Prayer As We Enter Advent To Open Our Hearts To God

Advent

This is the first Sunday of Advent.  The word Advent means “Coming” and Advent is a season of the church year observed in many Christian denominations as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming.

Four Sundays before Christmas in homes and churches you can see an Advent wreath with 3 purple candles and 1 pink around the outside and a larger white one in the middle.  Some people vary the colours on the outside from all purpose or blue to all white.  The colour of the candles isn’t the main issue but opening our hearts and minds to remember and celebrate the Jesus truly is the reason for the season and we do need to have Him work in our hearts to get us ready to see Him face to face and to spend eternity with Him.

We begin our prayer today with the words of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist as he responded to what God showed Him about the coming of Jesus to be our Saviour:

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Luke 1:68-70

Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. Luke 1:71-73

We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.  Luke 1:74-75

And then let’s continue to pray with with brothers and sisters around the globe as we prepare our hearts before the Lord:

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Jesus, You are our eternal salvation, the unfailing light of the world. Light everlasting, You are truly our redemption. Grieving that the human race was perishing through the tempter's power, without leaving the heights, You came to the depths in your loving kindness. Readily taking our humanity by Your gracious will, You saved all earthly creatures, long since lost, Restoring joy to the world.

Redeem our souls and bodies, O Christ, and so possess us as Your shining dwellings. By Your first coming, make us righteous; at your second coming, set us free: so that, when the world is filled with light and you judge all things, we may be clad in spotless robes and follow in Your steps, O King, into the heavenly hall.

Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth.

We are grateful God that:

 a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Even though this is a very different season in which to celebrate, let’s set our hearts and minds to focus on what really matters and to give thanks.