A Prayer to Welcome Christ into Our Hearts

The Christmas season offers countless distractions—from festive traditions to sentimental storylines—but Scripture reminds us that Christ desires to dwell at the very center of our hearts. In Ephesians 3:16–18, Paul prays that believers would be strengthened by the Spirit so their faith becomes firmly rooted, enabling them to grasp the immeasurable love of Christ. Like the deeply rooted Christmas tree in the devotional story, our faith grows strong when we remain grounded in truth and nourished by God’s presence. This season, we are invited to welcome Christ fully, stand firm in our faith, and radiate His love to others.

---

Main Takeaways

• You’ll learn how Paul’s prayer in Ephesians encourages believers to root their faith deeply in Christ.

• Discover why spiritual stability comes from being grounded in truth and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

• See how community and fellowship help us grasp the depth of Christ’s love together.

• Understand practical ways to welcome Christ into your heart during the Christmas season.

• Reflect on how to make Christ—not busyness or tradition—the focal point of holiday celebrations.

---

Bible Verse References

• Ephesians 3:16–18

---

Your Daily Prayer

God, as we enter this beautiful Christmas season, we welcome You into our hearts and our celebrations. Strengthen our faith through Your Spirit so that Christ may dwell in us fully. Help us stay rooted in Your truth, anchored in Your love, and attentive to the ways You are working around us. Give us soft, responsive hearts that reflect Your compassion, and make us ready to share the hope of Christ with those around us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

---

Want More?

• Subscribe to Your Daily Prayer for daily encouragement and Scripture-centered reflections.

• Leave a rating or review to help others discover the show.

• Visit LifeAudio.com for more faith-building podcasts.

• Explore more devotionals and Bible teachings at Crosswalk.com and Christianity.com.

---

Relevant Links & Resources

• Explore articles about Christmas, spiritual growth, and faith at:
  Crosswalk.com – https://www.crosswalk.com
  Christianity.com – https://www.christianity.com

• Study today’s Scripture using BibleStudyTools.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer,
where we help you find the words you need to
connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening
in your life today, you can trust that God wants

(00:24):
to hear from you. Right after this short word from
our sponsors, we'll pray through today's prayer to welcome Christ
into our hearts. A Prayer to Welcome Christ into Our

(00:52):
Hearts written by Alicia Searle, read by Lea Gerard. I
pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen
you with power through His spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

(01:14):
may have power, together with all the Lord's Holy people,
to grasp how wide and long, and high and deep
is the love of Christ Ephesians three, sixteen to eighteen.
I absolutely love the feel good Christmas movies, you know,
the ones that hold a heartwarming storyline where the cutest

(01:36):
little couple meets back up in their small town and
in a span of a few weeks, they try to
save a Christmas tree farm, all while falling in love.
OH A similar storyline unfolded on a trip my husband
and I took when we were much younger. We enjoyed
traveling parts of the country together when it was just

(01:57):
the two of us and it was a bit easier
to just pack up and go. Nowadays, there are no
spontaneous trips, as we must plan well in advance due
to work in softball, schedule school events, and are untrained dog,
which isn't the best traveler, not to mention the financial
means to simply jump in the car or hop on

(02:19):
a plane and explore the country with a family of
five six if you count the dog, which can cause
quite a stream on the pocketbook. That said, this one
trip in particular made us both feel as if we
had stepped into the set of a holiday film. It
included a charming main street lined with quaint and festive shops,

(02:41):
a massive, well lit tree, an ice skating rink, and
the jolliest people who radiated the Christmas spirit. Adjacent to
the main street was a tiny white church with the
most beautiful stained glass windows. In front was a beautiful
mange and a sign that shared their upcoming Sunday message,

(03:04):
keep christ in your heart this Christmas. Oh how I
wish we'd been able to hear that sermon. Sadly, we
left on Sunday morning to return home and step back
into reality. That trip brings so many fond memories, but
it also causes me to pause and reflect on how

(03:25):
we can truly welcome Christ into our hearts and keep
him the focal point of this entire season. Paul reminds
us in Ephesians three sixteen through eighteen that Christ dwells
in our hearts through our faith and the power from
the Holy Spirit within us. As we delve into this scripture,

(03:48):
I think of the Christmas tree that proudly stood at
the end of the main street in that small town.
The roots of that tree must have been wide and deep,
because it was honestly breathtaking and quite humbling to gaze upon.
Our faith is a lot like those roots. When we

(04:09):
are grounded in truth and our roots run deep in Christ,
it becomes difficult for us to be uprooted or swayed
by the temptations of this world. Our God, being the
ultimate creator and gardener, nourishes us by tending to the
root of our faith and our stability in Christ. He
allows us to stand firm and not be easily shaken.

(04:33):
This verse holds another powerful message and prayer. Paul wants
believers to understand the depth and gravity of God's incredible
love for us. As I reflect back on the charismatic
nature of the people in that quaint town, I'm reminded
that as a body of believers, we all yearn for

(04:56):
a deep sense of belonging. This is intention on the
part of our relational God. He created us for fellowship
and to grow together as we grasp the immeasurable love
of Christ. This Christmas, we can welcome Christ into our
hearts by standing firm in our faith, just like the

(05:18):
tall and sturdy tree, and reflect his love with other believers.
As we invite Christ into our conversations and radiate his
love and light. Our holidays may not unfold like a
heartwarming Christmas movie, but we can take actionable steps to
make room for Christ to become the center of this

(05:42):
season and allow him to dwell in our hearts as
we honor and celebrate his glorious birth. Let's pray God,
as we step into another beautiful holiday season, we invite
you in. We want to place you at the center

(06:02):
of our celebrations and festivities. Standing firm in our faith
while exuding your love with others, grant us the opportunities
to see all the wonders this season holds with a
fresh perspective and soft hearts, willing and ready to spread
the news of your glorious birth and what that means

(06:26):
for us as believers in Jesus's name. Amen. Your Daily
Prayer is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media.

(06:48):
If you haven't already, be sure to follow the show
in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode.
For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at life
audio dot com. Mm hmm