II Timothy 1:7 - "Different Kind of Christmas"

Merry Christmas! Those two words can bring on so many emotions. This morning I am praying for those who...

• are experiencing their first Christmas without their spouse, child, etc. on this earth.
• are experiencing what appears to be their last Christmas on this earth due to illness/disease.
• are alone yet have family that could be with them if they would have chosen to be.
• are alone with no family left on this earth.
• have gone through a divorce this year and experiencing a whole different kind of Christmas.
• are not in relationship with the Lord so do not know the true meaning of the season.
• have a prodigal child.

So much hurt. So many people with deep seeded hurts in their spirits. So many opportunities for believers to love on people with God's love. My prayer is for more people to experience His love in the days ahead. I pray for people to allow Him to heal their hurts. Some hurts will always be there but they do not have to so raw that every time they come into our minds the tears come. Some situations won't change until the Lord is in the middle of them. Some people will continue to cause hurt until the enemy is out of the situation. But God is greater than anything the enemy puts in our path. He is greater than the hurts of this world. He is the Only One who can turn this day into a Merry Christmas. All we have to do is accept Him into our heart and allow Him to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords of our life. We must stand upon II Timothy 1:7 without fear being allowed to stop us from loving Him and His love flowing in and through us. Then, and only then, will we be able to experience a Merry Christmas. We cannot live in the past but instead must allow Him to empower us to live in this day that is ahead. The 'way it use to be' may not be any longer and that's ok when God is there to love us through the change. The 'way I would like it to be' may not be the way God desires and we must accept it. We may never know what people are going through and we need to be more aware of situations and how to allow God to love them through us. My heart is breaking this morning for so many. I pray they will have people with them today who will love on them with Jesus' love so their lives will be changed forever.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead in this day! Thank You for visits with friends, Doc's dentist appointment, me getting an antibiotic, and so many other blessings! Thank You for the sleep/rest we got last night! I pray for continued healing in my body. I also pray for continued healing in Doc with the cancer situation. I pray You will fill him up with energy and take away his fatigue. Lord, may You cleanse us so You can fill us so You will ooze out of us in a new, different way. May people see/hear You instead of us today. Thank You Jesus for being Our Merry Christmas! Amen.