Paul M. Miller - Christmas Prayers: A Heartwarming Collection of Holiday Blessings

2013 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Print ISBN 978-1-62416-221-3 eBook

Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62416-481-1
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All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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So, how do you expect anyone to find time to sayChristmas prayers? Me and mine barely have time to shop the family gift list, thaw a turkey, get the spare bedroom ready for Auntie, and decorate the house (not in that order). My rushed prayer is usually nothing more thanDear Lord, help us not have a total meltdown beforeDecember 24th. Amen (whew!).

I f this reflects your frame of mind when anticipating the most glorious days of the year, these prayers, or conversations with God, are for you. They are really thought starters, directed to turn your mind toward the heart of your heavenly Father.

Prayers are personal. No third party can ever express whats on your heart or write in your unique lingo or dialect, but when it seems the whole world is attempting to make this holy Advent and Christmastide one huge commercial, with very little spiritual content, dont join intalk to your heavenly Father about it.

Find a semi-quiet spot, push aside the sale ads and menu planning, and allow yourself to revel in the beauty, the bliss, and the blessings of this sacred season.

P AUL M. M ILLER

E ver since that surprising night in Bethlehem, more than two thousand years ago, artists, wordsmiths, and musicians of all persuasions have attempted to express the beauty of the Christ event that has captured the hearts and imaginations of the whole world.

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps this is true, but because of Christmas, those who behold and believe can also experience beauty in their hearts and souls.

The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.

M ATTHEW 1:18, 22

H eavenly Father, we know the story so well; weve read and sung about it a thousand times. Our children even put on bathrobes and act it outthe birth of Jesus. The event is printed on our calendars in bright red letters, and for believers its inscribed in our hearts as a personal Christmas special!

But the cast You selected for this first nativity drama were not actors, but ordinary folks. Assure me that the commoners, like the sheep wranglers and the overwrought innkeepersordinary people like mewere as necessary to Your salvation scenario as the road-weary carpenter and his fragile pregnant wife, Mary.

Father, throughout my preparation and celebration of this Christmas season, give me reminders that its beauty is more than a perfectly decorated tree; its in a manger and Your love. Amen.

Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

M ATTHEW 1:18

L ord, in this season of beautiful music and words, decorated houses and wide-eyed kids, I need to pause and reread the sacred text. I want to be sure that I know whats really at the heart of Christmas.

The nativity story has become so commonplace that many people have it committed to memory. Consequently, I might be tempted to gloss over the too-familiar words, to the neglect of what You want to teach me. I pray that the words she was found with child of the Holy Ghost be as important as peace on earth.

It is right for Marys husband, Joseph, to be praised for his care of the child Jesus, but I never want to forget that You, Father God, are the babys true Father. Maybe the innkeeper and the shepherds didnt fully understand the plan You were setting in motion, but please remind me that Jesus is Your Son and that my faith is founded on the knowledge that You are also my Father. Amen.

Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public exampletook unto him his wife.

M ATTHEW 1:19, 24

F aithful God, another facet of Christmas is certainly reflected in Josephs trust in Mary. I thank You that real love has a way of igniting trust.

While Joseph is often depicted in art as a gray-haired old man, and his beloved Mary as a mature woman with a halo, I know that Mary was a teenager, and Joseph perhaps a young village man, who probably had hopes and dreams of a carpentry shop and a bright future.

Im sure the angels news of Marys pregnancy was a shocker, but Joseph loved and trusted her, as You trusted him.

Lord, I want to live my life above suspicion and distrust. Teach me to live and love in such a way that those around me will recognize You in me. Amen.

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

M ATTHEW 1:1

H eavenly Father, if theres one thing everyone has plenty of, its Christmas photos. Most of them are classic poses that are generally the same from year to year. And then there are the really precious ones that find their way in or onto our Christmas cards and annual family letters.

But at the time of Jesus birth, family history was recorded in words, not images. Matthews Gospel calls Jesus history a book of the generations. Still, we who are so used to all the intimate details of TV interviews, have but Marys response to the angelic messenger and her song (Luke 1:38, 4656) as a record of her inmost thoughts about motherhood and her child, the Savior.

Father God, impress deeply in my mind and heart Marys prayer, Be it unto me, according to thy word. May I echo those words in my own life. Amen.

She shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his name J ESUS .

M ATTHEW 1:21

L ord, Im so glad that You know me by name. A lot of families have traditions about the naming of a child, and it was no different with Bible families. There was a time when special relatives were honored by giving the newborn his or her name. But today its become more of a private decision between the parents-to-be.