I was reading a devotional by my old college president and wanted to share it with you.  I have taken the liberty to change some of the words and the way it was written but the main remains the same:

The Christmas season is approaching, and we must prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming.  We have a tendency to come into His presence hurriedly, anxiously, and unprepared.  Could this be why so many miss Him and His coming?

I have read about an old Scottish Church’s communion service in which they considered spiritual preparation as paramount.  The believers who desired to take communion on Sunday were to go to a special mid-week service ahead of time so they would not come rushing over hastily into God’s presence.  The leadership of this church instituted this preparation service so people would come to communion ready to receive from God the grace that is needed for life’s circumstances.

The next few weeks should be a time of preparation for us.  In the midst of all the Christmas activity, there should be a dimension of our lives of spiritual hunger and thirst, a seeking of God.

We should be asking Jesus, “What do you want to say to me during this season?”  We should be saying to Him, “I want my heart, my mind, and my whole being to be open to Your Spirit during this Christmas season.”

We must be extremely careful about the priorities in our lives during this time.  There is going to be all the gift buying, all the family times (whether pleasant or not), all the church activities, all the kids programs – all these no doubt are very important.  However, the primary thing in our lives during this time should be our relationship with Immanuel – the One who came to dwell with us.