Christian Foundations

Luke 1
The births of John and Jesus are foretold.
INSIGHT
How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?
If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.
But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."
That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.
So we can approach Him with complete confidence!
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident (Psalm 27:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, offer this prayer of confession to the Lord:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this
passage of affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).

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