A Prayer to Give the Gift of Jesus This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 12

A Prayer to Give the Gift of Jesus This Christmas
By Lynette Kittle

Bible Reading:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” - John 3:16 

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What gifts are we giving for Christmas this year? Although Christmas movies are often all about finding the perfect gift for those we love, are related to, and work with, there is truly only one gift that ranks as the best one ever. This perfect gift, Jesus, comes from God to the world He so lovingly created. As the popular saying goes, “No one can outgive God” because He’s given the ultimate one, the greatest Christmas gift the world will ever receive.

Matthew 1:23 explains, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

What could be better for the world than to have “God with us?” No other gift, ever, can outshine Him. As Jesus explains Himself in John 8:12, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

Many Missing Out on God’s Gift
Still, sadly, there are so many who haven’t yet received His gracious, loving gift of Salvation in Jesus Christ. And even more tragically, countless individuals are leaving this world without receiving or even knowing about His life-giving, everlasting gift to us. Yet, if we ask God to give us opportunities to tell others about His gift, He will because it’s His desire for all to come to Him.

As 2 Peter 3:9 explains, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

God is giving us time and opportunities to share His gift with others before it’s too late for them, and Christmas is a perfect time to do so.

Three Ways to Give the Gift of Jesus
Often, we desire to share God’s Christmas gift with those around us but aren’t sure how to do so. Here are three ideas. 

1. Include a Christian tract in our Christmas cards that explains God’s gift of Salvation.
These can be found online and in Christian book and gift stores. Romans 10:14 explains, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

2. Share from our hearts how we received God’s gift of salvation.
Revelation 12:11 describes how God can work powerfully through the word of our testimonies. We can do this through one-on-one conversations or sharing with a gathering of family members, friends, or neighbors.

If talking doesn’t come easy to us, we can let others know by writing our story in a card, letter, email, or text. Now more than ever, we have multiple ways we can share our faith. Although it can feel intimidating to share our faith, remember that the Good News of Jesus brings much joy to those who hear it. As Luke 2:10 describes, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people’” (Luke 2:10).

3. Give gifts that point others to Jesus.
A few years back, one of our friends told us how gifts we’ve given them in the past seem to speak to her whenever she walks by or sees them. This is especially true of gifts that display God’s word, as Hebrews 4:12 describes, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Let’s Pray:

Dear Father,
Direct us this Christmas to give the gift of Jesus. Prepare our hearts to tune in to Your guidance as we look for ways to give the gift that brings others to new and eternal life in You. Speak to our hearts concerning the words we speak and go before our gifts to prepare receivers to open their hearts to receive Jesus as their Savior. Help us to say words and choose items that move and soften hearts in a way that leads them to Your priceless gift of Salvation. Fill us with Your presence as we look to glorify Your name in our gift-giving. Let us, too, be open to receiving more of You this Christmas as we look to give Your perfect gift to those around us.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images-/stop123

Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.

Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.

Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith

Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going. 

Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.

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