God’s Gift!

In preparing for Christmas, we spend much time thinking about the gifts we want to give those we love on Christmas Day.  Hopefully, we also spend time thinking about the gift we want to give Jesus.  (Hint:  We can give Jesus us?) 

With all of these thoughts and our hearts filled to overflowing, we sometimes forget about the one of the greatest Gifts God gives us:  Joy.  In fact, sometimes during the Christmas season, we are so busy “doing Christmas”, we forget to take the time to really experience God’s Gift of Joy ?

Kelly Wise Valdes writes,  “The second fruit of the Spirit is joy. The word ‘joy’ appears nearly 200 times in the Bible, which helps us understand just how important this second sweet fruit of the Spirit really is. Joy is a condition of the heart.”

Joy lifts us up and out of any and all suffering.  It’s the feeling we often experience when we are deep in prayer.  The world can’t touch it!  Because it is God – Given, Holy Spirit Breathed.  And it will last as long as we let it.  And if we loose it, we can simply pray for its’ return.

When the world gets to be too much, pray.  Pray as you have never prayed before.  Pray in a place where you will be uninterrupted.  Even Jesus took time out for prayer, because that is how important prayer is! 

Pray in a way that you think of yourself as going to a “place”.  A place with God.  In it, the sun shines on you, warming you all the way through.  The Joy, of the Holy Spirit fills you as does the Peace that only God can give. And just be.  And listen for that “small still voice”. ?

“Be still and know that I am God” – Psalm 46:10

This is what many refer to as “meditative prayer”.  Instead of seeking assistance, we are simply seeking God.  We seek nothing for ourselves but to be in the presence of God, but we walk away with everything ?.

And we walk away with one mission, to share our Joy with others and teach others how to find it for themselves.  Prayer, in the name of Jesus, is the way…and an open heart that welcomes the Holy Spirit ?