Complete Parents' Guide: Family Prayers for Christmas

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Any Family Can Make Christmas More Meaningful with Just a Few Prayer Ideas

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Making room for Christmas in Our Hearts and Lives Doesn’t Take Too Much Time or Trouble

As Christmas approaches, shopping, partying, wrapping, cooking, and travel can overwhelm what the season is really about. But making room for Christmas in our hearts and lives doesn’t require a lot of time or trouble; it can be the product of just a little attention to prayer.

So here are six prayers that can be a helpful part of your family’s Christmas this year, plus a prayer suggestion for a Nativity Scene. You may want to print and clip these and pray one each day. You may decide to hand them around the table at your Christmas feast and ask your family to read them aloud. You may even intersperse hymns and carols between these prayers to comprise your own Christmas worship service.

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A Tiptoe Prayer

Lord Jesus, the day of your nativity approaches, the day on which we commemorate your birth, your condescension, your humble incarnation. Please help me and mine to approach that day on tiptoe, with reverence and awe, mindful of your holiness and beauty, and grateful for the privilege of finding and approaching and kneeling at your manger, amen.

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A Prayer from a Carol

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

(from, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” by Phillips Brooks)

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A Prayer from a Poet

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake, amen.

(a prayer of Robert Louis Stevenson)

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A Prayer from a Saint

Great God and Father of all humanity,

thank you that because of this day,

this holy feast, in the words of Chrysostom,

the ancient slavery is ended,

the devil confounded,

the demons take to flight,

the power of death is broken,

paradise is unlocked,

the curse is taken away,

sin is removed from us,

error driven out,

truth has been brought back,

the speech of kindliness diffused,

and spreads on every side,

a heavenly way of life has been in-planted on the earth,

angels communicate with men without fear,

and human beings now hold speech with angels, amen!

(based on words by John Chrysostom)

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A Prayer from a Gospel

Light of the world, Who shines in darkness,

light our way into Your presence.

Word Made Flesh, full of grace and truth,

let us behold Your glory.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world,

cleanse our hearts from sin.

Only Begotten Son, Who came into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through You might be saved,

grant us everlasting life, amen.

(from John 1 and 3)

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A Christmas Lullaby

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever and love me I pray;

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.

(from “Away in a Manger,” attributed to Martin Luther)

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Prayers for a Nativity Scene

Many families set up a manger scene in their home or on the lawn, depicting angels, shepherds, animals, and the Holy Family. But have you ever prayed your way through setting up, contemplating, and putting away your nativity scene? It could look something like this:

Set the stable in place: “Lord, make this home a place that welcomes you and exalts you.”

Place the animals: “Jesus, let humility—like that of your surroundings at your birth—be a characteristic of my life.”

Place Mary and Joseph: “As Mary prayed and Joseph exemplified, let it be to me according to your will.”

(On Christmas morning) Place the infant Jesus figure: “Gracious Christ, as you condescended to take on human flesh, be born in a stable, and laid in a manger, please condescend to me and abide with me through this season in a special and enduring way.”

Set the angel(s) in place: “As the angels said, let peace on earth and goodwill toward all multiply among me and mine this Christmas season.”

Place the shepherds: “Lord, how excited those shepherds were to welcome you and spread the news about you. Make me like them.”

(Late Christmas Day or on Epiphany) Add the wise men (in the scene or at some distance): “As the magi came from afar to worship and present their gifts to you, let my life and dedication be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”

Any of these prayers can, of course, be adapted to your circumstances and preferences. But we hope they—or something like them—will transform an otherwise routine part of this special season into rich moments of prayer and meditation.

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Let TruPlay Games Enhance Your Christmas

The above are just a few ideas, but did you know there are Christmas videos and comics in the TruPlay app? Families can turn to the TruPlay Games app to help children experience the full meaning of Christmas. Among the many unique features of the TruPlay app is a series of short videos that depict Rhymverse characters such as Maple the tiger bunny and Oliver the biblical fox talking about “How to Christmas,” “The Best Gift Ever,” and more, including an Action Bible digital comic book telling the story of Jesus’ birth.

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TruPlay's website (TruPlayGames.com) clearly details the app's offerings, and free downloads and trials are available in both the Apple App Store and GooglePlay. Explore the following links to unlock a richer Christmas experience for your kids:

● https://www.truplaygames.com/games-more

● https://www.truplaygames.com/user-registration

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