Coming up to Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to incorporate new prayers into your routine. These four prayers for Advent are beautiful, meaningful verses that can enhance your time as a family or church this holiday season.
Use these prayers when you eat together with your family, or involve them in your next church service. However you use them, let their words add fresh poignance and beauty to your time with God this December.
Advent, which comes from the Latin word ‘advents’ means ‘coming’. Advent traditionally covers a period of preparation before the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on Christmas Day. It also marks a period of preparation for the second coming of Christ. For most Western churches, Advent begins on the first Sunday in December.
Most historians agree that marking Christmas Day as a celebration of Jesus’ birth happened because the day falls during the December solstice. There’s a real poignance to remembering the light of the word coming to save us during the darkest period of the year. Our prayer is that whatever Christmas has been for you so far, you will know the deep and perfect Shalom peace of your Saviour.
As you pray during Advent, keep two things in mind: Firstly, choose a posture of gratitude that Jesus came and gave everything to save us. Secondly, pray that He will make Himself known to you and the people you love and interact with this Christmas.
Remembering that God gave His only Son to die for us is a powerful perspective shifter.
We know how hard it is when we get weighed down and overwhelmed by life. Are you struggling with work? Or maybe your family? Are you single and desperately waiting for a partner? Or a couple waiting for a baby? Maybe you haven’t found a church community you really like yet.
Day in and day out, we face things that challenge us. In these moments, especially in the frantic busyness of holiday preparations, remember that God gave us everything to make us His family. God sacrificed His son in order to be close to us again.
Go into the Advent season with gratitude that Jesus came for us.
Today we live in the tension of God’s kingdom having come but coming still. Jesus’ death over victory was complete and final; "it is finished." He cried on the cross.
But we still live in a fallen, broken world. We still see the impact of sin in death, disease, decay, pain, hurt, and grief.
Until God restores this world to the Eden He created for us to live in uninterrupted harmony together with Him, we must live in tension. We live in the tension of having been rescued and redeemed, but we also still have to live disciplined lives of repentance and of seeking God.
During Advent, we can look eagerly ahead to the day when Jesus comes again. As we count down to the joy of Christmas Day and all the blessings it brings, we can remind ourselves to live in expectation of our King coming soon.
Jesus, thank you for the blessing of our family.
We ask that this Advent season and all it holds will bring us closer than ever. Please bless us with rich times at the table together, with inspired gift ideas, and with times of great joy.
As we gather together, God, we ask for You to be at the centre of all we do. Draw us to you as we eat, relax, and play this December.
Let there be reconciliation in tense, broken relationships. God, let there be healing where hurt has occurred.
Thank you for all you’ve given us, Lord God.
Amen
Dear God,
As my weeks grow busy and full of shopping trips, social events, and preparation, I ask you now to help me stay focused on what's most important over this Christmas period.
God, as I sit here and connect with You, I ask You to fill me anew with Your grace, Your peace, and Your joy.
As I meet with people this Advent season, let me point them towards You, glorifying You and demonstrating Your goodness.
Amen
Dear God,
I find this time of year so hard. As the year closes, I can’t help but think about all of the things I’m disappointed in. I’ve prayed so many prayers that I haven’t seen any answered. I’ve felt such pain and had so many truly hard days.
This Advent season, God, I ask you to minister to my heart. I need a fresh experience of your comfort, God. Please remind me of your love for me and show me in small but palpable ways this whole month.
God, I know You are King of all. I trust You, and I want to go into next year feeling confident in Your goodness and expecting that You will move.
Draw me close, God, and show me how you see things. Tell me what You see and what You are doing when I see prayers that have not been answered.
I ask God that You will turn my mourning into dancing, my tears into joy, and for this Christmas to be one where I experience You as never before.
Amen
Dear Jesus,
I feel like I’m only beginning to get to grips with my faith. There’s still so much for me to learn about you. I know that my life is better with You in it, and I know that You love me.
This Advent, I ask that I experience Christmas as never before. Please give me an understanding of what this day means and help me to experience your peace.
I want to go deeper with You and grasp hold of Your plan for my life. Over Advent, please speak to me, God, and reveal Your purpose in me.
Amen
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