Christmas Prayers – December
24, 2017 Christmas Eve 7 p.m. service Pastor Jacqueline Hines
In the midst of
Christmas excitement and elation with its glitter and its glamor, we no doubt have
found time to pray. We are praying people. Prayer, like Christmas, is part of
our DNA. Just as it would take a long time and a lot of changes for us as a
nation to stop celebrating Christmas, it would take a long time and a lot of
changes for us to stop praying. We are a praying people. [slide # 1 man praying
in pew]
We pray in many ways. We
fold our hands or bend our knees. We sit in awe like angels, we whisper, we cry
aloud. Sometimes we sing, or dance, we put our prayers into action on a
mission. The three things that matter most in prayer, as Pastor James
McDonald put it, is a humble
position, true contrition, and sincere petition. Whatever the quality or the
quantity of our words, what matters most is our humble position, true
contrition, and sincere petition. That’s what makes prayer real and deep before
God.
Our prayers at
Christmas, as much as in any other time of year, are constantly flowing
consciously and unconsciously with every breath we take. Our Jewish brothers
and sisters laid our foundation of prayer for every move that is made in life. [slide # 2 Jewish men
praying] There are thousands of pages of Jewish
prayers. There are prayers for going to sleep, prayers for waking up, prayers
for wearing a prayer shawl, prayers for blessing God, for blessing of people,
blessing of food, for healing, for help in a time of trouble, prayers to
celebrate the harvest, prayers for God to clean our hearts, prayers for
justice, prayers for peace.
On the foundation of
our Judaic legacy, Christians also have developed a wellspring of prayer books,
a river of prayer devotionals, prayers we memorize, silent prayers, and a host
of hymnals for prayers that we sing with all our hearts - joined as one. [slide # 3 Methodist
Hymnal] We pray day and night in order to
see God’s will, to see our way through life’s journey, and to see each other
through the eyes of God.
A brother Mormon [slide # 4 Mormon
Temple] on a blog urges the Godly to study the life of Christ, to
pray daily, and to see from
the depths of our hearts rather than see only outward appearances, but to see
what God sees. Everything that looks
like Christmas is not about Christmas. Prayer helps us to see what God sees. [slide # 5 keep Christ
in…]
Perhaps
the greatest Christmas prayer is the one that Jesus learned from his mother. [slide #
6 Mary sitting] When the angel came to Nazareth to tell Mary that
outrageous, out-of-this-world story of God’s plan for her to bear a son who
would be the Messiah – the anointed one, chosen to save the world – and God
knows we all need saving – Mary said a special prayer from her heart. ‘Let it
be done to me according to your word.’ [slide # 7 let it be
done…]
And
what did Jesus pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, 50 miles away and 30 years
later, ‘if possible, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but yours be
done.’ [slide # 8
Jesus in prayer shawl]
The
Christmas cups from which we drink are often so sweet. [slide#
9 boy with cup] But, from time to time we may have a taste of life
that is bitter. [slide#
10 frowning baby] God knows and God
cares. [slide #
11 Jesus hugging]
Talk
to God both day and night, through thick and thin, during the bitter moments as
well as the sweet ones, [slide # 12 if God brings you to it…]
and
you are sure to see Christmas for what it really is – a time to walk in the light
of God’s will, to be saved from our enemies, and to give our love to the God
who never leaves or forsakes
us. Amen. [slide
# 13 love God…]
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