You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Micah 5:2
A Prayer Rooted in God’s Unexpected Ways
Nicholas lived and served in Beit Jala near Bethlehem for three years. Given the nature of the world he lived in and how leaders in the world were chosen, it’s natural to think he might have reflected on how the God of the universe followed a different script.
Prayer and Leadership Formed by Humility
In the empire, leaders were fighting and squabbling with one another, tearing at each other with words and swords, doing everything they could to gain more power, more influence, and more followers. Their rulers were hardened men of war, soldiers who seized power . . . or politicians who turned secrets to their advantage, liars and manipulators.
A Prayer That Reflects Christ’s Humble Birth
But here in Bethlehem something different had taken place. God had sent his only Son as an infant—powerless, reliant on human beings to feed and shelter him. The king of Judah, the king of Israel, the king of the world, born in a humble little town, to a humble little family, in a humble little cave.
Did Nicholas dwell on this, think about it, let it sink deep into his heart and inform the way he thought about leadership? From what we know of how he used his positions of authority later in life, it seems that he did.
Prayer Inspired by the Meekness of Christ
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Nicholas knew that it wasn’t the men of hard words and bloody hands who would rule the world, not in the long run. And it was this little child, the God who humbled himself, who would ride meekly into Jerusalem on a donkey as the crowds shouted, “Save us now!”
How different from the way the world thought about leadership. God chose a small, insignificant place and an unknown family, and he chose that backwater town and a young, unmarried woman as central players in the most important birth in the history of humanity.
Nicholas learned how to keep himself small, how to be humble so that God would do great things in the world around him.
A Closing Prayer to Be Like Bethlehem
God, make me small. Make me humble. Teach me to be like Bethlehem . . . unremarkable except for the things that you do within me and through me. Teach me not to strive after worldly power, but to be content with the power that you provide in my life.
Adapted from Praying with Saint Nicholas: A Christmas Devotional by Matt Mikalatos, releasing in September 2025.
Matt Mikalatos is an award-winning author, and a former missionary and pastor. He’s the author of the recent graphic novel God with Us. He lives with his wife, three kids, and a very large rabbit named Bruce in the Portland, Oregon area. His most recent book, Praying with Saint Nicholas, releases from Tyndale Momentum in September 2026. Christmas is his favorite holiday.
