A Prayer for When Christmas is Hard

My family has gone through its share of hard Christmases. For example, in 2020, I received a call a few days before flying to visit family for the holidays. It was a stressful year. Not only was there a global pandemic but my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. For me, 2020 was an intense time of trusting God, battling worry and fear, and dealing with stress as daily life changed globally in the fight against covid. Then there was the call. Needless to say, it was more bad news. My mom had an adverse reaction to chemotherapy, and she was hospitalized for the foreseeable future.

A Difficult Holiday Season

My father met me at the airport when I arrived. I could tell that everything had taken a toll on him. Yet, despite all of the difficulties, my family decided to try to celebrate Christmas. I put up the Christmas tree, wrapped gifts, and cleaned. My brother, his wife, and two kids still came to visit for the holidays. My father and brother cooked dishes for Christmas. During this time, my father and I committed to visiting my mom almost every day.

On Christmas Day, we finished our festivities at home early and visited my mom in the hospital. We brought a home cooked Christmas dinner, her gifts, and plenty of pictures of the Christmas morning celebration. My brother joined in via FaceTime. Christmas in a hospital definitely wasn’t on our family bucket list. That year, we soldiered through a Christmas that was hard on all of us because we wanted to come together as a family and encourage each other. 

What about you? Have you ever had a Christmas that was hard? Perhaps a family disagreement, depression, illness, or even grief have made it difficult for you to look forward to the Christmas season. I totally understand. In this prayer, we’ll ask God to encourage and strengthen us when Christmas is hard. 

Prayer of the Week: Asking for God’s Help When Christmas is Hard

Dear Lord, your Word says that you are close to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18). I pray that you would be near to me this Christmas. You know the circumstances that surround me this year, and I pray that you would speak words of encouragement and love to me as I prepare for the holiday season. Father, I feel so stressed, tired, and discouraged. My heart is heavy and the last thing I feel right now is joy. Please renew my hope, Father. Walk with me side by side this Christmas. Help me to feel your presence and find your peace this holiday season. I thank you, Lord. Even though this Christmas is hard for me, you are with me and your love is never far from me. Father, I pray that you will continue to remind me of your great love this holiday season. In Jesus name, amen!