Prayer To Prepare Our Hearts This Christmas

Around the Table :: 8 Christmas Prayers for the Family

Prayer To Prepare Our Hearts This Christmas

As you gather around your tables or snuggle up in front of the fire this Christmas, here are 8 prayers for Christmas to lead you into worship as you and your families reflect on the gift of Jesus.

These prayers are from a variety of sources — some taken straight from Scripture; others written by God-fearing men and women who love Jesus.

My prayer is that these prayers, though written by others, will lead you into deeper communion with God and will help unlock what your heart needs to say to the Lord this season. May these be a starting point in your prayer time and a tool that leads you into deeper honesty, connection, and adoration of our Savior.

From Hughes Oliphant Old

Father,
all wise from everlasting.

We bless you for your Word,the Wordwhich was from the beginning,the Word which has alwaysbeen with you,the Wordwhich shares your divinity,the Word

made flesh, dwelling among us.

Grant that we might behold in him your glory,that in that Wordwe might hear you,that in that Wordwe might speak to you,that in that Word

we might meet you.

To the name of Christ, your incarnate Word,be all glory,as to you, O Father,

and the Holy Spirit be all praise.

One God forever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer for Christmas Morning

The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, and crowns another year with peace and good will.

Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men.

Close the doors of hate and open the doors of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children,

And the Christmas evening bring us to our bed with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake.

Amen.

{Henry Van Dyke}

From Matthew Henry

“We give all honour to you, our great God, that when the fullness of time had come, you sent your Son to be born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those that were condemned by the law. We praise you that the eternal Word was made flesh and tabernacled among us.

… We bless you that Jesus was born of a virgin and came into the world that he might bear witness to the truth. We believe and are sure that he is the Christ, the Holy One of God. Without reservation, we accept the fact that he is the one that had been prophesied as the Coming One.

So we will never look for any other person to save us.”

A Christmas Blessing

God grant you the light of Christmas,which is faith;the warmth of Christmas,which is purity;the righteousness of Christmas,which is justice;the belief in Christmas,which is truth;the all of Christmas,

which is Christ.

{Wilda English,  n.d.}

A Prayer

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,Make thee a bed, soft, undefiled,Within my heart, that it may be

A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

My heart for very joy doth leap,My lips no more can silence keep,I too must sing, with joyful tongue,

That sweetest ancient song,

Glory to God in highest heaven,Who unto man His Son hath givenWhile angels sing with pious mirth.

A glad new year to all the earth!

{Martin Luther}

A Blessing at Christmas ::

May you know the Christ of Christmas as…The God who sings over you and with you in joyThe God who rejoices over you and with you in love.The God whose mountains and hills break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of His fields clap their hands

The God who walks beside you, delighting with you as He directs your every step.

May you know this Lord of Love as…The God who compassionately comforts you as a Father in all your troublesThe God who strengthens your inner man by His Spirit that is always with you.The God who is your strength, your refuge, and a very evident and present help.The God who is your shield and protection when you are under attack.

The ever-present God who is eternally your peace.

{Unknown}

A Simple Prayer for Children

Father, we thank Thee for this day.Bless all we do and all we say.May we each enjoy Thy blessings greatAs Jesus’ Birth we celebrate.And may the love that we share hereRemain throughout the coming year.Amen!

{Anonymous}

Love Incarnate

God, you showed us how much you love us by sending Your one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. We look for love everywhere. We wonder if we’ll ever find it, and despair that we will never truly be loved. But, Father, we don’t need to look or wonder or despair because in that dirty stable, you sent Love incarnate.

Through Jesus, You showed us what love is. This is real love. —not that we loved God, but that YOU loved us and sent Your Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. While we were still sinners, detached and disconnected and enemies of You, Christ died for us. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, You proved your love for us.

O God, tether our hearts to Yours! The only reason we can love is because You first loved us. Compel us to walk in love, just as Christ loved us.

{from prayTruth}

If you’d more encouragement in your prayer life, come join us on as we pray together daily and prepare our hearts for Christmas.

Praying with you as we worship our Savior!

Erika // erikadawson.com

Erika Sweeting Dawson is the founder of FaithfulMoms.

org, an online ministry where moms find practical tools and Biblical teaching to grow in their faith and nurture faith in their kids, and the creator of the Faithful Life Planner A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Erika has been an elementary school teacher, a children’s ministry director, and most recently a writer and speaker. She and her husband have four children and live in the Chicagoland area where they are active in their local church and community.

Источник: //forthefamily.org/christmas-prayers-family/

7 Powerful Advent Prayers – Devotions of Peace and Joy – Prayers

Prayer To Prepare Our Hearts This Christmas

The term 'Advent' originates from Latin and means “coming;” as its purpose is to look forward to the coming of Christ to Earth. It has been a season that centers upon waiting gracefully. Therefore, “Advent means something new is coming.

The dawn of a new and better era. This is really what the Christmas season is all about, isn’t it? It’s the celebration of the ADVENT of a new era.

God broke into time and space and entered our world” (Daniel Darling, “What Advent Is and Why We Should Celebrate”).

In prayer, we can access God's world and ask Him to ready our hearts the way He prepared all of history to receive the gift of His Son.

Ask the Father to use this time during Advent to leave behind the distress and make your life a home of warmth and openness.

We've assembled these Advent prayers from throughout our archives to help you ensure there's “room at the inn” of your heart this year!

1. An Advent Prayer for Peace

Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life—burdens that steal the joy right our stockings. Tragedy arrives as innocent victims suffer, and an inner voice whispers, “Be afraid!” We need your peace, Jesus.

We confess that our hearts are too often filled with wonder of a different kind: wondering when the bills will be paid, when the terror will stop, when rest will come. Will it ever? Is the message still true? In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again. This Advent, make it real in our hearts.

Never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. We not only need Your peace and joy; Lord, we crave it. You’ve promised rest for the weary, victory for the battle-scarred, peace for the anxious, and acceptance for the broken hearted—not just at Advent, but every day of every year.

Your name is still called “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” and “The Prince of Peace.” We know that peace on earth can only come when hearts find peace with You. You are still our Joy. You are still our Peace. You are no longer a babe in the manger. You are Lord of lords and King of kings.

And we still celebrate You as Lord—this Christmas and always.
~Edited from Rebecca Barlow Jordan's “A Prayer for Peace & Joy at Christmas”

2. A Prayer to Prepare Our Heart for Christ’s Coming

Father, just as You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus, help me to clear the path in my heart, too. Show me the distractions in my life that block me from all-out worship of You this Advent.

Lord, I await Your coming! As I celebrate the first Advent––the first coming––I look toward the day where I will see You face to face. I imagine what it will be . Give me a heart, Lord, that looks for Your coming on a daily basis.

Help me to live my life where I'm constantly seeking Your presence. My offering to You today is my righteous life for I know I am only clean because of Jesus. Show me today how I need to be refined, purified, forgiven.

Give me the strength to ask for forgiveness and to then change my ways.
~Sarah Martin, from “The Awe & Wonder of Advent: Day 18”

3. Advent Prayer of Gratitude for the Birth of Jesus

Father God, we thank You and praise You today for the miracle of Your Son's birth. Thank You for bringing great JOY to the whole world! Thank You for giving us the assurance that because You came to us in the form of a human, we who believe in Jesus can know with absolute certainty that we'll spend eternity with You.

We thank You, Lord, for the many reasons we have been given a merry Christmas. And we rejoice for each blessing. New life. New love. A home. A job. New opportunities. Second chances. And more. We know, Lord, that You bring the sun and the moon and set the stars in motion. You tell the ocean where to stop and the snow when to start. And we thank You for the mighty gift of Your creation.

Thank You, Father, for spiritual leaders and faith-filled friends who keep encouraging us when we are close to giving up. And although we have many reasons to rejoice today, Lord, we also know December 25th can be not-so-merry for a whole host of reasons. We pray for those who are experiencing loss during Advent: relational, financial, spiritual and physical.

We pray for those who are coping with loving a prodigal and our friends and family members whose hearts are far from You. We pray for those dealing with unemployment and addictions and chronic sickness… and unending pain and frustrations of all kinds. Thank You, Lord, that You are The Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace, even in the midst of our not-so-merry circumstances.

Finally, Lord, we ask You to grant us peace. Peace in our homes, peace in our churches, and peace in our hearts, when the world all around us spins out-of-control. Help us to stay focused on You, this Advent season and always. Thank You for loving the whole world enough to send the greatest gift, Your Son, so that we might truly have a very merry Christmas. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

~Steph Raquel, from “A Christmas Prayer for the Merry… and Not-So-Merry , Prov. 31 Ministries

4. An Advent Prayer for The Lord to Come

This Advent, Lord, come to the manger of my heart. Fill me with Your presence from the very start. As I prepare for the holidays and gifts to be given, Remind me of the gift You gave when You sent Your Son from Heaven. The first Christmas gift, it was the greatest gift ever. You came as a baby born in a manger.

Wrapped the gifts I find under my tree, Waiting to be opened, to reveal Your love to me. Restore to me the wonder that came with Jesus' birth, When He left the riches of Heaven and wrapped Himself in rags of earth. Immanuel, God with us, Your presence came that night. And angels announced, “Into your darkness, God brings His Light.

” “Do not be afraid,” they said, to shepherds in the field. Speak to my heart today, Lord, and help me to yield. Make me those shepherd boys, obedient to Your call. Setting distractions and worries aside, to You I surrender them all. Surround me with Your presence, Lord, I long to hear Your voice.

Clear my mind of countless concerns and all the holiday noise. Slow me down this Christmas, let me not be in a rush. In the midst of parties and planning, I want to feel Your hush. This Christmas, Jesus, come to the manger of my heart. Invade my soul Bethlehem, bringing peace to every part.

Dwell within and around me, as I unwrap Your presence each day. Keep me close to You, Lord. It's in Your wonderful Name I pray.

~Renee Swope, “The Manger of My Heart” from Proverbs 31 Ministries

Источник: //www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/prayers/7-powerful-advent-prayers-devotions-of-peace-and-joy.html

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