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A Prayer about Christ’s Humanity and Ours

by | Dec 26, 2022 | Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer

A Prayer about Christ’s Humanity and Ours

[Christ Jesus]…made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:7

 Holy God,

I love how creeds and confessions

help us see new things about our faith. 

The Belgic Confession, 

in confessing the truth of the incarnation 

reminds us that both the body and the soul 

are essential to our humanity:

“And he not only assumed human nature 

as far as the body is concerned 

but also a real human soul, 

in order that he might be a real human being. 

For since the soul had been lost as well as the body, 

he had to assume them both to save them both together.”*

Thank you, Lord, 

for sending Christ in the flesh, 

to remind us that our bodies 

belong to you and are beloved by you.

Thank you, Lord, for making Christ 

a real human being, 

and yet without sin.

who, though without sin, 

can fully sympathize with our weaknesses, 

in heart, soul, mind, and body.

Being sinless, he was the perfect sacrifice

for our sins, 

and died

that we might live eternally 

with and for you.

In gratitude for the greatest gift of Christmas, 

may we glorify you with all of our being.

In Christ’s fully human, fully divine name. Amen.

Read Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 22:37.

*(From Belgic Confession of Faith for Advent and Christmas).

A Prayer about the God Who Lives with Us

by | Dec 25, 2022 | Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, gratitude, kingdom living

A Prayer about the God Who Lives with Us

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. Revelation 21:3

Faith-full God, Hope-filling God, Fully-loving God,

We celebrate your glory

as the shepherds celebrated before the manger 

and the wise men celebrated before the little one.

You have richly blessed us with

your arrival on earth, in earthy reality, 

coming to a stable,

sleeping with the sheep,

disrupting our expectations

 about the way things should be, 

showing us that your glory is clothed in your humility.

Thank you. May we never forget.

May we never romanticize 

the Christ out of Christmas.

Thank you, God, 

that you are coming again once-and-for-all, 

to end our

hearts’ waywardness.

Thank you that one day 

we will rest utterly in your Presence, 

never wandering off

down our own little kingdom paths. 

We look forward to the day 

when we will worship and delight in you

as we were created to do.

This Christmas season, 

may we wait well,

with an eye toward the future, 

the hope of the one day when all 

will finally and forever be well.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen!

Read Revelation 21:1-5. 

A Prayer about Hope, Joy, and Peace at Christmas

by | Dec 24, 2022 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Joy, 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.

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

A Prayer about the Tender Mercy of Our God

by | Dec 23, 2022 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about the Tender Mercy of Our God

“Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high” Luke 1:78

Heavenly Father

As this day dawns, 

the day before we remember our Savior’s first arrival,

Still us.

Though we may think we need to rush about 

and grab some last minute gifts

 or finish the wrapping 

or get those Christmas cards done,

draw us to be still before you 

and recall what Zechariah saw 

on the day his son John the Baptist was born. 

Where before he had doubted 

your power and your plan, 

now he is filled with the Spirit 

and pours forth your praise:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 

for he has visited and redeemed his people” (Luke 1:68). 

As we sit in silence before you, 

may we see what Zechariah saw—

our long-awaited salvation:

Jesus came to bring “the forgiveness of [our] sins….” 

Why?

Only “Because of the tender mercy of our God…”

What is the result of your tender mercy?

“….the sunrise shall visit us from on high 

to give light to those who sit in darkness 

and in the shadow of death….” 

What will come as a result of your tender mercy?

You will “guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:77-79).

May we enjoy and work toward this peace 

even now as we silently wonder at your salvation.

In the name of Christ our Savior we pray. Amen.

Read Luke 1:67-79). 

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

A Prayer about All the Coming at Christmas

by | Dec 22, 2022 | Advent, 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 Joy in the Midst of Sadness

by | Dec 21, 2022 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Grief, Joy, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about Joy in the Midst of Sadness

Celebrate joyfully in the Lord, all the time. I’ll say it again: Celebrate! Philippians 4:4

Lord,

I love how theologian Tom Wright translates Philippians 4:4 

and what he teaches us about joy 

in his advent devotional:

Joy goes “hand in hand with hope:

it doesn’t mean 

that everything is already just as it should be,
only that with Jesus now enthroned as Lord 

we know it eventually will get there.”*

He encourages us to feel 

the depth of our emotions, 

including grief, 

because Jesus did. 

Today and every day of this week, 

I pray for my friends and for myself:

May we celebrate the joy Jesus brings,

even if we’re feeling sad or frustrated or lonely, 

knowing this is not the way it will always be, 

because you sent your Son into the world 

to make all things, 

including our emotions—

new.

In Jesus’ hope-bringing name. Amen. 

Read Philippians 4:4-9.

(From N.T. Wright’s Advent for Everyone, A Journey with the Apostles).

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