“Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant” (Luke 1:71-72)

You do have enemies and there are those who hate you.  For those who appeal to Him, He gives mercy and remembers what He has promised to the faithful.  In Christ, this is, in part, what some call the new covenant.  Maybe it is better to say the unfolding covenant that tells us that He will walk with each of us and guide us in the way of everlasting life.  He has come to lead You into the way of eternity which He established in the beginning.

Lord, Your mercy abounds and You care even  for those not yet born.  Help me to understand that I am a part of Your plan.  You will guide those who look to You and lead all who come through faith to You.  You will uphold us through the difficult waters of this world.  Help me to see Your hand of action and follow You where You lead.  Open my ears to hear Your word when You speak and heed the admonitions that You give.

Lord Jesus, Word made flesh, You have come to make eyes to see and ears to hear.  Your word is still spoken and there are those who will receive Your word of life.  Guide me so that I walk on the path You have set before me.  Help me to understand that You must be the One who leads, for I do not know where to go.  Through all of these things, lead me.  In all things, let Your hand be that which guides my actions.  Amen.

“And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant – as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old” (Luke 1:69-70)

The Lord spoke through the prophets of old of the coming redemption.  God knows what He is doing.  He sees the beginning from the end.  He will accomplish the salvation of those who come to and through Him to eternal life in Him.  The story is still unfolding, and we are a part of the ongoing story as the horn of salvation continues to blow.  He has now given you his word of salvation.

Heavenly Father, my ears have heard the words You have given me.  You have fulfilled the words You gave to the prophets of old and my eyes have seen the movement of Your people in the church.  Lead me into the words of eternal life which You have spoken through Your Son so that I may learn how to live the new life You have given me.  Guide me out of the old  ways of this world to live the new way of everlasting life.

Lord Jesus, Salvation of God made flesh, You have come in fulfillment of the prophecies of old so that I might have true life and have it abundantly.  Guide me in the goodness of Your revelation to hear and heed the words You have spoken.  Help me to receive and then act upon Your instructions.  Daily, lead me ever deeper into the way of everlasting life so that I may become what You will make of me.  Amen.  

“And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people” (Luke 1:67-68)

What is it that the Lord said in prophecy which the faithful understood?  Listen to what is said here, for these are the words of a faithful Israelite speaking the faith before Jesus came.  “The Lord has come and accomplished our redemption.”  To be redeemed is to be taken out of bondage.  God’s plan has not changed.  Jesus came to redeem us.  What we do with that redemption is the next step.

Lord, many around me think in terms of being saved.  It is that, but there is something important I forget.  You lifted me out of the pit of death and destruction.  You have set a path of life before me.  Help me to see what I was and what You are making of me are not only completely different, but that I am not yet where I will be as You prepare me to live forever with You.

Lord Jesus, You are the One who has come to redeem those who look to You for their salvation.  It is You who accomplishes this for us.  Guide me in the way of living which moves into the life You have set before me.  Help me to see the pitfalls where I think I am doing these things on my own.  You are the Redeemer and the Savior and apart from You I can do nothing.  Lead me to learn how to always follow You.  Amen.

Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.  All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him” (Luke 1:63-64).   

The crowds were dazzled at the time.  How many of them later would follow where John would lead them?  How many would look the other way when John was imprisoned?  We may be dazzled for a moment, but when faith takes root, the greatest miracle of all for any one of us happens.  God has not come to impress us, but to release us from the condemnation that sin has brought upon the world.

Lord, like others, I too love the obvious.  But I often do not see the simple and humble transformation that happens to those who come to You in faith.  Help me to celebrate and rejoice in the truth that every day You are performing so many miracles.  Let me see Your hand of action in the world.  Guide my eyes to see so that I may speak of the truth of Your presence in our lives.

Lord Jesus, the Father opened the mouth of one who at first did not believe to utter these  words which were words of obedience.  Open my mouth to speak what is right and true.  Lead me so that I speak Your word of salvation to those whom I meet.  Guide me knowing that Your hand is upon me.  Take away whatever hinders me in order that I may be bold in the faith You have given me.  Amen.

And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.  And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God” (Luke 1:63-64).

It is not that every time You are obedient to the Lord everything will be miraculous, but perhaps, in a way, it is.  All of heaven rejoices when one sinner repents.  “Graced by God,” the meaning of the name, is given to the one who will lead the way for Jesus.  The Lord has purpose for you and when there is obedience, the grace of God is unleashed before and in you.  Listen to the Lord, not the crowd.

Lord, You have wonderfully made each one of us for Your purpose.  Help me to learn obedience so that I may humbly walk in the way of Your leading.  Whether others see the miracle that You are performing does not really matter.  You are miraculously transforming all who come in faith to be Your children.  Guide all the faithful in the way You know we need to go.  Lead all to be faithful to every call You give.

Lord Jesus, You are the grace of the Father.  You are the One who gives us the ability to act in faith to come to the Father.  Help me by Your grace to move through whatever obstacles come my way so that I may learn how to be obedient to every direction that comes from You.  Lead me now and always to humbly submit to Your call and to reject every other call to the contrary no matter how many things of this world press in.  Amen.  

“And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”  And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called” (Luke 1:61-62).

You cannot break tradition!  What has gotten into you?  We have always done it that way.  The world, while tolerating all types of garbage, focuses upon trivial things and gives you a bad time.  The mother must have some kind of postpartum thing going on, what does the father want?  Mind you, names were much more important for them then, but the pattern of meddling is still present.

Lord, where I become excited over some small things that really do not matter, help me to leave behind the temptation to give into the world’s indignation.  Where there are those around me who are in a feeding frenzy of correctness, help me to go the other way.  Lead me to be of a sane mind that pays attention to what is important to You and leave behind what is not.  Guide me to listen and follow Your guidance.

Help me, Lord Jesus, for You know what it is like to have the crowds pressing in.  Those around You wanted You to do all sorts of things.  Help me to look beyond them to see You so that I may hold fast to what is the right thing to do.  Guide me through all of the anxiousness in this world so that I may do the Father’s will.  Lead me to that place where I will hear You give me my new name.  Amen.

“And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.  But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John” (Luke 1:59-60).

The turning point of this story is helpful to us.  Those outside the faith have expectations and they are laid upon us.  Well-meaning though they may be, it is not what will happen.  In those days, the word of the father was final.  Elizabeth was following the command of the Lord, but the culture of those days caused those around her to wonder what she was thinking.  Why would this first son not be named after the father?

Lord, I am very presumptuous and expect others to act the way I expect them to act.  Help me to be sensitive in the way You would have me be and be sensitive so that I do not act according to the way of the world, but by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Help me to see those places where I am reacting with cultural things so that I may be sensitive to Your word when it calls me to do something else.

Lord Jesus, throughout Your ministry You showed care for others and were willing to break through the human customs of the day.  Help me to understand that I too need to break through those customs that hinder me from doing what You would have me do.  Aid me not to expect others to act the way I want, nor impose my understanding upon them.  Guide me to be a help to my neighbor.  Amen.

“Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.  Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her” (Luke 1:57-58).

When obvious miracles happen, people rejoice.  Things happen that have more significance than we often realize. Scripture tells us to rejoice.  We are here reminded, whether or not we think it is significant, to rejoice in the work of the Lord.  The Lord has mercy for the whole world.  The Lord offers grace to those who believe so that we may learn how to rejoice in every circumstance.

Lord, I often spend more time complaining about circumstances than rejoicing in Your goodness.  Help me to understand that each day You grant is a miracle and that You are always at work in each of us.  Help me to rely upon Your Spirit as You speak to me so that I do not speculate upon what to do but walk in the way You are directing me.  Bring me out of myself to live life as it is to be lived.

Lord Jesus, help me to join in where my neighbor is living.  If they are weeping, help me to weep with them.  If they are rejoicing, remind me to rejoice with them.  In and through all things, lead me to be sensitive to those around me knowing that You will teach me what it means to truly love my neighbor.  Teach me all that I need to learn and grant me a willing heart to receive the teachings You give.  Amen.

“And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home” (Luke 1:56).

A significant amount of time was spent together for these two women who were carrying two significant people in the history of the world.  What happened during that time?  Beyond the obvious bonding of Mary and Elizabeth, we do not know.  Focus upon what the Lord does give us, not upon what we do not know.  We each experience many things and the Lord uses them to grow in us the Christ life.

Lord, help me to live the life You have given me.  There are many experiences I do not acknowledge as being anything significant, but You use all things to conform each of us to the new life we are given through grace.  Help me through the anxieties of this world so that I may learn how to live as You would have me live.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to walk by Your guidance.

Lord Jesus, we know very little about your first thirty years other than that You spent time growing up as we all do.  Help me to not focus on trying to learn what only speculation can answer; but instead focus upon what I can do.  Lead me in the way You know I need to go, spending time where I need to spend time and learning what it is that I need to be taught.  Amen.

“He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever” (Luke 1:54-55).

To the one who knows that God prevails, there is mercy upon mercy.  The promises of the Lord to all people will be fulfilled.  Those who, through faith, believe that God is Sovereign, will receive the sure hope of everlasting life.  God’s word has gone out and as many as believe will receive the promised redemption which has been granted through the coming of the Son.  He has accomplished the Father’s will.

Lord, with such simplicity You have shown over and over again Your love and mercy.  Help me to understand that it is not so much what I do, but who I am in You that will lead me out of the futile strivings of this age.  Guide me out of the way of thinking which depends upon my thoughts in order that I may receive Your word. Let the seed of Your word germinate and grow in me.

 Lord Jesus, You patiently went through a life of experiencing its various stages.  You were an infant, a toddler, an adolescent, a teenager, and then an adult.  You know what it is like to live a daily life like ours in this world.  Help me to understand that You have purpose in each stage of life as You grow in me Your image.  Guide me to follow You every step of the way as You lead me.  Amen.