As Christians across the globe gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, many partake in various traditions that invoke a time of reflection and peace. Advent is a four-week season in the Church calendar dedicated to anticipating the arrival, or “advent,” of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-awaited Messiah and King. While this tradition was instituted many centuries ago, Advent is celebrated by Christians from many backgrounds to reflect on the hope, peace, love, and joy that came when Christ was born. And while their practices may look different, all focus on the hope-filled arrival of Jesus. Understanding the significance of this special season, many partake in various prayers, days of worship, hold special church services and even read portions of scripture to commemorate the arrival of Jesus on Earth.
For many, the Advent season also provides a chance to bring families together. According to Focus on the Family, during Advent, pastors and church leaders can have a profound effect on those who have little or no hope, including family members who don’t know the gospel. When we partake in such traditions, families and children can have the opportunity to learn, ask questions, and reflect on the significance of Jesus, and ultimately, the true meaning of Christmas.
As a way to help those who may have never participated, we have collected seven easy prayers you can incorporate into your life this Advent season, as we ring in Christmas season this year.
A Prayer of Jesus’ Promise
From the Mozarabic Collect
O God, by your holy prophets, you promised that your only Son would come in the flesh for us and be born of a virgin. In these last days, you have fulfilled your Word. When he who came to redeem the world comes to be our judge, let us not be put to shame; through the merits of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer on the Birth of Jesus
From the Isaiah 9 and John 1
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9), “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth,” (John 1).
A Prayer to Clear Our Hearts for Christ’s Coming
From The Awe & Wonder of Advent by FTG Ministries
Father, just as You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus, help me to clear the path in my heart, too. Show me the distractions that block me from the worship of You this Advent. Lord, I await Your coming! As I celebrate the first Advent––the first coming––I look toward the day when I will see You face to face. I imagine what it will be like. Give me a heart, Lord, that looks for Your coming on a daily basis. Help me to live my life where I’m constantly seeking Your presence. My offering to You today is my righteous life. For I know I am only clean because of Jesus. Show me how I must be refined, purified, and forgiven today. Give me the strength to ask for forgiveness and then change my ways.
A Prayer to Prepare Our Hearts
From Wilhelm Loehe (1844)
O merciful God, you sent your eternal Word to take on human nature in the womb of the virgin Mary. Grant that your chosen people may put off fleshly desires to prepare their hearts for the visitation of your dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
A Prayer for Unity
From Unknown
In this Advent of expectation draws us together in unity, that our praise and worship might echo in these walls and also through our lives. In this Advent of expectation draws us together in mission, that the hope within might be the song we sing, and the melody of our lives. In this Advent of expectation draws us together in service, that the path we follow might lead us from a stable to a glimpse of eternity.
A Prayer for Hope
From Bible Study Tools
Father God, every word in scripture points to the gift of hope that we have because of Christ Jesus. The Christmas story wasn’t the beginning of that message of hope because the Old Testament is full of glimpses of your plan to redeem your people and restore them to a relationship with you, but we are able to truly begin to see and understand just how great your love for us is when we read the story of Jesus’ birth in scripture. Help us to see that you are with us. Nothing is too difficult, too messy, or too dirty for you. Jesus came to give us the gift of eternal life through the salvation that only you, our Heavenly Father, can give when we believe in your Son, repent of our sins, and confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That first Christmas, you gave us the gift of hope wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank you, Father, for your immeasurable gift. In Jesus’ precious name, we pray. Amen.
A Prayer of Joy
From Steph Raquel
Father God, we thank You and praise You today for the miracle of Your Son’s birth. Thank You for bringing great JOY to the whole world! Thank You for giving us the assurance that because You came to us in the form of a human, we who believe in Jesus can know with absolute certainty that we’ll spend eternity with You. We thank You, Lord, for the many reasons we have been given a merry Christmas. And we rejoice for each blessing. New life. New love. A home. A job. New opportunities. Second chances. And more. We know, Lord, that You bring the sun and the moon and set the stars in motion. You tell the ocean where to stop and the snow when to start. And we thank You for the mighty gift of Your creation. Thank You, Father, for spiritual leaders and faith-filled friends who keep encouraging us when we are close to giving up. And although we have many reasons to rejoice today, Lord, we also know December 25th can be not-so-merry for a whole host of reasons. We pray for those who are experiencing loss during Advent: relational, financial, spiritual and physical. We pray for those who are coping with loving a prodigal and our friends and family members whose hearts are far from You. We pray for those dealing with unemployment and addictions and chronic sickness… and unending pain and frustrations of all kinds. Thank You, Lord, that You are The Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace, even in the midst of our not-so-merry circumstances. Finally, Lord, we ask You to grant us peace. Peace in our homes, peace in our churches, and peace in our hearts, when the world all around us spins out of control. Help us to stay focused on You, this Advent season and always. Thank You for loving the whole world enough to send the greatest gift, Your Son, so that we might truly have a very merry Christmas. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
This advent season, we are delighted to join you in prayer as ACU Online reflects on the sovereignty and majesty of Jesus Christ, our Lord. For students who would like more information about Advent or are curious about the true meaning of Christmas, connect with our Office of Vocational Formation.
Our team would love to chat with you and give you any resources you need to better connect \ your career path with your spiritual calling in life. You can also visit our website for more details on our various programs, including theology and Biblical ministry.