4 Beautiful Christmas Dinner Prayers

Scripture Reading:

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11

Father,

Thank You for bringing us together this Christmas, and we pray blessings over those we are apart from. Though Christmas looks different for most of the world this year, we come together to give glory to the miraculous arrival of Jesus on earth. Jesus, with God at the beginning, through Whom all things were made, thank You for coming down to earth to live a human life in order to rescue us. Immanuel, God with us, we praise You and honor You.

God, Your perfect plan to love us home to You in heaven cannot be disrupted by global pandemic nor political unrest. You are God to all. Jesus, You came for all. Unite our hearts this Christmas with one solitary goal to sing glory to You. “Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’” (Nehemiah 8:10) We know in these tough times You are here with us. Your Spirit strengthens us and Your Word encourages and convicts us. Bless this meal, this celebratory feast, to our bodies, Father. Give us the strength, bravery, and obedience to follow You in good times and in bad, knowing You see, hear, know, and love us beyond our understanding.

In Jesus’ name, we pray,

Amen.

Scripture Reading:

“‘This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” Luke 2:12-16

Father,

The loss and suffering we have experienced as a collective whole on earth this year has shocked and devastated us. We have truly learned not to take a single day for granted, nor the blessings You have sewn into each one. “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

As we prepare to eat this meal, we need Your strength and healing hand to uphold us. The suffering has been too hard to bear alone. The loss too difficult to carry. The breath tightens in our throat and fresh tears rise to our eyes as we recall the strain on our hearts and temperaments this past year. You are the God who sustains and provides for us, not just by this meal but through Your healing hand and divine comfort. Embrace us and embolden us, Father. As we celebrate Jesus’ birth on earth, we are reminded of the chain of events it began: the defeat of death, resurrection life, and the hope of eternity in heaven. We long for more of you, to fill the ache in our souls and wipe our tears. You promise to, and we trust You. As we lean into You for strength this Christmas, bless our lives to honor You.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/tommaso79

Scripture Reading:

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about the child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:17-20

Father,

God, You keep every promise. Jesus’ birth fulfilled prophecy after prophecy. You specifically orchestrated the details of His birth on earth to quench our doubts and answer our questions. Jesus, Messiah, You broke through from heaven to earth Christmas night. The greatest act of love there has been and will ever be, You gave Your life to save us from the deathly penalty of sin.

“Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” (Genesis 9:3) And You do, Father. You give us all we need, and infinitely more. Help us to focus on the abundance of Your blessing in our lives, beginning with Jesus, Immanuel! There is no greater gift or blessing! Father, thank You for life. Every breath, we re-dedicate to You this Christmas. Search our hearts and refocus our thoughts. We live to bring glory and honor to Your name, Father. Help us to set down unnecessary burdens and listen intently for Your guidance. Show us where we can help, Father. As the shepherds were excited to share the good news, so are we! As Mary treasured Jesus’ birth in her heart, so we treasure Him, also. Thank You for filling our hearts with hope, love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and grace. Let it flow through us like a raging river, God.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Scripture Reading:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5

Father,

The reason we remember Christmas hasn’t changed because our world is enduring a global pandemic. The calendar marches on and here we are celebrating the day Your Son was born on earth. To the tune of a choir of angels, yet in a humble scene swaddled in a manger, our Savior Jesus was born. Miraculous, how He was there with You in the beginning, and through Him all things were made, yet He lay there with earthly parents and human needs just like we have after we make our entrance into the world. He lived a perfect life in imperfect human flesh. Fully man and fully God, Jesus saved the world with His sacrifice.

Your love for us shattered the atmosphere. It changed the course of our eternity. Father, though we are struggling through this terrible suffering here on earth, none of that changes. You remain the same. And Jesus remains in us. We still have the same power, peace, and grace in Him. Our joy doesn’t subside though we aren’t skipping happily through life. Our mouths may be covered by masks, but we still sing Your praise with our very lives.

Father, this Christmas, make Yourself known through us. You are the God of miracles. You see, hear, and answer every prayer. We pray collectively for the end of this global pandemic. Stop the spread of COVID-19. Speed the cure and its distribution. Reveal the truth and shield us from this sickness. We pray for miraculous healing of disease and conflict around the world. Bring healing and peace into every corner of the globe, Father. May all know the hope found in Jesus.

We pray Your will over our lives above all.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Ekaterina Morozova

“The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast.” Genesis 21:8

“These are the LORD’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.” Leviticus 23:4-6

“Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year.” Exodus 34:22

“Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first fruits of the crops you sow in your field. ‘Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.’” Exodus 23:16

“Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day.” Ezra 3:4

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13-14

“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’” Leviticus 23:2

“In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:25-26

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.” John 2:1-10

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,” Acts 2:46

Why Should We Pray over Our Meals?

God is to be at the center of our lives, all of the time. Feasts, celebrations, and holidays are reminders to refocus and place God at the top of our hearts and minds. “Most of us have never given serious thought to what it might mean to feast with Christ-honoring intentionality,” David Mathis wrote for desiringGod.org.  It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of the season, or lack thereof. Cyber sales sidetrack us and we hinge our hope on news reports. Jesus is King, regardless of the state of our surroundings. He came to earth as a baby on Christmas, remains with every believer, and will return to earth again to right every wrong, and heal every hurt. In the midst of a challenging year, we hold onto His promise to wipe every tear. Mealtime is opportune to give glory to God who provides for and sustains us, from meal to meal and day to day, onward until we meet Him in heaven. For every Christ-follower, the events put into play on Christmas day will forever change our eternal destination.

Sources

• Bible-History.com, Feasts and Festivals of Israel in the Old Testament
• BibleStudyTools.com, Easton’s Bible Dictionary – Feast
• desiringGod.org, The Lost Art of Feasting by David Mathis