Luke 3:1-6
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”a]”>[a]Footnotes:
- Luke 3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5
Prayer:
Lord, help us to prepare the way for you. To remove all obstacles and roll out the red carpet for your arrival. Let us not be fearful of the trials and suffering we humans face; particularly in this season, but to see them as a time to grow in our faith journey with you. To trust you will lead us out of the desert of this life and into the Eden of newness with you. Instill in us a clean heart, ready to both be and receive the blessings of this Advent season.
Implore us to be good stewards of the gifts that we have been given. Help us prepare for the arrival of Jesus by helping to prepare those around us. Let us not be stumbling blocks, but smooth paths of righteousness. Let us be messengers of good conduct and Christlike behavior, and teach that repentance is the way to the Savior. Let us be your light in this dark world.
Make ready our hearts and minds to see Your work being done each and every day. Lend our souls to commune with you in this sacred time of preparation. Challenge us to focus on what’s important: the birth of your Son. Because he lived and died for us, so we have a purpose, a calling, and a reason to live. May we continue to recognize and honor those gifts in this season.
From Isaiah, to John the Baptist, to us, may we continue to prepare the way for the arrival of your Son forever and ever, Amen.