Christmas Belongs to the Brokenhearted - Your Nighlty Prayer - December 18th

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Christmas Belongs to the Brokenhearted
Your Nightly Prayer
by Shawna Foster

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

SOMETHING TO PONDER

It’s easy to look around us during the holidays and see all of the joy of the season. We hear Christmas music everywhere we go, and we get to see the beautiful decorations all around us. Our neighborhood streets are glowing, and I even see cars driving down the road decorated with ornaments, wreaths, and lights. 

I love the white twinkly lights of Christmas. I love the magic of Christmas trees glowing in the dimly lit evenings, with a fire crackling, hot chocolate in my favorite Christmas mug and snuggling on the couch with my family. I love family coming together, I love Christmas movies and especially the Spirit of the season. It’s such a special time of year for most of us. 

For me, and I know for many others, Christmas can be a very tough time. Unfortunately, Christmas just doesn’t feel the same when we are walking through a really hard season of life. When sickness, divorce, the loss of a loved one or a job happens, Christmas just doesn’t have the same joy for us that we’ve experienced in years past. All of these things can make Christmas feel not quite like we think it should be. It’s so hard to feel joy even when we’re surrounded by it. Especially when we’re still going through the motions of all of our holiday traditions, it’s just not the way we know it should be and used to be. 

Our verse for tonight reminds us that even when our Christmas season is filled with pain and suffering, brokenness and sorrow. Jesus is with us. This is why He came! Even though we aren’t feeling the Joy of the season, we can rest in Him because He didn’t come for the perfect. He came for us, the brokenhearted. 

When King David wrote Psalm 34, he was on the run from King Saul and hiding among the Philistines, who were the very people that David had killed their champion, Goliath. When the Philistines recognized David, he pretended to be insane so that they wouldn’t kill him. He escaped and hid in a cave, rejected, alone, humiliated and terrified. You could definitely say that this wasn’t a winning season for David. Rather, this was one of his lowest moments. This Psalm was written from a place of being crushed and in fear. 

This entire Psalm is a testimony that God heard his cries and delivered him to victory. Just like He does for us! This is David’s testimony of “I sought the Lord, and He answered” to the assurance that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted…”  Our faithful Father in Heaven hears our cries, just as David testifies, and He is near to us in every moment of our pain and suffering. He is with us in every silent moment, every yell out in anger moment, and every tear that soaks our pillows moment.

When it feels like we are alone in the cave of our suffering and brokenness, it is in those moments that the Lord is so very near. In Hebrew, the word “close” means near, intimate, at hand. And the word “saves” means to deliver, give victory, or make safe. So, our verse tonight is telling us that God draws intimately near to those whose hearts are shattered – and He doesn’t just comfort, he rescues us and will deliver victory. When we are feeling less joy than we want in this hard season, let’s make sure we take time away to be in the presence and fullness of God’s love. 

This Christmas season, let us remember that Christmas isn’t about the perfection of what we thought it should be, but more about the perfection of His presence in helping us get through it. Emmanuel means “God with us.” That doesn’t mean only those who are joyful. It means even with those who are crushed, the weary, and the ones who can hardly make it through the season. God is holding you right here. He knows your pain and suffering. Your hurt and heartbreak don’t disqualify you from Christmas joy; it’s proof of why Jesus came. He is and always will be with you! Please remember to always set aside time to be with Him and bask in his presence. 

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for sending Your Son, Jesus, to meet me in my brokenness and pain. Thank you for being with me when my heart aches, and for carrying me through the moments I can’t face on my own. Help me to rest in Your presence this Christmas and to feel the comfort of knowing you are here with me now. Thank you for the gift of Jesus – for His birth, His sacrifice, and the hope and joy He brings to my life. Teach me to find peace in Your presence and joy in Your promises, even when things in life hurt. Thank you for holding me, loving me, and never letting me go. In Jesus’s name,
Amen. 

THREE THINGS TO PONDER UPON

1. How is God showing you that He is with you in this season? Where can you sense His presence?

2. What pain, disappointment, or loss are you carrying into the Christmas season? How is Jesus inviting you to release it and rest in His healing presence?

3. How can you make space to experience His peace and receive even small moments of joy this Christmas – not because everything is perfect but because He is with you?

 Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: Chad Madden/Unsplash

Shawna is the author of Amazon Best Seller Faith in the Flames: Transforming Trauma into Hope and Healing, and the host of the podcast Faith in the Flames. She inspires women to transform their trauma into hope and healing, drawing from her own journey through brokenness and grief. Shawna empowers women to move beyond survival, rediscover joy, and embrace a restored, purposeful life aligned with God's love. With a heart for reaching those who feel lost and alone, Shawna is passionate about helping others step into their God-given light and thrive in their new identity. Connect with her on Instagram.

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