Here is a series of Christmas prayers and blessings. Included are prayers for a season of grief, sorrow or loss and for those who struggle at this special time of year.
Christmas Dinner Prayer
In the peace of this season our spirits are joyful:
With the beasts and angels,
the shepherds and stars,
with Mary and Joseph we sing God’s praise.
By your coming may the hungry be filled with good things,
and may our table and home be blessed.
Bless us O Lord, and these Thy gifts,
which we are about to receive from Thy bounty
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Eternal God, this joyful day is radiant with the brilliance of your one true light. May that light illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do. May we share the divine life of your son Jesus Christ, even as he humbled himself to share our humanity. Bless us and the feast that You have provided for us, let us be thankful for the true gift of Christmas, your Son. Amen.
A Grace for Christmas Day Dinner
Father, We thank Thee for this day.
Bless all we do and all we say.
May we each enjoy Thy blessings great
As Jesus’ Birth we celebrate.
And may the love that we share here
Remain throughout the coming year.
Amen!
–Gertrude B. Byram
Another Christian Christmas Dinner Blessing.
For this day of the dear Christ’s birth,
for its hours of home gladness and world gladness,
for the love within these walls, which binds us together as a family,
for our food on this table,
for our surroundings in a land of freedom,
we bring to Thee, our Father, our heartfelt gratitude.
Bless all these, Thy favours, to our good,
in Jesus’ name. Amen.
–H. B. Milward
A Christmas Prayer
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep,
I too must sing, with joyful tongue,
That sweetest ancient song,
Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given
While angels sing with pious mirth.
A glad new year to all the earth!
— Martin Luther
A Prayer of Thanks Before A Christian Christmas Meal
Our Heavenly Father,
We give thanks for the birth of Your Son,
And the celebration of His life.
Help us to remember that
He is the reason for this season.
We give thanks for our family and friends,
And for the fact
That we can plan and enjoy a Christmas meal together.
We thank you
For your provision of
This bountiful meal before us.
May we remember that
There are those who have no families,
No place,
And no-one with whom to have a Christmas dinner.
Help us to listen to your wee small voice
If there is something
You would like us to do
To see their Christmas be
A more merry one.
We ask that You would
Bless our fellowship
As we celebrate this Christmas season.
Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, we pray. Amen.
Christmas Supper Blessing
Thank you Lord for the fellowship around this table, for the good friends, for the hearts of love that manifested themselves through hands that prepared this wonderful feast. Bless us as we eat and bless us as we fellowship. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Children’s Dinner Blessing
Happy Birthday, Jesus! We are happy because today is your special day, you were born today, just for us.. We thank you that you came from heaven to earth just for us. Thank you for all you did for us when you were here with us. You taught us how to love each other, help us to remember to be more loving. You taught us how to do the right thing, remind us that you are with us, even when we think no one is looking. We thank you that you didn’t just stay a baby in a cradle but you grew up to be our savior and died on the cross for our sins. We thank you that you didn’t stay dead but you came alive and went to heaven, opening a way so we can go there too, someday. Thank you for this food and for all our family and friends. Thank you for everyone who helped make this a great day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Christian Christmas Prayer Before Dinner
Jesus, the Light of the World, as we celebrate your birth… may we begin to see the world in the light of understanding you give us. As you chose the lowly, the outcasts, and the poor to receive the greatest news the world had ever known, so may we worship you in meekness of heart. May we also remember our brothers and sisters less fortunate than ourselves in this season of giving. Amen.
— Karen L. Oberst
God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the all of Christmas, which is Christ.
–Wilda English
Christmas Prayers in a Season of Grief, Sorrow or Loss
Father, I thank you for my family and friends. I am so grateful for each and every person around this table and I thank you for the gifts of compassion, love, strength and encouragement they have been. Although it’s been a painful time recently, we know that You are always with us. Your promises are true. You will never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you for the love that holds us together and for always comforting us. Thank you for the gift of your Son, whose very life reminds us that you are a father of compassion and one acquainted with grief in the midst of joy and joy in the midst of suffering. Help us to hold each other close and to treasure each other this day and all the days to come. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Christmas Prayer For Those Who Struggle During Christmas
Father God, I ask you to come to those whose hearts ache on your Son’s birthday. Although they sincerely thank you for your greatest gift of all — they are hurting and lonely. Father, let them know it’s OK to express to you the pain and loneliness and frustration in their hearts. Let them know you are listening — and care.
I pray for those who are single and who have no family — who spend much of the holidays alone. Be with them in the lonely hours, help them not to feel marginalized during this season that places so much emphasis on ‘family’.
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 that are separated due to work, weather, duty or other circumstances.
I pray for families who are struggling this year, financially and emotionally. I pray for desperate spouses who worry over their marriage. I pray for those children who are frightened and alone, who are in abusive situations or who sense the worry and frustration that their parents try to hide. . I pray for parents who have children who are ill in body; ill in mind or who are addicted to drugs.
Jesus, please come as Immanuel — God with us, Jesus, please enter into each place, each home, each hospital room, each homeless shelter, each hotel, each jail cell, each place of business – let them know they are not alone. Holy Spirit, come as the Comforter, let your gentle, healing warmth sooth and bring solace to aching hearts. God the Father, come to those without family and remind them that you are their family. Show them your heavenly, attentive, fatherly love for them in a way that they can understand. I pray this in the name of Jesus — who knows our sorrows and understands our hearts.
—Katherine Walden
A More Formal Prayer before Christmas Dinner
Blessed are you, O Lord who has watched over us from our youth and gave us all blessings. You provide good things to us, out of your love.You are worthy of glory, praise, blessing and thanksgiving for the food that you have prepared for us. Stretch forth your right hand and bless this food set before us for the nourishment of our bodies. Let it before power and health of our lives. We are thankful for every person that gave of themselves in preparation of this meal. Give them rest and help us to be a blessing to them. Grant salvation, grace, blessing and purity to all those who gather around this festive table. Help us to remember that you are our source of our spiritual and eternal food. We ask that you bless each person here in the New Year with a peaceful life, joy of the soul and health of the body. We ask that you give us eyes to see you in all things so that when eating, resting or working,we do it all for the glory of Thy Holy Name. For yours is the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Friend of sinners, we thank you for friendship,
Prince of peace, we ask you that we may be peacemakers.
Lord of all, we thank you for this food.
Bless it to our bodies, we pray. Amen
Loving Father, we thank you for this food,
And for all your blessings to us.
Lord Jesus, come and be our guest,
And take your place at this table.
Holy Spirit, as this food feeds our bodies,
So we pray you would nourish our souls. Amen
A Christmas Prayer
Loving Father, help us to remember the birth
of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and the worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate and
open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and
good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing
which Christ brings, and teach us to
be merry with clear hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy
to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening
bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen!
— Robert Louis Stevenson
A Christmas Creed
I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the gospel begun in Bethlehem.
I believe in the one whose spirit glorified a little town; and whose spirit still brings music to persons all over the world, in towns both large and small.
I believe in the one for whom the crowded inn could find no room,and I confess that my heart still sometimes wants to exclude Christ from my life today.
I believe in the one who the rulers of the earth ignored and the proud could never understand; whose life was among common people,whose welcome came from persons of hungry hearts.
I believe in the one who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible:
I believe in the one whose cradle was a mother’s arms, whose modest home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth, who looked at person sand made them see what God’s love saw in them, who by love brought sinners back to purity, and lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God.
I confess my ever-lasting need of God: The need of forgiveness for our selfishness and greed, the need of new life for empty souls, the need of love for hearts grown cold.
I believe in God who gives us the best of himself. I believe in Jesus, the son of the living God, born in Bethlehem this night, for me and for the world.
Walter Russell Bowie