Christmas prayers are a great way of celebrating Christmas. It’s right around the corner. The tunes have started playing, the trees are going up, the lights are twinkling. Christmas is a fun and festive time for all. But as Christians it takes on a special meaning. The reason for the season as it’s often known is the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s a central event in the Christian calendar although it can often fall by the wayside, with everything else going on around us.
One way of mindfully focusing on the real meaning of Christmas is to pray regularly, to have a Christmas Eve prayer or a Christmas Day prayer. You could even have a Christmas prayer for each day of advent. We haven’t got quite that many here, but we have created a selection of prayers on different Christmas topics, to help you focus and mindfully contemplate God and His love for us. Some of these will be versions of traditional Christmas prayers that you might hear at a traditional service, but we’ve modernized them a bit, using everyday language.
Jesus, you said "I am the light of the world". When we are surrounded by darkness, hopelessness and evil, it is difficult to see the light. Help us to see everything by your light this Christmas. When we speak to others, would your light shine through us and make a difference in their lives. For those who have no hope, for those who are at the end of their tether, God would you light their path and bring them out of darkness. Thank you, Lord, that you offer us hope. It’s the greatest gift we could have.
Just as the heavenly host of angels proclaimed when they visited the shepherds, we pray for peace on earth, for those on whom your favor rests. We pray that this Christmas would be peaceful and that those who are struggling would know your peace. God grant us your peace and understanding. Where there are concerns and worries about the future may we know peace. No matter where we are Lord and no matter our circumstances, be close Lord. Thank you for the peace you give us. Help us not to be afraid but comforted.
This Christmas God, fill us with wonder. Wonder at your glory. At the miracle of Jesus’ birth. And at the expanse of your love. A love that would put on flesh and become like one of us, just to show us how much you love us. This is amazing. This is wonderful. You are wonder-full. Lord, when the world looks down, help us to look up. Amidst all the tradition, would we see your face. Let there be a fresh sense of your presence in our lives, a reminder of your majesty. This Christmas God, fill us with wonder.
God, thank you for Christmas. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you that we get to celebrate His birth, your incarnation. Moreover, thank you for all the good things that come with this time. Thank you for time spent with family. For presents and the joy of giving and receiving gifts. Thank you for the colors and smells of Christmas and the joy they bring us. We're also thankful for the traditions and routines that make us feel at home and give us a sense of belonging. Thank you for great food. For Christmas songs and carols. And whether it's hot or cold where we are, thank you for the comfort of home. For those who don’t have family Lord, thank you that your church provides a wider family to belong to. Thank you that even when life isn’t so great, you arrive, like you did that day in Bethlehem, without fuss or exclamation. In other words you arrived humbly, willingly, into our mess. You meet us where we’re at. Thank you.
God bring your joy this Christmas. It is one of your greatest gifts. No matter the circumstances, joy gives us a fresh perspective. Thank you for this joyful holiday. A time full of celebration, family, fellowship, and laughter. God, we pray for more of this. More for our neighbors. Let joy drive out cynicism and hatred. Let joy bring light to the world.
Lord, when we are distracted, bring our focus back to you. Forgive us for when we’ve not made you the main thing and when other things have got in the way. All of the things we love about Christmas, from presents to food and family, are still nothing compared to your love and the real reason we celebrate. Help us to remember why it is we have this holiday. Above all, let this be a Christmas when we are reminded of your love for us, through the greatest gift; Jesus Christ. We don’t want to be caught up in the commercialization and the busyness of Christmas. The hurry and the stress. The desire for food and nice gifts. Lord, help us to be grateful for what we do have. In addition, help us to enjoy this time as a time of rest. Rather than trying to make this ‘A Christmas to remember’ let this be a Christmas when we remember.
This Christmas, God, we pray for those who do not have as much. Lord we lift up those people who are going through a tough time. Help them and be close to them in their time of need. Give us a fresh perspective of love for our neighbors. Those that live near us, those we work with, people we interact with online and others we know who are further afield. Show us how we can love them and serve them. Give us opportunities to show them the love of God. Lord we ask for peace. We ask for kindness and love to abound in our communities, our neighborhoods, our cities.
Lord, thank you for Jesus. Thank you that you came in the form of a little baby, entering the world helpless and crying and in the place where animals were kept, because there was no guest room available. Lord, you know what it is to suffer, to have nothing. You can sympathize with our suffering, with our brokenness. Thank you that becoming human showed the world that you wanted a relationship with us. It was your plan all along to send your son to take away our sin and shame and reconcile us to your love. Thank you that Christmas means Easter is coming, which means that the resurrection is coming. The greatest gift of Christmas is Jesus. Amen. We hope you enjoyed these Christmas prayers and if you did, you should check out Glorify. There’ll be devotionals, prayers and thoughts of the day related to Christmas, throughout this season. Main image: Ian Schneider
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