Welcome to Lectio for Families. It’s the Advent season, the time when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and we are continuing with our series called ‘Voices of Advent’. This week we are listening to the voices of two very important women, Elizabeth and Mary.

Each day we will simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) together.
P: PAUSING to be still.
R: REJOICING with a Memory Verse and REFLECTING on some verses from the Bible.
A: ASKING God to help us and others.
Y: saying YES to God’s ways.

Pause

We start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.

Pause

Prayer of Welcome

Lord Jesus, we are excited to be celebrating Your birth this Christmas. Amongst all the busyness of this season – all the planning and the preparations – please help us to pause and be still. We open our ears to hear You now, and we prepare our hearts to receive You once again.

Rejoice

Memory Verse

We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:

God, help us to remember Your Word.

Reflect

Bible Reading

Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, was quite old when something surprising happened to her. Today, we’re REFLECTING on how Elizabeth responded to this surprise.

Read by Ruby
Luke 1:24-25
Later, Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and did not go out of her house for five months. Elizabeth said, ‘Look what the Lord has done for me! My people were ashamed of me, but now the Lord has taken away that shame.’
Luke 1:24-25 (NCV)

Back when the Bible was written women, like Elizabeth, who weren’t able to have children, were often looked down on, thought less of, and as it suggests in today’s passage, people were even ashamed of them. Elizabeth probably felt a bit ashamed too. But God loved her, and God had a plan that would change everything for her.

Maybe we feel a bit like Elizabeth sometimes. Maybe we think less of ourselves or we put ourselves down for some reason, or perhaps we feel ashamed. The good news is that God loves us and God wants to take away any shame that we feel, just like He did for Elizabeth.

Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Who is the oldest person we know? How old do we think they are?

• PAUSE the audio player now

Ask

ASK Prayers

Let’s pause for a moment. How are we feeling right now? Have we been putting ourselves down? Are we feeling ashamed about something? If so, let’s offer these feelings to God.

Loving God, we’re so grateful for Your great love for us. We ASK You to take away our shame – the feelings that we’re not good enough – and we ASK You to fill that space in our minds and our hearts with Your love.

• OPTIONAL: PAUSE the audio player now and pray

Let’s think of someone we know who might need to be reminded of God’s love for them today.

Loving God, we ASK You to be with our friends and our families. Help them to be open and honest with You. We ASK You to take away any shame that they may be feeling. Fill those spaces in their minds and hearts with Your great love.

• OPTIONAL: PAUSE the audio player now and pray

Yes

Bible Reading

As we read the Bible again, let’s listen for a word or a phrase that the Holy Spirit might want to say to us from today’s verses.

Luke 1:24-25
Later, Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and did not go out of her house for five months. Elizabeth said, ‘Look what the Lord has done for me! My people were ashamed of me, but now the Lord has taken away that shame.’
Luke 1:24-25 (NCV)

What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?

• OPTIONAL: PAUSE the audio player now and tell each other

YES Prayer

And now, let’s say YES to God together.

Loving God, we say YES to being filled with Your love, so that there’s no room in our lives at all for shame.

Memory Verse

After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:

Closing Prayer

Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.

Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.

Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.