Greetings Prayer Warriors,
This year has been a year that won’t be forgotten, although most would like to forget all of 2020! The lockdowns and total life disruptions are like none ever experienced. Each of you have been affected uniquely. Fear and anxiety have risen. Divisiveness, fueled by the media has created great divisions within many families, as disparate opinions on politics and pandemics seem no longer to be tolerated. Healthy debates and civil discourse have gone by the wayside. However, you mustn’t fall prey to the tactics of the devil, for he loves nothing more than to sow discord, especially within your family!
What a blessing it is though, that just before the year comes to a close, we have the privilege of celebrating the birth of Christ. Even as a child, Christ showed us the importance of total trust in the Father’s will. As the Messiah, he never promised us a smooth path to walk, but rather the opposite, asking us to pick up our cross and follow Him. As our Savior, he conquered death, opened the gate to heaven, and taught us what we must do to spend eternity with Him.
Living through hardship is all about perspective.
My hope is that each of you will be spending Christmas, with family, even if that means masks and protective measures. Begin now, praying for peace and harmony. Become the center of your family’s peace by keeping close to Christ. Live a holy, humble, and prayerful life. It WILL positively impact those around you. Maybe not now, maybe not next month or even next year, but one day, the Lord will see that it bears fruit in your family.
I am the LORD, your God, teaching you how to prevail, leading you on the way you should go. If only you would attend to my commandments, your peace would be like a river, your vindication like the waves of the sea, your descendants like the sand, the offspring of your loins like its grains, their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence. Isaiah 48:17-19
Lord, send us your peace, wrapping it around each family like a blanket. May your angels pluck out the seeds of discord, letting only love blossom. Keep anxiety at bay and help us not to endlessly worry, but to trust in your faithful promises. May we rejoice in your compassion and mercy as we place our family members in your hands. We rest in the fact that you can soften even the hardest hearts, "for with God, all things are possible".* Start with us! Jesus, we trust in You!
Peace, Love, and Joy,
Janet
Keep the Merry in Christmas! Pass it on!
*Mark 10:27
