Jean Fischer - Christmas Prayers for Bedtime

2014 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Print ISBN 978-1-62836-892-5

eBook Edition:

Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63058-578-5

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All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

ISAIAH 7:14

Long before anyone had ever heard about Jesus, God made a promise. I will send someone to save the world, He said. The world needed saving because its people did things that made God unhappy. But those people belonged to God! They were His children. He did not want to punish them for the bad things they did. So God made a plan to send His Son, Jesus, to save the world.

Gods plan was perfect. He planned to send Jesus into the world as a baby. And when Jesus grew up, He would teach the people how God wanted them to live. Jesus would love the people so much that He would take all the punishment that they deservedforever!

Gods promise came with an extra-special surprise. Everyone who believed in Jesus would get to live in heaven one day with Jesus and God. And the best part is that Gods promise was not just for those people long ago. His promise is for you!

Dear Father, it makes me happy that You love me. Thank You for always keeping Your promises. Help me to keep my promises, too.

Here we come a-caroling

Among the leaves so green,

Here we come a-wandring,

So fair to be seen.

Love and joy come to you,

And to your carol, too,

And God bless you and send you a happy New Year,

And God send you a happy New Year.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH CAROL

Wait on the LORD : be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD .

PSALM 27:14

Has anyone ever told you to be patient? Has anyone ever told you to wait?

Patience is what God expected from His people. He expected them to wait for what He had promised them. The people wanted Jesus to come right away to save the world. But God decided they should wait.

Waiting was hard. It was like knowing they were getting a really special present for Christmas and they had to wait until Christmas morning to open it. But while the people waited, God gave them little hints. He told them a tiny bit about Jesus mother. He told them Jesus name and even some of His nicknames, like Immanuel and Prince of Peace. He said that Baby Jesus would be born in a little town called Bethlehem. But God did not say when Jesus would come. He decided, You will just have to wait.

So the people waited... and they waited... and they waited. They waited for days and months, and then they waited for years! As best they could, Gods people waited patiently.

Dear Father, waiting is hard for me sometimes. I try my best to be patient, but it doesnt always work. So please give me the patience I need!

Little children, wake and listen!

Songs are breaking oer the earth;

While the stars in heaven glisten,

Hear the news of Jesus birth.

Long ago, to lovely meadows,

Angels brought the message down;

Still, each year, through midnight shadows,

It is heard in every town.

ANONYMOUS

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

PSALM 20:7

While they waited, God expected His people to trust Him to do exactly what He had promised. Trust means believing in someone or something with all of your heart. God wanted His people to believe with all of their hearts that He would send Jesus to save the world. But some people found it hard to trust God because they could not see Him. They trusted only in things that they could see, like chariots (chariots were carts that soldiers rode in) and the horses that pulled them. This made God sad.

A good plan takes time. Those who trusted God believed that His plan was good, and they understood they had to wait while God put His plan together. They believed in Gods goodness, and they knew that God loved them. With all of their hearts, they believed that Gods plan would work out perfectly. So those people trusted God, and they looked forward to Jesus coming to save the world.

You should trust God, too. Do you know why? Because God has a plan for you, and His plan is very good.

Dear Father, thank You for having a good plan for me. I believe that You love me, and I trust You to take care of me.

This is the truth sent from above,

The truth of God, the God of love;

Therefore dont turn me from your door,

But hearken all, both rich and poor.

And at this season of the year

Our blest Redeemer did appear

He here did live, and here did preach,

And many thousands He did teach.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH FOLK CAROL

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.