The Greatest Gift

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Today's devotional guide for families with small children is based on the December 21 piece on page 26 of the Wake Up to Joy booklet.

Light ALL FOUR candles!

Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
it's exciting to know
you are near!
Help us trust you.
Give us FAITH!

Read this Bible thought from Luke 1:45.
Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
When we believe
what God says,
we can be happy;
we can be blessed!

Talk to your child about being excited!
Are you excited for Christmas? What do you act like when you're excited? Can you show me?

Here's a story about being excited about Jesus!

Tell your child this Bible story from Luke 1:39-45. If you used yesterday's story about Mary and the angel Gabriel, tell your child that this is what happened next.
Mary was going to be the mother of Jesus! When she found out, she went to tell her family - especially her aunt Elizabeth. Elizabeth was going to have a baby too, and when Elizabeth heard Mary's voice, the baby inside Elizabeth tried to jump! Elizabeth's baby was excited!

Show me how you act when you're excited! Yes, that's what Elizabeth's baby wanted to do, but he was still inside Elizabeth, so all he could do was try to jump!

Elizabeth felt the baby jump inside her, and she said to Mary, "How wonderful! You are going to be the mother of Jesus!" She was excited too!

Elizabeth had already heard that an angel had visited Mary, and that Mary had said "yes" to being Jesus' mother. So Elizabeth said, "How good it is that you BELIEVED what the angel said! How good it is to TRUST what God says!"

Elizabeth and Mary didn't understand everything that was happening to them, but they believed God was doing good things in their lives! Even Elizabeth and her baby were excited! Jesus was going to be born!

Talk about how exciting it is that God came to earth to be with us and to save us. Talk about how exciting it is when people believe that God is near, that he will save them and help them. It's like being excited for Christmas!

When we believe God is near, do you know what it's called? It's called "faith!" We can't see God, but we know he is near. Let's pray that we will always believe it when God comes near to do good things!

Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
it's exciting to know
you are near!
Help us trust you.
Give us FAITH!
Add your own thoughts and prayers.

Read this Bible thought from Luke 1:45.
Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
When we believe
what God says,
we can be happy;
we can be blessed!

Put out the candles.