Joy
Weekly candle lighting template for week 3.

From a human perspective, this whole situation must have seemed crazy to Mary & Joseph. Not only was Mary expecting the baby who would save the world, but now she and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem for the census. Basically, going to the place where they were born to be counted. As hectic as this might have seemed, this is exactly how God wanted Jesus to enter the world. What a joyful moment when he was born! It happened and Mary & Joseph got to be apart of it all. None of this was planned the way they wanted it. Experience Joy in all of it. Light the candle of Joy! Spend a moment praying and thanking God for the Joy we can have even when things do not go our way.

Read Luke 2:1–7

Prayer focus: Lord, your promise to King David was faithful and true. Thank you for all the promises to me in your Word. Promises to protect me, provide for me, give me peace and joy, and eventually bring me to live with you. I pray that you will give me daily assurance that all your promises are true and reliable. I pray that my confidence in you is apparent to others and helps make Jesus make sense to everyone I meet. I pray that I recognize the security of my joy and can live in response to what you have done for me.