Morning of Missed Prayers
You wake to the alarm, hit snooze, and can’t remember the angels who stood by you the night before. It’s time to pray—something you have done so many times—but your phone reports only four hours of sleep and your mood sours. The Holy Spirit is close, wanting to comfort you, yet you grumble at life for the exhaustion and the weight of expectations. You rush through your routine without kneeling; the angels rise from their knees, and your spirit family wonders why you skipped prayer today. Your thoughts scatter across responsibilities, errands, and projects you must complete before the day is out. The Lord looks down and wonders: will you remember Him, when you grab a pastry because it’s fast and quiets the hunger pains? You eat without giving thanks. Brushing your hair and splashing cold water on your face, you realize you are late again. Everything else—errands, plans, even the Father—will have to wait. He understands, but He still misses you.
Reflection: Busy mornings can distract us. A quick, honest prayer—even a whispered, imperfect one—can turn hurried survival into connection.
Whispers You Ignore
Leaving home, your spirit family whispers, “You are loved—don’t speed.” You slam the door; they pray and rub your shoulders, but you feel numb. In the background, a familiar prophetic voice plays on your cell phone: “There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look up to Him in every thought, but when we do, our thoughts and fears flee.” For a moment you notice; then the next notification, the next errand, and the world’s pull drown out the reminder.
Scripture and quote: The prophet’s words remind you to reorient your heart intentionally and daily. Small, deliberate choices—what you read first, what you say in the car—help fix your focus on the Savior.
Practice: Choose one short scripture or a line from a prophetic talk to memorize this week. When you feel distracted, say it aloud once.
Envy and Small Judgments
A flash of envy for someone who seems closer to God interrupts your thoughts. You wonder what they do differently despite your insistence that you’re trying your best. You find yourself irritated by a Christmas tree and someone jingling bells; you judge the decorations and assume motives. The Holy Spirit retreats a little but remains near, ready to guide if you will let Him.
Reflection: Envy and judgment are signs you’re looking outward for worth. The Spirit invites you inward—to humility, gratitude, and curiosity about your own heart.
Practice: When you feel judgment rise, pause and list one thing you are grateful for about the other person, or offer a silent blessing for them.
Cold, Frustration, and Cracked Screens
You forgot your jacket again. A door is held for others but slams on you, and your phone drops and cracks. People hurry on. You feel invisible. The Lord still hopes you will pause and pray so He can carry your needs to the Father, but you convince yourself you have no time.
Reflection: Hurt and frustration sharpen the temptation to retreat into self‑pity. God notices even the small humiliations and can use them to teach patience and reliance.
Practice: The next time a minor misfortune occurs, stop for one breath and say, “Lord, I need You.” Make it quick, real, and accepting.
A Call to Reach Out
You tell yourself prayer is “just words,” yet the prophet’s voice echoes: “When you reach out for the Lord’s power in your life, with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach out to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.” The offer is clear: God’s power is available when you earnestly seek it.
Scripture and quote: This teaching asks for more than casual wishing; it asks for yearning. The Holy Ghost responds to sincere desire.
Practice: Create one urgent, specific prayer request tonight. Pray it with sincerity—like a person grasping for breath—and then watch for the small, practical impressions that follow.
Signs Among the Christmas Decorations
Among the holiday displays, a tag reads, “Peace be unto you.” Hymn lines haunt you: “And in despair I bowed my head; there is no peace on earth, I said; for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men.” Someone insults you for refusing a favor. Another decoration proclaims, “I am the light of the world.” You scold yourself for walking past it without reading.
Reflection: The season’s lights and words are invitations. Even when your heart is closed, God places reminders that point back to the Savior’s peace and life.
Practice: When you see seasonal scripture or hymns, allow them to sink in for ten seconds. Let one phrase linger and ask, “What is this trying to tell me today?”
A Moment That Breaks
As the day wanes, your to‑do list still looms. Stress tightens your chest. You bump a table and feel a bruise forming. You rush to the bathroom, and for the first time the tears come. The words rise in your head—words that steadied you before: “This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!” You want to hear Him. You ache to be heard.
Reflection: Breaking points often become turning points. Tears can open a heart that worry has closed.
Practice: When you feel overwhelmed, stop and breathe five slow counts. Speak the Savior’s name and admit one honest need.
The Presence You Never Lost
All day the angels, the Holy Spirit, and the Lord have walked with you, longing for a moment of connection. They did not abandon you when you hurried past; they waited to embrace you the moment you turned. The Savior’s invitation is always available.
Scripture and promise: “Peace be unto you” (John 20:19) and “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) are not decorations to ignore. They are real offers of peace and strength to a weary soul.
Practice: Tonight, before sleep, kneel—or sit quietly—and speak one true sentence to God: “I need You.” Then listen for one minute. Write down the first impression, feeling, or thought you receive.
Final encouragement: The Holy Spirit never leaves you. Your hurried, messy, imperfect day does not disqualify you from grace. God is eager to bless you; He misses you when you are distracted and rejoices when you return. Don’t let small excuses become walls—choose one simple, repeatable act of reaching out this holiday season and watch how the Spirit shows you the way forward.
“Our Savior is the Good Shepherd, seeking, gathering, and delivering all from the four corners of the earth. He calls us by name to follow Him and desires us to invite others to do the same. This Christmas, I testify of Him, the perfect Lamb of God, who has gathered followers since the night of His birth. May we all find the peace, purpose, healing, and joy that comes from following Him during this holiday season.” By: Gerrit W. Gong
I heard the bells on Christmas day,
Their old familiar carols play,
And mild and sweet, their songs repeat,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head,
There is no peace on earth I said,
For hate is strong, and mocks the song,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Then I heard, my better angels say:
“Your new life will begin today,
For Hope is long, you’ll carry on,
To peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then rang the bells more loud and deep,
God is not dead, nor does he sleep,
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.
Then ringing singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Excerpt from Poem “Christmas Bells” by: Henry Longfellow, 1863 (Third stanza added by: ElRoyPoet, 2019)
“I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” By: Abraham Lincoln
Angry words and bitterness are slow to fade away
What happened to the dreams and hopes that we shared yesterday?
Mystic chords of memory that stir within our soul
Lead us to forgiveness so that we can be made whole
We are not enemies, there is no good in that
There are better angels that surround us all
And we will find a way through all our differences
Hear the better angels, listen to their call
Hatred only breeds more hate and darkness in our heart
May we find compassion in a world so torn apart
A symphony of what could be
Says this is where we start
We are not enemies, there is no good in that
There are better angels that surround us all
And we will find a way through all our differences
Hear the better angels, listen to their call
Let our better angels be our guide
Yes, let our better angels walk beside
Can you catch us all
‘Cause we’re just about to fall
Rise up!
And find better angels in us all
Yes, rise up!
It’s time! Ohhh, it’s time!
By: Carole Bayer Sager, Jonas Myrin and Jay Landers © 2018
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.‘And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.” Luke 2:8-20
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