Aimee Joseph

God is quick to catch the sigh of the heart. He hears our silent sighs under the heavy mantle of leadership or parenting. He hears our short sighs of loneliness or exhaustion or choking grief that go unnoticed by others, and he seeks to comfort us. The Spirit is translating those sighs into prayers according to the perfect will of God. May we be comforted to know that our Father hears our slightest sighs as loud cries.

Dan McCollam

Our practice of hearing what God is saying and speaking encouragement, comfort, and strength into others doesn’t need to be limited to church services. Whether it be your job, friends, family, or even someone you just met on the street, you are meant to be that candle in a dark place. Go and encourage someone today. Be the beacon of love God intended you to be.

Katherine Walden

He heals the broken-hearted. Psalm 147:3

Everlasting Father, I ask You to go to those whose hearts ache on Your Son’s birthday. They are hurting and lonely. Father, let them know it’s okay to give You the pain, loneliness, and frustration that rests in their hearts. Enable them through Your grace to know You are listening — and that You care. Come to those who grief as the Father of all comfort.

Immanuel, I pray for those who are single and without family nearby. Those who spend much of the holidays alone. Be with them in the lonely hours and help them not feel unseen during this season that places so much emphasis on ‘family.’ Remind them of Your open-ended invitation of adoption into Your eternal family. Give them the grace to allow You to enter their heart’s lonely places. I pray for those who are housebound and infirm and are unable to leave their homes or hospital rooms due to illness. I pray for those with loved ones separated by work and sacrificial duty. Come to them as their beloved friend.

Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, I pray for families who are struggling financially and relationally. I pray for those whose marriages are crumbling. I pray for children who are frightened and neglected. Be with the small ones who sense the worry and frustration that their parents try to hide. Bring Your hope, bring Your peace.

Come as the great Physician; come as deliverer and set free those who are isolated and bound by the chains of addiction and self-destructive behaviour.

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, please swoop into each home, hospital room, homeless shelter, hotel, jail cell, and every place of business that must be open on the holidays – let Your children know they are not alone.
Holy Spirit, please come as the Comforter and let Your gentle healing warmth soothe and bring solace to their aching hearts. I pray this in the name of Jesus — who knows our sorrows and understands our hearts.

©2023 Katherine Walden

Samuel Logan Brengle

Every Christian sees around him sorrow and suffering which he cannot help, and his perplexity at the sight is the Lord’s prompting for him to take the very uttermost care of his own soul, lest he stumble and fall through doubt and discouragement. By the care of his soul I do not mean that he shall coddle and pet and pity himself, nor work himself up into some pleasant feeling. But I mean that he should pray and pray and pray, and seek the presence and teaching of the Holy Spirit, until his soul is filled with light and strength, that he may have unquestioning faith in the wisdom and love of God, that he may have unwearied patience in learning His will (Heb 6:12), and that his love may be equal to the great need he sees all about him.