Christmastime.
It’s probably safe to say that most of us feel the excitement of this end-of-year crescendo with all its eye-catching decorations and catchy Christmas ditties, special shows and sweet treats, gift exchanges and gatherings. We’ve anticipated it for months and now we’re gleefully dashing through the snow in lighthearted revolt against the face-numbing, disproportionate darkness of winter (at least here in the upper Midwest). Oh, what fun!
Except, not everyone’s story resembles a Norman Rockwell scene. And believe it or not, not everyone loves Christmastime. Perhaps reality for someone you know does not include festivities with family and friends. Surely that’s true for someone you don’t know, or maybe it’s even true for you. In fact, some who are enduring sorrow and suffering would say that Christmas is the most miserable time of the year.
So, this Christmas, as we celebrate the best gift we’ve ever been given – Jesus Christ – take a moment to reflect on the people God has placed around you.
What gift can you offer to those who are hurting this holiday season? What is a practical and powerful way that you can bless the brokenhearted? The answer? Prayer!
Jesus Came. Jesus Prayed. Jesus Saved.
It is mind-blowing that the Son of God left His heavenly home to come into this world in human flesh – beginning as a baby, no less! God, Most High, sovereign over everything, perfectly righteous, mighty beyond imagination, in His infinite wisdom and boundless love, humbled Himself to infancy and mortality. He did it so that we could know by the way He lived His life on Earth what right living looks like, and so that by His death on the cross, we could be saved from the just consequence of eternity in Hell for our rebellion against Him. He did it out of His great love for us. Just sit on that thought for a minute and let your heart sing His praises!
Jesus experienced many hard things all throughout His life here in this world. He had difficult relationships with certain family members and friends. He was misunderstood. He had enemies who sought to kill Him. He was poor and homeless, dependent on others for food, shelter, and clothing. He was a ministry leader, a shepherd/caretaker for many stubborn and sick “sheep.” He mourned the loss of loved ones due to death and betrayal. He was single and childless His whole life. He wasn’t what many would consider handsome. He worked hard, giving others everything He had. He was terribly wounded and humiliated at the hands of others. He knows what it feels like to face death, even to die. So, He gets it. He understands when intense pain causes people to grieve, groan, grovel, and sometimes want to give up.
And yet, Jesus – God in the flesh – poured Himself out for us even more as He prayed. The Bible tells us that Jesus prayed often then and He is still praying for us today from Heaven. You see, with God, giving isn’t just for a special season; it is continuous.
In light of that truth, shouldn’t those of us who are His followers continue His work and pray often too? If He suffered greatly and still prayed for others, shouldn’t we as well?
Yes, indeed.
Yes, You Can Pray.
If you don’t already have a regular rhythm of prayer, or even if you’ve never really prayed before, just the thought of it might cause a bit of anxiety. But don’t overthink it. Prayer is simply having a conversation with God, and you already know how to do that. Trust me, you do.
There’s no secret formula or spiritual language that you need to learn; no special training or extraordinary talent is required. If you’ve ever talked with anyone, then you’re already qualified to communicate with the Lord.
He is fluent in every language and incredibly proficient at heart interpretation. He meets you more than halfway. He can keep up with your runaway train of thoughts, and He knows precisely how to turn your simple words into extravagant miracles.
You don’t need to clean yourself up and try to appear perfect to approach God either. Jesus already did that for you. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:19-23,
“Therefore, brothers [and sisters], since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
See? Jesus’ death on the cross thoroughly dealt with everything that made us unfit to be seen, heard, accepted, and answered by God. So, don’t worry about how you think you sound or look to Him; don’t even worry about how you feel. You sound, look, and even smell beautiful to the Lord! He is delighted when His children come and talk to Him!
If insecurity isn’t your reason for hesitating, perhaps you’re wondering how in the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle you’re supposed to fit one more thing into your already packed 24-hour day. That’s a valid concern. But prayer doesn’t have to be a huge time investment or demand a lot of effort. Actually, it’s easier than you think – as easy as 1-2-3.
Prepare to Pray Through the Holidays in 3 Simple Steps.
Just as prayer doesn't require mastery, you don't need more hours in the day to incorporate it into your lifestyle. Make efficient use of what you already have and apply these three simple steps to get started giving the gift of prayer.
1. Promise to pray.
The first step is to resolve to do it – commit to praying every day for someone in need. This literally takes less than a second. So many people are hurting, and they really need your prayers.
If the thought of committing to pray every day into perpetuity seems overwhelming, it’s okay to start small and ramp up gradually. Begin with a pledge to pray every day from now through December 25th. Or, accept my challenge to pray for others for 14 days during this Christmas season (more on this later). Then, cross the next bridge when you get to it.
A prayer group, like Berean's Women Prayer Warriors, IronWorks for Men, Wednesday night House of Prayer, or the Weekend Prayer Team, might help you get started praying at a weekly cadence, keep you motivated and growing, and provide accountability. You’ll meet other people who pray, not because they’re pros or find it easy to do, but because they know it works and they want a clearer view of what God is doing.
2. Set your schedule.
Next, schedule a specific, recurring time on your daily calendar to meet with God for at least 15 uninterrupted minutes. Choose a time that works best for you; perhaps it’s first thing in the morning before the day gets crazy, on your lunch break, during your usual quiet time with God, while walking the dog, or before you go to bed. Maybe it’s a different time every day. Fit it in when you can each day, but be sure to set appointments on your calendar with reminders and alarms. Budget in travel time if necessary.
When you pray, you are an agent for God’s power to be expressed in the lives of people who need miracles, so consider this the most important meeting of your day.
If applicable, involve your significant other, your family, a friend, or your Small Group, and sync your prayer schedules. You’ll all benefit from sharing inspiration, holding each other accountable, and blessing others together.
3. Pick your place.
Step three is to predetermine the place where you’ll pray. Pick a quiet, distraction-free, easily accessible spot where you can give God your full attention and focus on what you’re doing. If you leave the location to chance, chances are your partial planning could result in failure. So, choose your place wisely.
It would also be prudent to select a backup location, just in case. You never know what obstacles or deterrents you might encounter despite your good intentions. (Consider applying a contingency plan to Steps 1 & 2 as well.)
Then, Just Do It.
Once your plan is set, all that’s left to do is execute it. When it’s time to pray, be in place on time and just do it. Quiet your mind, concentrate on the needs of the hurting people in your life, in your community, and in the world, and ask God to help them.
But what if you don’t know whom to pray for? What if you’re drawing a blank? Or what if you don’t know where to start because there are too many? In that case, ask God to put someone on your heart. Start with those closest to you and ripple out from there. Perhaps recall some news headlines, a conversation you’ve had recently, or an invitation to serve someone during the holidays. These situations involve real people who need God’s intervention in their lives.
Pray for them, even if you don’t know their names. You might be the only one going to God on their behalf.
Let God Guide You.
Sometimes I find it difficult to rein in my brain and focus during prayer. Okay, let’s get real – most of the time (like 95% of the time). In case I’m not the only one, I’ll let you in on a little hack that usually works for me: I let God guide my prayers.
I start out by asking Him, “God, what do you want me to pray for today?,” and then I “listen” to His reply by reading the Bible. As I read, He informs my prayers.
There’s no better way to know whether your heart is aligned with God’s than to first “hear” His heart as He reveals it to you through Scripture. Remember, prayer is a reciprocal conversation with God who has initiated dialogue with you via His Word. Let Him choose the topic of discussion. Let Him inspire you, ask you thought-provoking questions, and show you whom to pray for and how to pray for them. Believe me, He’s really good at it! Just don’t forget your manners – do talk back to God. As you do, you’ll hear your own heart, and God will guide you in that too.
(Shameless plug: Praying with others sure helps keep your mind on track too!)
Turn Scripture Passages into Prayers.
Since it is that time of year, perhaps you have been reading or plan to read the Christmas Story in the Bible. You might even have a daily Bible reading plan, devotional, Advent calendar, or Bible study that you’re working through. Great! Use that as your springboard. Whether you’re an avid Bible reader or not, you can use any passage of Scripture as inspiration for prayer.
Here’s how to turn Bible passages into prayers:
As you read the Bible, mentally marinade in the text by reading it slowly and attentively. Read the passage several times and try to get a sense of what the people in the story went through. (Tip: You may want to read more verses or chapters around your feature verses and consult study notes to reveal more context and get more accurate ideas.) Envision yourself in that ancient time, in that place, under those circumstances, with those people.
Zoom in even closer and imagine being one or more of the characters in the story. What physical sensations might you be feeling? What thoughts would be running through your head? What emotions would you feel? What would you need?
Once you identify some needs from the story that could easily translate to people today, come back into the present time and remember a person or people group who is currently going through a similar situation. Then, ask God to provide what they need.
Here's One Way to Pray Through the Holiday.
Here is one idea to help you pray for hurting people this holiday season. I like to call it the 14-Day Christmas Story Prayer Plan, and it works like this:
At the beginning of your prayer time, take a few minutes and read a small chunk from one of the Bible passages that recounts the Christmas story. The following list is the Christmas Story Prayer Plan daily reading schedule:
- Day 1 - Luke 1:5-7
- Day 2 – Luke 1:8-17
- Day 3 – Luke 1:18-23
- Day 4 – Luke 1:24-25
- Day 5 – Luke 1:26-30
- Day 6 – Luke 1:31-33
- Day 7 – Luke 1:34-38
- Day 8 – Luke 1:39-56
- Day 9 – Luke 1:57-58
- Day 10 – Luke 1:59-79
- Day 11 – Luke 2:1-7
- Day 12 – Luke 2:8-21
- Day 13 - Matthew 2:1-12
- Day 14 - Matthew 2:13-23
As you can see, on Day 1 you would read Luke Chapter 1 verses 5 through 7. Take a few minutes to think deeply about that Bible text as described above. Perhaps as you read the words carefully and consider Zechariah and Elizabeth’s situation, you identify possible adversities such as political oppression, job issues, religious persecution, infertility, a strained marriage, cultural shame, or aging. Turn those concerns into prayers for people who are currently experiencing one or more of those hardships.
For more ideas and prayer prompts to help you through the 14-Day Christmas Story Prayer Plan, check out this printable worksheet.
Keep it Simple. Leave the Tough Stuff to God.
When you pray to God, talk to Him like you’d talk to someone who knows you well (because He does).
Keep your prayers simple. You don’t have to say a lot of words, but say everything you need to say. And, if you forget something, you can always ask Him later – anytime, really. He’s always available and always listening. He cares deeply about you and the people you bring to Him in prayer. He understands and feels your pain, but He’s powerful and He wants to deliver healing, reconciliation, protection, provision, companionship, comfort, restoration, and peace through people like you and me who humble ourselves and simply ask.
This Season, Focus on the Priceless Gift You've Been Given.
Whether you’re looking forward to having a holly jolly Christmas, or your circumstances are preventing you from having yourself a merry little time of it, you have the invitation and the ability to pray this holiday season. If you’re happy, hurting, harried, or hesitant to pray, I encourage you to focus on the priceless gift we’ve all been given - Jesus Christ, our flesh-and-blood Savior and King. He humbled himself, came here, poured himself out, and prayed for people while He Himself experienced lack, loneliness, loss, and all kinds of pain and suffering that living in a fallen world brings.
Because He came, we can go to God directly, converse with Him, and ask anything of Him. Because it’s God’s unfathomable power behind them, our fervent prayers are among the best gifts we can give to others this Christmas, especially to those who are hurting. So, do it – make a plan to pray and see it through. There’s no limit to the blessings that God wants to accomplish through your prayers!
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