The JOY of Zechariah – Angel Gabriel Brings an Annunciation

A Joyful Advent Journey: Meet the People, Prayers, and Events of Advent

Are you hoping for a Joyful Advent Journey this year?  Join this podcast series to discover the joy of the people, prayers, and events so important to Jesus’ first coming. You will meet Zechariah, Elizabeth, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the Angels, the Shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and the Magi.  It’s as if you will travel with them via Scripture and partake in the most meaningful events in their lives.

Episode #1 ~ The JOY of Zechariah: God Answers Prayer

Are you waiting for an answer to prayer? Stay hopeful this Advent!  Please listen today as we start our Advent Journey Episode #1 with the JOY of  Zechariah. He will teach us this lesson in an unusual way: Don’t give up hope – God hears & God answers prayer. We will cover these points today;

Advent Celebrates Hope and the Coming of Christ

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• The celebration of ADVENT often surprises us because it comes so quickly.
  
• It’s easy to miss it.  It was just fall, then Thanksgiving, and then within a few weeks, it’s Christmas.
  
• Advent helps us prepare our mind and heart to celebrate Christ’s coming anew this Christmas.
  

The Meaning of Advent

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• Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus, ” which means “coming.”
  
• The Advent season focuses on the present coming of Jesus in our lives and on increasing our desire for His presence every day.
  

The First of Two Annunciations (Luke 1: 1-7)

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• For 430 years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ, God had stopped speaking to His people because they had stopped listening to His prophets. Fast forward 430 years and we will drop in on the “first annunciation” in Luke 1.  The term “annunciation” in Latin means announcement.
  
• When God began speaking again, He sent announcements through His most important heavenly messenger – the Archangel Gabriel.
  
• In Luke 1, Gabriel brings the first announcement to Zechariah. He and his wife Elizabeth served God, trusted him for everything, while they waited and prayed for children, which overtime seemed more impossible (Luke 1: 5-7).
  

Gabriel, The Might of God and No Puny Angel (Luke 1: 12-23)

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•  Zechariah just couldn’t believe he would have a miracle with joy and gladness after all those years of waiting.  He said, “how can this be, we are old!”
  
• Poor Zechariah—the Archangel Gabriel just couldn’t take his unbelief so with one look he muted Zechariah for the next nine months.
  
• Gabriel is no puny angel –  “Gabriel” in New Testament Greek means “the Might of God,” but we will soon see he has a gentle side.
  

Personal Reflection

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• After listening to the podcast, please reflect on the powerful message of Zechariah, Elizabeth, and us in the first part of Luke 1: God hears. God answers.  Don’t give up on God.
  
• Have you ever prayed for something so long that you gave up? Have you ever received more than you expected – just as you were about to give up?
  
• St. Jerome wrote about Zechariah: “Your prayer is heard…that is to say you are given more than you asked for. You prayed for the salvation of the people and you have been given the Precursor” [John the Baptist] (Souvay, 1910, The Catholic Encyclopedia – Zacharias).
  
• While Zechariah was praying and waiting and giving up on prayer all those years, he did not know that God was preparing Joseph and Mary and so, he had to wait just a little longer.
  

Application and Prayer Points

Consider these prayer points because Jesus wants to share His joy while you wait for His answers:

(a) Ask Jesus for a  new and fresh prayer encounter with Him. Ask for new joy and to experience His presence while you look for everyday miracles.

(b) Take Time. Make a point to take some quiet time every day to listen to the Lord, read LUKE 1, and stay connected to the joy of the Lord

(c) Converse. Share with Jesus what you are waiting for. Then keep an open attitude to receive heavenly surprises JOY. (For example, you could pray: Jesus, I have given up on… Please give me new insight. Show me the little places where I see your hand at work.)

(d) Start an ADVENT PRAYER Journal. Why not record your prayer and conversation with Jesus this Advent?  You may be surprised at the transformation to JOY you receive and will want to record during Advent.

(e) Thank God. Let the Lord know that you trust your life and circumstances to Him.

Links

You can download a Bookmark of prayer points from the Advent JOY Podcast #1 at my website: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.

Check out more podcasts here!

Click here to find the book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

The post A Joyful Advent Journey #1 ~ The JOY of Zechariah: God Answers Prayer appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.