I know for many, this holiday season will be different, with several family members missing from the table. I know of friends who were looking forward to the 1st Christmas with their newborns but who are no longer here and now this holiday season becomes dreadful. Other friends who have lost grandparents, parents, siblings and even friends. This is also our 1st Christmas without Oma. In their absence, this is my prayer for all of us. I pray it blesses your heart, as it has mine as I felt the Holy Spirit strongly.
Let’s pray.
Aba father, the holidays are here and for some of my friends, the losses are becoming even more evident and heavy on our hearts.
I pray for the friend reading this, who is doing everything they can to keep their faith strong, to trust in you. But it seems as if they are losing the battle.
I pray that they will not have to put on a face this holiday season, trying to hold back tears and putting on a smile , pretending they are ok and that their world isn’t collapsing.
Father, I know many are dreading the holidays and there isn’t anything that can make them put on a ‘holiday spirit ‘ and the sound of Christmas carols doesn’t bring any cheer. In fact, they want the holidays to be over. But God you are even closer to the broken hearted, may you embrace them even more this season.
I pray that grief will not consume their hearts and that they may know, they are never alone.
Father Lord, I pray for hearts that are overwhelmed, burdened and crushing with weight too heavy to carry. May you overcome them with peace and joy. I know for many, they have called on you but still can’t feel you. They still feel lost, unanswered and abandoned. I pray that your spirit will confirm your presence to them. “..The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18.
Lord, your children need you, draw closer to them, lift their spirits, take their grief and replace it with your joy in abundance. Give them hope to see them through this season, hope that will bring them to the season where you get to restore all that was taken away from them.
Reveal yourself to them and show them just a glimpse of your glory and promises. Reveal to them your goodness even when it doesn’t feel that you are good.
Lord, teach us to keep trusting in you and to walk in the confidence that you Lord are forever faithful. Show your children a glimpse of what you are working on behind the scenes not because they doubt you but to strengthen their faith. Fill our hearts with joy exceedingly.
Lord, in Isaiah 26:3, you promise to keep in perfect peace all who trust in you. Lord, I pray that we will not be consumed with the sadness that engulfs us. Forgive us for focusing so much on what we have lost and getting our eyes to miss on the numerous blessings in our lives ~ your son Jesus Christ. Lord, help us fix our eyes only on you ~ the author and finisher of our faith.
Lord, help your sons and daughters feel your love in ‘ real ways’ they can relate to.
Lord, you tell us to come boldly (Heb 4:6), to receive your mercy and grace to see us through tough times. Therefore, Lord I pray for more grace, mercy for your sons and daughters right now. May you open your doors of heaven and pour it out, let it rain Lord , let it rain father. Pour
it our Lord. We can’t do without any of it. So, soak us Lord. We look up to you Lord. Our only refuge and anchor for our souls.
Lord, you are faithful to take all our our burdens and you ask us to bring it all to you (1pet 5:7), even though, we have a habit of taking them back again. Lord help us give it all back to you in exchange of your peace, light yoke and calmness.
Lord, I know many have cried tears and groaned such that, they lack words to say to you. But, so thankful because you know our hearts. As your word says in Rom 8:26 …that the Holy Spirit will help us in our weakness by praying for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words, even when we don’t know what God wants us to pray for.
Lord, we are weak, and just like David said, we only have a broken heart to offer, I pray that our broken hearts will be acceptable you in all humility. And our groanings will be a sweet sound in your ears, because you delight in your children.
Lord, even when we don’t see any good in a certain season, we know you are good and nothing surprises you. You are always working for our good. You say in Isaiah 43: 18-19, that nothing compares to what you are going to do and that you are doing something new and you have already begun it. It is my prayer lord that we are able to see you in the moment. Let us not miss you walking in our midst like the disciples. Instead, let us feel you and know it is you and has been you all along, even when it doesn’t please us.
“…But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland”. Isaiah 43:18-19
Lord, we will never understand your ways, because your ways are not our ways, and we surely do not command the sun where it should rise or create the borders for the seas. But lord, help us hold steady fast to your promise.
We do not understand when loved ones have to go, I know you will instead make beauty with these ashes that are in form of our grief. Let your will be done in our lives. Help us see with your eyes Lord. We may never understand how death and sickness work for our good Lord, but we want to continue trusting in you, take our unbelief and use our lips to testify of your faithfulness.
Lord, would you create in us a new spirit and do something new in us. Take our bitter hearts. Take the old away and make us new all for your glory alone.
Forgive us for try to figure it all by ourselves, Lord we surrender wholeheartedly to you our king.
Lord, thank you for your mercies and faithfulness that are new every morning, extending to the ends of the seas. Lam 3:22-23.
Thank you that your love for us never ends and they begin afresh each morning. Thank you for waking us up each morning. I pray for eyes like yours, that we will get to view this world and see the beauty that you see even in the middle of the ugliness.
Lord, your word says that , …this sadness is temporary and that your joy will surely come.
This darknes that seems to overwhelm and engulf us will be consumed by the light that is surely coming in the morning. Thank you for your favour upon our lives. I pray that you see your sons and daughters through their individual nights which for some of them seems to be longer than others. Psalm 30:5 “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning“.
Lord, during this holiday season, I pray that you will reveal yourself to us. Thank you for your son that was born in this humanity, He knows what pain is. Thank that He is indeed Emanuel ~God with us.
Help us embrace your son, the gift you have given us, that we may be reconciled to you. Thank you that because of the gift you sacrificed, we can get to enjoy many other gifts in this life. Help us focus on those this season.
Lord, help us carry and share your good news and hope to all around us. Help us say a Prayer For Those Grieving and tell them about Emmanuel being here with us and that we do have to wait for you anymore. The promise is here ~ Christ with us.
Thank you Lord.
We surrender to you and pray this in your mighty name. Amen.
Merry Christmas you all.
Lots of love.
Mama Faith, Hope and Love.