• Journal
  • Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:
    • A Guide to Journaling & Prayer
    • A Guide to Self-Reflection
    • A chart to help articulate feelings

• Read & Reflect

  Luke 1:26–38 (ESV) 

  ²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

  ³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

  ³⁵ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

  “Scholars tell us that Nazareth was a small humble agrarian town. And the region of Galilee was not a respected region.  At the time of Gabriel’s appearance, Mary was most likely to be a young teenager.” [1]

  Luke 1:26-37

  • What worldly values are overthrown by God’s choice to send Jesus through Mary?
  • Does the manner of Jesus’ coming challenge certain values I hold regarding people, status, wealth and power?

  Luke 1:38

  • What implications did Gabriel’s message have on Mary’s life?
  • Ultimately, what was her response to God?
  • What is my level of willingness to do whatever God may ask of me?

   

• Gratitude Journal & Prayer of Thanksgiving
• Write down three things that you are thankful for.

[1] Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 57.