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 thank you for listening to your daily prayer a podcast dedicated to helping you find the words you need to connect with your father in Heaven no matter what is going on in your life today you can trust that God want to hear from you right after this short word from our sponsor we will pray through today's prayer together
 the prayer to prepare him room written and read by Ashley Moore
 and she gave birth to her firstborn a son she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a Manger cuz there was no guest room available for them Luke 27
 every Christmas season I look forward to buying a pine scented candle and pulling the Christmas decorations out of the shed my husband or three kids and I sip hot chocolate and reminisce as we admire the ornament collection and listen to Lauren daigle's Christmas album
 what are some of your family's Christmas traditions
 baby you clear out a space in front of your window put up a fresh tree cut down together or do you take the Thanksgiving decorations off The Mantel to put the nativity scene perhaps you replace your regular string lights around your patio and put up the special twinkle lights whatever the case this time of year always ushers in a spirit of preparation we prepare our calendars for Holiday Gatherings we prepare our homes with Christmas theme decorations we prepare our plates with Christmas cookies and special holiday Delicacies
 we prepare everything else in our lives but do we take the time to prepare our hearts and Minds before the son of God's birth Roman leaders to create a census to account for each person is required people from all over Israel to return to their hometowns to be registered this Caravan included Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem even though Mary was very near to her time to give birth to Jesus Luke 22 through 4
 because so many people are wrapped around the same time when Mary and Joseph look for a comfortable place for her to give birth there was no lodging available for them Luke 27 admittedly as someone who resides in the Western World this is hard to imagine because I live in a time of modern medicine and hospitals fancy hotels and convenience but this event held no such Comforts for the birth of Christ the only space available for Jesus's birth was a barn
 my intention is not to villainize today's culture which places a high value on comfort and security however culture today and as old often prioritize discomfort overhauling us just like the influx of visitors overcrowded the accommodations in Bethlehem we often overcrowded our hearts moving Jesus to the fringes instead of the center I propose that we prepare our hearts and Minds this holiday season by reading the biblical accounts of Christ's birth Matthew 1 through 2 and 1/3 to make these true stories a part of your family's existing Traditions read them to your children and visiting family talk about the light of the world as much as you talk about the beauty of the tree with its twinkling lights worship Our Savior King as you hum along to your favorite Christmas album
 they're often too easily swept away and all the magical Traditions causing us to forget the true gift of the Christmas season
 as we prepare our homes and families for Christmas Joy also prepare room in our hearts and Minds string the lights up set the cocoa and as you prepare room in your home also prepare Christ room in your heart and mind this Christmas but remember how the king of the world the god of the universe the word of God became a gentle and lowly baby so that we would have a way to be reconciled to God for eternity unlike the townspeople of tiny Bethlehem let God's people everywhere are him room
 let's pray
 dear Lord thank you that even in an openly hostile anti-christian world we still have the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ. I know there is nothing inherently wrong with the Christmas traditions help us to keep the proper perspective and priority this holiday season forgive us when we crawled up space for you by being overly distracted the tradition help us we've in the biblical accounts of your birth to prepare room for you in our heart as often as we make room for the Christmas decorations this year helped us get creative and make it a point to use this time of year to share the good news of the birth of our savior we love you in Jesus name amen
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