Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under,

Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

 “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”

“You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.

Lord God my Father,

Give me wisdom to outwit or be aware of Satan’s desire to corrupt. Give me wisdom to keep on your desired path and stay humble under your Love.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10For the Scriptures say,

Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6“I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

 “My time has not yet come.”5But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Lord God my Father,

Protect me this day from the lies of Satan, Give me the discernment to carry the strength of your Holy Spirit and allow it to direct my actions.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

 Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

His mighty arm has done tremendous things!He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.52He has brought down princes from their thronesand exalted the humble.

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,because he has visited and redeemed his people.

He is a light to reveal God to the nations,and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Lord God my Father,

You fill me and bring great Joy to my life. Keep me in your blessing and guide me to your word before my desires distract me. You have made your Glory known to me, allow me to grow in my ability to experience your way every day.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.

And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,1:17 See Mal 4:5-6. and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Lord God my Father,

May I please you with my thoughts and actions, Lord God, give me strength in my struggles to not stumble and keep my gaze on you. Give me courage and boldness to carry your word to those around me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross.

“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. 6His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,

Lord God my Father,

Quiet my mind to live in your peace where I don’t worry about your plan, bring all doubt and fear to the surface and skim it off leaving me pure in my faith. Open my eyes and ears to your truth only, protect me from deceit.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

Instead, they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing.

So I purged out everything foreign and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making certain that each knew his work.

This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.

Lord God my Father,

Bring a spirit of reverence to my thoughts do I may always have your desire on my heart, use me to lead others to find the relationship you desire to have with your people.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

 But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love.

Lord God my Father,

Your forgiveness is astounding, create in me a heart that desires to never look away from you.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

 “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.

This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Lord God my Father,

Help me to see your Glory above the struggles, this is a day to rejoice simply because you made it. Keep a spirit of praise on my heart as I walk thru the darkness focusing my eyes on you, not on the issues Satan is using to distract me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Then I pressed further, “What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations?

 Yet I refused to claim the governor’s food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden.

They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.

Lord God my Father,

Keep your Truth on my at all times, help me to see the game play of the deceiver, Give me courage and determination to follow thru with your request and bring hope to others.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.

Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” 18Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.

Lord God my Father,

Instruct me on how to restore your kingdom and inspire others to do the same. Lord God, I am a sinner weak and lazy, unable to lift myself up, I need you and your power and direction to be my only motivation. I cry out to you for restoration to who you created me to be.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen