It’s always a good time to remember people who feel forgotten and neglected. But a Christmas prayer for the lonely is especially important during a season of gatherings and get-togethers.
The Lonely and Overlooked in the Bible
The Christmas story in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels suggests that God pays special attention to lonely and overlooked people. Here are some examples:
- Though Mary and Joseph probably called on family upon their arrival in Bethlehem, apparently no one saved a place for them.
- Until the angel’s announcement, the night-shift shepherds (who occupied one of the lowest social and economic statuses at the time) had to work while others visited and celebrated.
- When the shepherds arrived at the place of Jesus’ birth, they “found Mary and Joseph, and the baby” (Luke 2:16 NIV)—apparently without family or friends present to celebrate with them.
- After the birth of Jesus, His parents took Him to the Jerusalem Temple. There they encountered aged Simeon and the widow, Anna, two people who had long outlived friends and loved ones.
- Later, a courtly caravan of travelers who had traveled long and far from home found the holy family and brought gifts to Jesus.
- Still later, Joseph—having been warned in a dream—packed up his young family and took to the road. They then became refugees in a foreign land as they waited for circumstances in their homeland to change.
A Christmas Prayer for Today’s Lonely and Overlooked
We might say the key participants in the first Christmas were The Forgotten. The Lower Class. The Lonely. The Overlooked. The Wayfarers. The Refugees. So, what better time of year to pray for their present-day equivalent than during this special season, with a short litany like the following:
Lord God, in this special season, I come to You on behalf of those whose holidays are mournful reminders of loss or lack in their lives.
I pray for those who, perhaps like Mary and Joseph upon their arrival in Bethlehem, feel forgotten or excluded over the holidays.
I pray for those who, perhaps like the shepherds, are required to work while others sleep or celebrate.
I pray for those who, perhaps like Simeon and Anna, have outlived many friends and loved ones.
I pray for those who, like the magi, are traveling or far from home over the holidays.
I pray for those who, like the holy family who escaped to Egypt, are refugees in foreign lands.
I pray also for prisoners, patients, or invalids, along with those who are stranded or sidelined during this blessed season.
I cry out to You who “is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18 NIV). I ask You to be close to and shower Your favor on all of the above, in the name of Jesus, Your beloved and only-begotten Son, amen.
May God bless you richly as you offer a Christmas prayer for the needs of others. Remember those who experience loneliness and sorrow while others are celebrating with family and friends.
