1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer, 2 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: where we help you find the words you need to 3 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: in your life today, you can trust that God wants 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Right after the short word from 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: our sponsors, we'll pray through today's prayer to lead us 7 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: to the Manger. A Prayer to lead Us to the Manger, 8 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: written by Lynette Kittle, read by Leah Gerard. And she 9 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: gave birth to her first born, a son. She wrapped 10 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: him in cloths and placed him in a manger because 11 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: there was no guest room available for them Luke two seven. 12 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 1: Most people looking for the coming Messiah wouldn't have started 13 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: by combing the nearby stables in obscure villages outside Jerusalem. 14 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: It's not likely they'd be searching for a manger holding 15 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: the new born boy to be the King of kings. Rather, 16 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: they would look for him in palaces, places where nobles lived, 17 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: places deemed worthy of hosting the birth of the Savior 18 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: of the world, offering a luxurious, clean and secure setting 19 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: where a newborn baby would receive the best of care 20 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: and provisions. But instead Jesus was born in a straw 21 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: bedded stable, among the lowly livestock, far from the comforts 22 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: and cushions of worldly wealth and nobility. As Isaiah fifty 23 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: three to two describes, he grew up before him like 24 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. 25 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, 26 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. During 27 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: the time of Jesus' birth, the magi, who had studied 28 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: the prophecy concerning the coming of a Messiah, followed God's 29 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: glorious star. It led them to Jerusalem to look for 30 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: the newborn king. Matthew two one through two describes their arrival. 31 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem and Judea during the 32 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: time of King Herod, magi from the east came to 33 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: Jerusalem and asked, where is the one who has been 34 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: born King of the Jews. We saw his star when 35 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: it rose and come to worship him. In sync with 36 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: God's plan, the Magi were on the right track to 37 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: be led to the manger by following the star. Their 38 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: quest led them to Jerusalem and to the attention of 39 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: King Herod. As Matthew two three through six explains when 40 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem 41 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 1: with him. When he had called together all the people's 42 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them 43 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: where the Messiah was to be born? In Bethlehem and Judea. 44 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: They replied, for this is what the prophet has written. 45 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by 46 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: no means least among the rulers of Judah. For out 47 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my 48 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: people Israel. Fearful of being replaced by a new king 49 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: and losing his power, Matthew two seventh through eight tells 50 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: us Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from 51 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent 52 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: them to Bethlehem and said, go and search carefully for 53 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, 54 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: so that I too may go and worship him. After 55 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: being questioned by King Herod, Matthew two nine through twelve 56 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: records the Magi's response and actions. After they had heard 57 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,559 Speaker 1: the king, they went on their way, and the star 58 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: they had seen when it rose went ahead of them 59 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: until it stopped over the place where the child was. 60 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming 61 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, 62 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened 63 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, franken, 64 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: sin and mirror. And, having been warned in a dream 65 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: not to go back to Herod, they returned to their 66 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: country by another route, again led by God. The Magi 67 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: followed God's lead rather than reporting to the king. Like 68 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: the Magi, we don't come to Jesus in the Manger 69 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: on our own, but are led by the guidance of 70 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: His Holy Spirit. Without him, we wouldn't be able to 71 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:39,840 Speaker 1: find the Messiah, just like Herod couldn't. Let's pray, Dear 72 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: Father today, especially as we look forward to another Christmas. 73 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: We ask your Holy Spirit to lead us to the 74 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: Manger to Jesus and to help us lead others there too. 75 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: Open our eyes, ears, and hearts to experience the wonder 76 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: of the Manger and to see that beauty and simplicity 77 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: surrounding his birth reveal to us the spiritual meaning and 78 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: significance of Jesus, Savior of the world, being born in 79 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 1: a stable, lying wrapped in a cloth and laid in 80 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: a manger, rather than in a jewel crested cradle lined 81 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: with fine linen. Let us be willing, like the Magi, 82 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: to seek him with our whole heart, and share in 83 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: and experience the joy and reverence they did in finding 84 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: him so long ago. Soften our hearts, to lay our 85 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: treasures before him, bow down, and worship him as the 86 00:06:46,120 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: King of kings in Jesus' name. Amen. Your Daily Prayer 87 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. If 88 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: you haven't already, be sure to follow the show in 89 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. 90 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio 91 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: dot com.