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Intention

To pray that all those that have grieved, strayed or feel far from God receive the incredible gift of grace and salvation wrapped in your incomparable mercy and love.

Scripture

“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

– Psalm 51:17

Reflection

With Christmas on the horizon and presents under the tree, I sat to reflect on the season, and the less ‘tangible’ gifts of mercy and grace. I pondered the four-year-old in our home — her wide-eyed expressions at glimmering lights and beautiful gifts under the tree promising the hope of fulfilled desires.

I also considered how great a gift this child herself is. Not just because she’s our granddaughter or possesses many charming qualities. She is a miracle of mercy. Despite many difficult circumstances and pressures, her mother inherently understood the value of life and chose to see her pregnancy through, bringing this beautiful girl into the world. Ultimately, my husband and I became carers to this precious child in her first year and now share both the immense responsibility and privilege of raising her. She is a gift.

Decades earlier, during a string of poor choices and backsliding, I had terminated an unplanned pregnancy. Later, even after returning to my childhood faith, I became a believer who spent many years in the ‘wilderness’ of self-loathing, condemnation, and spiritual and emotional turmoil. Essentially my destiny in Christ felt derailed and my spirit crushed for a long time. Guilt, fear and despair became constant companions.

I suspect there are many like me, both believers and non-believers alike, who have succumbed to the lie that grace and mercy are no longer available to them — that redemption and hope are lost. Some may not be far on that journey, while others have walked the road a long while.

But, back to Christmas! You may be familiar with the ancient notion of misbehaving children receiving a lump of coal on Christmas morning, rather than a lovely present. This idea suggests a relationship between performance and punishment.

Imagine this in contrast: a Christmas tree with a beautifully wrapped gift sitting underneath, and your name on the tag. I like to consider it through the following analogy. The tree represents the cross of Christ — the symbol of redemption bought for us through Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. Under the tree is a gift we did nothing to deserve – grace. The further beauty of wrapping and bow — mercy: the absence of punishment and scorn that we might rightly have expected given our behaviour and choices.

Instead of a lump of coal, we are presented with compassion and amazing love, along with an invitation to a deeper knowledge of and relationship with our creator, saviour and redeemer. That’s grace and mercy under the lit up (revealed) power of the cross (tree).

Yet, we have choices. We can reject the gift or even open it and then forget about it. As a child, I readily opened the gift of grace, accepting salvation and eagerly attempting, albeit in my own flesh, to be worthy of the gift. As life continued with its twists and turns, my series of poor choices and resulting cage of condemnation saw me set aside the gift I had once willingly unwrapped.

I no longer expected a gift under the tree, yet happily accepted that shiny gifts of mercy and grace were still available to others. Eventually, I considered the ‘tree’ (cross of Christ) still held something for me underneath, but anticipated a ‘lump of coal’ may be waiting inside! After all, I felt not just unworthy, but like retribution and justice were due from the Lord. Fear and guilt prevailed year after year.

Oh, but mercy! Oh, but grace! What a good Father we have, who gives undeserved good gifts to his children, and extends kindness and compassion. As Matthew 7:11 says, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

As we also see in Exodus 34:6, even after the Israelites, God’s chosen people, had gravely disobeyed and disappointed him, he passes in front of Moses on the mountain, declaring of himself “… The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Unlike Father Christmas, our Heavenly Father gives good gifts.

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Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

May all those who have grieved you, strayed or feel far from you receive the incredible gift of grace and salvation wrapped in your incomparable mercy and love.

Help us take this afresh by faith and invite us back into the fullness of relationship and joy in you that results in a holy, reverent and self-motivated obedience born of understanding who you are and what you have done. Show us our identity in you and use your grace to continually transform us into your likeness!

Author Bio

Brooke Mason is author of The Forever Bride: Journey on the Road to Redemption. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and primary school teacher living in Adelaide, Australia. Her passion is to see people grow into their true stature in Christ. She aims to use her writing to connect others with God’s love, power and grace, and to encourage them to grow in their faith and identity in him.

Prayer Points for 21 Days for Life 2026

1. The Holy Spirit to transform our culture so that the shedding of this innocent blood becomes unthinkable in Australia. (Micah 6:7–8)
2. The Church be one, praying and advocating for the unborn. (John 17:21)
3. Each church across Australia to become a trusted place of mercy and redemption, so that anyone experiencing an unexpected pregnancy or who has been wounded by abortion will find help, hope and healing. For every church to be an effective House of Refuge for the unborn and their families, and Hubs of Love to be established in every city and town in the nation. (Hebrews 4:16)
4. Those considering or wounded by abortion to receive compassionate and confidential care by contacting Pregnancy Help Australia or visiting a life-affirming pregnancy centre. (Exodus 15:26)
5. Walks for life to flourish in every state and territory as a public witness. (Matthew 5:14–16)
6. Australians to vote for and elect bold MPs who’ll stand for and champion the sanctity of life. (Psalm 139:13–16)

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