Greetings Prayer Warriors,
Advent is here! We should be as just as excited about Advent as we are Christmas! Well, maybe not, but just as Christmas is enhanced if we take the time to prepare ahead of time, so will our spirits be elevated if we take the time to prepare our hearts and souls. Advent is a time for preparation for what is coming: the anniversary of the Light coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming.
Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people’s way. Isaiah 57:14
The Christmas season can bring just as much stress as joy. Endless shopping, cooking, wrapping, addressing, and stamping, can tip the joy/stress/anger meter either way depending on whether or not the work is distributed. Then there are the family gatherings. Different people can bring out long forgotten aspects of our personalities, much to the dismay of one’s spouse. Or one can revert into childhood behaviors that just, well, aren’t that appealing. These “obstacles” can create stress in a marriage just at a time you are hoping for unity and cheer.
So the key is preparation! And the best way to prepare is, you guessed it, prayer!!
Lord, we pray that you might help us to pause, clear our minds, still our bodies, and allow you to flood us with your peace. Help us to remember that we are your beloved, a gift beyond our comprehension. Give us the self-control to ignore distractions, make time to pray, and focus on the reason for the season. May we offer the best version of ourselves, and have patience when we don’t receive it in return. May your peace lead us to be more loving, kind, and empathetic with others, especially our spouse. Bless and fortify our marriages. As we reflect on your coming into the world to save us, may we begin to comprehend and imitate the generosity of your self-gift. With you Lord, we believe that all things are possible. Amen.
I believe I shall see the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD!
Psalm 27:13-14
Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet
Show some generosity and pass it on!
