Jesus, Emmanuel,

The holiday season is always accompanied by a bit of chaos and too much to do. I pray that your Spirit will break through my heart, mind, schedule, shopping expeditions, baking, decorating, gift-wrapping and year-end deadlines, that I might be grounded in the faith you began in me long ago. It isn’t just any faith, it’s a welcoming, loving, forgiving, saving and resurrecting faith; it’s the stuff of miracles! So as I prepare for Christmas, reawaken my faith in you and in the truth that matters most: Jesus Christ will be born again!  This is reason to celebrate!

Amen.

O God, you are the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end. The sun rises and sets because of you. You are the author of all that is and ever will be. Everything I am and everything I have is a result of your generosity, creative Spirit and love for me. In you, I place my gratitude. Why, then, is it so hard for me to keep you at the center of my heart, my thoughts and my desires? Instead of contentment, I hunger for more…. Break through the walls of self-centeredness, fear, lust, loneliness, greed and any other barrier that might be keeping me from recognizing your sufficiency in my life. Help me to remember that your grace is enough. Today, I recommit myself to you. Amen.

Dear God,

Though I often prioritize my own preferences and desires, your plans, dreams and hopes for me are ultimate story I want to live. When I think the odds are stacked against me, break through the narrative I tell myself, reminding me that Christ is the true source of my victory—always and forever. May your Spirit work within me, enabling me to sense and trust your triumphant presence in profound ways. Help me to say YES to loving and feeding my community in body and spirit, that all may experience your victory.

Amen.

Dear God,

Though I often get caught up in my own story, yours is the grand narrative I want to claim. Break through my thoughts, words and deeds, enabling me to better listen for and sense the wisdom of your Spirit. Help Scripture to come alive for me as I encounter the biblical text. Remind me that even in the darkest of moments, resurrection hope is always possible. In your holy and sacred name, I pray. 

Amen.

Dear Jesus,

You have loved me from the beginning. Even before a word was on my tongue, you knew me and called me special. There is no person in the whole world like me and you love me exactly the way I am. I want to see the world as you see it—filled with potential and life-giving promise. Help me to believe and trust your love for me. Help me to love myself. Break through and lead me to make the most of this beautiful day, that I might love my neighbor more fully and completely than I did yesterday. This I pray in your holy name.

Amen.