A Christmas Prayer of Love

The main essence of Christmas is Christ, as He is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ around the holidays. Deeply devoted Christians truly grasp the real meaning of Christmas, which signifies the birth of Christ. It changed their lives to know that Jesus died for their sins on the cross and imputed His righteousness on them so that they may be justified in the eyes of God and reconciled with the Father. Because of Christ, they are able to love God, which also means loving other people. 

Father in heaven, I thank You because we have come to know Your love for us through Christ, whom You have sent. I thank You because it is due to Your love, grace, and mercy that we have something to celebrate this Christmas: the birth of Your Son Jesus. You were in no way obligated to save us. However, You still did out of Your grace and mercy. May the grace that I have received through Christ enable me and motivate me to love other people. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What is a good Christmas prayer?

If we truly understand the meaning of Christmas and the implications of Jesus being born, We also understand how loving, gracious, and merciful God is towards us. It is written in Romans 3:23:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God Romans 3:23

All men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Because of that, we are separated from God because our separation from God is moral. God is holy, while man is not. The Bible is clear with that truth. However, because God is gracious and merciful, God still chose to dwell with His people in the person of Jesus. That is why Jesus is our Emmanuel, which means “God with us”. It is written in Isaiah 7:14, John 1:14, and Matthew 1:23:

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23

Christ came to save us from our sins by living the sinless life we should have lived, dying the gruesome death we should have died, and then resurrecting on the third day. He proved that He is indeed the Son of God and has achieved victory over death. That victory over death or eternal life is available for those who believe in the person and work of Jesus and repent. That is a concise summary of the Gospel, which is God’s amazing work that even the angels were looking forward to. It is written in the following verses:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:12

So how do all of those things relate when it comes to loving others? It’s simple. When we get to realize the grace, mercy, and love that we have received from God by sending His Son Jesus, which we celebrate during Christmas, we cannot help but love God. It is written in 1 John 4:19 and 1 John 4:7-9:

We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 1 John 4:7-9

We love God because He first loved us, and if we love God and truly know the grace and mercy He gave us through Christ, which humbles us, then we shall also love other people. With all of that said, here is a prayer that you can pray as you meditate on God’s love for you, knowing that He sent His Son Jesus. It is a prayer to show how that love translates to your love for God and others:

Father in heaven, I thank You because You are gracious, merciful, and loving enough to send Your Son Jesus who saved mankind from sin. Thank You because Jesus being born is one of the greatest representations of Your love for us. I pray, Father, that as I meditate on the love that You have for us this Christmas, it will be translated to me loving You and living a life of obedience towards You, which will translate to me loving other people. Give me the grace, Father, that the love You have for us, as represented by Jesus in the manger, will keep me humble and motivate me to love others as well. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What did Jesus say about loving one another?

Jesus said in John 13:34-35: 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

As Christians, we are to love one another as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus pointed out that the world will know that we are His followers by how we treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, which means having love for one another. We are not witnessing Christ to the world if we hate each other as Christians and don’t care about each other’s being. At the same time, we as Christians should also show love towards our neighbors, whether they have nothing to do with us or is someone who is our enemy. It is written in Luke 6:35, Matthew 5:43-48, and the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37:

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Luke 6:35

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48

 

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. Luke 10:25-37

Jesus has commanded us to love other people, both our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and those who are not. The only way we can love others with genuine love from our hearts is when our hearts themselves are changed when we encounter God’s love. His grace should first work into our hearts and cause us to be born again and regenerated, turning our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. That is why it is written in 1 John 4:7 and 1 John 4:19-21:

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 1 John 4:19-21

Knowing God’s love and understanding that you ought to love other people, here is a prayer that you can pray:

Heavenly Father, I thank You because You have loved me first, and I encountered this love in Christ when He paid for the penalty of my sin. That is why we celebrate Christmas, because it is the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, where it all begins, and it is all because of Your love, grace, and mercy for us. Help me, Father, to always love other people, especially those who are difficult to love. May the love You have for me in Christ be the driving reason for me to love others. If You have loved me and sent Your son to die for me who is a sinner, then I should love others as well, even the difficult people to love. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The reason why we celebrate Christmas is because God was gracious to us by sending His Son Jesus to dwell with His people. It is when God’s love consumes us, and the grace we have in Christ overflows, that we are able to love others. That is why we give gifts and perform acts of charity and generosity to those in need. Doing all those things are pointless if Christ is not in the picture.