More than ever before our nation feels divided, torn in little pieces and pockets of what we each want. At the end of the day it is all about what we feel like we need for ourselves and our families.

Most of the prayer requests I get on my my Facebook page have to do with these two basic issues: things we need and things those in our families need. Here are just a few from this week: healing from cancer, financial need, deliverance, good reports from the doctor, wayward children, raising grandchildren, educational needs, jobs, and emotional and mental stability.
In the requests posted this last Sunday, I noticed a remarkable thread. Every person was asking God, entreating God, to reveal Himself in some profound way in their lives.
Emmanuel
God, though, has already done that. Christmas is the time when we celebrate the fact that God revealed Himself to us in an unusual way. He became Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus who is like us, the Holy Spirit who is as close to us as our own skin. He came as a baby in an used, dirty, smelly back barn shed. He came in a lowly manner so that we could one day be exalted as God’s own children, should we choose to do that.
We celebrate this time of the year because God in His infinite wisdom sent us the only gift we need. This gift was a game changer. His name was, and is, Jesus!
This wasn’t just a nice idea to placate a people who were fighting for a way to God. This gift was the fulfillment of God’s plan to make a way to save His people from themselves.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get so caught up in what I want that I have a hard time asking, knowing and seeing what God has already given me. He’s given me a way to live beyond my human existence and tap into a realm that I don’t understand but I know is there.
God tells us in Psalm 139 that He saw us before we were born. Who were we before we were born? We existed in spirit. Then God made all the physical parts of us in order for our spirits to inhibit that very human body.
Our Futures
God knows our future. He’s already seen it. He gives us choices, but as the omni-present God He knows what choice we will choose. He gave us free-will and He will not intervene in path our choices take us. But He will lead us if we ask and allow Him to.
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book,” (Psalm 139:16 NLT). In the midst of the beautiful but chaotic hustle and bustle of Christmas I ask for but one gift this year. That is the gift of insight. I want the capacity to gain a deep intuitive understanding of God.
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I want the insight to be aware of where God is at work and to see the underlying truths God is revealing through history happening today.
I thank You, God, for the gift of Jesus, who lived in a human body and understands our physical condition better than we do ourselves.
Give us spiritual insight in how to do our small part in mending our ripped and torn world. Help us crave Your discernment regarding our words and actions each and every day. Are we tearing others apart by our words or are we being a part of God’s restorative work in the world today?
Oh, God, reveal Your motivations to us in this very minute. May Your motives and intentions become the very reason we exist here on earth today. Help us be a part of mending rather than tearing.

Teresa Shields Parker is a Christian weight loss author, coach, podcaster, and speaker, who has lost 250 pounds and kept it off since 2013. Her books include: “Reconnecting Jayne: Her Sister’s Support,” “Rebuilding Jayne: Her Father’s Protection,” “Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor,” “Sweet Grace Study Guide,” “Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle,” “Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds,” “Sweet Journey to Transformation: Practical Steps to Lose Weight and Live Healthy”, “Sweet Freedom: Losing Weight and Keeping It Off With God’s Help,” “Sweet Freedom Study Guide,” “Sweet Change: True Stories of Transformation,” “Sweet Hunger: Developing an Appetite for God,” and “Sweet Excuses: Stop Lying to Yourself & Start Losing Weight.” She also offers Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy and VIP intensive coaching. Don’t miss her weekly podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey, where she shares tips from her personal journey of losing weight and discovering healthy living. Contact her at [email protected].