ABIDE Prayer: The Gift of Prayer
The purpose of ABIDE is to seek God through prayer, rely on the Spirit as we gather together, and pray with unity and purpose. ABIDE prayers are Scripture-led and Spirit-focused prayers.
Christmas is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, it is easy to miss the celebration when we lose sight of the meaning of His coming. Jesus came as a baby who would one day go to the Cross for our sins, and in exchange, give us forgiveness, salvation, eternal life and make us “new creations in Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:17)
Prayers of Praise and Thanksgiving
Let’s begin our ABIDE by slowly reading Philippians 2:5-11. Then take a moment in silence and thank Jesus for coming for you.
After a moment of praying silently, lift up prayers of praise and thanksgiving together. Thank Jesus and praise Him for who He is and how our lives are changed because of His coming.
Prayer: Jesus, we praise you for __________ and thank you for ___________.
Philippians 2:5-11
Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Prayers – Thanking Jesus for the Gift of Prayer
Scripture tells us, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Because Jesus came to earth and gave His life for us, we can enter the throne room of heaven with boldness through prayer.
Let’s thank Jesus for the gift of prayer and ask Jesus to renew our passion for prayer. Let’s pray and dedicate this Christmas Season as a time of drawing near to Jesus through prayer.
Prayer:
(Simply lift up prayers to Jesus – thanking Him for the gift of prayer and asking Him to renew your passion for prayer. Ask Jesus to help you seek Him in prayer this Christmas Season).
Prayers – Sharing the Gift of Prayer
Christmas is absolutely the season for giving and one of the best gifts we can give to others is prayer. We can even be intentional this Christmas Season, and set aside extra time each day to give others the gift of prayer. The Spirit may even lead us to write a note, send a text or call someone and pray for them.
Let’s pray and ask Jesus to help us share the gift of prayer this Christmas Season. And let’s ask the Spirit to speak to us and lead us to pray.
Prayer:
Jesus, help us share the gift of prayer this Christmas Season. Holy Spirit, speak to our hearts, help us hear you and lead us as we seek to share the gift of prayer with others.
Closing Prayer: Jesus, thank you for coming for us. Thank you for taking on our sin, darkness and shame so that we could be in a relationship with you. We want to know you more and experience a deeper relationship with you through prayer. Heal our hearts and set us free from anything that hinders us from connecting with your heart through prayer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
