The Virgin Mary Led a Godly Life:
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
Mary’s Prayerful Response:
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Mary’s Magnificat Prayer
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.” Luke 1;46-55
[The word ‘magnificat’….” is named after the first word of its first line in Latin (“Magnificat anima mea Dominum,” or “My soul magnifies the Lord”). Elaborate musical settings have been created for the Magnificat by many famous composers throughout history. It has been chanted in all eight modes of the plainsong and has been the subject of numerous other settings. The Magnificat is sung each day at evening prayer, or vespers in many Roman Catholic religious orders and at Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and other churches where vespers is celebrated.” Britannica
In the Old Testament, Hannah is also exemplary of a Godly woman who prayed.
Hannah was one of her husband’s two wives. The other wife was able to have children, but for many years, Hannah was barren. To make matters worse, the other wife mocked Hannah because of her barrenness, and Hannah began to pray:
10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” …
20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[b] saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” I Samuel 1:10-20
Prayer is Part of the Full Armour of God
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. . 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:10-20
Prayer:
“Almighty God, you know my needs before I ask, help me to pray according to your will and ask for those good things which I dare not, or in my blindness cannot ask. and grant them for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.” Daughters of the King National Study Guide
Guidelines for Intercessory Prayer
1. Find a quiet place to pray away from the imaginations, desires, burdens and distractions of the world.
2. Be still and empty your mind.
3. Start your prayers with praise and thanksgiving.
4. Ask God to forgive your sin, known and unknown.
5. Pray believing, expecting God to answer your prayers.
6. Do not limit God to what you believe the person’s needs are.
7. Accept God’s will for that person.
8. Be still and listen
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Psalms 32:8
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
9. End with praise and thanksgiving.
10. Pray in Jesus’ name.
Why should a chapter pray as a community of faith?
In the Gospel of Matthew, 18:19-20, our Lord says, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (NIV).
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20
“Corporate prayer makes us aware of Jesus in our midst. To pray together strengthens us in our commitment.
“There are more than 100 references to Prayer in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus set an example for us by praying 38 times throughout the Gospels and there are additional references to Jesus praying in Acts and other books of the New Testament. If it weren’t so important it wouldn’t be in the Bible so many times.
“But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.Matthew 6:6
Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. Luke 18:1
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:16
But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Jude 1:20
Now during those days he (Jesus) went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles. Luke 6:12-13
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
Read “Prayer Changes Me” found in the Appendix of this study guide.
Daughters of the King National Study Guide
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