Last Year's Advent Devotional

Last November I started looking into devotionals for my husband and I to do together during the Advent season. I found a variety of different types of devotionals but nothing that would fit into the schedule I wanted. So I decided to put a devotional together for my husband and I to do together once a week for the season of Advent.  Each devotional has a bible passage, a worship song and a prayer.  My husband and I made time on Sunday afternoons to do these devotionals together. We would sit together to talk about the passage, worship together and pray.

Here is last years devotional.

Week 1

Song: O come O come Emmanuel 

Passage: John 1:9-18

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

What does this scripture tell us?

What is God calling us to reflect on this week?

Prayer:

In this season of expectation we prepare to welcome Christ Jesus, Messiah

Into the bustle of our lives and the hard to find moments of solitude

We prepare to welcome Christ Jesus, messiah

Into our homes and situations along with friends and families

We prepare to welcome Christ Jesus, messiah

Into our hearts, and those often hidden parts of our lives

We prepare to welcome Christ Jesus, Messiah

For beneath the surface of your story is an inescapable fact you entered the world

As vulnerable as anyone of us in order to nail that vulnerability to the cross

Our fears our insecurities and our sins all that separate us from God

Exchanged by your grace for love

We cannot comprehend the reasoning only marvel that salvation comes to us

Through a baby born in a stable and reaches out to a world in need

In this season of anticipation

We prepare to welcome Christ Jesus, Messiah

Week 2

Song: Come thou Fount

Passage: Isaiah 11:1-10 

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

What does this scripture tell us?

What is God calling us to reflect on this week?

Prayer:

To you O Lord we bring our lives troubled broken or at ease

A sacrificial offering for you to use

Take away our selfishness

And teach us to love as you loved

Take away our sense of pride

And show us the meaning of humility

Take away our blindness

And show us the world through your eyes

Take away our greed

And teach us how to give as you gave

Show us your ways teach us your paths

That we might walk with you more closely our hand in your hand our feet in your footsteps

From the baby in a stable, to eternity Amen

Week 3

Song: O come all ye faithful 

Passage: Psalm 89:1-4 

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”

What does this scripture tell us?

What is God calling us to reflect on this week?

Prayer:

God of hope who brought love into this world

Be the love that dwells between us

God of hope who brought peace into this world

Be the peace that dwells between us

God of hope who brought joy into this world

Be the joy that dwells between us

God of hope the rock we stand upon be the center the focus of our lives

Always and particularly this advent time.

Week 4

Song: Mary did you know? 

Passage: Matthew 1:18-25 

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

What does this scripture tell us?

What is God calling us to reflect on this week?

Prayer:

This advent time we remember mary and joseph

Giving thanks for their faithfulness

Courage and obedience

Stepping out into the unknown

In the strength of your spirit

Playing their part

In the fulfilment of your plan

To bring your prodigal people home again

We pray that their example

Might be a pattern of our lives

That when your gentle whisper

Breaks through the clamour of this world

And into our small corner

We might be ready to listen and having listened

To act.

Christmas Day

Song: Joy to the World 

Passage: Luke 2:1-20 

 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

What does this scripture tell us?

What is God calling us to reflect on this week?

Prayer:

Shout for joy the whole earth

And everything within, Rejoice!

For light has come into the world

The mountains sing, the seas resound

To the praise of your name, Salvation

Once promised is here on earth

The angels song rings in the air a child has been born

Hallelujah! The savior of the world is here

I am excited to make Advent devotionals a yearly tradition where we slow down from the hustle and bustle of the season and look to forward to the celebration of the birth of our Savior. And I hope this inspires you to take time each week with your family to observe this special time.