A Prayer for Peace and Reconciliation in Families This Christmas
By Christine F. Perry
Bible Reading:
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” - Ephesians 4:1-3 NKJV
Listen or Read Below:
I couldn’t hide the emotion in my voice when a close friend called. It was the second time they called in a fifteen-minute period, and I knew they would be worried if I didn’t swap calls and tell them I would call them right back after I wrapped up a call with the person on the other line. By the time I called my friend back, they immediately asked, “Are you okay?” I didn’t want to lie. So, I said, “Not really.” They knew me well enough to know something was not right. I explained that I had gotten hurt by a family member. I knew my family member didn’t mean to hurt me. Yet, I was struggling to know how to respond. Do I say something? Do I let it go?
Thankfully, by God’s grace, this mishap didn’t ruin our relationship. However, wounds are deeper when they come from parents, siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews. How are we to handle it? Do we avoid them? Do we confront them? Do we let it go, or will that create resentment? With the holiday season here, you may be wondering how it will be with your family. Or if your family will ever be together again for Christmas. We live in a broken, sin-saturated world, and with that comes broken relationships.
Even if you have been wronged, I want to encourage you to first ask God to examine you. You can do this by praying Psalm 51:10, which says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” and then pray Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” Then my suggestion is for you to pray for the family member who has hurt you or you’re concerned about seeing this Christmas season.
It’s easy to feel the right to defend ourselves. But when we surrendered our lives to Christ, we surrendered our rights to him. I am not saying that if you’re in an abusive relationship, you still allow that person to be in your life. I am talking about wrongs that we have all been guilty of committing: harsh words, disrespect, wrong behavior, assuming the worst, etc. Look at how we have behaved toward Christ. When you look at all he endured on our behalf, we really have no reason to complain about how others treat us. But God still wants us to tell him how we feel and look to him to help us navigate family relationships this year. He knows your family member’s heart and intention, and he knows your heart and intention. Remember, he created both of you!
Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your tenderheartedness toward us. We are unworthy of your love and compassion, but thank you for it. Father, with the holidays here, we know there can already be tension with family. We ask that you go before us and make the rough places smooth. We ask that we will be clothed with humility, kindness, patience, gentleness, and goodness. Lord, you’re not a God who stands far off. You also understand the heartbreak and dysfunction that can happen in families. You experienced this, too, by having a stepdad and brothers who didn’t understand you. We pray that you will help us to be more like you this Christmas season. Help us to navigate this season and our relationships well. Lord, I pray for your peace to rule and reign in each of the individuals and homes represented in this blog today.
I ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus, the maker of heaven and earth. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/jacoblund
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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