One of our spiritual directors and listening prayer facilitators, Sarah Patton, shares the prayer which arose out of her listening and praying with Joseph’ story:
As I listened, I loved Joseph for being a righteous man, kind and good, wanting to please God. Despite what appeared to be a betrayal by Mary, he was unwilling to expose her to public disgrace. The phrase “he was trying to figure a way out” stayed as did the words from the NLT, “as he considered this.” He thought he had found a merciful solution by breaking the engagement quietly.
But then he saw the angel of the Lord in a dream. He listened, believed the angel, turned from his plan, and did as the angel commanded. He took Mary as his wife, following God’s plan for months – hard months – most likely facing incredulousness, scorn, and ridicule from people. But Joseph was listening to the angel of the Lord, not to other voices, not even to his own and the merciful solution he’d figured out. He listened and followed God’s way to the end, for when Mary’s son was born, Joseph named him Jesus.
As I meditated, this prayer arose in me:
O Lord,
May I be willing to give up what I have resolved to do – even good things – if I hear your Spirit say:
Turn,
Pivot,
This is the way.
May I listen,
Then take a step,
Walk to you,
And walk in your way.
Amen
Matthew 1:18-25 NLT
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child. She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25 The Message
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they enjoyed their wedding night, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic revelation to full term:
Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).
Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.
For Reflection and Prayer:
As you listened to the text, was there a word, phrase or image which caught your attention? Gently allow it to linger, giving it room to form and settle deeply in your body and heart.
Reflect on what you heard. Relish the words. Notice how the word or words affected you. Which emotions are stirring within you? Notice what is happening in your body as you linger with how the text is affecting you. You might begin to describe that and choose to journal about what you are experiencing.
Respond to what you noticed and reflected on in your prayer with God. Might there a prayer that rises within you?
Rest in God as you simply be and entrust yourself to God in the quiet.
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