Waiting with Joyful Expectation - Your Nightly Prayer - November 17th

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Waiting with Joyful Expectation
Your Nightly Prayer 
By Britt Mooney 

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE 

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:25  

SOMETHING TO PONDER 

As a kid, movie trailers would come out a month or two before the movie was released. Sometimes there’d even be a commercial to go with it on TV. 

Today, there’s a short trailer first, more than a year in advance. Then the studio will release a full trailer, several months before the release date, usually coinciding with social media posts and ads. 

Whether decades ago or today, the goal of the movie trailer is the same: to increase excitement and expectation regarding the film. “Here’s a sneak preview of the story, the images, the characters, the stars involved. You should go see this movie when it comes to the theater!” The studio wants you to go see it, buy tickets, so they make money. And hopefully we’re entertained in the process. 

God’s promises work similarly but with an important distinction. He reveals his future plans to us, plans of redemption where he will work on our behalf. Throughout the Old Testament, God reveals how he plans to send the Messiah, a divine king/priest, to initiate an eternal kingdom of peace, justice, and righteousness. There are hints, previews, if you will. 

A good movie trailer gets us excited about the movie, but doesn’t give too much away. No spoilers! God’s Messianic promises do the same. The Father declares the salvation to come, gives a couple of details, and these promises give us hope, raising our expectations. 

For the distinction, God isn’t after our money or patronage. He wants our hearts, our lives, and he desires for us to experience the salvation and Kingdom, the joy to come. 

During this Advent season, we enter the story of longing and expectation of future joy. Unfortunately, we often have more faith in a movie coming to the theater than God fulfilling his promises. Yet God’s Word will come to pass, a far greater guarantee than anything in this world. While we participate in the narrative of expectation this Christmas, may we remember how God has fulfilled his promises in the past with the Messiah, and let us further ask the Father for more faith to have a sure expectation for the joy to come. 

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER 

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the previews of your promises throughout Scripture. In this Advent season, align our hearts to a divine anticipation. Forgive our doubts when we trust movie trailers more than your Word. Remind us how you have fulfilled your promise in Jesus, the Messiah. Grow our faith to expect your coming righteous kingdom of peace, justice, and joy. Win our hearts, and take our lives for your glory.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen. 

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON 

1. How has God fulfilled his promises to you in the past? 

2. How can we see God fulfilling promises about the Messiah in the Scripture? 

3. What promises are you currently waiting for with expectation?

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Pexels/kailash kumar

Britt Mooney lives and tells great stories. As an author of fiction and non-fiction, he is passionate about teaching ministries and nonprofits the power of storytelling to inspire and spread truth. Mooney has a podcast called Kingdom Over Coffee and is a published author of We Were Reborn for This: The Jesus Model for Living Heaven on Earth as well as Say Yes: How God-Sized Dreams Take Flight.

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