Ohana Prayer 274 – Luke 2

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at

night.

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and

they were terrified.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy

for all the people.

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and

saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Praise our Father God in heaven. You are the Lord God whose plans stand firm forever, the purposes of your heart through all generations. By your word the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of your mouth. For your word is right and true; you are faithful in all you do. May we walk in your will according to your commands.

Thank you, God, the Father. For you spoke, and it came to be; you commanded, and it stood firm. Your eyes are on those who fear you and on those whose hope is in your unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. In the face of the unrelenting pandemic, we wait in hope for the Lord; you are our help and our shield. May your unfailing love and mercy be with us always.

Praise our Savoir Jesus. You are the wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. You are the light of the world. Without you, we can only walk in the darkness; without the light of life, we can only sink into the silt of sin, waiting for the judgment in the end.

Lord Jesus, please forgive us. When pursuing the praise of others and to make our names known, we exhausted ourselves. In order to satisfy all kinds of selfish desires, we let our body and soul turn corrupted. We are like salt that has lost its saltiness, being thrown out and trampled underfoot. We are like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Thank you for picking our tarnished nametags up from the waste pile, polish them with your nail-scarred hands again and hang them under your name. As we start a new year, we can do one thing: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Holy Spirit of Truth, thank you for bringing light into our hearts to enlighten us with your wisdom, to help us mature and enable us to please God with all our hearts, with all our souls and with all our minds. Thank you for reminding us to be gentle and humble always. Whatever we do, we strive to live a life that will glorify God, not to please man.

Thank you for preparing countless gospel testimonies for us during the Christmas season. Please multiply our confidence and courage so we can share our own testimony about your protection, your help and your blessings in the midst of the pandemic among our friends and relatives. With joy and thanksgiving in our hearts, we can cheer each other on, build an altar of prayer in unity and look forward to the coming of the year of the Lord’s favor.

Prayer full of joy and hope is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!