Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

"Suddenly, the angel was
joined by a vast host of others
—the armies of heaven—praising God:

"Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and peace on earth
to all whom God favors."
Luke 2:13-14 NLT
"

Reflection:

"No doubt life for the average
person wasn't all that noticeably
different on the night Jesus was
born. Inns and taverns were busy
with their customers. Shepherds
gathered around the fire to keep
warm as they watched over their
sheep. But in a secluded corner
of Bethlehem, in an out-of-the-way
stable, a baby slept in a manger.
And as the shepherds settled down
for a quiet night, the angels
assembled into a vast choir and
shattered the silence of that night
by loud praises. Imagine the
shepherds' response: shock, fear,
and then, awe. They knew that
they had to find this extraordinary
child whose birth the angels had
announced.

As you celebrate Christ's birth on
this joyous day, seek out Jesus as
the shepherds did years ago. Use
this heavenly song to rejoice in Jesus' birth.

Prayer:

Glory to you, God, in the
highest heaven and peace on earth
to all whom you favor…
­
HAVE A BLESSED AND PEACE FILLED
CHRISTMAS. GLORY TO GOD ON
THE HIGHEST.
­

Scripture:

"4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will
say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The
Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious
about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests
to God. 7And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7) NIV

A nervous-looking man was pushing his
son in a super market grocery cart...
The youngster was howling at the top
of his lungs and throwing vegetables
and fruit out of the cart. The father just
kept on pushing the cart; repeating in a
quiet voice, “Take it easy Billy. Don’t cry
Billy. Cool it Billy. Everything will be okay Billy.”
A woman shopper turned and said, “Sir,
I admire you for the gentle way you’re
soothing little Billy.” To which he replied,
“But lady, I’m Billy.”

Reflection:

Is that how you feel? Does this time of
year drive you nuts? Are you anxious,
angry, depressed?
Do me a favor will ya. First of all try
to keep in your heart and mind, what
this time of year is. It's not about
presents, or having enough money,
or being depressed, or sad, or angry.
As a matter of fact it's not about us.
It's about the birth of Jesus Christ,
that's why its called Christmas. It
is a celebration of the coming of
'peace, love, service, compassion.
It's a celebration that changed the
world.
I would like to suggest that you
follow one of my favorite passages.
Philippians 4:4-7. Rejoice in the
Lord, rejoice in the celebration.
The Lord is near so don't be anxious
about anything, don't let it get you
down. But through prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving in your
heart give it all to God. And do you
know what's going to happen, the
peace of God, which goes beyond all
understanding will be in your hearts
and minds through who, Jesus
Christ, the birth in which we now
celebrate. Celebrate God through
Jesus Christ His Son. GIVE IT
TO GOD!

Prayer:

Oh Mighty God I celebrate You.
Thank You God for giving us Your
Son. Thank You for what Jesus
has given to us. Thank You
God His peace that passes
all understanding. I give any
anxiety to You. I give it to You
God, I give it all to you. Thank You
for being near to me. In the name of
Your Son in which we celebrate amen.

Scripture:

"The Lord knows how to rescue godly men
from trials." (2 Peter 2:9)

Reflection:

I remember, as a boy, often getting
into, what I thought was earth shaking,
arguments with my peers. Often times
those disagreements would end with the
phrase, "I won't if you won't." The problem,
was of course, was that ending would
rarely ever last. First one child, then the
other child would try to infringe on the
forbidden area or action without actually
violating the "agreement."
Jesus' model prayer, "The Lord' Prayer",
gives us a different and new course.
"And lead us not into temptation but
deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew
6:13) With that as your attitude, you
are well on your way to becoming a
maker of peace instead of war!
Please remember this, in Christ who
strengthens you, you are ready for
anything. Rejoice today that God will
give you power to meet whatever comes
into your life, and that He will use it for
His higher purpose. Walk in obedience
with joy!

Prayer:

Oh God thank You for being there always
ready to help and even rescue me.