A Prayer For Christmas Morning - To Light Their Way

A Prayer for Christmas Morning

December 25

O Christ Jesus, joy of the world,

We celebrate Your arrival—

Word made flesh—

On this Christmas morn.

O God incarnate,

As we celebrate and watch our children

Squeal with delight

With sleepy eyes and tousled hair

Or grin in spite of themselves,

May we wonder what Mary felt

As she watched her baby grow.

We know we are in but a flash in time.

We want to hold these moments.

We want to store them up in our hearts.

And as we watch our children,

Warm with last night’s sleep,

We marvel that You,

Maker of heaven and earth,

Entered this world as one of us—

A cosmic King made vulnerable infant,

Swaddled in strips of cloth—

And You let us hold You in our arms.

O Prince of Peace,

In our celebrations and rejoicing,

We watch the light break in,

And we pray, too, for those who are

Alone this morning,

Who ache for the gift of together

And spend the day in quiet—

No melodies of little voices,

No choruses of laughter at the table.

Comfort the lonely, and bring joy to the hurting.

Fill the hungry, and lift the lowly.

And may we know, O Redeemer,

That this work of peace on earth

Begins in us.

O Spirit of the living God,

As our children pull presents

From under the tree,

We know these paper boxes

Are but temporary joys

In the light of Your glory.

We thank You for the good gift

Of Jesus,

And we thank You that

You have given and still offer now

Gifts of love and joy,

Of peace and patience,

Gifts of kindness and goodness,

Of faithfulness and self-control.

O God of mercy,

We rejoice, for on this morning

We celebrate the day of Christ’s arrival—

The day that changed everything.

And we give all the glory to You

Forevermore.

Luke 1:46-55