A Christmas Prayer to Keep Our Focus on Jesus

Many readers emailed words of appreciation when I published this Christmas prayer last year. It obviously struck a chord, so I’ve chosen to publish it again. Merry Christmas, my friends. May these words help us keep our focus on Jesus as we celebrate His birthday.

Know you are loved,

Grace

“Heavenly Father, thank You for coming to earth in human form to demonstrate Your love for mankind. Thank You for humbling Yourself to become a servant for our sake. Thank You for lighting up our darkness with Your presence.

We celebrate Your gifts to us by giving gifts to others. We string lights on the eaves, hang wreaths on our doors, and place bulbs on the trees in our homes as festive, visual reminders of Your birth in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

We commemorate Your birth with these traditions and many more, but we confess that the festivities sometimes tire and distract us. Amid the celebrations, please keep our hearts aware of the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas is about You, Jesus.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT)

We celebrate You as Wonderful Counselor. You have the answer to every question we ask. You are the answer to the deepest cries of our heart. No problem we face is too big for You to solve.

We celebrate You as Mighty God. No challenge we face is impossible for You—the One who spoke the universe into existence. You strengthen us when we feel weak. You carry us when we can’t take another step. Because You are Mighty God, You make us mighty overcomers.

We celebrate You as Everlasting Father. From the beginning of time until eternity and beyond, You are faithful to Your sons and daughters. Your provision, protection, and presence know no end, and for this, we are grateful. You always have our best interest in mind. We rest in Your care.

We celebrate You as Prince of Peace. The season’s carols and pageants remind us to be of good cheer, but the truth is, many hearts feel heavy. On the global scale, wars and natural disasters have snatched lives and earthly belongings and displaced millions.

Closer to home, political tensions have birthed strife in families. Illnesses, accidents, and age have claimed those we love, and we grieve the empty chair at the table this year.  We wrestle in prayer for our prodigals. The list goes on.

Amid the conflict, we acknowledge You as our Prince of Peace. You alone bring shalom and gift us with the peace that passes our human comprehension. Nothing else compares. Nothing else satisfies. For this, we owe You our gratitude.

Most of all, we owe You ourselves. We celebrate You as the one true God who came to earth as a man to give Your life as a ransom. You give life to all who place their faith in You for salvation. How can we do less than give You our lives in return? We are Yours. Use us for Your highest purpose, for Your greatest glory, for Your kingdom’s sake.  

Jesus, we love and adore You not just as the baby in the manger but as the risen, conquering, and returning King. Someday we will see You face-to-face and Your glory will no doubt astound us. But until then and especially now, during this busy season, help us keep our focus on You because CHRISTmas is all about You. And it’s in the power of Your name that we offer this prayer of praise and thanks to You today. Amen.”

(Before you leave, you might enjoy this meditation by Chuck Swindoll).