In Luke 2:10, the angel announcing the impending birth of Christ to the shepherds tells them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."
The order of that is incredibly important. The angel tells the shepherds to first stop fearing what is in front of them—here, it's his own angelic presence—so that they can then hear the vital message that follows clearly.
He tells them to stop being afraid, so that they can focus on the joy of what is coming to pass.
That resonates loudly with the ministry that happens every day through Pregnancy Decision Line and our network of affiliated pregnancy centers.
The list of fears changes from client to client, but the underlying problem is the same. They are so focused on the fear that they miss the important message: that the new life growing is a celebratory event... despite any circumstances.
Maybe they've lost their joy. Situations can easily rob us of it without the foundational joy that comes of salvation. Of what that babe, grown to adulthood, did for us at the cross.
It is imperative that we look for opportunities to share the Gospel with everyone struggling with a pregnancy decision, so we can address their fears and reach them with a life-affirming message of abiding JOY.
Parents considering abortion because they think a child will steal the joy from their lives, that they would be awakened to the wonder of an innocent new life coming into being and find it to be a cause to celebrate.
Children born into difficult circumstances, that they would be profoundly aware from the earliest age of God's delight and joy in their existance, and blessed with a contagious spirit of joy that spreads to those around them.
Week 1, Hope: http://www.care-net.org/get-involved-blog/advent-2015-1-pray-for-hope
Week 2, Peace: http://www.care-net.org/get-involved-blog/advent-2015-2-pray-for-peace