer
~ Dear God, since we have been made right in your sight by faith, we have peace
with You because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. From Romans
5:1. That peace takes away anxiety. Thank you for your peace…it gives me joy
during this season of Advent, hope for the future and a deeper love for You.
Listen!
It's the voice of someone shouting, "Clear the way through the wilderness
for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill
in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and
smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and
all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!" Isaiah 40:3-5
Meditate
and listen as you prepare.
Are you
getting into the Christmas spirit?
Every
year we “prepare” for the birth of Jesus—prepare to celebrate His birth.
Everyone does something to get ready Christmas…setting up a festooned
tree…decorating their yards and lighting up their homes…special
meals…exchanging gifts…singing carols…watching Christmas movies…donating to
Food Banks or homeless meals…and visiting Santa. Or even like my Dad used
to do: wear a Bah Humbug pin. As you celebrate Advent are you making a
straight, smooth path? Are you following that path?
Prepare
your hearts…not just your homes. Seeking Peace. You don’t need a fancy tree,
lights on your house or yet another movie to give you Peace. Peace is special
fruit of the Spirit…given with mercy from God.
But the Holy Spirit produces this
kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against
these things! Galatians
5:22-23 (Underlined for emphasis.)
Preparation
begins at the heart…setting things right with the Lord…with neighbors, friends,
family, and with yourself. Seek peace and enjoy it. In preparation, look
forward to that peace with hope, love and joy that only life in Christ brings.
As David asked so many years and it is still a valid request…
Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May
all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your
walls and prosperity in your palaces. Psalm
122:6-7
Sign along a path in Jerusalem.
Israel.
Prepare your heart and mind for peace.
Jesus
wants us to be prepared and to have peace—His peace. No fear.
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of
mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't
be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will
come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am
going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things
before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. John 14:27-29
John
wrote in his letters to Christians that we can live in fellowship with God
because we have fellowship with Jesus. Fellowship—close friendship—is an intimate
relationship with God, knowing Him personally. That is the goal of Christians
who seek to obey Jesus. Note the promise in this passage below—the evil one
cannot touch them. What an encouraging assurance.
We know that God's children do not
make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one
cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world
around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God
has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.
And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship
with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your
hearts. 1 John
5:18-21
Those who accept my commandments
and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father
will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. John 14:21
Jesus loves
us—God so loved the whole world. What is your choice today? Preparation with
Peace by seeking Jesus with your whole, undivided heart?
Verse
of Salvation ~ Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in
peace." Luke
7:50
Gone – but not forgotten…Shirley & Bob,
Anne & Vicki
Victims of domestic violence.
Your
faith has saved you from the evils of this world.
© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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