Christmas 2012 Prayer

Father in heaven
I come to you with joy in my heart
rediscovering the gift of salvation
through your Son's birth
There is hope in His coming,
Hope for a broken world
where our children are senselessly killed
And wars continue in so many places.
A world where people live in oppression
under the rule of dictators, without hope
Your Son is hope
for a world that needs to hear songs of rejoicing
instead of mourning
A world that needs peace, instead of war
where there are rumors of terrible weapons being used
against innocent people
The world needs hope that only He can provide in His birth and life.
Ours is not so different from the world that your Son was born into
with oppression from foreign powers and atrocities
and murder and sacrifice, and hate, and unrest.
I look forward to the promise of deliverance
and salvation, and peace.
The promise of Christmas--hope
Hope for the people, the oppressed, the prisoners
The carols, the songs, the lights the preparation
The advent of His coming long ago, and again
instills hope in me by
reminding me that I am part of the plan
which began so long ago
in a town that no one cared about
on the outskirts of the empire.
Rekindle hope in me to make a difference
Father--I thank you for the blessings you have provided me
and my family
I ask that you be with the families who mourn this Christmas
the wounds are real and hard--give them peace
Be with our military and their families--let them know
that they are loved and appreciated.
Be with the leaders of our country--
help them to find compromise and compassion.
Thank you for the first gift of Christmas
that was told to the shepherds in their fields
and sung by angels.
To proclaim His coming.
Help me to remember your gift to em every day during the year ahead.
Thank you


--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD