A Prayer to Our Prince of Peace
By: Lisa Appelo
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him -- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:1-2 [NIV]
This passage talks about stumps and shoots. We have several big oak trees in our yard and when one of them started endangering the house, we had it cut all the way down to a stump. A few months later? New green shoots with glossy green leaves began growing right out of that stump.
That’s the picture that the prophet Isaiah uses. Seven hundred years before Jesus was ever born, Isaiah prophesied that a Messiah would come from the root of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David, an ancestor of both Mary and Joseph. While nearly all of King David’s royal line would be wiped out, God promised a Messiah would come from the stump of Jesse.
Out of what looked like a dead royal line -- when a pagan, Roman government rather than a Hebrew king ruled over Israel -- God brought about that new shoot: the Messiah – Jesus.
Jesus, didn’t rule like King David with an earthly palace or majestic throne or royal robes conquering enemy nations through a mighty army. Instead, Jesus came in poverty and humility, to reveal a heavenly kingdom and to conquer the curse of sin through his own death.
O Father, we praise you that before the foundation of the world You chose Jesus, our Messiah, to come to earth and show us the Way to the heavenly kingdom and to be the Way to the heavenly kingdom. We thank you for making room for us who are redeemed in Your heavenly Kingdom.
Jesus, we worship you as King of Kings and Lord of lords. You are my King. You have rule over my heart and my life, my thoughts and time and goals. I bow to You only and give you full and free reign over my life. Help me not to grip anything so tightly that I am unwilling to release it to You. You are a just King; our Prince of Peace. Help me to desire Your kingdom above that of my own making and bow to Your will above my own.
Holy Spirit, lead me in the ways of the heavenly kingdom. Teach me wisdom from above and guide me in truth. Help me to have eyes that see and ears that hear all that God has for me. Help me to know the Lord, to fully understand His might, to fear turning away from Him and to know His grace.
We love you Lord. With all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind and all of our strength we love you. We lavish you with our worship. We come to adore You today. Amen.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
*adapted from Countdown to Christmas: Unwrap the Real Christmas Story with Your Family in 15 Days.
Related Resource: When Life Unravels: Biblical Strategies for Hard Seasons
Few challenges stretch a parent’s faith and emotional reserves more than life’s unexpected curveball seasons—the plot twists that leave you wondering, “God, what are you doing?” How do you remain anchored in truth when the bottom drops out?
This week on Christian Parent/Crazy World, Catherine welcomes back her very first guest and trusted friend, Dr. Erin Barry, to help parents not only survive, but find hope and stability in life’s most turbulent moments. Dr. Barry is a clinical Christian counselor, author, homeschool expert, and co-founder of inseparableLives.com. Her biblically grounded wisdom comes from over 30 years of walking families through the storms of life.
In this transparent and practical episode, Catherine gets real about her own season of loss, uncertainty, and a series of shocking life upheavals—from parenting a prodigal, to family moves, to sudden job loss. Using these stories as a backdrop, Dr. Barry unpacks essential biblical strategies for clinging to faith and finding stability when life feels out of control. If this episode helps you be a more thoughtful parent, be sure to follow Christian Parent, Crazy World on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Monday, 14 December 2020.
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