[Membersandfriends] Thursday, December 09, 2004

Wed Dec 8 22:01:39 PST 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Thursday, December 09, 2004

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Advent Seasonal Reflections

Upper Room Ministries is pleased to offer Advent Seasonal Reflections to help you celebrate this most holy of seasons. This year's theme is "Prepare Your Heart." To read these daily Advent reflections, visit us at 
http://www.upperroom.org/seasonal/advent/
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LAST THING OR FIRST?
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Mark 1:29-39 (NRSV)

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

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Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
-- Psalm 55:22 (NRSV)
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I had stayed up until 3 a.m. helping my sixth-grade son finish his science project.  After only three hours of sleep, I was feeling frazzled and weary.  Someone called to inform me that a member of our church had just lost her brother to cancer.  Someone else called to talk about her depression.  Still another called asking for prayer.  And the Christmas holidays were approaching fast with many preparations to be made.

In the midst of the hectic holiday season, it may seem as if the last thing we have time to do is pray and read the Bible.  Yet we need time alone with God even more when stress and strain pull at us.  The Gospel of Mark tells us that after a hectic day of healing people, Jesus got up early to pray.  He was strengthened by time alone with God.

Martin Luther, the great German reformer, with much to do once said, "Today I need not one hour of prayer but three!"  Luther knew that prayer keeps us in touch with our God, who loves us and wants to guide us and give us strength.

Prayer:   Dear Lord, when we are busy and life is hectic, remind us that you are our strength and guide.  Teach us again to value time with you.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
We're too busy not to pray.

-- Keith G. Knight (Tennessee, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Frazzled parents

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RELATED READING ...

SPIRITUAL GUIDES FOR THE 21st CENTURY lets you enter the Protestant Reformation through the spiritual stories of the individuals who led the reform movements.  In making history come alive, K. James Stein shows that the spiritual issues of that day are equally contemporary and relevant today.  Stein devotes one chapter each to Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, Menno Simons, and Thomas Cranmer.

http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=12705

PLEASE SHARE THIS MINISTRY with a friend. Invite them to sign up for the free E-Mail Devotional by visiting: http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/email/.

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.