We begin our prayer time in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. + Amen.
Jeremiah 33:14-16; “Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 'In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. 'In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the LORD is our righteousness.”
Psalm 19:14; “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
‘Adoration’
Luke 2:8-20 (KJV); “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
Imagine on that one night, long ago, that host of angels appeared proclaiming loudly “Glory to God in the highest and on earth…peace and good will toward men!!” This month we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came down to earth and was born in a humble shelter and a few decades later gave up His earthly life for us. G-R-A-C-E came down for us; the best gift we will ever receive.
Romans 15:12-13; “Again Isaiah says, "THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE." Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
A time of ‘Adoration’ to our Heavenly Father.
Please take time to sit and consider how our Triune God comes to us through His ‘WORD’ every day and how He has impacted every single minute of your life.
Consider the earthly life of the Son of God who came down from Heaven to dwell among us. Leaving His place in Heaven to be born in a stable in the wilderness to humble parents surrounded by farm animals, shepherds and stillness.
Give thanks for where God has placed you and the gifts that you were given to use for Him along your journey.
Take a few moments to look around you and within your house and spend time counting your many blessings; one by one.
‘Confession’
Luke 11:28:30 “He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.”
We were born, sinful and unclean, through no fault of our own, but because of the sins of our parents, grandparents…Adam and Eve.
God sent His only Son to die for our sins. Jesus did everything right while he was here on this earth. He loved you with a love that cannot be measured. He gave to the world when no thanks were returned to Him. He healed when there was no hope, and He died without complaint. Jesus did nothing wrong and everything right; all this for you. He lived for you and died for you. Our sins nailed Him to the cross on Calvary and kept Him there until His life on earth had ended.
Psalm 32:1-7; “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD" and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
A time of personal confession.
Our sins are placed at the base of the cross...His cross, and we give thanks that the times we have fallen short in the eyes of our Heavenly Father have been washed clean and we have been forgiven through the Blood of our Risen Savior Jesus Christ.
‘Thanksgiving’
Psalm 107:1-3; “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story; those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”
Too often this month is filled with lists of what we want or think that we really need when in fact we should really be giving thanks for what we have and what was given to us without asking. At the top of our list should be giving thanks for God giving us His Son Jesus who came down from Heaven to become a baby boy born is a stable in the stillness of the night to humble parents. This Christ child came to rescue us from our sinfulness and prepare for us a place in Heaven. He came down for all man-kind.
Isaiah 9:6-7; “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
We come to You now with hearts, minds and words filled with ‘Thanksgiving’.”
We give thanks for our Creator, Redeemer and Holy Spirit.
We give thanks for having a Savior.
We give thanks for our providence; monetary, food, clothing and shelter. As we give of our first fruits may we also give a portion of our best to His children who need the assistance we can provide.
We give You thanks for the thousands of Haitian children who are not only the prime purpose of Trinity/HOPE but also Your missionaries for the future generations in Haiti who bring the true message of Christmas to lives who have never known.
We give You thanks for the work that is being accomplished by the Haitian parents, teachers, school principals and Feeding Program Directors who are shaping the lives of young Haitian children this school year and for the legions of TrinityHope volunteers and donors.
‘Supplications’
I have often heard people say that the biggest part of their prayer time is spent asking for stuff. At times we ‘ask’ for things without really considering how they will impact our calling and our journey; to serve Him as He desires us to serve Him by bringing others into the Kingdom. May we seek His discernment in our lives.
Acts 20:35; “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
I read a quote recently from Matt Hall with Casting Crowns and he said; “Don’t be a pond, collecting the good and being stagnant. Be a river; grabbing the good and letting it flow through you and out to others.” This Christmas, be a river! Be less interested in your own list and let your time, talents, treasures and love flow into the lives of others.
Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You;
Heavenly Father, continue to lead and bless Trinity/HOPE with Your loving hand; may we always strive to accomplish Your will.
Bless the workers here in the U.S. and in Haiti and give them courage as they face challenges from the evil foe. Provide them with courage, endurance and love.
Lord, please give us discernment and the desire to be more like a river this year as we celebrate Christmas.
Heavenly Father, please bless new donors unknown to us but who are out there ready to help to feed Haitian children through the Matthew 25 Project. May they be blessed with the joy that comes from being sacrificial givers as they share their treasures through You to bless the lives of Your future missionaries in Haiti.
Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You sent it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:11-14; “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
May God go before you to guide you; may His arms be beneath you to support you, around you to protect you and above you to bless you. And may the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you always dear sister and brother in Christ,
In His love, have a Merry Christmas and may you flow like a river today and in 2019.
Jay Brinkmeyer