1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer, 2 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,319 Speaker 1: a podcast dedicated to helping you find the words you 3 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: need to connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter 4 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: what is going on in your life today, you can 5 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: trust that God wants to hear from you. Right after 6 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: this short word from our sponsor, people pray through today's 7 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: prayer for peace when Holidays feel heavy Together. A Prayer 8 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: for Peace when Holidays Feel Heavy written and read by 9 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: Kerrie Eichberger. Peace. I leave with you my peace I 10 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: give you. I do not give to us the world gives. 11 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not 12 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: be afraid. John fourteen, verse twenty seven. There's always a 13 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: heartwarming anticipation I feel as the final few months of 14 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: each year approach. But that sense is sadly and suddenly 15 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: met with a hard and heavy hit. Though there is 16 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,639 Speaker 1: much joy, the holiday's season brings on so much else 17 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: that steals my peace. Strong suggestions and loaded expectations, to 18 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: shot myself silly, to serve and give bigger and bolder, 19 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: to decorate sooner and more extravagantly, to follow every long 20 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: lasting tradition and then some, all while keeping the joy, 21 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: the peace, and most definitely Jesus at the center of 22 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: it all. It's a lot not to mention the pain 23 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: of what's changed should been lost, like the people no 24 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: longer present that once made this special time of year 25 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: even more special. I want to embrace every bit of 26 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: what the season brings, but I have a hard time 27 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: soaking in its peace and joy with all the demands, expectations, 28 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: and even hurt that sometimes encircle the season. Do you 29 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: sense any heaviness of the holiday season, feeling like there 30 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: are countless tasks he should or want to tackle? Like 31 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: you want it to sparkle with the joy and magic 32 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: it should as you celebrate the birth of the Savior, 33 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: But the hope of keeping the pace and peace sometimes 34 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: seems impossible. I get this, but we still long for 35 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: peace to fill the season. We know without it there 36 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: wouldn't be much joy, and there should be great joy. 37 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 1: We are celebrating the most joy filled news the rule 38 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 1: has ever known. The Son of God was sent down 39 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: to save us and stay with us forever. I think 40 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: we all agree that not only is this the most 41 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: joyous of occasions, but we also deeply desire to make 42 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: it just that. And if we can keep the peace. 43 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 1: Amid the hustle and heaviness, we could better keep our 44 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: eyes on him and sustain and swell some more wonder, awe, 45 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: and joy. Whether it's the burden of the bustling season 46 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: or the sadness of sorrow it brings. Heaviness and hurry 47 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: can steal our peace at any given time. But it's 48 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: those times we must remember who our peace actually is 49 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: and where it comes from. It's Jesus. It is Jesus 50 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: who said to his disciples before his death, peace, I 51 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: leave you my peace. I give you I do not 52 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: give to you as the world gives. Do not let 53 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. This 54 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: offer of peace was also for you and me, And 55 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: still today he left us his peace. He gave us 56 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: his peace, and it is not as the world gives it. No, 57 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: it's better. It's rich and real and lasting, and in 58 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: him is where we can still find it. Despite the 59 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: demands and draws of the world, despite the expectations of 60 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: this season to do this and that and more and more, 61 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: don't forget to pause and soak in his peace. Don't 62 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: forget what matters most, allowing your heart to celebrate him 63 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: for him and with him. Our peace is in Jesus, 64 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: and Jesus is always with us. The holidays can be heavy, 65 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: but we don't need to let our hearts be troubled 66 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: or to be afraid of what may come of this 67 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: time or any because Jesus is always available to us 68 00:04:55,520 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: and always with us. Thus his peace is always with us. 69 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: We just need to place our focus more on him 70 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: in order to receive it. Instead of fixating on completing 71 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: our Christmas shopping, making more perfect memories, pursuing every past tradition, 72 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: or on our disappointment of what isn't as we wish 73 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: it were, we should focus our hearts each day on 74 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: communing with and celebrating Jesus. So as you consider the 75 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: holiday plans, before you plan for more peace, take something 76 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: unnecessary off your list, place more margin in your calendar, 77 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:39,679 Speaker 1: and prioritize extra time in God's presence each morning. Release 78 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: all the expectations of people, receive and lean into the 79 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: calls to simply sit still with your savior, your friend, 80 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: the Lord of peace himself, Jesus, and then linger with 81 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,039 Speaker 1: him as he lifts and enlightens the heaviness of the 82 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: holidays and replaces it is precious and permeating peace. Let's pray, 83 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 1: Lord Jesus, you are the Prince of peace, and I 84 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: long to refresh my awe of your birth in this season. 85 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 1: If I'm being honest, there is some happiness that hovers 86 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 1: over the holidays. I feel the way when I can't 87 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 1: mean expectations, when I struggle with what I wish were different, 88 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: and when the world tells me to do more and 89 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: move faster, but the world does not provide the peace 90 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: my soul longs for. Only you can do that. Lord, 91 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: help my heart know not to be troubled or afraid. Rather, 92 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: may I receive you and let your peaceful presence reign 93 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: and rule my entire soul. I praise you and celebrate 94 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: you in this blessed season in your glorious name. Amen. 95 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: If you liked what you heard, I think you love 96 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: My latest book, When over Worry, Conquer what shakes you, 97 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: and Soar with the One who overcomes You can find 98 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: it on Amazon or your favorite online retail site. I 99 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: hope it blesses you. Your Daily Prayer is a production 100 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: of Life Audio and Sale Media. For more faith filled 101 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio dot com. 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