A Prayer about Hope, Joy, and Peace at Christmas

by Elizabeth | Dec 24, 2023 | Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about Hope, Joy, and Peace at Christmas

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13

Lord of Hope,

You know one of our children’s favorite seasonal movies

is The Polar Express,

though they’re long past

imagining that the North Pole

is where the main action of Christmas takes place.

The movie, based on the wonderful book by Chris Van Allsburg,

is about belief,

but the belief is in a myth.

Unlike “Hero Boy,”

we need a different kind of believing—

we need to believe that you,

the true hero of our truest story,

were born as a baby,

grew as a child,

taught in the temple,

turned water into wine,

raised people from the dead,

died on a cross,

and rose from the dead.

It is in this belief

that we find our deepest hope,

our longed-for joy,

and our perfect peace.

By your Holy Spirit,

grant us this belief

today and every day.

In Jesus’ trustworthy name. Amen.

Read Romans 15:1-13.

A Prayer about the Rising Sun of Righteousness

by Elizabeth | Dec 20, 2023 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Seasons & Holidays, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about the Rising Sun of Righteousness

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2

Lord Jesus,

By this time in the Christmas season,

we’ve probably sung “Hark the herald angels sing”

around 20-30 times,

depending on our playlists.

One of my favorite lines is,

“Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Risen with healing in His wings.”

But sometimes we sing

without knowing what it means.

After all, we know Jesus isn’t an angel,

and he doesn’t have wings.

But then we remember the poetic allusion

to Jesus in Malachi, and things fall into place.

The image of the rising sun with its wings

(rays spreading throughout the earth)

was also used by Isaiah

to describe God’s glory

rising over the earth:

“but the Lord will arise upon you,

and his glory will be seen by you” (Isaiah 60:2).

Oh, Lord Jesus,

how we need your light to come,

your glory to spread over us!

We long for the freedom of forgiveness

that truly heals our hearts, minds, and bodies;

we long for the healing

that fills us with the kind of joy

that sends us bounding about like calves

leaping from their stalls (Malachi 4:2).

How we look forward to the day

when you return

and your glory covers the earth

and your healing is complete.

In your righteous name. Amen.

Read Malachi 4:1-3; Isaiah 60:1-3.

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.

A Prayer about All the Coming at Christmas

by Elizabeth | Dec 19, 2023 | Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about All the Coming at Christmas

Come, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Lord Jesus,

During the Christmas season, we sing the word “Come”

several times a day (if we sing along with our playlists).

Why? Because of course, Christmas is about

your coming, God coming to earth as a human.

It’s about people seeing you, God-with-us,

knowing you are the Savior of the World

and inviting others to come and behold you!

But perhaps most of all, Christmas is about

your startling invitation to us:

“Come, all you who labor and are heavy-laden,

and I will give you rest.”

You, the Savior of the World

came to us so that you might invite us

to come to you.

You, the Savior of the World,

invite us to lay our heavy burdens,

the ones that weary us the most,

our sins and our futile attempts

to save ourselves,

on you.

You invite us to come

that you might give us rest.

You invite us to come

that you might give us

a different yoke,

a light yoke,

an easy burden.

You invite us to come,

that we might learn from you,

a gentle and lowly teacher

who transforms us

into gentle and lowly people.

Lord Jesus, may we hear and receive your invitation,

not only in this season,

but throughout our lives.

In your inviting name. Amen.

Read Matthew 11:25-30.

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.

A Prayer about Monday Motivation before Christmas

by Elizabeth | Dec 17, 2023 | Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about Monday Motivation before Christmas

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing.

Psalm 100:1–2

Almighty God,

As the final week of Advent begins,

may we put making a “joyful noise” to you

at the top, middle, and bottom

of our to-do lists.

Even as we go about preparing

to celebrate the coming of Christ,

may we focus first

on serving you with gladness.

May we not sing along mindlessly

with Christmas music,

but instead notice

our many reasons for rejoicing,

“Rejoice, rejoice,

Emmanuel shall come to thee,

O Israel” (“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”),

“Joy to the world,

the Lord is come!” (“Joy to the World”)

“O come all ye faithful,

joyful and triumphant” (“O Come All Ye Faithful”).

Lord, because you have made us in your image,

and because you have made us anew

in Christ,

we ask that you will make us

joyful,

believing that your zeal will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:7).

In Jesus’ joyful name. Amen.

Read Psalm 100.

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.

A Prayer about Waiting at Christmas

by Elizabeth | Dec 15, 2023 | Christmas, Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about Waiting at Christmas

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Coming Savior,

In this season of “advent,”

as we remember your first coming,

we anticipate many things,

some eagerly, some anxiously.

Some of us are waiting eagerly for family members to arrive

or to give a special surprise we have long planned

or to sing Silent Night at the Christmas Eve service.

All of those are sweet things to look forward to.

Others of us are quite literally in waiting rooms

as a loved one undergoes surgery

or in waiting seasons wondering when we will get a new job

or weeping as we continue to mourn a lost loved one

and wondering when the pain will pass.

Whether we are anticipating the many joys of this season

or weeping as we wait for renewed hope,

may we never forget that we are waiting for you to come again.

May we be strong in your strength, and

may we take heart in your consolation,

knowing that you are “coming soon,”

and that when you come,

you will bring the perfect peace and joy

this season is really all about.

We will know intimacy with you and with others

as we have never known before.

We will know the rest of never struggling with sin again.

We will know the joy of serving you

in the best work you’ve designed us for—

to multiply your glory forever and ever.

Today, we will focus our hearts

and our hopes on the horizon,

looking for your next appearing.

In your en-couraging name we pray. Amen.

Read Psalm 27; Revelation 21 and 22.

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.

A Prayer about a Baby Who Took on Our Burden

by Elizabeth | Dec 14, 2023 | Christmas, Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about a Baby Who Took on Our Burden

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered

the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor. Isaiah 9:4

Lord Jesus,

Many of us will probably see at least one nativity scene today.

If we do, or even if we don’t,

pause us in our busyness

to wonder about this remarkable story:

This baby lying in a manger would be you,

our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

You, our Prince of Peace,

would be the warrior

who brought peace for us

and for the cosmos

by dying on a cross.

You, our Prince of Peace,

would deliver us

from the oppression of evil and sin.

You, our Prince of Peace,

would free us

from the burden of guilt and shame.

You, our Prince of peace,

would beckon us to come to you,

to be yoked (united) to you,

and to know the rest only you can bring.

May we truly marvel at this wonder

and find our rest in you today.

In your peace-bringing name. Amen.

Read Isaiah 9:1-7.

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.