A Prayer for those who struggle this Christmas

A Prayer for those who struggle this Christmas
(Based on the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jesus, the Child that was born, You came as a vulnerable baby and not a conquering ruler – You understand my weakness. You were crucified in weakness, yet You live by God’s power. Likewise, I am weak in You, yet by God’s power I will live with You to serve others.(i) In my current weakness, I know that I am not laid aside, placed on the shelf – You still plan to use me in my weakness to serve others. You grace is sufficient for me, for Your power is made perfect in my weakness. Teach me to boast about my weakness so Your power may rest on me. Because of this, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and in difficulties. Why? Because, in Your economy, when I am weak, then I am strong. (ii)

Given Son, You are the One promised to the children of Israel, the One prophesied about that would, in the Spirit’s power, bring justice to the nations. You will not shout or cry out; You will not raise Your voice in the streets. You come in the whisper of quietness, and the hush of empathy. To be honest, I’m feeling as fragile as a bruised reed today. But You won’t break me. My faith feels so insubstantial that all that’s left is a smouldering wick. You promise not to snuff it out. This reed You will heal. This smouldering wick You will coax back to life until a flame of faith in You is re-established in my heart. I see the injustice in the world. Why me? Why my life? What if…? If only... Jesus, You promise that in faithfulness You will bring forth justice. You will not falter or be discouraged until You have established justice on the earth. (iii)

One on whose shoulders the government rests, I give you the burden of ordering my life. Lead me in the way I should go. I feel Your hand on my shoulder, gently making my lie down in green pastures. I hear Your gentle voice, calling me as You lead me beside still waters. As I spend time with You, I feel You, slowly but surely, restore my soul. I trust You to lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. (iv) I trust in Your sovereign rule and in Your perfect plan for my life and for all creation. Shift my perspective from my circumstances to Your glory, power and supremacy in all things. My circumstances change. Your rule never changes.

Wonderful Counselor, just before You left this earth, You promised another Counsellor to Your disciples – one that would be with us forever. This Counsellor’s name is the Spirit of Truth. Holy Spirit, I know You, for You live with me and in me. Jesus promised that He would not leave me as an orphan. Holy Spirit, You are the ever-present fulfillment of that promise. I am not an orphan, because You are with me, Spirit. (v) You counsel me in the stillness and You anchor me in the storm. Teach me. Today, remind me of the words of Jesus that I need to hear. (vi) Spirit, help me in my weakness. I have no idea what I should pray for, so I trust You to intercede for me with groans that my pitiful words can never express. Free me to groan my deepest heart aches to You, confident that I always have Your ear. Father, You know the mind of the Spirit. I give You permission to search my heart, to know the deepest, darkest part of me and to shine Your light into the darkness. Spirit, I praise You for interceding for me in this unutterable way in accordance with God’s will. (vii)

Mighty God, With Your mighty hand, You led your children out of captivity into freedom, Lord. (viii)You have been leading people into freedom ever since. Lead me into the freedom of knowing that You will never leave me or forsake me. You remind me, Lord, that it is for freedom that You have set me free. I think You need to put it in such basic terms because I can sometimes be so dull and forgetful! I choose to stand firm in You and not let myself be burdened by a yoke of slavery. (ix) Instead I choose to shoulder Your easy and light yoke and, side by side, we will get through this season together. As You teach me what companionship with You is, I learn from You and find rest for my soul. (x)You know how much I need rest for my soul and, only You the Mighty God can give it to me. I trust You for this rest.

Everlasting Father, I don’t know how it works that You are called the Everlasting Father, except to understand that You and the Father are one (xi). I have been given to You, Jesus, by Your Father who is greater than all. No one can snatch me out of Your Father’s hand, out of my Father’s hand. (xii) No matter what my emotions tell me, no matter how I may feel from one moment to the next, I am reassured in the reality that I am secure in You. If You justify me, who can bring a charge against me? If You, Jesus, are standing at God’s right hand interceding for me, who can condemn me? Nothing can separate me from Your love. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord. (xiii)

Prince of Peace, what a reassuring name! You are my Prince of Peace. You Yourself are my peace, destroying the barrier that used to exist between me and God, reconciling me to the Father through the cross. However, I don’t feel peace right now. I feel turmoil, conflict, anger, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, disappointment, loneliness, depression…I feel the weight of the world. I’m not experiencing peace right now. I know that You don’t promise me an easy ride. In fact, You say that in this world I will have trouble. That’s a given. But I take heart in the truth that You have overcome the world! (xiv) Your punishment upon the cross brought me peace, as my sin and iniquity (and that of the whole world) was laid upon You. (xv) I choose not to worry about tomorrow, because worrying is such a waste of time. If You take such care over Your creation, how can I doubt that You take intricate and intimate care of me? (xvi) This season, I am reminded that Your kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (xvii)Like the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, in the midst of the hurry and crowds of the season, I reach my trembling hand out to touch the edge of Your robe, knowing I will find healing there, and knowing that this little act of faith will stop You in Your tracks. You notice me. (xviii)


Your government, Your sovereign rule will never end. Your peace will go on and on.
I am Yours and You are mine. For today, that is enough for me.

Amen.

i 2 Corinthians 13:4
ii 2 Corinthians 12:9
iii Isaiah 42:1-4
iv Psalm 23
v John 14:16-18
vi John 14:26
vii Romans 8:26-27
viii Exodus 13:9
ix Galatians 5:1
x Matt 11:28-30
xi John 10:30
xii John 10:29
xiii Romans 8:34-39 (selected)
xiv John 16:33
xv Isaiah 53:5-6
xvi Luke 12:28
xvii Romans 14:17
xviii Matthew 5:25-34