Christmas Carol Devotional (with Affirmations for the Holidays!)

Last Christmas, I wrote another type of Christmas Carol Devotional centered on the Songs of Zechariah and Mary as they rejoiced in the Promise of Christmas.

Throughout this writing process, the most well-known portions of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” ran through my head “o’er and o’er”.

Christmas Worship

I’ve always enjoyed traditional Christmas hymns but it was within that writing period that I began seeing these traditional songs as beautiful expressions of worship.  Maybe like Zechariah, the hope of Christmas and devotion to prayer had become routine. 

When I sought out the full lyrics of this classic carol, I was blown away. Every line has rich meaning that redirects us to properly anticipating Christmas and rekindling our hope and joy!

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Christmas Carol Devotional

Before reading further, I encourage you to take pause and say a little prayer asking God to refresh the wonder of Christ’s love and it’s unmatched power to heal an aching heart.

This year’s Christmas Carol Devotional is centered on reminding your spirit of exactly why we celebrate this holiday and encourage you to bring your sacrifice of praise! 

 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing, A Christmas Carol Devotional

Hark the Herald Angels Sing was written by Charles Wesley and others in 1739. The melody was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840. 

Hark, the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled

“Listen! These angels are messengers from God and their appearance is a heavenly sign!”

This first verse lays out the good news held within the promise of Christmas. God, Immanuel, is coming to be with us. Let us all rest in knowing God is in our presence and we never have to live in separation unless it is by our own choice. Such mercy God has in store for us!

Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark, the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

God is with us and calls us near. Let us join the angels in celebration of our heavenly adoption. We have joy and we have it triumphantly!

Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb

After the world’s long anticipation the prophecies of the Immanuel, God with Us, being born of a virgin were coming to pass. God who was and is and is to come was born as one of us! 

This sentiment and the lyrics, just as they did in their own time period, resonate with us now. Creation’s longing for redemption prior to Jesus’s is mirrored in our own longing for Christ’s second coming. Our hope stirs faith that we will see good things in the land of the living (see Psalm 27:13-14)!

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail th’incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus our Emmanuel

Hark, the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

And not only has Christ come to serve us and redeem us, but this job is also pleasing to our Savior! This divesting of glory and title has been the plan all along and it is happening now.

Now for us, remaining here in the last days, “Listen! And bring God all glory and praise!”. Celebrate this season with all you have. Whether it be little or much, bring it and know God is pleased to dwell with you. The Story of Christmas makes it evident God will bridge any gap and overfill any short supply! 

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace
Hail the Son of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings

This message is meant for all! No blacklisting. No lines in the desert sand. No margins or boundaries. No red tape to limbo beneath or hurdles to jump.

Call it out! Affirm in your heart, this heaven-born Prince of Peace, this Son of Righteousness is the Light and Life we’ve needed, the Healing we’ve long-awaited. This gift is meant for all those before us, for our brothers and sisters now and those yet to be.  

Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth

Hark, the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

The Cosmic God has come small and mild, humbling himself as a baby so that we need not fear or resist. Acceptance of Immanuel brings good gifts here to us now and welcomes us to celebrate, fully enveloped in Love’s Pure Light for all of eternity. This Life Eternal is born in us the moment we Listen, Believe and Give Glory to the Son of God. 

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

This Desire has been planted in our hearts from the very beginning and is now ours to freely access!

Welcome, God! My heart posture is surrendered and I humbly welcome you. Thank you for becoming small in form that I need not fear nor doubt the vastness of your power.

Be the living Word in my heart. Stamp out and bruise anything in me that would rise up against your perfect ways. Let me never take my access to you for granted!

Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Tether my hearts to yours and show me who you are without limit, God. Display your power in bringing Life to all things. In Jesus, we receive mystic union, holistic union, righteous union with our Sovereign God (see John 14:20).

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.

Created in your image, God, come and finish the work of birthing Eternal Life. Let us now reflect you in body, mind and spirit. Erase any parts that are self-absorbed. Stamp your image in its place! What was created from dust includes death, but what is created from your spirit produces Life and Love Eternal (see 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 and 21-22, Romans 5:12-17). 

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart

Let me regain my nearness to you. Anything that was lost, redeem. Let me reflect you with clarity. Impart yourself into every bit, and transform me holistically! I believe in you. 

Amen and Amen. 

Christmas Carol Devotional Journal Prompt

Is there a line or two in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” or the Christmas Carol Devotional that prompt you to revel in God’s glory, celebrate the miracle of God, connect to others in shared hope or seek his peace more fervently? Maybe all of the above? After rekindling a humbled appreciation of God’s ache to reconcile us, what gifts of God are you challenged to extend to others? How does the Promise of Christmas create a more generous spirit in you? 

Write about it on paper or post it in your heart. And if you want to shout it out, just share in a comment below. I’d love to gush with you!

 

Holiday Affirmations

“Hark!” is one of my favorite carols for Christmas worship. Every line is so powerfully centering on God’s love for humanity. It gives me deeply rooted gratitude for the big-picture vision and the detail work of God’s plan. 

One way to keep this fire bright is to use positive daily affirmations. I’ve included several Christmas Carol Affirmations for the Holidays below!

These affirmations are general enough in nature, but all the same, very powerful. Similar to the One Prayer for Everything, these affirmations will have you covered from over the top wishlists to office parties and family gatherings, to traffic delays that make us impatient to intentionally slowing down for Advent Meditations. 

If you want a refresher on the lyrics, each song title is linked. And did you know Amazon Prime Music has an incredible Christmas Hymns playlist? It’s my favorite of late!

Silent Night, Holy Night

• In this busy season, I am able to rest. 
• I take every opportunity, even in the busiest times, to give and receive pure love. 
• I share God’s pure light in my words, attitude and actions. 
• My heart is calm. My spirit is bright. 
• I am energized by Love’s pure light. 

 

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

• This Christmas, I remember God’s light overcomes all darkness. 
• God’s presence brings me comfort and peace.
• Jesus was always the plan. 
• I rest in awareness of God’s order and plan.

 

Joy to the World

• I command my heart to repeat the sounding joy!
• God’s blessings flow beyond any obstacle, carving new paths through old hurts. 
• My top priority this season is to prepare God room and experience the Wonders of Holy Love. 

 

Oh, Holy Night

• My soul feels it’s worth full well!
• God’s light and love leads me to my Friend and Savior. 
• Jesus knows my every need. He loves me fully, even in my weakness. 
• I set an intention to love myself and love others. 
• God’s law is love and his gospel, peace. 
• Jesus replaces all of my chains with joy and gratitude.
• I am free to experience divine love, joy, and peace. 

 

Guided Christian Meditation

Enjoying the spiritual focus here? Holistic Faith Meditations are available for free delivery to your inbox every Monday! In addition to new emails each week, I also share my own personal Weekly Meditation Playlist so you have access to a curated list of guided Christian meditations to keep you grounded in truth all week. 

You can also sign up to join me for this year’s Advent Meditation Series, REMADE. Together, we’ll focus on how our world was remade through the disruptive love, hope, peace, and joy of Jesus Christ!