1. Pray that you will be aware that the enemy wants to steal your joy. “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10   The enemy is a hater of joy. He makes it his business to unsettle our spirits. True joy in the Lord and is our very strength.
  2. That you will not neglect spending time with God as the season gets busier.  God intended that we take time to get away and rest. It’s the only way we can live one day at a time in a way that honors Him. We need to be sure that we remain consistent every day – even through the holiday season.
  3. For spiritual refreshment –   We would do well to pray, not only prayers that we will be aware of how the enemy wants to invade our lives, but prayers asking for spiritual renewal and fresh growth.
  4. That you will tune into the spirit and take time to pray before you spend time with friends and family.  “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…” (1 Peter 1:8- 9)  Pray  that the  filling of “inexpressible and glorious joy!” would shine through your words and all that you do.
  5. That you will remember to take the time to pray for those that you will be spending time with.  Take time to think of those you will be spending time with and mentally enter into their suffering. Pray for each need whether it be spiritual or physical.  Your prayer fueled visit will be one where you are tuned into the Holy Spirit, and you will be able to serve those you spend time with.
  6. That you will be aware of those who may be lonely or suffering from depression during the holiday season. There are those who have lost family members this past year. There are older people who can’t get out to go to church or to visit family and friends. Be available to them. Invite them over or visit them.  Pray for them and with them.
  7. That you will be an instrument of his love.  Be a living example of God’s grace and sacrificial love to those that you come in contact with during the holiday season. Pray that your words and actions will be filled with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
  8. That you will be instruments of his peace.  “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3)  Any time you get a group of people together (especially extended family) there is the potential for conflict, irritations, or unmet expectations that can cause division. Pray that God would enable you to love those you come in contact with in the way that Ephesians 4 suggests.
  9. That you will be compassionate.  Pray that God will give you the ears to hear and the eyes to see  the needs of those around you.
  10. Pray for those family and friends who are not believers.   Pray that you will not be indifferent to their need for Christ because of familiarity that might be there. Pray for their eyes to be opened to their need for Christ.
  11. Pray that you will not forget that you have received the message of reconciliation.  “…All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Corinthians 5)  God has given you the message of reconciliation so that you might  offer it  to those you come in contact with. We are His representatives.