Christmas prayers for peace

As we approach the holiday season, we are faced with yet another opportunity to pause in the midst of all the excitement, decorations, and commercialization, to consider again the origin of Christmas–the One whose birth we celebrate. Let’s not forget the true meaning of why we celebrate during this time of year. Celebrate the baby Jesus and trust Him as Savior today.

Reflect on the joy and hope of the holiday season with these Christmas prayers:

• A Prayer to Keep Christmas Simple
• A Prayer to Remember What Christmas is All About
• A Prayer for Peace During Holiday Season
• Christmas Eve Benediction
• A Short Prayer of Thanks
• A Prayer to Keep God at the Center During the Holidays
• A Prayer for the Merry and Not-So-Merry
• A Prayer to Re-focus During the Holiday Season
• A Prayer for the Days After Christmas
• A Christmas Tree Blessing
• Lord, Remind Me Prayer
• Happy Birthday Jesus Prayer

1. A Prayer to Keep Christmas Simple

Dear Lord, don’t let us miss You this Christmas season. Help us to simplify our activities and traditions so we can focus our celebration on Your birth. Thank You for being the Prince of Peace, and I ask You for that supernatural peace to reign in our hearts. Thank You for the simple but life-changing message of Your love for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
~ Melanie Chitwood

2. A Prayer to Remember What Christmas is All About

Lord, I thank You for coming to earth so You could redeem me. When I think of the extent to which You were willing to go in order to save me, it makes me want to shout, to celebrate, and to cry with thankfulness. You love me so much, and I am so grateful for that love. Without You, I would still be lost and in sin. But because of everything You have done for me, today I am free; my life is blessed; Jesus is my Lord; Heaven is my home; and Satan has no right to control me. I will be eternally thankful to You for everything You did to save me! I pray this in Jesus’ name! 
~ Rick Renner

3. A Prayer for Peace During Holiday Season

Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life—burdens that steal the joy right out of our Christmas stockings. Crazy weather disasters strike at unsuspecting areas, ravaging peaceful homes and interrupting the lives of unsuspecting residents. Tragedy arrives as innocent victims suffer, and an inner voice whispers, “Be afraid!” We need your peace, Jesus.

Lord, we still carol the wonderful message, huddled beneath winter caps on snow-covered porches, or from churches, led by enthusiastic musicians or choir members. Yet we confess that our hearts are too often filled with wonder of a different kind: wondering when the bills will be paid, when the terror will stop, when rest will come. Will it ever? Is the message still true?

In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again. This Christmas, make it real in our hearts. Never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. Forgive us for forgetting—that Your love never changes, never fades, and that You never abandon the purpose for which You came: to save us from our sinful condition, and to give us life eternal, the joy of relationship with a holy God. Your birth—and Your death—sealed Your promise to us forever.

For those whose hearts are battered by sorrow or broken relationships, for those whose lives know only conflict and confusion, for those whose bodies are tired and tested beyond their ability to endure this year—precious Savior, draw them close to You. Let them know You are still the same Jesus who was born of a virgin, not in a hospital but an animal barn, laid in a manger of hay. You are still the One sent by a heavenly Father who offered not condemnation for our sins, but love and forgiveness—and daily, divine fellowship.

We not only need Your peace and joy; Lord, we crave it. You’ve promised rest for the weary, victory for the battle-scarred, peace for the anxious, and acceptance for the broken hearted—not just at Christmas, but every day of every year.

Release the joy in us that’s been crushed by pride, wrong priorities, or world events. Tear down the strongholds that have held us captive far too long. Extinguish the flames of apprehension that rob us of a calm, quiet spirit. Show us again the beauty of that holy night so many centuries ago.

Your name is still called “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” and “The Prince of Peace.” As Your children, we cry out for a fresh filling, and a new awareness of Who You are. We choose by faith to make the “good news of great joy” a reality in our own lives, so others can see us as lighted trees of life, pointing to You this Christmas. We know one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that You are Lord. And we also know that peace on earth can only come when hearts find peace with You.

You are still our Joy. You are still our Peace. You are no longer a babe in the manger. You are Lord of lords and King of kings. And we still celebrate You as Lord—this Christmas and always.
~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan

4. Christmas Eve Benediction/Prayer

May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ child. Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you now and forever.

5. A Short Prayer of Christmas Thanks

Thank you God for sending Your Son on one glorious night to be born a virgin, to live a perfect life and to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you that he rose from the dead three days later and that this Christmas and every Christmas we can celebrate the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Amen.

6. A Prayer to Keep God at the Center During the Holidays

Lord, We worship You during this Christmas season. You are our wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). We choose to put You at the center of our family life as we celebrate Your birth. Keep us from distractions and help us to invite You into all our family activities. Teach us to pray and help us to glorify and worship You in our family during this busy time of year. Give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation that we might know You better (Ephesians 1:17). Thank you for being Immanuel, “God with us.” Open our eyes to realize this each day as we interact with others. Help us to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as You forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). Show us creative ways to love and care for those outside our home. Fill us to overflowing with Your love for the lost. Teach us to do acts of kindness to those who are in need at this time of year. May our family be a refreshment and light to others. We ask You to touch with salvation those in our family who do not know You . Open their hearts to Your great love for them. Help us to share Your Truth and be Your light. You are the Savior of the world.

We love Your Word and choose to make it central in our family life. Your Word is alive and active—It’s sharper than any double-edged sword—It judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). We long to align ourselves spiritually with You and Your Word every day. We want to pray your Word with Your authority, and with greater faith and obedience in our lives as we approach this New Year. We rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. We meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. We delight in Your decrees. We will not neglect Your Word. Open our eyes that we may see wonderful things in Your law. We run in the path of Your commands, for You have set our hearts free (Psalm 119:14-16, 18, 32).

Lord, we want to be passionate about the things you are passionate about. Help each member of our family to be a student of the Bible. Teach us to pray Your Word out loud in our family devotions in such a way that we see mighty spiritual breakthroughs in our home, friends, school, and workplace. Help us declare prophetic promises and decrees from Your Word. We want to experience the life-giving power of Your Word on a daily basis in our family. Show us truth in Your Word, and bring it to life through our prayers. Open the eyes of our hearts that we may be enlightened in order to know the hope to which You have called us, the riches of our glorious inheritance in You and Your incomparable great power (Ephesians 1:18-19). In Jesus’ name, amen.

What Child is This? – Luke 2

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord!” Join us this Christmas for an inspiring walk through Luke 2 as we remember the birth of Jesus.

Posted by Crosswalk.com on Monday, December 21, 2015

7. A Prayer for the Merry…and the Not-So-Merry

Father God, We thank You and praise You today for the miracle of Your Son’s birth. Thank You for bringing great JOY to the whole world! Thank You for giving us the assurance that because You came to us in the form of a human, we who believe in Jesus can know with absolute certainty that we’ll spend eternity with You.

We thank You, Lord, for the many reasons we have been given a merry Christmas. And we rejoice for each blessing. New life. New love. A home. A job. New opportunities. Second chances. And more.

We know, Lord, that You bring the sun and the moon and set the stars in motion. You tell the ocean where to stop and the snow when to start. And we thank You for the mighty gift of Your creation.

Thank You, Father, for spiritual leaders and faith-filled friends who keep encouraging us when we are close to giving up.

And although we have many reasons to rejoice today, Lord, we also know December 25th can be not-so-merry for a whole host of reasons. We pray for those who are experiencing loss this Christmas: relational, financial, spiritual and physical.

We pray for those who are coping with loving a prodigal and our friends and family members whose hearts are far from You. We pray for those dealing with unemployment and addictions and chronic sickness … and unending pain and frustrations of all kinds. Thank You, Lord, that You are The Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace, even in the midst of our not-so-merry circumstances.

Finally, Lord, we ask You to grant us peace. Peace in our homes, peace in our churches, and peace in our hearts, when the world all around us spins out-of-control. Help us to stay focused on You, this Christmastime and always. Thank You for loving the whole world enough to send the greatest gift, Your Son, so that we might truly have a very merry Christmas. In Jesus’ name, amen.
~ Steph Raquel

8. A Prayer to Re-focus During the Holiday Season

Dear God, sometimes I get too caught in the Christmas commercialism. OK, a lot of times. Today, I’m going to refocus my heart and remember why I’m celebrating this wonderful day in the first place. I’m celebrating Jesus today…and every day! In Jesus’ name, amen.
~ Sharon Jaynes

9. A Prayer for the Days After Christmas

Dear God,Help us to focus on you today, remembering that the gift of Christ, Immanuel, is our most treasured gift for the whole year through. Fill us with your joy and the peace of your Spirit. Direct our hearts and minds towards you. Thank you for your reminder that both in seasons of celebration and in seasons of brokenness, you’re still with us. You never leave us. Thank you for your daily Presence in our lives, that we can be assured your heart is towards us, your eyes are over us, and your ears are open to our prayers. Thank you that your surround us with favor as with a shield, we are safe in your care. We choose to press in close to you today… In Jesus’ name, amen.
~ Debbie McDaniel

10. A Christmas Tree Blessing (taken from Psalm 96 and Ezekial 17)

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. – Psalm 96  “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the forest will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. “ ‘I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.’” – Ezekial 17:22-24

11. “Lord, Remind Me” Prayerful Song

When I hear the news and hear another war has begun
And I wonder if God’s on the side of either one
I hear bullet, nail, or handcuff he bore all of them And in the light my heart’s as dark as anyone’s
Lord, remind me
Lord, remind me

That the shepherds heard the angels break the silence in the field
That the wisemen found a baby and they could not help but kneel
That the one who heard our weeping, became a child in manger sleeping
Lord, remind me
‘Cause it’s Christmas and I want to remember
~ Jon Guerra

12. Happy Birthday Jesus Prayer

Father, today I celebrate the reality of Your presence in my life. I celebrate Your birth, Your life, Your death and Your resurrection. And as I celebrate, Lord, help me to be “God with skin on” to those in need around me. Open my eyes and let me see them as You see them! I love You. Happy birthday Jesus! In Jesus name, amen. 
~ Mary Southerland, Girlfriends in God

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To The Dignified Child,

On this day of every year, the heart of humanity awakes from its slumber with a new passion, and prepared to receive a glorious parade

2017 years have passed by, and every year, just like this morning, the Christian world shivers with spirit and joy, while it halts and stops to face towards Palestine

Palestine, the cradle of Prophecy and curators, the tomb of the greatest and the mighty, the land where Armia stood, crying and sprinkling tears of Sorrow, and where David erected singing and chanting the songs of victory and triumph on his harp.

The humanity stares at Bethlehem in this parade, as their hearts are filled with passion and their gaze preceded them, seeking that lonely grotto, asking the shepherds and the guardians of the fields, guided by the most glowing star in the sky, as a sign of Heavens sharing this world its celebration.

At that lonely and quite grotto, where nothing is heard but the groans of winds, the creaks of bushes, bleating of sheep, and stirr of livestock .. twenty centuries ago, a newborn named Jesus came to this world, next to a weak and exhausted mother.

That was all what was found there, but the greater world, with all its intelligent minds and greatest hearts continued to praise this child and repeat “This is the greatest any woman has beard and gave birth to!” .. People rushed in floks to this new child’s stage, carrying their precious gifts, and the kings and the greatest of this world came to him l, carrying gold and rosemary, to celebrate with the new mother her child. Yet, this child never cared for all those precious gifts, not because he did not recognize their value, but he consoled himself “That my Kingdom is not of this world”.

What is this latent secret of this child? Mankind is known for celebrating the wealthy and glorifying the Noble and the might, and baby Jesus was born humble and unknown. Yet, we find humanity in its entirety, glorifying, honoring and welcoming Him as they do to God’s!

That is because Jesus came with Sam’s principal; He came to this world with a new spirit and started to bring life amongst people’s ranks. He paid close attention to the weak and the poor. He came to wipe off their suffering and tears, and to solace the sad at time where the thrones of kings and ceasers were collapsing, and rocked edifice of the greatest and the powerful and toppled the idols made by the humble idol worshippers.

All those thrones were only based upon the heads of the oppressed, and those edifices would only be built upon the corpses of the miserable and those idols were set for foreign gods.

Very few those who fathomed the secret of this dignified child’s life, and fewer are those who learned his glory that was revealed to the children of this land and this indigenous interments.

The newborn of Bethlehem brought to this world something more valuable than all gemstones and all treasures … He arrived to this world with freedom on his right, the love of all people and the enemy of all kings. He gave it and resurrected them into a thriving life filled with good deeds.

Jesus only lived one life on this land and left it, but the principles He planted on this land has prospered and grown and bear fruit to the people, and when people tasted its sweetness, and enjoyed its pleasantness, they hailed to their holiness and greatness.

This dignified child lived a life different than the lives of the wised legists. He never spoke to the world of mysteries and secrets that no one can solve but the great philosophers, but He spoke of simple tongue because He did not only speak to the people of His time but to the nations coming after his time.

He did not flattered the humanity with sweet words, and never said what satisfies them and gain their love, but rather His words were spears into the hearts and souls of those who surrendered to slavery and subservience, and their eyes were blurred with curtains of blind customs … Those words that lifted the chains of serfdom and darkness, stormed and shredded the corrupt society that once was crippled with heavy subjugation imposed by the corrupt kings.

And you, the Dignified Child,
If you were ignored through eras, you were known through greater other ages, and if the people do not repeat your name, and surrendered to the customs that time framed them around your name, you are the the immortal for your principles live forever, and the humanity you guided and resurrected from indolence and despotism, and will forever be in debt to you for it’s freedom and peace as long as the heavens recite in this day of ever year “Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace and in good pleasure people”.

With Love,

Omar

mosul-eye.org

A Christmas Prayer for Peace

Posted by Ryan Hall

12.06.16

By Fr. John Dear

Thank you, God of peace, for announcing the coming of peace on earth and for coming among us to make peace. Thank you for siding with the homeless, the refugee, the marginalized, the immigrant, the outsider, the disenfranchised. Thank you for being good news for the poor and the oppressed.

Thank you for your incarnation in the nonviolent Jesus, for showing us the Way, the Truth, the Life of Peace. Thank you for loving us so much, for bringing your universal, unconditional, nonviolent love into the world. Thank you for teaching us how to live, how to love, how to serve, how to pray, how to make peace, how to show compassion, how to practice nonviolence, how to resist empire, how to suffer, and how to die. Thank you for calling us away from violence, injustice and empire into the new life of nonviolence, justice, community and resurrection.

Most of all, thank you for teaching us how to be human. Alas, so many of us want to play god that we’ve become inhuman. You, God of peace, on the other hand, let go of your divinity to share our humanity, and in the process, teach us how to be Godly.

Dear God, we celebrate the birth of the nonviolent Jesus, his life and love, his teachings and works, his steadfast resistance, and his suffering, death and resurrection. We celebrate the most nonviolent life in human history, the greatest peacemaker the world has ever seen. We celebrate how his life and love continue to disarm, heal, and transform us all.

This Christmas, give us the grace to imitate his life, to become new people of creative nonviolence like him. Help us to be better practitioners of peace, contemplatives of peace, teachers of peace, apostles of peace, prophets of peace. Help us abolish systemic injustice, resist empire, end war, dismantle weapons, and study war no more, that we might reverence life and creation as he did.

Bless us that we might be your beloved sons and daughters, peacemakers, people who love one another, love our neighbors, and love our nation’s enemies. Bless us that we might be a new Christmas people, who, like Mary and Joseph, welcome Christ into the world, see Christ in the poor, serve Christ in the world’s children, raise Christ through our nonviolent actions, and bring Christ’s Christmas gift of peace on earth to fruition in our lives and work. Help us all to honor Jesus by obeying his commandments, following his footsteps and doing what he did, that we too might incarnate your holy spirit of peace and nonviolence.

This Christmas, God of peace, bless us all over again, that we might live with a new, mature faith, that we might become peacemaking saints, that we might be instruments of your Christmas gift of peace on earth.

Bless us all, that suffering may end, that all may be healed, that all may live in peace, that all may radiate your love, that all may be one.

In the name of the nonviolent Jesus. Amen.

www.paceebene.org

The Advent season is upon us, the period after Thanksgiving and leading up to Christmas in which we anticipate the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Lord.

It’s a special time of year, a sacred time, a simple time. But these days, it usually ends up being a time of busyness and stress and chaos—even panic.

If that’s true for us, I bet it was even truer for the central figures in the first Christmas. Especially THE central figure, at least until the baby Jesus arrived. Mary.

After all, the angel Gabriel appeared to her with the news that her life was about to be turned upside down—irrevocably—and yet her response was, I am the Lord’s servant…May it be to me as you have said. (Luke 1:38, NIV)

“If we can get Guideposts inspirational stories into the hands of people who may not have a devotional life, they can share the true-life stories of how God works in the world. The joy of Guideposts is their free, donated magazines to my hospital.         –Rob C.,  Director of Pastoral Care.

Wow. Somehow, she found a way to let go of fear. And doubt. And control. She surrendered herself, her plans, her future, her hopes and dreams, to God.

Though much has changed since that fateful annunciation, that is still the way to Christmas peace—letting go of fear, doubt and control. And the only way I know how to do that is through prayer. Perhaps repeated prayer. Maybe even unceasing prayer.

So let me suggest a method of prayer that might just lead you into Christmas peace. It involves doing something with your hands. Just as when kneeling, you bow your heart, this is a way to reflect with your hands what you pray in your heart.

Start by holding your hands in your lap with your palms up, open, to symbolize that you’re presenting your requests to God. You’re bringing to Him the things you’re afraid of, things you’re worried about. In your mind’s eye, put those things in your hands. Then pray something like this:

Father, I come to You today in Jesus’ name,
with these things,
these cares and worries in my hands.
I hold them here before you.
My fear. My future. My success and my failure. My hopes and my dreams. My… .

Take your time. Name it. Name your worry, your fear. Name the person, name the situation. Tell God what you’ve been holding onto.

Then take a deep breath and turn your hands over. Picture all of those things you were holding now falling out of your hands. Then pray something like this:

Father, I release all these things into Your lap.
I surrender these things to You.
I let go of them.
I pray, Lord, let Your will be done.
I trust You, Lord, that You know what’s best, that You’ll do what’s best.
I let it go.
I let it go.

Finally, when you have a sense in your spirit that your hands are empty, turn your palms up again and pray something like this in your heart:

Father, I now have empty hands.
I am ready to receive whatever You want to give me today.
Strength for my weaknesses.
Peace for my fears.
Hope for my future.
Forgiveness for my sins.
Grace to forgive those who’ve sinned against me.
Lord, I look to You today to meet all of my needs,
to fill my hands and my life with only those things you choose or allow.
Guide my steps into the future You’ve designed for me.
Bring me to the celebration of Your Son’s nativity in peace.
Use me to bring glory to Your name, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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