Prayer for peace when the holidays feel heavy
Written by Kelly Eichberger
Bible reading:
I leave you peace. I give you my peace. I will not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled or afraid. – John 14:27
Listen or read below:
As we approach the last few months of each year, heartwarming anticipation builds. But that feeling is sadly met with a sudden, hard and heavy blow. There are so many fun things to do, but there are so many other things that happen during the holiday season that steal my peace. A strong suggestion and high expectations to shop ourselves silly, to serve and offer bigger and bolder, to decorate earlier and more luxuriously, to preserve all our long-lasting traditions, and then some. With joy and peace, and above all, without a doubt, Jesus is at the center of it all. That’s a lot. Not to mention the pain of what has changed and what has been lost, including the fact that the people who once made this special time even more special are no longer with us. I want to embrace all that the season has to offer, but with all the demands, expectations, and even pain that surround it, it’s hard to bask in its peace and joy.
Do you feel any heaviness during the holiday season? It feels like there are countless issues that need to be addressed or that I would like to address. May you want to shine with joy and magic as you celebrate the birth of your Savior. However, this pace and hope of maintaining peace can sometimes seem impossible. I understand this. But we still hope for peace in this season. We know that without it, we cannot have great joy. And you should get great joy. We celebrate the most joyful news the world has ever known. The Son of God was sent to save us and be with us forever. I think we can all agree that not only is this the most fun occasion, but we really want it to be just that. And if we can maintain peace amidst the noise and heaviness, we will be better able to keep our eyes on God and sustain and increase our wonder, awe, and joy.
Whether it’s the burden of a busy season or the sadness of the sadness it brings, heaviness and haste can rob us of our peace at any time. But it is times like these that we must remember who our peace actually is and where it comes from. It’s Jesus. Before Jesus died, he said to his disciples, “I leave you peace. My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives it. Do not be troubled or afraid. This offer of peace is for you and me as well, and continues today. He has left us peace. He has given us peace, and it is not what the world is giving. It’s rich, it’s real, and it’s lasting. And in Him, we can still find it. Despite all the demands and charms of the world, remember to stop and bask in His peace. For Him and with Him.
Our peace is in Jesus. And Jesus is always with us. The holidays can be daunting, but there’s no need to be anxious or afraid of what might happen this time or in the future. Because Jesus is always near us and always with us. In this way, God’s peace is always with us. To receive it, we just need to focus more on Him. Instead of obsessing over completing Christmas shopping, creating more perfect memories, pursuing every tradition from the past, or being disappointed when things aren’t what we hoped for, we should focus our hearts on communing with and celebrating Jesus each day.
So, as you consider your vacation plans at hand, plan for more peace. Delete unnecessary things from your list, free up space in your calendar, and prioritize extra time in God’s presence each morning. Release all expectations of people. Accept the call to just sit quietly with Jesus Himself, your Savior, your Friend, and the Lord of Peace, and take refuge in it. And linger with him until he removes and lightens the heaviness of the holiday and replaces it with his precious and pervading peace.
Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, you are the prince of peace. I hope this season renews my reverence for your birth. To be honest, I feel a certain heaviness during the holidays. I feel the weight when I don’t meet expectations, when I struggle with wishing things were different, and when the world tells me I should do more, move faster. But the world does not offer the peace that my soul desires.
Only you can do that. Lord, help my heart not to be troubled or afraid. Rather, may I accept You and allow Your peaceful presence to dominate and dominate my entire soul. We praise and celebrate you in this blessed season. In your glorious name, amen.
If you liked what you read, you might also like my latest book, Conquering Worries: Conquering What Shakes You and Soaring with Those Who Overcome. You can find it on Amazon or your favorite online retail site. I hope it brings you blessings!
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Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Kerkez
Kelly Eichberger is a Kentucky girl who loves Jesus. She is married to her best friend Mike and they have five children. After years of writing for online audiences, Keri was ordained through Southeast Christian Church and dedicated her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes and is passionate about sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at KeriEichberger.com or on Instagram.
Related Resources: Be Still – Advent Meditation
This season of Advent is busy and hectic, but that’s why we need time to stop and be still with God. So Much More is a podcast created to bring you a space to be with God. This month we’ll be introducing Advent meditations designed to help you quiet your mind and hear from the Lord. If you like what you hear, subscribe to So Much More on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode.
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