Short Christmas Devotions

Whether it’s at dinner on Christmas Eve, before opening presents on Christmas Day, or waking up on December 26, reading a short Christmas devotion is a great way to focus our hearts and minds on the true meaning of the season.

Each devotion from Today contains a short Bible verse, reflection, and prayer. Listed below are five short Christmas devotions each for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and for the day after Christmas (Boxing Day) as you celebrate the birth of Jesus:

Five devotions for Christmas Eve:

1. What Does It Take to Celebrate?

What does it take to truly celebrate Christmas? “To believe what is completely unbelievable to many people, to accept God’s will for our lives, and to place ourselves in God’s service.”

2. God's Pondering Servant

“It’s Christmas Eve tonight. Are you willing to take God at his word, no matter your circumstances, and believe in Jesus as your Savior?”

3. Promised Hope

“Jesus rules the whole world, and his rule is one of peace. That news is light for a darkened world.”

4. Last Minute

“On this Christmas Eve, may we set aside our busyness and simply enjoy the gifts God has given us. May we be ready to rest in God’s goodness as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.”

5. ‘Silent Night! Holy Night!’

“The baby born in Bethlehem has signifi­cance for the whole world. He is the Savior, the one who saves us from our sins.”

Five devotions for Christmas Day:

1. Good News, Great Joy!

“Perhaps on this Christmas Day you are finding it difficult to feel joy. Perhaps there is an empty chair at your table. If so, the Christmas message is for you…”

2. Word Became Flesh

“Dear brothers and sisters, this is the great mystery of Christmas: Almighty God became a helpless infant. Because of the Word—Jesus in the flesh—we are not alone on our journey.”

3. Firstborn Son

“Let’s marvel that in this little bundle lies the power that will change our lives—and this world—forever.”

4. Terrified Shepherds

“The invitation still stands: Come to Bethlehem. Come and be a part of something new: a new king, a new kingdom, a new way of life.”

5. Hope Fulfilled

“The purpose of the Messiah’s coming was to bring God’s love to lowly people like us and to fulfill the hopes and dreams of lowly people like us.”

Five devotions for the day after Christmas:

1. Did You See the Savior?

“Many of us have now celebrated Christmas. We’ve had parties and exchanged gifts. And we need to ask ourselves, Did we see the Savior, or did we just go through the motions?”

2. Letting Go and Looking Ahead

“Christmas is past. We too must be ready to move on. Before we do, though, let me ask, ‘Have you seen Jesus, the Savior of the world?’”

3. Light of Hope

“In this season after Christmas, we rejoice in the fact that Jesus was born. We rejoice that God loved the world enough to send his only Son.”

4. Dressed to Serve

“Jesus indicates that we honor him best when we dress down and serve others—and not just on the day after Christmas.”

5. Holding On

“Every year I try to hold on to Christmas for a little while longer… Though we cannot stay at the manger, there are ways we can hold on to Christmas.”

Wherever you find yourself this Christmas season, we pray that you will be refreshed, refocused, and renewed in your spirit by “the good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10).

Explore more Christmas devotions for every occasion from Today.