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A Prayer about How Christmas Disturbs Our Self-Made Shalom:

by | Dec 1, 2024 | Advent, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Spiritual Growth

A Prayer about How Christmas Disturbs Our Self-Made Shalom:

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. Luke 1:29

Wondrous God, 

Even though this verse isn’t usually 

the subject of memes or cross-stitched wall-art, 

we need to ponder it.

It reminds us of just how disruptive 

the birth of Christ really was, 

how Christ in fact came 

to disrupt any self-made shalom, 

any peace we’ve gained on our own terms, 

any security and significance 

that doesn’t come from you. 

We can imagine how confused 

Mary must have been, 

how disruptive the news 

of her imminent pregnancy was to her.

After all, what would Joseph, 

her betrothed say?

And yet, she doesn’t quarrel 

with the angel Gabriel. 

Instead, she wonders, “How can this be?”

Lord, in this season of Advent, 

draw us to wonder 

about the disruptive grace 

of Jesus Christ. 

Make us sit and rest and ponder 

the enormity of this question, 

“How can this be….” 

In Christ’s wonderfully disruptive name. Amen.

Read Luke 1:26-38.

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



A Prayer about the Rising Sun of Righteousness

by | 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 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.