Prayers For Christmas Worship

The following prayers are based on the language of appropriate Scripture readings for the Christmas season. They can be used as printed or can serve as models for other prayers. Consult the commentary after each prayer for specific Scripture references and related information.

Invocations or Opening Prayers Be near us Lord Jesus we ask you to stay, close by us forever and love us we pray. Immanuel, we invite you to draw near and dwell with us. Surround and sustain us with your tender caring presence that what we say and do in worship might prepare us to live forever with you in heaven. In Jesus' powerful name we pray. Amen! Commentary: The first sentence is directly taken from the third stanza of the popular carol, "Away in the Manger." The remainder of this prayer is a paraphrase of the rest of the third stanza. The biblical foundation for these ideas are in Matthew 1:21–23. This prayer illustrates the great value of reading and reflecting on hymns as a source for enriching and expanding our language for worship. Come Eternal Lord, and open our eyes to Jesus, your Bright Morning Star, that together with your Holy Spirit the lingering shadows of darkness might be transformed into your renewing Light. Awaken us to your presence and ever faithful nearness. In Jesus' name. Amen! Commentary: Revelation 22:16 refers to Christ as the Bright Morning Star. This aspect of Jesus' ministry is further pictured in the sixth stanza of the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Prayer of Confession and Words of Assurance PRAYER OF CONFESSION Dear Heavenly Father, we sing with great enthusiasm, "Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King." Yet as we review the true desires of our hearts we would confess that we are more prone to seek the gifts and benefits that Christ can grant than actually receive him deep within our lives. There are times when we are frightened by what might happen if we truly took Jesus seriously and resolved to invite him into all the diverse dimensions of our lives. Lord, have mercy upon us and cleanse us. Forgive the distorted images we hold of Christ which prevent us from living with him with the same trust and obedience as Joseph and Mary. Renew your sustaining Spirit within us that we might truly know and live in your joy … [opportunity for silent confession] … through Jesus' redeeming name. Amen! WORDS OF ASSURANCE Leader: (reads Luke 2:10) People: (read Luke 2:11) All: (read Romans 10:9) RESPONSE As an act of praise and gratitude for God's redeeming gift of Jesus the singing of stanza three of "Good Christian Friends, Rejoice" (Jesus Christ was born to save!) is most appropriate here. Commentary: The unifying theme of this prayer has been taken from the popular carol "Joy to the World," which in turn has been inspired by Psalm 98. Also at work within this prayer is the often subtle distinction between wanting to receive Jesus' benefits on our own terms and not the actual gift of Christ. This awareness reflects Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees who were more interested in externals (see Mark 7:6–7; cf. Isa. 29:13). Prayer for Illumination Mighty God, the shepherds of old were full of your praises that all they had heard and seen was mirrored by what they had been told. Move amongst us now with your Holy Spirit that we too might hear and experience the wonder and joy of the living Word as we seek to welcome the written Word into our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen! Commentary: The shepherd's response of meeting Jesus (Luke 2:20) is repeated and elaborated to become our request to see and know Christ through the reading and preaching of the Scriptures. Offertory Prayer Gracious Lord, in this season of abundance may we not lose sight of your perfect Gift amidst all our many gifts. Correct our vision that we might not only receive your Good News, but respond with gratitude in sharing Christ with others. Accept the gifts we now offer. May your Spirit enlarge and multiply their use to those both near and far. In Jesus' precious name. Amen! Commentary: This prayer borrows its images from both 2 Corinthians 9:15 and Luke 2:20. It further captures the evangelistic theme that the shepherds were the first human messengers to share the Good News with others. It reminds us that our offering to God includes not only what we place in the collection plate, but also how we live our daily lives. Pastoral Prayer Most Gracious and Loving God, our hearts are bursting with the good news of great joy that has come to us. We too join the saints of old in participating in the drama of Christ's birth. May we come to know his name and taste his joy more fully. Therefore, with Mary we sing out the praise of our soul. While we are only one small group of people amidst the huge cosmos of Creation you have remembered us. We are grateful for the blessings that you have poured into our souls. Truly you delight in us. We pause in silence as we speak from the depth of our hearts recounting the great things you have done for us. Great God, the very act of praising you enlarges our perception. Our remembrance of your mighty acts reminds us that you often surprise us by your ways. We tend to be impressed with the prominent and powerful. Yet you tumble the proud and arrogant and lift up the humble. You fill the hungry with the needed resources to sustain them while chasing away the self-sufficient empty handed. May we remember how you have displayed your special favor upon the poor and needy. May we not close our hearts to those who are despised, rejected, and left without the proper trappings of society. Jesus calls to mind the same truth when he reminds us that as we serve, care, bind up, and love the least of our society we are actually ministering unto him. Faithful God, you have kept your promises to us over the many centuries of time. In your calling of us to be your people you challenge us to proclaim by our lips and lives the same truths that each succeeding generation may also drink from the wells of your abundant grace and truth. In caring and providing for the children and youth of this congregation and community may we not shut our hearts to those who are older in years. Awaken the timeless truth of Christ within us that we might be aware of peoples of all ages and places. This we ask humbly ask in the strong and tender name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! Commentary: Mary's song, recorded in Luke 1:46–55, establishes the design for this prayer. This prayer has not exhausted all the images present in the Magnificat but illustrates how verses 46–50 pertain to the element of praise and verses 51–55 relate to the petitions and concerns for others.