12 Days of Christmas Prayers for Peace and Joy in Your Home
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By Vivian Bricker, Crosswalk.com
Christmas is known for being the most wonderful time of the year for many reasons. For one, there seems to be a touch of glistening kindness in everyone’s heart during the Christmas season. Rather than strangers being grumpy, they tend to be more kind and caring toward others. In my own life, I have seen strangers open doors for older folks just for the simple reason of being kind to them.
The Christmas season is also different from the rest of the year because people are feeling lighter. The end of the year has come, and it feels like we can finally catch our breaths. Enjoying time with family and friends has a way of restoring our weary hearts. Rejoicing and celebrating the anniversary of the Lord’s birth into the world also brings lasting hope, peace, and joy into our holiday celebrations. As we are looking forward to the Christmas holiday, it is important that we don’t neglect the spiritual discipline of prayer.
Our prayers are mighty and they can move mountains. Even if we may feel as though our prayers have not been answered, God does answer them in accordance with His will. You might not see the answer right now, but the answer will come in its proper timing. Here are twelve days of Christmas prayers for peace and joy in your home this year.
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1. A Prayer for Unity
The Apostle Paul tells us, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Within our homes, we need peace and joy; however, this cannot happen apart from unity. As someone who grew up in a problematic home, I can attest to the truth that if there is no unity, there is no peace or joy. If you don’t have a home rooted in peace and joy, it becomes a prison. This is why we need peace and joy in our homes, especially during the Christmas season.
Christmas is when we visit our family and friends, or they visit us. We don’t want their visits to be stressful, nor do we want any problems to arise. If this is a worry at the present time, we need to turn to the Lord in prayer. When we pray to the Lord, we need to be specific. If there is a certain family member who tends to be difficult, pray for them and pray also for the family to have a spirit of unity. This will ensure your home will be filled with peace and joy this holiday season.
“Dear Lord, I come before You today asking for unity. Please help my family and I to have a spirit of unity. In the past, we have had many troubles and I don’t want this to happen again. Help us to all be on the same page, to avoid arguments, and to enjoy our Christmas in celebration of You. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.”
2. A Prayer for Understanding
If peace and joy is something we are lacking in our home during Christmas, it is probably related to a person. Maybe this person is a difficult sibling, an estranged parent, or a friend who has betrayed us. In all of these situations, it can be extremely hard to try to see things from their point of view. For example, maybe our estranged parent left because they were struggling with their mental health; however, we viewed the scenario as they left us because they didn’t love us.
As believers, we need to pray for a heart of understanding in order to truly connect with our loved ones. We have to choose to release unforgiveness and choose to move forward (Ephesians 4:32). By praying for Jesus to help us understand things from their perspective, we might have an easier time moving past the hurt. Without forgiveness, we won’t be able to have a joyful Christmas celebration. Choose to trust Jesus with the pain and take a step toward understanding.
“Dear Jesus, please give me a heart of understanding. I want to see things from my family’s point of view. I feel I have spent too long seeing things from only my perspective and I may have distorted the truth of what really happened. I’m ready to see the truth now and to move toward forgiveness. Amen.”
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3. A Prayer for Open Hearts
Christmas will not be the same if we have a cold heart toward our loved ones. There will absolutely be zero peace or joy in our home if we start bringing up the past or unnecessary arguments. As believers, we need to set down our weapons and move toward a heart of peace. All of the pain we have experienced in our lives is valid, but we cannot allow them to control us. The pain does not control us because we are a slave to nobody.
The Lord has set us free, therefore, we don’t need to stay in a prison of anger and hate toward others. Sadly, our family members tend to be the people who hurt us the most, but we have to choose to have an open heart toward them. Instead of welcoming them with arguments, we need to have a heart of peace and joy. The Lord can open our hearts to peace and joy through His goodness, power, and love. All we have to do is pray.
“Dear Lord, please open my heart this Christmas. I understand that peace and joy cannot exist in my hope without having an open heart. Help me to be kind, caring, and sympathetic rather than angry. I give all of these worries over to You. Amen.”
4. A Prayer for Reconciled Relationships
Christmastime is the perfect time to start reflecting upon our relationships. Maybe we have had a falling out with a sister or a brother. If this is true, it could be God is leading us to reconnect with them. Think about someone you haven’t seen in awhile. Why did you stop seeing them? Was it because of a hurtful comment or just distance kept you both apart?
Analyze these questions and see who you might need to be reconciled to this year. It could be that becoming reconciled to this person would bring peace and joy into your home. Jesus wants you to have a merry Christmas, but if you are still at odds with a loved one, it might be nearly impossible. Ask the Lord to help you in the matter and to open your heart to reconciliation. Ensure you also pray for their heart to also be opened to reconciliation.
“Dear Jesus, I haven’t seen a family member in a very long time. Our relationship has been rocky and I haven’t spoken to them in awhile. Please help me to be reconciled to them and to forgive any shortcomings. I also ask that You help them to be open to reconciliation too. I trust You, Lord. Amen.”
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5. A Prayer for Unconditional Love
In days past, I used to believe that unconditional love was only possible from God. The agape love that is written about in the Bible was something I believed was only given by God to human beings. However, after more careful study, agape love is commanded of us as Christians. Jesus wants us to love others unconditionally, which means we are capable of this agape love.
To love someone unconditionally means that we love them regardless of what they have done. Just as God loves us, we need to love others. This can be quite challenging, yet as we already know in life, sometimes love is the most challenging thing of all. During this Christmas season, pray for your heart to be set toward unconditional love for all people. It will bring more peace and joy into your home as well as into your daily life.
“Dear God, I want to fully grasp the agape love you speak of in the Bible. Please help me to love others unconditionally. It will be hard, yet I know it is possible because of You. Thank You for loving me with an agape love. Amen.”
6. A Prayer for a Christ-Centered Heart
If our hearts are not set on Christ this year, then we will run into many problems. Not only will we not have peace and joy in our homes, but we will also have our priorities out of line. Christmas is not all about gifts or materialism. Instead, it is about Jesus coming into the world to die for our sins. Out of His great love, He died in order for us to live (John 3:16-17).
We don't need to become distracted by the things of this world, especially at Christmas. A great thing we can do to protect ourselves from these distractions is to pray for a Christ-centered heart. The Father will see our prayer and be delighted with what we are asking for. Go to Him in prayer today and allow Him to fill your heart with peace and joy.
“Dear Father, I need a Christ-centered heart. I fear I have been distracted by the worldly celebration of Christians and I lost sight of Jesus. Please help me get my priorities in line and to fully focus on the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.”
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7. A Prayer for the Lord’s Second Coming
We cannot fully celebrate Christmas without also thinking about the Lord’s second coming. Just as Jesus came the first time to bear our sins, He will return a second time to bring salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28). As believers, we need to eagerly await this day with hopeful hearts. Since it is written in the Bible, we can trust that it is true.
As you are gathered with your family this Christmas, reflect on the Lord’s second coming. Ask yourself, “If Jesus returned today, would I be prepared?” By answering this question, we will be able to start living wholesome and holy lives, as we patiently wait for the Lord’s coming. He will come and in time, we will be with Him in Heaven.
“Dear Jesus, I'm praying for Your second coming. I cannot wait until You return, Lord. Please help me to live everyday in obedience to You. I praise You and I thank You. Amen.”
8. A Prayer for Growth
Peace and joy cannot be found in our homes without growth. As individuals and as families, we need to be working toward growth. Both as followers of the Lord and as individuals, we need to be choosing to take strides for God. We shouldn't stay stagnant in our spiritual growth nor should we become idle in our daily lives.
In order to have peace and joy in our homes, we are going to have to be actively growing and maturing. Jesus can help us do this if we allow Him to be Lord of our life. If we neglect time with Him and dedication to His Word, we won't grow in any shape or form this Christmas. Turn to Him today and ask Him to help you grow this Christmas season.
“Dear God, please help me to grow as an individual as well as a follower of Yours. If I continue to stay stagnant in my growth, I won't be able to bring glory to You. Rather than my life being one of joy and peace, it will be filled with disorder. Thank You for helping me, Amen.”
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9. A Prayer for New Starts
If our home is not currently marked with peace and joy, we don't need to live in a state of despair. Instead, we can look forward to a new start. Maybe this year is the year that these new starts begin or maybe it is next year. We won't know unless we try to connect with our family and try to start things over with them.
It could be that we have had a bad relationship with our parents or siblings for a long time. Praying for a new start makes a new start possible. With God’s intervention, we can have peace and hope in our homes again. Ultimately, our home won't feel like a warzone anymore. Instead, it will be a home full of new starts.
“Dear God, please help this Christmas to be the beginning of a new start. My family and I have had our difficulties in the past, but I want things to improve now. I give all of my worries, concerns, and troubles to You. Amen.”
10. A Prayer for Letting Go
Sometimes there is no way to reconnect with our loved ones or to restore peace into our homes. This is a sad reality, yet it is one that we must acknowledge. If this is true for our lives, we need to ask God to help us to let go. We have to let go of our future hopes and dreams.
Maybe our hope was that our family would be restored and everything would be joyful again. There is nothing wrong with a hope such as this, yet sometimes, it just isn't meant to be. This can be heartbreaking, yet we must turn to the Lord again. He can help us let go and continue to move forward.
“Dear Jesus, I need help in letting go. I have struggled for a long time with the thought of my family not wanting to restore peace and joy into our homes. If it is time for me to let go, please help me to let go. Amen.”
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11. A Prayer for Renewed Hope
With this in mind, we can often feel hopeless for what is ahead. However, we must remember that our family is more than flesh and blood. As believers, we have the entire family of God as our family. Moreover, we have been gifted with many wonderful friends in our lives from God.
Allow these truths to give you a renewed heart. God can help restore peace and joy back into your home, but it might take some time. The joy and peace that He offers is unshakable. Rely on Him to bring your heart solace and to give you hope again. He will never fail you.
“Dear Lord, my hope seems to have disappeared. Please help me to have a renewed sense of hope. Some days, it feels impossible to see anything good for the holiday season. Help me to also know who my true family is and spend time with them this Christmas. Amen.”
12. A Prayer for the New Year
Lastly, we cannot discuss the end of the year without talking about the upcoming New Year. New Year is often forgotten due to Christmas, yet we need to turn to God in prayer and ask for His help with this upcoming New Year. Maybe this Christmas won't be the best, but better things are to come. Where God is, beautiful things can happen.
Praying for the New Year means we need to think about the things that bring joy and peace into our hearts, and pray for those things. Most likely, these things will be a stronger relationship with God, more time to spend with loved ones, or time to work on our own personal growth. This Christmas, go ahead and start thinking about the New Year and the wonderful things that are just around the wonder. It will be sure to bring peace and joy into your home.
“Dear God, even if Christmas isn't what I hope it will be, I trust that there are better things to come with the New Year. Thank You for walking beside me and giving me hope. In Your Son’s Name, I pray, Amen.”
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