Sunday, January 1, 2012

SOAP 01/01/2012; Luke 1:8-9

Today's reading: Genesis 1,2; Luke 1

S)"8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense."
Luke 1:8-9 (NASB)

O) I think I'm pretty familiar with Luke 1 and 2 and the stories of Gabriel visiting Zacharias and Mary, but this is a subtle bit that I'd missed in the past. Zacharias was only even in the temple that day because they had cast lots for it... So God had to divinely arrange to get Zacharias into the temple, to have him be visited by an angel, that he wasn't going to fully believe in the first place... It's like God had to pull all of the circumstances together to make the strongest case possible, only to have Zacharias barely believe!

A) I don't want God to have to throw together every circumstance just for God to barely convince me. I need to make a decision right now, that I will believe God in the slightest evidence. I need to ask for more faith, increase my faith in the Word, and also determine now, to act on that faith.

P) Father, please increase my faith. I choose to obey, even now, Lord. Holy Spirit, speak to me now and show me the will of the Father. Send an angel messanger, give me a dream, speak to me through Your word, to my heart, or even audibly. I choose now to believe in the words spoken to me. Even so, convince me however You might, using whatever circumstances are necessary, to the greatest degree of belief possible. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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