If you are dreading Christmas this year, you are not alone. Christmas can be a painful time for many people.

What can we do when Christmas hurts?

What do we need to remember when we feel depressed, sad, or full of despair in a season when other people are rejoicing?

Whatever is causing you pain this Christmas, you don’t need to deal with it by yourself. You can carry that pain to Jesus. He came to set you free, and He knows what to do to comfort your heart.

If you feel alone…

Maybe you have been single for a long time, and this Christmas you are starting to lose hope about the future. That is a hurt you can bring to Jesus. Be open with Him about your heart.

Doug Addison recently wrote, “Get real with God and talk from your heart. Be like a person having a conversation with a father or a friend.” You can do that with Jesus as you talk to Him about the hurt you’re feeling.

If you aren’t sure what to say, here’s a brief prayer that might help you:

Jesus, I am part of Your family. You are not just my Savior, but like the Bible says, You are also my close Brother and my Friend. Please surround me with Your presence, so my heart really becomes aware that I am not alone. Let me feel Your love this Christmas, so I can be healed. In Your name I pray.

If you are worried about the future…

Maybe you and your significant other are having some problems, and you’re not sure what the future holds. That is also a hurt you can bring to Jesus at the cross. Tell Him how you feel, and ask Him to comfort you.

Jesus, I am very aware that I don’t know what I am doing. I am not sure where to go next or how to make changes. But You do know what You are doing, and I am so very grateful that I get to trust You. Please lead me forward and help me to hear Your tender, steady voice. I bring You all my fears and set them at the foot of Your cross. In Your name I pray.

If you are waiting…

Maybe you have been waiting for God to do what He promised and bring you the spouse He has told you about. But you’ve been waiting a long time, and you’re starting to wonder if the promise will actually happen.

One very hard thing to do is trust the Lord when it looks like the promise is still far away. But over and over again in the Bible, those who decided to trust Him were successful. They won. They saw Him fulfill what He had promised. It really happened! Just like He said it would.

You can bring the pain of waiting to the Lord too.

Jesus, I come to You with the pain of waiting. I don’t know why I haven’t seen the fulfillment of this promise yet, but I choose to trust You anyway. In Your name I pray.

If you are scared of intimacy…

Are you scared of being in a serious relationship? Maybe you’ve been hurt in the past, or maybe the thought of this much intimacy with another person terrifies you.  

Many people struggle in dating relationships because they find themselves listening to certain fears. The enemy comes along and tries to tell them, “You’re making a mistake. You’re outside God’s will. You’re just setting yourself up to fail again.”

The voice of fear is painful, but you can bring this pain to Jesus at the cross. What are you scared of this Christmas? Talk to Him about it.

Jesus, this is what I am scared of. I am tired of being afraid of this. Would You heal this fear in me and help me to hear Your voice? In Your name I pray. 

There is a deeply calming, wonderful answer to all the questions and every place where you are aching. His name is Jesus.

If you are hurting during the holiday season, consider this thought: that you are celebrating the birth of the One who came to heal all your wounds and set you free forever. That is the simple meaning of Christmas. That is why we celebrate—because Jesus is the greatest gift of all. He is here for you, and He wants to draw you close and show you His love.

Merry Christmas, beloved child of God! Leon and I bless you with all our hearts, and we know the King has an amazing future in store for you. 

Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! To read more about His amazing, unending love, check out Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.