Do you have an Advent mindset? Mary’s prayer can inspire your mindset this year.
Today we start a four-week series of Advent-themed posts. I’m happy to delve deeper into the biblical accounts with you during Advent.
We’ll be taking a closer look at what was going on in the mindset of people in the biblical account before and during Jesus’ birth. Then we’ll discuss what their mindset can teach us about how to think during Advent.
Mary’s Mindset
This week we’ll start with Mary’s prayer, commonly referred to as the Magnificat. Here it is from Luke 1:46-55 NLT:
Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Let’s look at some context first. An angel had visited Mary, telling her she would be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah. A few days after receiving this amazing news, Mary traveled to her cousin Elizabeth’s home. Elizabeth was also pregnant with a miracle birth (soon to be mother of John the Baptist), though she was older and Mary was young.
When Elizabeth saw Mary, she gave a glad cry and spoke a blessing over her. Even unborn John jumped for joy in her womb at Mary’s arrival, because she was carrying the Christ-child. Mary responded to Elizabeth’s glad praise with this lovely prayer.
Mary’s Prayer
Mary’s prayer is an excellent example for us during Advent. It reminds me of the sermon one of my pastors preached this past weekend. He explained that the way we can face suffering today is to build a bridge between what we know to be true about God from the past, and what we hope for in the future according to God’s promises.
Let’s break this down segment by segment. I’d like to color-code the verses to help you see how Mary chooses to rejoice now, reflect with faith on the past, and choose hope for the future.
Color code:
Past
Present
Future
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
We can break apart these Bible verses for practical application in our lives.
Reflecting on the Past
When Mary reflected on the past, she recounted all the good things God had done for her people. She gave God credit for everything and focused on his loving, generous character. Mary praised God for working her into his wonderful plan.
Even though 2020 has been a hard year, I hope you can look back and see good things God has done. For me, it’s been the most beautiful spring, summer and autumn I can ever remember. He’s also done great things to redeem my marriage in this year. Perhaps he tucked several joys into this year for you as well. I pray that you can find good things to recount from 2020 and other years in the past today.
Your takeaways:
- What has God done for you in the past?
- How has he preserved faith through generations that came before you? If you didn’t come to faith through your family, how did God preserve faith through others that eventually came to you?
- What attributes of God’s character can you praise today?
- How do you see God working your story into his marvelous plan to redeem his people?
Rejoicing in the Present
It’s helpful to remember the context of Mary’s praise. She was an ordinary teenage girl, engaged to be married but still a virgin. Surely she glimpsed the immediate consequences of saying Yes to God. And they looked pretty bleak.
She would be a pregnant, unmarried woman. According to Jewish law, she could be stoned for committing adultery. Her family could disown her, and her fiancé Joseph could abandon her. Even if he chose to stay with her, the couple would face mockery and suspicion for doing nothing wrong. All her life, she’d be seen as a less-than woman in her community. This is what Mary could see.
But of course, at the time of this prayer, she couldn’t see the difficult journey ahead to Bethlehem, where she would give birth far from her family. She couldn’t see a two-year foray into Egypt as the small family fled for their lives. Mary also couldn’t see her son’s eventual rise to fame, the hatred he faced from enemies, nor (by God’s grace) could she glimpse him dying on the cross. Not yet.
In the present, Mary chose to praise God. She rejoiced in God as her Savior. She knew she needed to be saved. Her soul and spirit – the deepest parts of her being – couldn’t resist praising God and rejoicing in him. She chose to savor the moment of being honored as the Messiah’s mother.
What a gift each moment is for us. Yes, even in this difficult year. To choose praise and rejoicing over complaining and grudge-holding. To lift our eyes up to God instead of focusing on our problems. It’s a gift to rely on Jesus to rescue us from our pain and problems. Mary reminds us to stay in the present and savor it for what it is, without worrying about what is to come.
Your takeways:
- Name five things you can praise God for right now.
- How can you personally rejoice that Jesus is your Savior?
- What practical steps will you take this Advent to stay in the moment and choose joy instead of negativity?
Recommitting Your Hope
Mary saw past her own story. She had heard the promises of God to redeem his people. Her prayer is written from a wide-angle standpoint, where she envisions many generations enjoying God’s blessings.
Mary was full of joy, knowing so many prophecies would be fulfilled at the birth of her son. How exciting to have proof that God keeps his promises! How wonderful to look forward to the future with hope instead of fear!
As I mentioned in the last section, Mary had both immediate reasons to fear, and far more she could not yet grasp. Despite these very real threats to her peace of mind, Mary recommitted her hope. She grounded her hope on God’s promises, which she had seen him keep through the stories passed down to her. She trusted that everything God said was true, and she longed for the promised Messiah herself.
Mary knew the one and only God, the Holy One, would continue to do great things for her. She had great hope for what was to come. Her hope inspires me because she faced everything to come with God’s help, trusting in him to provide. I pray Mary’s confident, recommitted hope inspires you too in this Advent season.
You can access a free printable of meditation verses on hope HERE. I also encourage you to read Revelation 21 & 22 this Advent to recommit your hope. You can also read my Prayer for Christmas Hope HERE.
Your takeways:
- In which areas has your hope waned this year?
- How does Mary’s hope inspire you to recommit your hope in God’s promises?
- Which Bible story reminds you to place your hope in God?
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An Advent Mindset: Mary’s Prayer
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