Dear Lord Jesus Christ,
With the arrival of this Christmas remembrance, we who belong to You feel even more deeply indebted to You. What are we? And what are the works of our lives? Lord, You gave Your life for sinners, yet most among Your followers still live only for themselves, pursuing glory for themselves. Lord, help us to move beyond words of self-condemnation and instead demonstrate through sincere deeds that we are no longer slaves to sin—to run towards You with all our heart and strength, to keep our promises, and to no longer grieve the Holy Spirit.
May we, within the peace You have given, bear tested evidence: being fearless in storms, pressing forward through difficulties, growing in wisdom through trials, and benefiting both ourselves and others. The love worthy of songs and tears is the love You have given us, yet how lamentable and pitiable is our selfishness, which wounds Your heart and brings You to tears. In the past, You wept before the tomb of Lazarus, and the crowd thought You wept for the dead Lazarus. Oh, our Lord, You did not weep for the dead; You wept for those who are alive yet remain in disbelief or have little faith.
May we all awaken to understanding, repent thoroughly, and not cause the Lord to sorrow or grieve again over our disbelief or lack of faith. Upon the birth of Jesus , peace descended from heaven. May we who have received this peace bear witness that the peace given by Jesus Christ is true peace—the peace that grants eternal life.
Lord, we pray in Your name. May You bring it to pass. Amen!
en yan hua fang 