2nd Week of Advent: PRAY

This week we heard about John the Baptist. He seems like a pretty interesting guy. People who live in the desert and eat wild honey and locusts are probably pretty interesting. But what’s really interesting about John the Baptist isn’t what he eats, but what he’s proclaiming:

John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Luke 3:3-6)

John knew who was coming and he knew the power that Jesus would have. But how did he know this? John

 was a simple guy. His parents were faithful and prayerful people. He probably grew up knowing that Jesus was special. He probably grew up developing a deep sense of the prayer life. That’s today’s theme: PRAY.

God speaks to us in prayer. Prayer changes us. When we pray we’re changed and this change is a good change, especially during this Advent season. We’re called to “prepare the way of the Lord!” Well, what does that mean? It means we’re called to prepare our hearts for the birth of Christ this Christmas season.

If you’re unsure how to prepare, the best and easiest way to begin is to spend time in prayer. It will make life a little more interesting. You may not end up in the desert eating wild honey and locusts, but you might find yourself hearing God’s voice or you may find your own voice proclaiming that Emmanuel, the Savior, will be born on Christmas day.

Be well,

Kristyn Russell