Coming up to Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to involve new prayers in 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. 

A Brief History Of Advent

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 about remembering the light of the word coming to save us during the darkest period of the year. 

Prayers For Advent: What Are We Praying For? 

As you pray during Advent keep two things in mind: gratitude that Jesus came and gave everything to save us. And, awe that He will come again to renew and restore our whole world.

Thank You For Coming 

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 click with yet? 

Day in, day out, we face things that challenge us. In these moments, especially in the frantic busyness of holiday preparations, remember that God gave 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. 

We Await Your Coming 

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; in 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 also still having 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.

Prayers For Advent: A Prayer For You And Your Family

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 center 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. 

Father as we sit together as a family this Advent, we remember that You sent Your only Son to die, so that You could make us Your family once again. 

Thank You for all You’ve given us Lord God. 

Amen

Prayers For Advent: A Prayer For Your Quiet Time

Dear God, 

As my weeks grow busy and full of shopping trips, social events and preparation, I ask You now to help me to stay focused on You. 

Please make sure that my celebration of Christmas doesn’t get in the way of my remembering everything You did for me. 

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

Prayers For Advent: A Prayer For The Disappointed 

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 by. I’ve prayed so many prayers that I haven’t seen 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, 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 of Your goodness and expectant that You will move. 

Draw me close, God, and show me how You see things. When I see unanswered prayers, reveal to me what You see, what is is You’re doing. 

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

Prayers For Advent: A Prayer For The New Believer 

Dear Jesus,

I feel like I’m only just getting 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 alone is incredible. 

This advent I ask that I would experience Christmas as never before. Instead of just indulging in a fun holiday, please give me understanding of what this day means. 

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

Photo by Iiya Bronskiy on unsplash

Photo by Haseeb Jamil on unsplash