Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength… Psalm 8:2 (NKJV)
All mothers must have their endearing stories of things their children say about God and Jesus. When our Kevin was just three-and-one-half-years old, he was full of questions about God and Jesus and everything…
“Daddy, why did God give us lungs?”
“Daddy, why did God make the mountains?”
“Mommy, why did Jesus have to die for our sins?”
And once he had the information set in his own mind, Kevin pondered it. Then, when we were in the car on our hour drive to town, Kevin would break into song about all he knew. He began with a familiar tune and then added his own lyrics…
“Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so…
And Jesus died on a cross
For all the bad things.
Then He rose up…
And God made the mountains
And God made the trees
And God made our bodies and hearts
And Jesus lives in my heart
And Jesus loves Mommy
And Jesus loves Daddy
And Jesus loves me
And Jesus loves all the children of the world!”
I could just see the angels smiling and rejoicing as our Lord heard little Kevin singing, for from the lips of children and infants He has ordained praise! And this week our big Kevin heads back to college for his spring semester, after attending a Campus Crusade Conference over his break. And I believe Jesus is still smiling. Keep turning the world upside down for Jesus, Kevin!
...Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants, You have perfected praise.Matthew 21:16 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: How can we join the children in exalting Jesus? As you read Psalm 8 and other Psalms today, underline favorite verses, marking the ones for exalting the Lord with an “E.” Then use these verses in your prayer time to praise God!
O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!Psalm 8:9 (NJKV)
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.Luke 2:11 (NKJV)
December is upon us with holiday open houses, lighted parades, Santa gift exchanges and even a few Christmas teas. But what our hearts truly long for in this often chaotic, overwhelming, lonely, expensive, yet festive time of year, is the peace and calm of a simple CUPP of TEA with the Savior of our souls, Jesus Christ.
So today I give you a Christmas TEA CUPP….Bible verses from the Christmas Story in God’s Word which you can use as conversation starters as you pray to Jesus this month.
T is for Thanksgiving
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.Luke 1:49 (NKJV)
E is for Exalting
And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.Luke 1:33 (NKJV)
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”Luke 1:46-47 (NKJV)
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David.Luke 1:68-69 (NKJV)
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!Luke 2:14 (NKJV)
A is for Admitting
…the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.Luke 2:35 (NKJV)
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.Matthew 1:21 (NKJV)
C is for Calling
…Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word….Luke 1:38 (NKJV)
To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.Luke 1:74-75 (NKJV)
U is for Understanding our stories
But Mary kept all these things and ponderedthem in her heart.Luke 2:19 (NKJV)
For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.Luke 2:30-32 (NKJV)
P is for Promises
And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. Luke 1:14 (NKJV)
For with God nothing will be impossible.Luke 1:37 (NKJV)
Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.Luke 1:45 (NKJV)
P is for Petitions
… for your prayer is heard...Luke 1:13
Today’s TEA CUPP: Plan to spend a quiet moment with Jesus every morning, even on Christmas morning before the unwrapping of gifts. Read the Christmas story in your Bible in Luke 1-2, underline your favorite verses. Borrow theses verses as you begin your prayers with Jesus. Merry Christmas, dear TEA friends!
Every job has tools. Baking a cake calls for a bowl, spoon or mixer, and an oven. Building a fence takes a saw, hammer, nails, level, and maybe even a post driver. Painting a house requires paint, brushes, a ladder, and perhaps some scaffolding. Prayer is no different. My TEA CUPP Prayers is about giving ladies tools to pray with Jesus each day.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)
There is no right way to pray to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But My TEA CUPP Prayers will help you get started so you can spend time with Him in your own special way. Let’s unpack the toolbox and see what we might need…
A Bible to read and let Jesus speak to us first.
A bookmark list of prayer requests.
A hymnal to sing praises to God.
A journal to record our prayers.
A pen to write those prayers.
A teacup or mug of your favorite beverage.
A quiet spot for just you and Jesus.
As you sit in your quiet spot, sipping your morning mug, open your Bible (the Psalms, or Genesis, or John are good places to begin). Read a chapter or two and let God speak to your heart. Underline your favorite verses and use those verses as conversation starters as you pour your heart out to Jesus in prayer. You can write the verse in your prayer journal and then add to it all you want to share with the Lord. You’ll find some verses are good for telling God, “Thanks.” I like to mark those with a “T” in my Bible. Some verses are good for exalting or praising Jesus. I mark those with an “E” in my Bible.” Some verses are good for admitting our sins. Those I mark with an “A” in my Bible. And I keep going with the CUPP for Calling, Understanding, Promises, and Petitions. You can pray all the parts each day or just one part a day, depending on the verses you underline. Soon you will have a prayer routine that is just right for you and Jesus.
If you lose your toolbox or forget to bring it with you, remember, you can still pray! Strip away the quiet spot, and you just pray amidst the chaos. Remove the hot drink, and you find yourself drinking Living Water. Lose the pen and journal, and you pour your heart out with your voice. Forget the hymnal, and you sing new songs to the Lord of your own. Misplace your prayer list bookmark, and pray for whomever God puts upon your heart. Hide your Bible and it’s just you and Jesus (but you best find it for next time!).
A dear lady in my Bible study group earnestly shared one Wednesday morning, “It doesn’t matter what words you use to pray. God knows your heart and hears your prayers. You can’t make your prayer any better with more words or fancier words. Just pray your heart.” This stuck with me from that day forward. It doesn’t matter if I do the entire TEA CUPP or just part of it, or write my prayers, or say them aloud, or use clever words, or simple words…God hears all my prayers. And when I’m at a loss for words, His Word, the Bible, gives me all the words I need to keep on praying.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: My dear friend, it’s time to pack your toolbox so you are ready to pray! Find everything you need and lay it out for tomorrow morning. Set your alarm for 5 a.m., get up, fill your morning mug, be amazed at what God will do with your prayer time.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.Psalm 95:6 (NKJV)
Eighteen years ago today, September 11, 2001, the lives of Americans, as well as citizens of the world, were changed forever. For on this day terrorists chose to take innocent lives, countless courageous citizens gave of themselves, and our nation was brought to its knees for a time.
What happened? Why aren’t we still on our knees? Some articles say church attendance increased for only a few weeks after 9/11, continuing a trend for decades of declining participation. Yet other articles say at the very heart of the tragedy, Evangelical churches sprouted and have flourished. Why aren’t we all still on our knees?
Why aren’t we still on our knees over the threat of the enemy?
Why aren’t we still on our knees over babies dying?
Why aren’t we still on our knees for unsaved family and friends?
Why aren’t we still on our knees for lost youth?
Why aren’t we still on our knees for our pastors and missionaries who give of themselves every day and need protection from the enemy?
Why aren’t we still on our knees?
I remember the first time I saw someone on their knees in prayer. It was my Grandma Margaret Applequist. Grandma was visiting us for a few weeks and was sleeping in the bedroom belonging to my sister and me. We were sleeping in the basement to give Grandma some peace and privacy. But I caught a cold, so they put me back upstairs in the extra bed in my own room. A few hours after going to sleep I awoke. A small crack of light coming from the hallway shone on my Grandma, kneeling by her bed in prayer. What an impact that picture made on a sick, young girl’s heart. I wanted to be like Grandma!
And yet, when I have My TEA CUPP Prayers, I sit curled on the sofa; when we pray at meals, I’m sitting at the table; when I say good-night prayers with my kids, I’m sitting on the edge of their beds, or standing by their bunks…when am I on my knees? Though I know He hears all those prayers, God really started impressing these kneeling prayers upon my heart, so I asked Him to show me in Scripture where it says I should be on my knees, and guess what, He did!
…he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God…Daniel 6:10 (NKJV)
...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... Philippians 2:10 (NKJV)
But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed….Acts 9:40 (NKJV)
And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.Acts 20:36 (NKJV)
…And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.Acts 21:5 (NKJV)
…and fell down and worshiped Him.Matthew 2:11 (NKJV)
And so, now, every evening, when my husband and I say our goodnight prayers, instead of lying in bed with one of us dozing off, we are on our knees beside the bed, pouring our hearts out to the Lord.
We hear of faithful Christians like Reverend Billy Graham wearing out the toes of their shoes or the knees of their pants because they knelt so often in prayer. My friends, we need to do the same! Wear out your knees for your family! Wear out your toes for your neighbors. Wear out the rug next to your bed for your country. Let’s get on our knees and pray!
Today’s TEA CUPP: While researching this devotion I came across another great devotion you might enjoy by Dr. David Jeremiah. And also this one about Reverend Billy Graham. Let’s follow their godly examples. “Do it again, Lord, do it again!”
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 3:14 (NKJV)
And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 1 Kings 8:54 (NKJV)
O the pure delight of a single hour That before Thy throne I spend, When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God I commune as friend with friend! Fanny Crosby, 1875
I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord.Psalm 116:13 (NKJV)
What are you sipping in your morning mug? Tea, coffee, espresso, orange juice, water, Gatorade? We all have a favorite beverage. I have a teacher friend who used to walk around school with a coffee mug filled with Mountain Dew because it was okay for teachers to drink coffee, but not soda pop, and she was the PE teacher! I love her sense of humor! Now she is a principal; that Mountain Dew must have worked!
My favorite morning beverage has changed over the years as my health has changed. I used to just hold a mug of hot water in the mornings until I found out the benefits of various teas. I also enjoyed a hot cocoa every day, but that doesn’t agree with my tummy anymore. This summer green tea and Hammer sports drinks are my favorites as I train for a marathon, but that could all change by winter!
The important point today is not what’s in your morning mug…coffee, tea, etc…but what you are doing with your first hour of the day. Fill up your cup and sit down with your Bible and Jesus. You can have coffee time with Jesus while saying your TEA CUPP Prayers, it’s okay! The TEA CUPP is just an acronym for things you can talk about while you are together. Using God’s Word we can pray: Thanking, Exalting, Admitting, Calling, Understanding, claiming God’s Promises, and Petitioning.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.Psalm 5:3 (NKJV)
As you sip your favorite drink, emptying your mug, let Jesus refill your cup with His Word, joy, peace, and love. Jesus is all we ever need. He is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father but through Him. Let Jesus fill your heart and life and cup today and every day!!!
Jesus said to him, “I amthe way,the truth, andthe life.No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Fill your cup with Jesus! Plan to start every day in His Word. Set your alarm early, pour your favorite beverage, and sit down with your Bible (before even checking your phone for messages). Let Jesus speak to you and fill you with His Word. The chorus of a hymn by Richard Blanchard says:
Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up, Lord; Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
Let this be our prayer today. Enjoy this precious version by Hope Montana.
…cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days… Deuteronomy 30:20
Does it seem like you are always going through something? Whether it is an illness, cancer diagnosis, death of loved one, family troubles, money problems, car repairs…there is always a trial that makes us worried, anxious, sad, struggling, depressed…Who can help us? Who is always there for us? Who can we hold onto in the storm?
Jesus! Yes, Jesus is always the answer! And today I have two Bible stories for you where women really did hold onto Jesus, they held onto His feet! Just as a toddler will wrap his arms around Mommy’s legs, these women gripped Jesus’s feet with all their strength and did not let go.
The first example was before Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Jesus was dining at the home of a Pharisee when a woman entered with an alabaster flask filled with fragrant oil. This woman was certainly struggling for the Bible calls her a sinner, and she was weeping as she stood behind Jesus. Then she did the boldest thing, she washed Jesus’s feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, and finally anointed His feet with the fragrant oil. After the Pharisee complained, Jesus told the dear woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48) and “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:50)
… (She) stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.Luke 7:38 (NKJV)
The second story comes after Jesus died on the cross, after He was buried, and after He rose from the grave. It was that very Sunday when Jesus rose that these two Marys went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’s body. But when they arrived, there was a great earthquake. An angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled the stone away from the tomb entrance, sitting on the stone. The guards were so scared they fainted, but the women watched amazed as the angel said, “Do not be afraid.” ( Matthew 28:5). The angel invited them to see where Jesus had lain. As the two Marys were leaving to tell the disciples, Who did they meet? Jesus! “So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” (Matthew 28:9)
And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.Matthew 28:9 (NKJV)
We also can hold Jesus’s feet! Whether we’ve made some terrible mistakes and come to Him as sinners, like the first woman, or we are lost in grief like the two Marys, we can come to Jesus and cling to His feet. And He will comfort us with His Word, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
But you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.Joshua 23:8 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Hold fast (1 Corinthians 15:2), my friend. Read these Bible stories today in Luke 7:36-50 and Matthew 28:1-10. Then cling to Jesus’s feet, telling Him everything that is on your heart. Perhaps you’ll also enjoy this song entitled, “The Alabaster Flask.”
Abba Father, Yeshua Messiah, I come to your footstool and hold Your feet and bow and worship and love and exalt You! You are the Hope of Israel and my Hope. You are the Savior of the world and my Savior. You are my Risen Lord, the Prince of Life! Be glorified today in all the earth!
…“I will not let You go unless You bless me!” Genesis 32:26 (NKJV)
You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.Deuteronomy 10:20 (NKJV)
For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’ Jeremiah 13:11 (NKJV)
Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.Ruth 3:4 (NKJV)
Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.Philippians 2:16 (NKJV)
Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet. . . 2 Kings 4:27 (NKJV)
Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:10 (NKJV)
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,Hebrews 3:14 (NKJV)
But hold fast what you have till I come. Revelation 2:25 (NKJV)
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)
So you’ve been wanting to get started with a TEA time with Jesus, but aren’t quite sure how to do it? Today’s devotion is for you!
First of all, let’s praise the Lord! You have heard God’s call and accepted His invitation to come! That is fantastic!
The best way to make it happen is to organize your TEA time ahead of time so that the enemy doesn’t slip in and distract you.
So, TODAY, pick your Jesus spot. This is the place in your house where you will have TEA with Jesus each day. Set it up with your Bible, a journal or notebook, and some pens. I also have a devotional book, prayer shawl, calendar, and an old hymnal. But you will find out what you need and add it as you pray over the years. Be sure to tell your family, “This is my Jesus spot! When you see me sitting here, I’m having TEA with Jesus. So please wait until I’m finished to talk to me.”
Also, TODAY, set your alarm for an hour early for tomorrow morning. Leave it set an hour early every day!
TOMORROW, when your alarm goes off, jump out of bed, greet the day and say, “Good morning, Jesus, let’s have TEA!” Don’t check your phone or computer or TV or let anything distract you. Heat your tea kettle, pour yourself a steaming cup, and sit down in your Jesus spot.
Open your Bible and let Jesus speak to you first through His Word. I like to pray a little prayer before reading, such as Psalm 119:18…Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law. If you aren’t sure where to read in your Bible, begin with the book of John, reading a few chapters each day. Then read the Psalms and then Genesis. Or you might try a Bible reading plan to help you read the whole Bible in a year. I follow the plan found in Our Daily Bread.
As you are reading your Bible, have your pen handy to underline favorite verses that God shows you. These verses you can use later as conversation starters for prayer, to write in a card to encourage a friend, or to put on a note card on your bathroom mirror to memorize!
When you finish your Bible reading time, pull out your prayer journal or notebook and write down one of the verses that really spoke to you. Then pray and/or write your prayers to Jesus about that verse. Let your prayers flow from your heart to the throne of God!
The beautiful part of the TEA CUPP invitation is that it is more than just an invitation to sit down and have TEA with Jesus, it’s also an acronym for things you can talk about when you pray. The “T” is for THANKSGIVING where we thank God for His many blessings. The “E” is for EXALTING where we lift up and praise the name of Jesus. The “A” is for ADMITTING where we admit our sins and ask Jesus’ forgiveness. The “C” is for God’s CALLING where we talk to God about what He is calling us to do today or with our lives. The “U” is for UNDERSTANDING our stories so we can share our testimonies with others. The first “P” is for PROMISES where we claim a promise to carry us through the day. And the last “P” is for PETITIONS where we pour our hearts out to Jesus for everyone on our prayer lists.
Over the years the Lord showed me how I could use the different verses I have underlined for different parts of prayer. So in my Bible, I have put the letters “T-E-A-C-U-P-Pet” next to many of the underlined verses. When I want to tell God thank you, I just find a “T” verse and get started praying.
Another neat thing about the TEA CUPP acronym is that there are seven parts, just as there are seven days in a week. So, you could do one part each day of the week, or you could do them all in one day, or you could just pray as God gives you verses each day.
Today’s TEA CUPP: Follow today’s devotion to set up your Jesus spot and get started in prayer. After your TEA time with Jesus, arrange your Jesus spot again so it is ready for tomorrow. Welcome, dear friend, to the best TEA party of all!
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)
“…I…have poured out my soul before the Lord.”1 Samuel 1:15 (NKJV)
This is the last in our series of Bible Moms…Hannah’s Petition.
Do you know the story of the Prophet Samuel? He has two books named after him in the Old Testament. The story of how he came to serve the Lord and be a prophet is really quite remarkable…and it all began with the prayers of his mom Hannah.
Poor Hannah was one of the two wives of a man named Elkanah. His other wife, Peninnah, had children, but Hannah had no children. This made Hannah very sad. Every year they would go to Shiloh to worship the Lord, but Hannah was too sad even to eat. In fact, her soul was so bitter that she prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Hannah even promised the Lord, that if He gave her a son, she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life.
Finally, the Lord remembered Hannah and blessed her with a son. She named him Samuel, because she had asked for him from the Lord. For three years Hannah nursed and cared for her precious baby. Then, because of her vow, she brought Samuel to the priest Eli in Shiloh and gave her boy to him to serve the Lord all his days.
Hannah told Eli, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.” 1 Samuel 1:26-27 (NKJV)
Each year, Hannah brought Samuel a new robe to wear. The priest Eli blessed her because of her gift of her son. And the Lord visited Hannah and gave her three more sons and two daughters, while Samuel grew to be a great prophet for Israel.
Today’s TEA CUPP: Read the amazing story of Hannah and Samuel in 1 Samuel 1-3 today. I love how God used the prayers of this Bible Mom to turn His people back to Him. Never underestimate the power of your prayers. Use your prayer time today to pour your heart out to the Lord as Hannah did so long ago. This is what the “P” for Petitions is all about.
“Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”1 Samuel 1:17 (NKJV)
Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.”2 Kings 4:16
Our Bibles are full of promises. According to Bibleinfo.com there are 3573 promises! That’s a lot of promises! When we read God’s Word each day we can discover these promises, underline them, pray about them, and claim them for our own. That’s what the first “P” of the TEA CUPP is all about: Claiming God’s Promises.
But I have to tell you a story, a story about me claiming a promise that was for someone else, one that is probably not included in the 3573 Bible promises that are for everyone.
When our second child was born, God put the desire in my heart for more children while I was still in the hospital holding our new born baby boy! But this was a problem because my husband and I had talked about only having two children. I wasn’t a prayer warrior then, but before our son turned one, I was reading a One Year Bible and learning how to pray. Six years later I was still reading the One Year Bible when I came across this story of the Shunammite woman.
Though she doesn’t have a name, this lady lived in the town of Shunem. She was a notable woman who was able to provide food and lodging for the prophet Elisha. Every time Elisha came to town he would stay with her. So Elisha wanted to bless the Shunammite woman and her husband in a special way.
Now you must understand, I’d been reading my One Year Bible every day for six years. I had read this story several times before. But this year a particular verse jumped out at me. When Elisha told the Shunammite woman, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” I underlined the verse and claimed it as a promise for me. And guess what, exactly nine months later God gave us our son Kevin Jon. All praise be to God!
In the following years when I was reading my Bible, I would come to that promise and wonder if I could claim it again, wish I could claim it again, not sure if it would be greedy to claim the Shunammite’s promise more than once…but eventually I did claim it, over and over, and finally, after 11-1/2 years, God gave us another son. I’m sure the Shunammite mom had no idea someone would be borrowing her promise thousands of years later!
Today’s TEA CUPP: God’s Word is packed with promises for us to discover and claim…promises of peace and perfection and provision, promises of hope and help and heaven. As you read your Bible today, look for God’s promises, underline them, put a letter “P” next to them, and claim them for your own. Tell Jesus, “I claim this promise!” Here are a few to get you started…
In My Father’s house are manymansions; if it were not so,I would have told you.I go to prepare a place for you.John 14:2 (NKJV)
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may beglorified in the Son.John 14:13 (NKJV)
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. John 10:28 (NKJV)
p.s. And next week, our Kevin Jon, who is now 19 years old, leaves on his second international mission trip, this time to the Philippines. And so I claim this promise for Kevin and his team…
For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. Psalm 91:11 (NKJV)
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.Luke 1:46-67
We all love Mary. You know, Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus from your Christmas nativity scene? Yes, there are many Marys in the Bible, but none is as special as this young lady whom God chose to be the mother of His Son Jesus. Mary was so obedient when the angel came with the news, that she replied, “Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
After
receiving the angel’s announcement, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who
was also miraculously pregnant in her old age with the special baby John the
Baptist. When Mary walked in the door,
the baby John leapt inside Elizabeth’s womb for joy that his Savior had
come. What better story is there than
this for life beginning in the womb!
And it
was there in Elizabeth’s house that Mary shared her praise to God. Known as Mary’s song, she sang…
“My soul
magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is
His name.
And His mercy is
on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the
proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the
lowly.
He has filled the
hungry with good things,
And the rich
He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His
mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”Luke 1:46-55
Mary’s
Song inspires me to pray…
O Jesus, Your dear mother Mary had words to praise You when You were just a tiny baby in her womb.
She magnified You and rejoiced in You.
She knew You were God and Savior.
She Knew You were the One who does great things and sends us all blessings.
She knew You are holy and merciful and we should come to You in fear and respect.
And she knew You are forever, from generation to generation.
Mary proclaimed all this and EXALTED You with her cousin Elizabeth as they were both expecting miraculous babies.
May all the world magnify You, Jesus, as did Mary!
Today’s TEA CUPP: Read the wonderful story of Mary in Luke 1:26-56. Isn’t it amazing how she praised the Lord so beautifully with this little life inside of her? Can we do the same? Can we lift up and EXALT the name of Jesus each day as moms? That’s what the “E” part of the TEA CUPP is all about, EXALTING the Lord. This week as you read your Bible, be on the lookout for verses to praise Jesus. Another Bible mom, Hannah, the mother of Samuel prayed this one…
My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.1 Samuel 2:1-2
Every job has tools. Baking a cake calls for a bowl, spoon or mixer, and an oven. Building a fence takes a saw, hammer, nails, level, and maybe even a post driver. Painting a house requires paint, brushes, a ladder, and perhaps some scaffolding. Prayer is no different. My TEA CUPP Prayers is about giving ladies tools to pray with Jesus each day. 
