PRAYING THROUGH
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

1. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
   PRAISE God for His promise of Immanuel—God with us. THANK Him for His presence and plan of redemption.
2. Micah 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”
   REJOICE in God’s sovereign choice of Bethlehem—the insignificant little town. TRUST His eternal plan in your life; trust that all is significant.
3. Luke 1:5-7a “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zecharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. And yet they had no child…”
   In seasons of waiting, REMEMBER God sees and honors faithfulness. PRAY for hope and endurance.
4. Luke 1:13 “But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zecharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.’”
   PRAISE God for His attentiveness. PRAY for confidence in His timing and assurance in His promises.
5. Luke 1:20 “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
   ASK God to strengthen your belief when His ways seem mysterious. PRAY for unwavering trust in His Word.
6. Luke 1:26-27 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
   HONOR God’s delight in humility. PRAY for readiness to serve wherever He leads.
7. Luke 1:30-31 “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.’”
   PRAISE God for the gift of Jesus. PRAY for deeper awe of His grace and favor.
8. Luke 1:35 “The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason also the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”
   INVITE the Spirit to work in you. PRAY for purity and the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your walk with Christ.
9. Luke 1:38 “And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.’”
   YIELD your heart to God’s design. ASK for joy in walking the path He sets before you.
10. Luke 1:41 “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
    CELEBRATE the joy of spiritual fellowship. PRAY for Spirit-filled encouragement.
11. Luke 1:46-47 “And Mary said, ‘My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.’”
    Lift your soul in PRAISE like Mary. PRAY for joyful surrender to God’s unfolding story in your life.
12. Luke 1:57 “Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.”
    THANK God for preparing the way for Jesus. PRAY for boldness to proclaim His truth.
13. Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,”
    PRAISE God for His redeeming work. PRAY for light and hope in dark places.
14. Matthew 1:19 “And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.”
    PRAY for wisdom and grace in difficult decisions. TRUST God’s guidance.
15. Matthew 1:20 “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
    PRAY for courage to follow God’s lead, even when you may not completely understand.
16. Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
    CELEBRATE the faithfulness of God across generations. PRAY to anchor your hope in His eternal truth.
17. Luke 2:4-5 “Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
    PRAY for strength in life’s journeys. TRUST God’s purpose in every step.
18. Luke 2:7 “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
    MARVEL at Christ’s humility. PRAY for a heart that welcomes Him.
19. Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people,”
    THANK God for revealing Himself to all. PRAY for joy in sharing the Good News.
20. Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”
    PRAY for peace and goodwill in your community.
21. Luke 2:20 “The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”
    PRAY for boldness to seek and share Christ. REJOICE in His presence.
22. Luke 2:16-18 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manager. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told the about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. PRAY for Christ to be glorified at the FBC Christmas Praise service.
23. Matthew 2:5-6 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, Land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.”
    PRAY to have a desire to study scripture to know God’s word and His promises.
24. Matthew 2:8 “And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”
    PRAY for wisdom and discernment. ASK for protection from deception.
25. Merry Christmas! Matthew 2:11 “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
    On Christmas Day, offer your worship and gifts to the King. PRAY with reverence and joy.
26. Matthew 2:12 “And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.”
    THANK God for divine guidance. PRAY for sensitivity to His voice.
27. Luke 2:21 “And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”
    CONSIDER Christ’s submission to the Father. PRAY for a spirit of reverence and daily alignment with His will.
28. Luke 2:24 “and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, ‘A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’”
    DEDICATE your life to God. PRAY for holiness and consecration.
29. Luke 2:30 “For my eyes have seen Your salvation,”
    REJOICE in the fulfillment of God’s promises. PRAY for eyes to see His salvation.
30. Luke 2:38 “At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
    PRAY for a life of worship and witness. THANK God for faithful servants.
31. John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
    End the year in awe of the Incarnation. PRAY for Christ to dwell richly in your heart.