My Christmas Prayer

 

 

Father, thank You for Jesus

That first Christmas morn,

Thank you for the circumstances

Under which he was born.

 

The fulfilment of promise

That was made to Abraham

And through the Lord, Jesus Christ

It has come down to man.

 

We thank you today, Father,

For that wonderful plan

Implemented by Jesus our Saviour

As fully God and fully Man.

 

Glory to God in the Highest

And on earth, peace!

Peace in the midst of earth’s turmoil

That never seems to cease.

 

Thanks for this peace today,

This Christmas Day

For ‘twas on that first Christmas

You introduced the Way.

Come let us go even now

And see what has come to pass,

In essence, what the shepherds said;

These men of lowly class.

 

 

And so too the alert magi

That had journeyed from afar

Led by the light of a heavenly body-

That natal star.

 

The lowest and the highest!

This wonderful salvation is for all

That would respond to Jesus

As he graciously calls.

 

Thanks be to the Father

And to His only begotten Son

And thanks to the Holy Spirit

These Three-in-One.

A Christ-centred Christmas!

That’s my prayer for one and all

As we remember the second Adam-

The one that did not fall.

 

The one who came as Emanuel

Meaning God is with us,

The one we celebrate this day-

None other than Jesus!

 

Stewart Russell © December 25, 2023

 

Were It Not for Grace

 

Were it not for grace

I would be lost,

And you would be too

Were it not for the cross.

 

God’s amazing grace

Expressed in Jesus Christ,

Wonderful, marvelous grace;

His atoning sacrifice.

 

Were it not for grace

Where would I be?

And where would you be

Were it not for Calvary.

 

God’s grace from on high

Coming down to the earth

To save a poor wretched sinner

And give him new birth.

 

 

Were it not for grace

The world would be lost

But God forbid it should be

And died on the cross.

 

It was God in Christ

Reconciling us to Himself

And through His amazing grace

We have spiritual health.

 

Grace, grace, God’s grace

That sought for you and me,

Grace, grace, God’s grace

What wondrous liberty! 

 

 

 

Were it not for grace

Sin would have forever reign

But there is wonderful salvation

Ever since Jesus came.

 

That first Christmas morn

When the angels sang,

It was of God’s amazing grace

That in the heavens rang.

 

Were it not for grace

We’d be stumbling along

But because of God’s wonderful grace

We sing redemption’s song.

 

Redeemed, redeemed,

Redeemed by the blood,

The precious blood of Jesus Christ,

Born not once but twice.

 

Stewart Russell © October 23, 2023