A Child Has Been Born for Us - Your Nightly Prayer - December 23rd

A Child Has Been Born for Us
Your Nightly Prayer
by Amanda Idleman

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” - Isaiah 9:6

SOMETHING TO PONDER 

A reflection on the gift of Christ and the peace He brings to a weary world.

Oh, the holidays are just so exciting! There is so much going on. We have so many opportunities to spend extra time with the people we love. There are heartfelt gifts, decorations, traditions, meals, and so much more. 

While I love every part of the holiday season, I am wary of the reality that sometimes we get so tied up in celebrating that we forget what we are actually doing all this for in the first place. It’s not about the perfect Christmas dinner or the beautiful Christmas lights; it's about a sweet, simple baby that was born into poverty over 2,000 years ago. He was born with one mission, which was to live a perfect life so he could die as a sacrifice for the world so many sins. 

Unto us a child was born. Such a simple thing, a baby. So vulnerable and needy. One single life over the course of humanity that changes everything. When did this little one realize he was different? That God had given him the life of the man, but also access to the full power of God, as he was God incarnate. I wonder if he was awkward at first, unsure how to balance his connection with the Creator along with his human duties as a child, boy, and eventually as a man. 

How gracious that God chose to give his message of hope and salvation through a medium we could fully understand, relate with, and appreciate. Consider if he came as a heavenly being, how terrified we’d have been? Or in another non–earthly form, how confused we would be? But a fellow man, the message he shared, the life he lived, is something undeniable. Something we can understand. 

As we do the hustling, the celebrating, the decorating, and buying, let’s also give thanks for a child who was born for us! A precious human soul can become the Son of God, so we might believe. What a gift! 

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER 

Father,
We pause to give thanks for the precious baby you offered to humanity so we might believe. What a gift your son is to us. Let us not take his life, his purpose, or his sacrificial death for granted. Let’s keep loving him at the center of all we do this holiday season. Let us rejoice, give thanks, and offer sincere praise for the hope and salvation we have thanks to your son, Jesus.
Amen

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. Meditate on how precious every human life is. Every baby is a gift and has the chance to change the world. How can you be an advocate for life this holiday season?
2. What ways are you making Jesus a focal point as you celebrate the holidays?
3. Give thanks to God for the gift of his precious son.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Simona Sergi

Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is encouraging others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for Your Nightly Prayer, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, Your Daily Prayer, and more. She has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com, Biblestudytools.com, and Christianity.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God's Heart of Love for Mommas, alongside her husband’s companion devotional, Shepherd. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.

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