Heavenly Father,
At all times and in all situations, you are good! You are holy! You provide lasting hope, grace and unconditional love. You alone allow us to experience peace in every situation. Lord, today we are asking that you help us find peace this Christmas season.
God, we live in a world where anxiety and conflict are prevalent. The past two years have been especially difficult with the COVID-19 pandemic, political division and racial unrest, mass shootings, and natural disasters that have caused suffering and loss all over our country and world. We need your peace now more than ever.
Lord, fill us with your Heavenly peace. Help us to trust in your promises and grow our faith, bringing all of our worries to you so we can experience your peace that surpasses all understanding. Please bring healing and unity to all our relationships. Help us all to share your peace with others, by not judging or giving in to divisiveness, but responding in love to everyone we might disagree with in person or on-line. Help us to treat all people with compassion and respect, and to see them as your children, created in your image, wholly loved by you.
Loving Father, we lift up to you all those who are in pain especially this time of year — those who are grieving from loss of a loved one, those suffering from broken relationships, loneliness, addiction, or financial stress; those who are sick, hungry or homeless; all people who struggle to feel joy in this season where everyone is expected to feel light, joyful, and full of hope. Lord, draw them close to you, comfort them and let them experience the wholeness and hope that comes from your loving presence.
Lord, help all of us find your peace this Christmas by finding our joy in Jesus. We confess that we often get caught up in the the business of the season, focusing on shopping, parties, decorating trees, hanging lights, exchanging gifts, and all of our many traditions. We can put so much pressure on ourselves to make the holiday perfect for our loved ones. Please forgive us when we make this holiday about anything but you. Help us focus instead on being present in the moment and celebrating the gift of your Son. Help us reflect on your promises that were fulfilled through the birth of Christ: Our King, our Savior, has been born.
Merciful Lord, we pray that you would reveal yourself to our friends and family members and all those who don’t yet know you, or have drifted away from you. Open their hearts to understand the true meaning of Christmas – the gift of your son Jesus, Immanuel, God with Us, who was born into the world on a holy night so long ago, to be our Savior and King. Help them to experience your incredible grace and to know the joy and peace of an eternal relationship with you. We thank you for your faithfulness and your desire to bring all of us into your kingdom.
Jesus, you are our Prince of Peace. You overcame the world to bring peace between us and the Father. You are our Lord, our hope, our joy, and our peace at Christmas and always.
Amen
Prayer written by Kelly Milburn