Praying To Live Well With Jesus Who Is The Reason For The Season

This is the Second Sunday of Advent.  We light the second candle this week – the candle of “Faith.”

Jesus left heaven and came to earth, born as a baby (which we celebrate at Christmas), died for our sins (which we celebrate on Good Friday), rose again from the dead (which we celebrate on Easter Sunday), and promises to come again to take us to live with Him forever in heaven (which is part of what we remember and celebrate during this Advent season.)  This is the faith we pray in today. 

Heavenly Father, we’re so glad to know that You came to earth, as the Light of the world  - came to earth as a baby to become the Redeemer of mankind, to give Your life for a lost world and to pour peace and hope into the hearts of a people who were estranged God.

We pray today that our lives may reflect this great love of Jesus.   As we look back in time to the first Advent of our Lord and Saviour, help us also to remember that there is a future Advent, a second coming and to do all that is our part to be ready for that great day.

With Paul in the Bible we pray:

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.  Philippians 1:9-11

We want to grow in our love for You, for one another, and for those who don’t yet know You.  We want to practice each day hearing Your voice and finding out what You are doing and how we can be part of that because we know that’s what is the absolute best for us.

Give us discernment to hear Your voice, faith to believe that Your way is best, and courage and strength to take action so our lives, as the prayer said, “are filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.”

So in this season of anticipation and celebration, of noise and busyness, we pray to find quiet moments of solitude and prayer so we give You a welcome, Lord Jesus.  Moment by moment, day by day, on our own or with families and friends, help us to make space for You. 

We want that famous little saying, “Jesus is the reason for the season” to really be true in how we live each day as we move towards Christmas Day.  Help us, we pray.  Amen