Prayers For Christmas Worship

The following prayers are based on the language of appropriate Scripture readings for the Christmas season. They can be used as printed or can serve as models for other prayers. Consult the commentary after each prayer for specific Scripture references and related information. Invocations or Opening Prayers Be near us Lord Jesus we ask you to stay, close by us forever and love us we pray. Immanuel, we invite you to draw near and dwell with us. Surround and sustain us with your tender caring presence that what we say and do in worship might prepare us to live forever with you in heaven. In Jesus' powerful name we pray. Amen! Commentary: The first sentence is directly taken from the third stanza of the popular carol,"Away in the Manger. " The remainder of this prayer is a paraphrase of the rest of the third stanza. The biblical foundation for these ideas are in Matthew 1:21-23. This prayer illustrates the great value of reading and reflecting on hymns as a source for enriching and ex…