What are you Hoping for this Christmas?

Hope

Week one - Sunday

Psalm 71:14 “But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more”.

I just received the ToysRUs special advertisement in the Sunday paper. It fuels the fire of hope in every child during the Christmas season…that special Transformer, the Barbie that would simply complete a collection that perhaps already fills a frilly little bedroom, the long-awaited video game. My grandfather often talked about the Sears and Roebuck catalog being the wishbook when he was younger. His wishes were different…a pair of jeans, a warm hat, tools for a budding craftsman. We all have wishes. Some of them flit through our minds during the Christmas season but others are longings that occupy a corner of our hearts through the year or even many years.

If only…
We could have a baby
I could find a better job
My health would improve
My marriage could be stronger
I could find a true friend...

Our hearts harbor hope for each day, for each year. We have hopes that we share with those we love and hopes that reside in a quiet place so deep in our hearts that we rarely speak of them. God knows and cares about each of these hopes. When we bring them before Him in the way of a prayer, we are acknowledging that He is the One who can bring these things to pass. We are placing our hope in Him. This year let’s make this season one of prayer, in which we bring before God the hopes and dreams of our heart and offer Him the opportunity to fulfill them in completely unexpected ways.

What is your deepest wish? What verses can you find that will help you decide if that is a hope that honors God? Ask God to show you His best as you bring this hope before Him.

Family Activity

Prayer ornaments

Items needed: 40 plain Christmas ornament balls, any color (Choose plastic for young children, older children may be able to use more fragile ones) and gold or silver sharpies
Talk about the hopes and prayers you have for other people in your lives. Teach your children to pray specifically. Write on each one a prayer request. Beginning tomorrow, as you sit down to have your Advent devotional have someone remove one ornament that you can pray for as a family. Include this request in your prayers that night. At the end of the season tuck these ornaments away and next year enjoy taking them out again and finding God faithful in answering many of the requests you have made as a family.