Family Prayer: December 25

The Feast of the Nativity

Let us worship God: Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Amen.

The Confession of Sin: Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly Father, to render thanks for the great benefits we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him, let us with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.

Almighty and most holy Father; we confess ourselves unworthy of Thine unspeakable gift. We have not loved Thee as we ought; nor have we loved one another as Thou hast commanded us; we have not been kind-hearted nor have we always been willing to forgive freely and fully, as Thou, for Christ sake, hast forgiven us. We have lived in selfishness and worldly pride; and the good gifts Thou hast bestowed upon us we have not used to Thy glory. Pardon and blot out our offenses, we beseech Thee; through the incarnate life and willing sacrifice of Thy holy Son, even Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

The Assurance of Pardon: The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Leader: O Lord, open our Lips.

Family: And our mouth shall show forth your praise.

All: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. AMEN.

The Hymn #160: “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”

The Responsive Reading: Psalm 85

Lord, you have been favorable to your land;

You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.

You have forgiven the iniquity of your people;

You have covered all their sin.

You have taken away all your wrath;

You have turned from the fierceness of your anger.

Restore us, O God of our salvation,

And cause your anger toward us to cease.

Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you prolong your anger to all generations?

Will you not revive us again,

That your people may rejoice in you?

Show us your mercy, O Lord,

And grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak,

For he will speak peace to his people and to his saints, but let them not turn back to folly.

Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,

That glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth have met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

And righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Yes, the Lord will give what is good;

And our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness will go before him,

And shall make his footsteps our pathway. Amen.

Leader: Alleluia! Unto us a child is born: O come let us adore him. Alleluia!

The Hymn #151: “O Come All Ye Faithful”

Leader: Glory be to Thee, O Father Almighty, who hast given us Thine only-begotten Son, that we might live through Him. Glory be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, who became man that we might become sons of God. Glory be to Thee, O Holy Spirit, who dost direct and rule our hearts. All glory be to Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

THE SONG OF ZECHARIAH (Luke 1:68-79)

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;

For he has visited and redeemed his people,

And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of his servant David,

As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets,

Who have been since the world began

That we should be saved from our enemies,

And from the hand of all who hate us,

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers,

And to remember his holy covenant,

The oath which he swore to our father Abraham,

To grant us, That we being delivered from the hand of our enemies

Might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him,

All the days of our life.

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest;

For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,

To give knowledge of salvation to his people

By the remission of their sins,

Through the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace. Amen.

The Gloria Patri

The Prayer of Thanksgiving (All): Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants do give you most humble and hearty thanks for all your goodness and lovingkindness to us and all men. We bless you for your creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and the hope of glory. And, we beseech you, give us that due sense of all your mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen

Intercession:

For the Church (All): O Lord our God, who didst send Thy Son to be the Savior of the World; make Thy salvation known to the ends of the earth, that in every place Thy name shall be worshiped and glorified. We beseech Thee, by the light of Thine incarnate Word, to illumine and make glad the hearts of all who serve Thee in Thy Church. Give them the spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind; comfort them by His presence who is Immanuel, God with us, that in the faith they may endure unto the end. Amen.

For the World (All): O God our Father, who didst send Thy Son to be King of Kings and Prince of Peace; grant that all the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdom of our Lord, and learn of Him the way of peace. Inspire all men continually with the spirit of unity and concord. Let those who are offended forgive, and those who have offended repent, so that Thy children may live as one family, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Ourselves (All): Most merciful God, who hast so loved the world as to give Thine only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life; vouchsafe unto us, we humbly pray Thee, the gift of persevering faith, whereby we may know that the Son of God is come; and being always rooted and grounded in the mystery of the Word made flesh, may have power to overcome the world, and gain the blessing of life everlasting, through the merits of the same incarnate Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Benediction: Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Hymn #149: “Joy to the World”