A Prayer for Lost Christmas Traditions
By Meg Bucher
Does the start of the Christmas season fill you with excited anticipation, or dread? For some of us, we get to re-live our favorite childhood traditions with our own families. For others, the past holiday seasons and lost traditions make sting our hearts.
Isaiah 9:6 reminds us we can have hope and joy this time of year, no matter how painful the past has been. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God. He is the only one with the perfect amount of strength and courage to conquer sin for us and give us hope for this season and beyond.
If you are feeling sad because of lost traditions, seek Him for restoration. Jesus came to feel what we feel, because He loves who we are. Find new ways to celebrate Christ this Christmas season, and know that the good news of Christmas is for you.
Father,
We praise You for the Christmas season, and the remembrance of Jesus’ glorious birth! You remind us in Isaiah of your powerful namesake, who came to earth for us. He could not be described by just one name or in one way. He is the One who holds the key to our peace and our freedom.
Thank You, Jesus, for coming to earth to pursue us. Thank You for the traditions that we treasure enough to miss, and those that we are blessed to continue celebrating. Forgive us for making Christmas about anything but you, Jesus. Unearth the routines that threaten to trip us up in pursuit of You, and open our eyes to recognize what matters the most.
Be with us this Christmas, Jesus. Open our eyes and our hearts to see you in a fresh, new way, whether in the midst of time-honored traditions or fresh new ways to celebrate Your birth.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Meg Bucher is a stay-at-home mom and blogger at http://sunnyand80.org, where she writes about everyday life within the love of Christ.
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