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What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Christmas”?
Gifts? Family? Caroling? Jesus? Parties? Christmas brings to mind so many words, thoughts, feelings, emotions – some good…some bad…and some can be downright ugly. One word…one activity that goes unnoticed or unmentioned as we think about Christmas is one I believe that those involved in that first Christmas engaged in – PRAYER. Hard for me to imagine Mary and Joseph not praying for God’s presence and power in their lives…the Shepherds not asking God for courage to deal with their fears…and the Wise Men not seeking the God of the heaven’s guidance and protection for their journey.
 What about you and me, God’s modern day wise men and women in our daily journey through life with our loved ones? Are we on our knees praying for the presence and power of the Christ Child and asking for His courage to deal with our fears and seeking His guidance and protection for our journey? Are you and I merely just “going through the motions” of another Christmas, or are we praying to BE MOVED TO BE CHRIST in the hearts and lives of others…to bring to them the love-joy-peace-hope of Christ, THE GIFT of CHRISTmas?
Make Time This Christmas For…PRAYER, so you and I don’t just “go through the motions” of Christmas, but rather are MOVED by the Christ of Christmas.
Please join me in Our 2010 Advent-Christmas Prayer…
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| Our Great God of Hope and Love, and Joy and Peace, we truly desire to see and hear Jesus, THE GIFT of Christmas. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will fill us with the courage and power to be Your faith-filled disciples, diligently seeking the Christ-Child. Too often we fill ourselves and our lives with so many other earthly concerns and activities that drown out the sounds of Your Word and Will for us and our families.
We convince ourselves that our faith in You, as our living, loving God is completely adequate, and we are willing to swap the spiritual opportunities of the Advent/Christmas Season for other holiday activities. We hear the sounds and cries of the lonely, depressed, sick, and forsaken, yet we often refuse to listen to their meaning.
Forgive us, Lord, and fill us in these moments with Your Spirit's power to open our ears, enabling us to listen...to truly listen and DO ACTS OF LOVE for You to others as you prepare us once again for the coming of Your Son and our Savior, THE GIFT of Christmas! Amen.
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December 4, 2010
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