Monday, December 22, 2008

Words of Encouragement




A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great. - Proverbs 18:16


Christmas presents. Gifts to Christ. This week I want to do something different. I want to give us a week of prayers, presents if you will unto Christ. We often think of Christmas as what we receive from one another. The greatest gift we have received is the gift of salvation through God.


So this week of Christmas let us present our gifts to God. When we do the scripture tells us today that it will usher us into the presence of the great. That great is God. So let us present our presents together.


MONDAY
Gift of Love. Lord today we thank you for your love. We are thankful for the love that you gave to mankind through the gift of your son. You loved the world so much that you send your only begotten son to come and die for my sins and the sins of the world. Lord because of your love I am now able to love others. The gift I give to you this Christmas is my love. I give you my complete love as well as to love your people. Help me to love your way. If there are those that I have anger in my heart against now, help me to let it go so that I can come to Christmas presenting you my complete heart free of anything that would hinder me from giving you my love. This I ask, Amen.


TUESDAY
Gift of Sacrifice. Today Lord I present to you my life, myself and all that I am. I come to present myself as a living sacrifice which is my reasonable service. I have prayed all year and ask you to help me in my life, but today my prayer is not about me but about you. I come to present myself to you so that you can use me as you desire. Help me as the new year comes to be more yielded to you. Those things I did this year that were for myself or based on my own desires, help me to see more clearer next year how to let go of my ideas or my thoughts and do things more your way. This is my present to you so that I can be ushered into the greatness of you. Amen.


WEDNESDAY
Gift of Outreach. Lord you have given so much to me. You have placed me on the hearts of others that have blessed me or planted into my life. Help me to give you the present of outreach. That means I will allow you to use me to reach others. Not simply over seas but even those in need that live right next door to me. Help me to give encouragement to those in need of encouragement. Help me to pray for those that are in need of prayer. Help me to walk with someone that needs me to walk with them. Help me as the new year comes to have more of a heart to touch the lives of others than I have in this past year. Help me to do this because this gift will draw me closer to you and closer to my purpose. Amen.


THURSDAY
Gift of light. This Christmas day we celebrate the birth of Christ. Help me today to allow Christ to be alive in me. I belong to you and if I have allowed your light to dim, renew your light, renew my excitement about you. Help me to share the truth about Christmas to someone new. Lord help me to be like that star that led the wise men to where Christ was. Help me to be a greater light in the midst of this dark world. Help me to led many to you this year. Help me to be that light that moves someone along the way to where you are so that can come and bring gifts of themselves to you. Help me this year be the light of God to someone in darkness. Amen.


FRIDAY
Gift of prayer. Lord help me to present my gift of prayer to you continually. Help me to pray more this upcoming year. Not simply for my own needs but for the needs of the people you love. Those people that are yours by creation and yours by redemption. Help me to pray for the lost that they may come to know you. Help me to pray for those in bondage that they may be set free. Help me to pray for those in need that you may fulfill their needs. Lord help me to present my prayers to you so that I can be drawn closer to you. I want to see more of your greatness exhibited in my life. Help me as the new year approaches to become more like your Son so that I can be a true gift to this world as I lead others to the greatest gift, Jesus Christ.