“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”—Philippians 2:5

As I took down my Christmas decorations, I couldn’t help but reflect on what I could have done differently when my husband brought down all of the bins from the attic to decorate our home for the holidays. How could I have had a full heart rather than my initial feeling of it being another chore to get done?

What if next year as I am straightening the branches and plugging in the lights, I pray that God be able to use me to bring the light of Jesus to those around me. As I buy a poinsettia or greenery to display in my house, I will thank God for the natural beauty that He surrounds me with every day…the rising sun, the sunset, the leaves falling from the trees….

When I am hanging each stocking, I will pray for the person not only as I put it on the stocking holder but every time I look at them as well. While wrapping presents, I will remind myself of the full life I have and seize this as an opportunity to give God praises for the full life that I am living. 

Next year, I want Christmas to be in my heart and soul, not just a day on the calendar. I am printing this devotion and tucking it away in my calendar to read after Thanksgiving so that I am reminded of how I will start my holiday decorating with an attitude of joy and gratitude.

This year I pause and give thanks that I have the freedom to celebrate Christian holidays without being persecuted. I pray for those that don’t have that same luxury. I am thankful for 2019 coming to a close and look forward to what God has in store for 2020.

Bold was my word for 2019. I prayed for God to help me be bolder in my faith and will continue to pray that prayer as I give away my knit gifts. Deeper is my word for 2020. I got a Bible dictionary to help me with this. Digging deeper into the Word of God will hopefully help me to better understand both God and His message more clearly so that I can share that with others.

If you need some help on picking a word for you to focus on for 2020, Dayspring has a short 7 questions quiz that might help you.

Dear Lord,

Thank You for sending Your Precious Son, Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit inside of me that enables me to have the same attitude Christ had. I ask that You impress on my heart what You would like me to focus on for 2020 that will bring me closer to You. Help me to grow spiritually as I dig deeper into Your Word. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen.

December Memory Verse

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”—Isaiah 43:18

If you were memorizing Isaiah 43:18 along with me, how did you do? Maybe 2019 was not a good year for you, if so, consider, writing out Isaiah 43:18 Try speaking out this scripture during 2020 as a reminder that God wants you to live in the here and now, not where you have been.

Please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.