Saturday's Bible Story for the Week
Whereas the priest Zechariah’s heart prayer was likely part of him for decades (to have a child), a similar heart prayer for Mary (to have a child) sprouts freshly from the message she received from the angel Gabriel.
This is our story, during which she voices “may it be to me as You have said.”
It’s improbable that Mary was already praying to be the mother of the Messiah, but being highly favored by God, she is now going to give birth to the Son of God. You can imagine that the prayers of her heart would grow for her son.
She treasured the wide-ranging experiences in her heart (Luke 2:19) – comments, visits, and prophecies made about Him before He was born, at His birth, and into adulthood. Your heart prayers may be very recent or decades old, but know that the Lord hears them too.
Luke 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
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.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Prayer
Lord God Almighty, Let my heart take note of and treasure what You are doing in my life – and in the lives of my loved ones. Give me eyes to see how I am also favored thanks to Mary’s Baby Boy Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.