40 Days of Prayer 2025: Day 2
Welcome to Day 2 of our 40 Day challenge! Luke 2:41-52
(Catch up with us, with our reading list, and Day 1)
Today we are reading Luke 2:41-52. This passage is one I have pictured over and over in my mind, as a disciple of Jesus and as a mom .
Luke 2:41-52
The Boy Jesus at the Temple
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Mary treasures all these things in her heart. There are so many things I long to talk to her about. This line stands out to me today and I think of the kindnesses of God to me, the treasures He has placed along my path, the gifts He’s hidden for me to find and delights to see me open. I think of these when my path is rocky and barren. I think of these when things don’t go as I hoped or planned. I take comfort in the hard times knowing even more perhaps, than Mary knew at that time—that Jesus has overcome it all. And while we live in the Kingdom and now and not yet, we can remind ourselves not only of how the story ends, but of all the glimpses of the Kingdom now that He has given us.
Father, thank you for the gifts we can remember when things are hard. Help us each day to see them and to stop and treasure them in our hearts as Mary did.
If you have the time, you can read this passage a few times, asking the Holy Spirit to highlight any words or phrases to focus on. Our goal is to spend time with Jesus in His Word, letting Him open our hearts and minds and change us through it.
Options for further journaling or discussion throughout the challenge:
- Choose a part of the passage to write out by hand. Writing by hand helps us slow down and focus on what the Lord might highlight for us in the passage. Our brains can focus and remember better by writing than just reading alone.
- Journal about what the passage brings to mind. Does the passage tell us anything about God? Does it tell us anything about our response to Him?
- Does your heart respond in gratitude to any part of the passage? Write or pray your gratitude to the Lord.
We’ll see you tomorrow, for Day 3 and Mark 1:1-8 and John 1:29-34
♥ Samantha