Seeds for 08/12/2024 - Praise - Luke 1:46-55
In this series on prayer and scripture, we are following the acronym P.R.A.Y. as a guide for prayer. We are considering scriptures throughout the Bible on each theme. My prayer is that studying scriptures on these themes will give us biblical words to use as our own and simple insights for our praying.
Scripture:
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Observation:
We’ve already seen how Mary demonstrated yielding in prayer because of how she responded in faith to the call of God delivered by the angel. She also gives us an example of praise not long afterward in the text. She visits her cousin Elizabeth’s house and the baby in Elizabeth’s womb (John) leaps in the presence of the baby in Mary’s womb (Jesus). Here are a few observations about Mary’s prayer of praise.
First, she celebrates God’s calling in her life. Part of Mary’s praise is the great honor of being selected to serve the Lord in bearing the Messiah. This is so helpful because when we are called upon to do hard and challenging things with God, remembering that it is a privilege and honor to serve Him is incredibly important and empowering.
Second, her praise is inspired by a prayer in scripture, that of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. They are not the same word-for-word but scholars will point out very similar themes for both. What seems clear is that what we might call Mary’s “praying imagination” was shaped by other prayers in scripture. So, when she went to praise God, her prayer was shaped by the way scripture had formed her heart and mind.
Third, she expresses praise that expresses how the actions of God display the character of God. She speaks of God as merciful, doing mighty deeds, bringing down the proud, lifting up the lowly, providing for the hungry, and helping His people Israel. Through her praise, we have a character sketch of the God of her devotion.
In our praise, we can likewise celebrate God’s work. We can read scripture not only to learn specific points, but also so that our imagination is molded and shaped by God’s Word, and we can recognize how our praise shows us who we believe God to be.
Application:
When was the last time you praised God for calling you to something challenging and difficult?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, may this passage, and all of scripture, shape and mold my mind so that I might praise you alongside believers throughout the ages. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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