Prayer Christmas 2012

Our almighty God,

We come today to gather in celebration as your people, the people of your promise, that you have kept since the days of Abraham. You remain faithful to us, and continue to bless us richly with so many good things. Today we look all around us and are reminded that you have provided us with a new church! It is such an exciting and fantastic day, the first day back in our building, but new and extended and refurbished. It is a testament to your ongoing love and blessing to us as a congregation, and to your church here in Waitara. We thank you for all the hard work put in by so many people - by donors, builders, volunteers, pray-ers, and by the leadership in making this a reality. Help us to appreciate this great gift as a blessing not only to our church, but to the community, and we pray that you will help us see it used to bring them blessing, and to glorify your name here in Waitara, and across the world. We also thank you for the public school that allowed us to meet there, and we pray that you will continue to bless their work in educating kids, and our work there, and we ask you would give us a continuing good relationship with the school after this time.

We are also reminded, as we celebrate Christmas with each other and with our families and friends, that you have given us the incredible blessing of your Son, born as a human, to walk the footsteps of a human life, to feel what we feel, suffer pains that we suffer, and face the temptations of sin that we face. We thank you that, as we learned in Hebrews in the last few weeks, we have a high priest that knows our sorrows, and can empathise with us, and be an example for us of how we can live for you. We thank you for this incredible gift of God with us. Help us to look to Christ to see not only our salvation, but our example, and to also be ambassadors for you, to walk in the footsteps of others, and empathise with them in their troubles, and bring them comfort.

We thank you, Lord and Father, for taking us into your family. Just as Jesus was born as a human and adopted by Joseph, you have adopted us into your heavenly family, and we can call Jesus our brother, and you our Father. Help us to remember this Christmas, as we enjoy times with our own families, not only that we are all accepted into your family, but to remember those for whom you might be the only family they have... or for those that do not even have you as their father. Help us to reach out in warm fellowship to all who we can this Christmas, to offer to them the familial love that Christianity is all about, to call them our brothers and sisters, just as you call us your sons and daughters. We think of those people now, for whom Christmas might be tarnished by stresses brought on by lack of family or friends, lacking health, or other losses and grievances. We take a moment to silently pray for them now, as we think of them.

Blessings upon your name, Lord, for your greatness and your holiness, and for your love shown to us at this time, in all these ways, and in so many more.

By your authority and that of Jesus we pray, Amen.