34 prayers
Praise to You, Lord God! You have become one of us. You have become a human being, while still retaining all your power and holiness as God! You, O Lord, made the journey of the unborn child. By being an embryo, a fetus, and a newborn, you joined all unborn and newborn children to you! From the beginning of history, O Lord, You were the Creator of every human life. Now, with Christmas, You join Yourself in an unthinkable way with the life You created. Let this Christmas, O God, fill all of us with awe and wonder at how close human life is to You. Cleanse the world of all that tarnishes and rejects this gift. Purify our hearts of all that fears this gift. Let our Christmas joy be the joy of welcoming every human life! Amen!
Lord Jesus Christ, when, on a winter's night I look up through the clear air at the stars, I can be very close to You and to Your native Bethlehem. It was at night that You first came to this earth. It was under the same stars that now gleam in this night sky that Mary first held You in her arms. It was by the faint light of these stars still shining tonight that the shepherds found their way to the stable, and discovered You, as the angels had said they would, lying in a manger. Dear Christ, it is especially at Christmas time that I see and understand how close You are to those who live on the land. We have so many reminders of You! The stars and moon at night and the sun by day, the same stars under which You were born; the same moon that shone that night on Bethlehem; the same sun that brightened Your first days on earth. The stable, and the farm animals that shared their quarters and their warmth with You, their creator. The sheep and the shepherds that came to adore You, rough men, but good, truthful, honest, and sincere. O Jesus, Son of the everlasting God, You are so wonderfully made one of us at Christmas time! You are our God, but You are our Brother, too. You are our King, but You come as a helpless little baby, longing for our love. Help us today and always to see You in all those with whom we come in contact. Let us never forget Your own instruction, that whatever we do for the least of those around us, we do for You. Help us always to serve You in the generous, selfless spirit of this season, and we shall then be real Christians, more and more like You, other Christs. Amen.
Thank You, Father, that Your times and seasons are pre-ordained and that You sent Your only begotten Son to be born of a woman, so that at the appointed hour He could be made sin for our sins, and in so doing become the propitiation for the sins of all mankind. Thank You, that in the eternal council chambers of the almighty Godhead, You devised a perfect plan that would save mankind from eternal separation from You, which required that the eternal Son of the Father became flesh and was conceived and born of a virgin.Lord, we rejoice at the Christmas story and all the wondrous glory that we see unfolded in the manger scene in the little town of Bethlehem, and in the fields, while shepherds watched their flocks by night. We glory at the good news of great joy that was proclaimed by the angel of the Lord, and we are amazed to behold a heavenly choir of angelic beings singing,"glory to God in the highest."�We praise Your name for the visit of the wise men from the east and we grieve at the satanic atrocity that was perpetrated by king Herod on innocent children. But most of all, we humbly kneel before Your throne of grace when we understand that the baby lying in a manger must one day be crucified to the cruel cross, so that our sins could be forgiven. Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be born so that He could die for our sins. In His name we pray,Amen.
Lord, as I spend today going about my work, help me to put aside any bitterness that I'm not celebrating at home with loved ones. I ask you, Loving Father, to give me a special sense of your presence as I meet people, that I may shed on them the light of the Bethlehem Star, the Spirit of Christmas. Amen.
Father, we thank You from our innermost being that You sent Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to be born into a fallen race so that by His perfect life and sacrificial death He might be lifted up on the wooden cross, in the same way that Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, so that all who looked would live. Thank You, Father, for the wonderful plan of salvation that You in Your grace purposed would be the only way that mankind could be saved from His sin, and so You sent Your one and only begotten Son, to be born of a virgin into the human race, God becoming Man, so that man might be eternally clothed in the righteous garments of God.Thank You that by His human life and physical death, He was able to reconcile us back to God, forgive us of our sins and break the power of death in the lives of all Who believe on His name. Thank You that from His unpretentious beginning, where he had nowhere to lay His head, to His lifelong submission of the Father, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Thank You, Father, for the birth of My Redeemer and I rejoice in the God of my Saviour. In Jesus' name,Amen.
The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia! And dwelt among us, alleluia, alleluia! Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, before the face of the Lord, for He comes. Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dear God, two thousand years ago, you brought your son, Jesus into this world to teach us the power of love and sacrifice. As we raise this tree, we remember his birth and the meaning of his life for us. Bless this tree as a symbol of our celebration of Jesus' birth and our gratitude for his sacrifice. May the joy this tree brings and the gifts we place under it remind us of the many gifts you have given us. We ask your blessings upon our loved ones, this day and always. Amen. National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [State your intention(s) here...] through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
Father, we are filled with the new light by the coming of your Word among us. May the light of faith shine in our words and actions. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God and Father of light, a child is born for us and a son is given to us. Your eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night, and now your Church is filled with wonder at the nearness of her God. Open our hearts to receive his life and increase our vision with the rising of dawn, that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
HAIL, and blessed be the hour and moment At which the Son of God was born Of a most pure Virgin At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem In the piercing cold At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, To hear my prayers and grant my desires (mention request[s] here). Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.
Moonless darkness stands between. Past, the Past, no more be seen! But the Bethlehem star may lead me To the sight of Him Who freed me From the self that I have been. Make me pure, Lord: Thou art Holy; Make me meek, Lord: Thou wert lowly; Now beginning, and always, Now begin, on Christmas day.
Lord, in this holy season of prayer, song and laughter, we praise you for the great wonders you have sent us: for shining star and angel's song, for infant's cry in lowly manger. We praise you for the Word made flesh in a little Child. We behold his glory, and are bathed in its radiance. Be with us as we sing the ironies of Christmas, the incomprehensible comprehended, the poetry made hard fact, the helpless Babe who cracks the world asunder. We kneel before you shepherds, innkeepers, wisemen. Help us to rise bigger than we are. Amen.
Lord God, we praise you for creating man, and still more for restoring him in Christ. Your Son shared our weakness; may we share his glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord God, we praise you for creating man, and still more for restoring him in Christ. Your Son shared our weakness; may we share his glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh. Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to your Word, that we may bring your life to the waiting world. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Moonless darkness stands between. Past, the Past, no more be seen! But the Bethlehem star may lead me To the sight of Him Who freed me From the self that I have been. Make me pure, Lord: Thou art Holy; Make me meek, Lord: Thou wert lowly; Now beginning, and always, Now begin, on Christmas day.
Lord our God, the heavens are the work of your hands, the moon and the stars you made; the earth and the sea, and every living creature came into being by your word. And all of us, too. May this tree bring cheer to this house though Jesus Christ your good and holy Son, who brings life and beauty to us and to our world. Lighting this tree, we hope in his promise. Amen.
God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh. Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to your Word, that we may bring your life to the waiting world. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thank You dear Heavenly Father, for sending the only begotten and eternal Son of Your love, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be born as a tiny baby in such humble conditions, so that the fallen race of mankind could be redeemed from their sin and be made sons and daughters of the Most High God, through faith in His name.How I bless Your holy name for all the goodness and loving kindness that You have extended to me and to all the fallen race of humanity. Thank You that Jesus set aside His glory to be dressed in human flesh so that in the fullness of time, those that trust in His name might be made Your sons and daughters and joint-heirs with Christ Himself.Thank You, that You never gave up on mankind but have allowed us to regain fellowship with Yourself, simply by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Give all of us, I pray the light of Your love in our hearts this Christmas time and the opportunity to tell of the good news of the gospel of Christ to those that are perishing. Draw many into Your kingdom I pray, so that Your name may be glorified and to You be all the praise and honour and glory and thanks, for You alone are worthy.Amen.
God of endless ages, Father of all goodness, we keep vigil for the dawn of salvation and the birth of your Son. With gratitude we recall his humanity, the life he shared with the sons of men. May the power of his divinity help us answer his call to forgiveness and life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will, alleluia! The Lord has reigned, and He is clothed with beauty. Almighty God, the Savior of the world, who hast nourished us with heavenly food, we give Thee thanks for the gift of this bodily refreshment which we have received from Thy bountiful mercy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia! And dwelt among us, alleluia, alleluia! Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, before the face of the Lord, for He comes. Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dear Lord Jesus, You are the light of the world and the Prince of Peace that this world desperately needs. How I thank and bless You for coming to earth to die on the cross for our sins, so that all who believe in Your name might be given peace with the Father and may receive Your peace and love into their hearts.Shine the light of Your love deep within the hearts of all those that do not know You as Saviour. Light the minds of those that are blinded to the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord. And Lord, I pray that You would draw many into Your arms of forgiveness so that they too might be made right before God and receive His peace into their hearts at this time,so that the goodwill that was promised by the angels so many years ago, might become their portion this Christmastime.Grant all those that know and love You as Saviour, to be specially blessed this Christmas and may You draw each one ever closer to Your heart of love, in a world that is becoming darker, so that the light of Your truth may shine through us to a world who needs Jesus, in Whose name I pray,Amen.
Father, we are filled with the new light by the coming of your Word among us. May the light of faith shine in our words and actions. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God and Father of light, a child is born for us and a son is given to us. Your eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night, and now your Church is filled with wonder at the nearness of her God. Open our hearts to receive his life and increase our vision with the rising of dawn, that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord Jesus, we lift up our voices of prayer and praise today as we think especially of Your birth on that first Christmas morning. Lord, many people today will be celebrating Christmas Day with little or no understanding that in coming to earth in the form of a man, You came to die so that all who believe on Your name might be saved from their sins and have life, and have it more abundantly. As the story of the shepherds and the wise men are sung about in carols and acted out in classrooms, and as television programmers once again review the birth of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, we pray that Your Holy Spirit will convict the hearts of many who have dismissed the truth of Christmas as a nice little story.Bring many we pray, to see Christmas in a new light this year, and may they come to an understanding of the real meaning of Your birth at Bethlehem, so that they may see the Christmas story this year in all its glorious beauty. May Your holy name be lifted up and may Jesus Christ be glorified this Christmas for You alone deserve all honour and glory. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Lord, as we enter the Christmas season, we want to take time to thank You for sending Your Son to be born as a baby and to become our Saviour, so that He can bring peace into the hearts of those that believe, and joy to those that find their hope in Him.�Lord, we know that only in Him is true peace and lasting joy to be found, and as we sing the Christmas carols and choruses this Christmas season, we pray that true joy would come into the world, and that many would find their peace. In Jesus' name,�Amen.
Loving Father, we thank You for the birth of Your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and the perfect Son of Man, Who was born in a stable and lived His whole life in humble obedience to Your will. Thank You, for sending Him to be our Saviour and to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Lord, at this Christmas time, we pray for all those men and women who do not know You as their Saviour, and pray that in Your mercy and grace You would convict many of their need of a Saviour. Lord, we know that the world seeks peace and yet there will never be any peace in this world until Christ reigns in power. And there will never be peace within the heart of man until the Lord Jesus takes up residence in a believing heart. Continue to carry out Your convicting work in the hearts of the nations we pray, especially during this Christmas time, and may many come to know You as their Saviour. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Heavenly Father, Christmas-time is such a blessed season of the year as we remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in a stable in Bethlehem, and how we thank You for giving Your only begotten Son to be born into this world, so that by His death and resurrection, He could become our Saviour, and we could become Your children.Thank You for the wonderful hope that the Christmas message instils into each of our hearts, and the glorious message of the gospel of peace. Peace with God to all Who believe in His name and the peace with God for all who have become Your children.�Help us never to minimise the importance of that time when as our great, eternal Creator God, You broke into human history and became God incarnate, identifying with a race of fallen men, by taking on a body the human flesh, so that You could empathise with out frailty and learn obedience by the things that You suffered.�Lord, I thanks You from the bottom of my heart for all Your goodness and grace to us, and for loving us so much that You chose to be born into our race so that we might be identified with Your righteousness. Praise Your holy name.�Amen.
Dear Lord, how we praise and thank You that Love in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ came down at Christmas, when the eternal Son of God became Jesus, the perfect Son of Man, and through Whom the promise of peace was given to men of goodwill. Peace with God to those who trust in the redeeming blood of His Son, and the peace of God, for all who are born into the family of God, positioned in Christ and accepted in the Beloved. Thank You, for the example of a life that personifies love and thank You that the Person of Jesus Christ is the One that satisfies every need of the human heart. Father, at this special time of the year when we remember that first Christmas day when Your dearly beloved Son was manifested in the flesh in the form of a new-born babe, we pray that His love and His peace may spread abroad into the hearts and minds of many lost and hurting people, who feel themselves unloved and who lack that vital peace with God and the incomparable peace of God within, that surpasses all comprehension. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit grant peace in the hearts of all who are searching for answers, as to emptiness in their lives, this Christmas time. We ask this in the name of Jesus,Amen.
Loving Lord and Heavenly Father, how we rejoice as we remember the wonder and joy of the birth of Christ into our fallen world on that first Christmas night, when the Prince of Peace Himself came to tabernacle among men, as was promised to our forefathers so many years before. Thank You for the gift of Your Son. Thank You for the glorious gospel of peace that is shed abroad in our hearts when we trust in His name. Thank You for the Person of Jesus Christ, Who laid aside His heavenly glory and was born to die so that we might be born-again and live. Father, the glorious truth of the gospel of Christ is life and light to the children of men. It is peace and hope, it is love and joy, it is forgiveness and salvation, but too often the Christmas story has lost its impact on a world that has rejected Your truth and adopted the trappings of a world system, that is doomed to fail. Forgive us Lord. Forgive us for the rebellious nature that is so often displayed at this time of the year and look down with compassion and mercy on us all this Christmas time. Rekindle the light of truth in the hearts of men and women throughout the world, as we once again focus our hearts on Your humble birth and the redemption it provides for all who will trust in You, by grace through faith. Give all who have been saved by Your precious blood an abiding peace as we celebrate the beautiful truth of the glorious gospel of grace. In Jesus name, Amen.
Heavenly Father, at this festive season I pray that the real meaning of Christmas will not be missed, and that the precious truth that was given to the shepherds and sung by the angels, will become a reality in the hearts and lives of many people this year. As we prepare for this lovely season of the year and all the joy that it brings with it, help us not to forget that Christ was born for a purpose. And that as we share our gifts one with the other, may we remember the wonderful gift of grace that was sent into the world 2000 years ago. As we listen to the Scripture readings and rejoice over the good news that was proclaimed that holy night, let us not forget to thank You for Your gift of grace in the Person of Christ Jesus, knowing that He was sent to earth so that by believing on Him we could go to heaven.Thank You, Father, that in Christ You made all the good and necessary preparation for sinners to be made righteous through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, by first sending Him at the appointed time to be born into a race of sinners. May we seek to prepare our hearts for our future heavenly home, knowing that our citizenship is in heaven, and may we spend this Christmas period reflecting on the wonderful truth that Christ Jesus was born into the world to save sinners, like me, for which I praise Your holy name. In Jesus' name,Amen.
The Work of Christmas Begins When the carols have been stilled,When the star-topped tree is taken down,When family and friends are gone home,When we are back to our schedulesThe work of Christmas begins: To welcome the refugee, To heal a broken planet, To feed the hungry, To build bridges of trust, not walls of fear, To share our gifts, To seek justice and peace for all people, To bring Christ�s light to the world.- by Michael Dougherty, a variation on Howard Thurman�s �When the Song of the Angels is Stilled�
