Hi Moms and Dads! Want a way to teach your children to pray this Christmas? Here is your family prayer guide for 12 Days of Christmas! Remember to keep this time fun and not stressful. Give kids a chance to pray and they may need a little guidance where they “pray after you” as you lead them, if they feel a little shy. Don’t focus on perfection. Remember, Jesus said, “Unless you become as a little child you will not enter the kingdom of God.” Childlike is good! Wiggles are okay. Keep it simple and focused on Jesus!
Devotional Day 1
Listen to this short passage and see if you can find out the names of the mommies. See if you can remember who is blessed. See if you can hear what the baby does inside his mommy. Ready to listen?
Mary Visits Elizabeth
Luke 1:39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Kid Talk Time
Do you hear the answers to the questions we asked? (Give them a chance to share.)
Mary was Jesus’s mommy and Elizabeth was Jesus’s Aunt. Elizabeth was expecting a baby who would be John the Baptist. John was Jesus’s cousin and the prophet who told everyone to prepare their hearts for Jesus coming. They both were full of the Holy Spirit even inside their mommies!
Mary took a trip to visit Elizabeth and what did baby John do inside of her? (He leapt for joy!) Even from inside their mommies, babies can praise God!
Did you know that Jesus is the son of God? God put Jesus in Mary so that Mary could be the best mommy for him. Jesus had a job to do. He came to save the world from sin, which is very exciting! God’s Spirit can help you to praise him the same way he helped baby John and caused him to leap for Joy when Elizabeth heard the sound of Mary’s voice. Let’s praise God and leap for joy the way baby John did right now!
Prayer:
“Father, in Jesus name thank you for sending Jesus! I am so happy that you sent him to be born as a baby.
God, thank you for caring for babies and kids. Teach me to pray and teach me to give you praise everyday and everyday. Help me to praise you whenever I hear about you and whenever I think about you.
This Christmas, dear Jesus, help me to celebrate you and to think about the gift of God you are to me. Thank you for being a wonderful gift to me.
Jesus, forgive me for my sins and all the times I do things that are wrong. Take away the sin in my heart. Take away my fear, because you are the prince of peace. Fill my heart with your love.
Give your children time to pray and praise God. Give them direction to think about things about God that they love and to tell him about it. This is different than being thankful for what we have. It is telling God what we love about him. Here are some ideas:
- God is love. (God, you are love! I praise you for your love.)
- God is our Creator. (God, you are our Creator! Everything you make is good.)
- God keeps his promises. (God, you keep your promises!)
- God sent Jesus to save us. (God, you are giving! You gave us Jesus!)
- God is our king and Lord. (You are our King and Lord!)
- God is our protector. (God, you are our protector!)
- God is our provider. (God you provide for our needs. You give us what we need.)
- God is great. (God, you are greater than anyone. You are bigger than anything!)
- God is good. (God you are good! You do good things for us.)”
Last, but not least, teach your children to pray for people who are sick and those who need him. We pray in Jesus name! Amen!
Merry Christmas!
Revealed Ministries 