Week: The Advent Voices - Heaven
As usual, 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.
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
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.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Vera Lynn
Luke 2:10
The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people.’
Luke 2:10 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we are REFLECTING on the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
Read by Vera Lynn
Luke 2:6-7
While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby, and she gave birth to her first son. Because there were no rooms left in the inn, she wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough.
Luke 2:6-7 (NCV)
Babies are fragile and vulnerable and they need their parents or their caregivers to provide everything for them. And this is exactly how Jesus made His entrance into the world. He could’ve done it very differently. He could’ve made His entrance as a mighty King with power and authority and armies of angels at His side – after all, He was the Son of God and the Saviour of the whole Universe! But instead Jesus came as a fragile and vulnerable baby, unable to walk or talk, helpless and… messy.
And He did this for one simple reason – because He loves us. The Bible says that God loved that world (that’s us, by the way) so much that He sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16 NCV). Jesus became human, just like us, so that we could see and experience God’s great love, and so that we could see and experience the very best way to be human too.
It’s Christmas Day, so let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What are our favourite things about Christmas Day?
In today’s Bible reading, Luke says Mary had to put baby Jesus in the animal’s feeding trough because there was no room for him anywhere else.
Lord Jesus, on this special day – on this day when we remember that You were born into the world as a helpless baby – we welcome You – there is room for You in our hearts and in our homes.
And Lord Jesus, we also pray for those in our families and amongst our friends who aren’t Christians, those who don’t yet know you. During this Christmas season – maybe even today – we ASK that they would open their hearts and their lives to You. We want them to receive You – the greatest gift of all – this Christmas.
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 2:6-7
While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby, and she gave birth to her first son. Because there were no rooms left in the inn, she wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough.
Luke 2:6-7 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, on this special day, we say YES to You once again – there is a room for You at the centre of our lives.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Luke 2:10
The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people.’
Luke 2:10 (NCV)
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.
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Vera Lynn is 10 years old and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, USA with her parents, sister, and dog Max. Her favourite hobbies include reading, knitting, sewing, and embroidery. She is very creative. Her favourite book is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis.
