But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. -Revelation 2:4. Do you remember your first love? You couldn't eat. You couldn't sleep. You couldn't think or talk about anything else. That is how it should be with the Lord. The passion between the Lord and us is the foundation for everything. Don't ever lose what brought you to Jesus.

Waiting is a hopeful anticipation and a deliberate alignment of our will with God’s perfect will. It is the beginning of our total dependency on God. Because He can do what no human can accomplish. Waiting shows God we are willing to be obedient and that we are sensitive to God’s guidance.

But those who wait in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. -Isaiah 40:31

God revealed His covenant progressively throughout the Old Testament, and these agreements reached their ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus. Thankfully, our New Covenant is so special because it is sealed by the blood of Jesus, which creates a permanent bond between God and us. His blood gives us the ability to inherit all the promises of God, and boldness and confidence when we seek Him.

Throughout the Old Testament, there was a progression of covenants with the Fathers of our Faith, leading up to our final covenant with Jesus. Even though we don't think in terms of covenants much today in the Old Testament, a covenant, specifically a blood covenant, was the most powerful and binding agreement known to man. It was a permanent joining of two people, two families, or two groups of people. This is exactly how much God wants to be in covenant with us.

If we don't have a revelation of our covenant with God, we will never have the boldness to operate in what has been given to us. A biblical blood covenant is a permanent, sacred union between two parties. We are familiar with temporary contracts today, but that is not how God does things. Our covenant involves His life and our life becoming one. And as believers, we are joined with God through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

Prayer should not be ritualistic or religious. It is a relationship with God, and prayer is the time we get in tune with the Master. Thankfully, Jesus does give us an outline in Matthew 6 for how to pray, but it is meant to be much deeper than just repeating the Lord's Prayer. Prayer is where the Father's heart and way of thinking overtake our own. It is a place where we find belonging in the Lord. Prayer is not a religious checklist, but an encounter with God and His Word that changes us.

Many years ago, as a young mother, Peggy Joyce attempted to witness to her neighbor only to end up questioning her own faith. The next eight years were filled with paralyzing fears and depression. Most pastors and the psychological world had given up entirely, but God had a different plan. (Also available in book form, Tormented 8 Years and Back.)

The story of Jesus' birth is more than just an event that happened in history; the Christmas story is meant to change the world. It is good news! The message of Salvation was first laid out in the Christmas Story. Jesus, our Savior, was born for each of us. For the first time, peace and goodwill were brought to the earth.