Daily Pause

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ 27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27 My dea...

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 4 No...

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, _“Abba_, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has mad...

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord...

Today's devotion is adapted from the book "Restoration Year" by John Eldredge. A great daily devotional book. Click here if you would like to purchase your own copy. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thin...

This week the Daily Pause will take on a little different format fitting  for the season we are in. Each day we will open with prayer to immerse  in the presence and love of God … then we will engage with a well-known  Christmas Carol, hearing something of the story behind the carol as well  as the deep soul stirring theology of the lyrics. We will get to  embrace these ag...

This week the Daily Pause will take on a little different format fitting  for the season we are in. Each day we will open with prayer to immerse  in the presence and love of God … then we will engage with a well-known  Christmas Carol, hearing something of the story behind the carol as well  as the deep soul stirring theology of the lyrics. We will get to  embrace these ag...

This week the Daily Pause will take on a little different format fitting  for the season we are in. Each day we will open with prayer to immerse  in the presence and love of God … then we will engage with a well-known  Christmas Carol, hearing something of the story behind the carol as well  as the deep soul stirring theology of the lyrics. We will get to  embrace these ag...

This week the Daily Pause will take on a little different format fitting  for the season we are in. Each day we will open with prayer to immerse  in the presence and love of God … then we will engage with a well-known  Christmas Carol, hearing something of the story behind the carol as well  as the deep soul stirring theology of the lyrics. We will get to  embrace these ag...

This week the Daily Pause will take on a little different format fitting for the season we are in. Each day we will open with prayer to immerse in the presence and love of God … then we will engage with a well-known Christmas Carol, hearing something of the story behind the carol as well as the deep soul stirring theology of the lyrics. We will get to embrace these age tested songs in a fresh way...

Luke 2: 22-32 22 When the time came  for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and  Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is  written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be  consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with  what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two youn...

Luke 2: 17-19 17  When they had seen  him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this  child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to  them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in  her heart.  Today’s Prayer: Heavenly Father, on this divine night you  gave the matchless treasure of your onl...

Luke 2: 13-16  13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to the people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 They hurr...

Luke 2: 8-12  8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been bo...

Luke 2: 1-7  1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and...

Luke 1: 67-79   67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: Today’s prayer:  68 I praise you, Lord, the God of Israel, because you have come to your people and redeemed them. 69 You have raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant David 70 (as you said through your holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from th...

Luke 1: 59-66  59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing ta...

Luke 1: 45 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”  Today’s prayer: Heavenly Father, throughout Scripture you made promises to send your Son—That he would be born in the line of Abraham and David, and from the tribe of Judah. That he would be born to a virgin, in the village of Bethlehem. That he would provide a sacrifice for my sins and establish...

Luke 1: 43-44 (CJB) 43 “But who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! Today’s prayer: Today’s Prayer: O King of Heaven, when Jesus draws near to Elizabeth, she instantly recognizes her unworthiness to be in his presence; enough to join the refrain throughout Scripture and ask, “Who am I?...

Luke 1: 41-42 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! Today’s prayer: Heavenly Father, no one rejoices in the birth of your Son more than your Holy Spirit. In the Christmas account the Holy Spirit overshadows Mary, he l...

Luke 1: 39-40 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. Today’s prayer: Today’s PRAYER: God, as my calendar gets closer to Christmas, the busier it becomes. In between Christmas parties and Christmas shopping, I’m fighting Christmas traffic in Christmas weather. If I’m honest, Lord, the stress of...

Luke 1: 38 (GW) 38 Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.” Then the angel left her. Today’s prayer: Lord, I want to kneel with Mary this Christmas and proclaim that I am your servant, but I confess it’s hard for me. The thought of being a servant, bonded and captive to you, wages war with my pride and sensibilities. I would rather call you Father, or God,...

Luke 1: 30 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. Today’s prayer: Heavenly Father, beneath the frenzy of the Christmas season, there’s a brooding sense of fear. We brighten the longer evenings with strings of lights, we color the gray of winter with vibrant decorations, because there is a lingering sense of things beyond our control. This is fear. Fea...

Luke 1: 29 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Today’s prayer: Lord, once Mary heard the angel’s greeting, she knew she was being called and summoned to your purpose. Yet while her mind flooded with questions, her wonder was never doubtful. Her wonder was expectant. ... Despite what she didn’t know, she did know with certainty that you could...

Luke 1: 26-28 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Today’s prayer: Today’s prayer: Most Holy God, you could have remained...