Week: Voices of Advent
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.
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’re looking forward to celebrating Your birth this Christmas. Help us to be still amongst all the planning and the preparations, to rest in Your presence and remember what and who we are celebrating.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Selah
Luke 1:46-47
Then Mary said, ‘My soul praises the Lord; my heart rejoices in God my Savior.’
Luke 1:46-47 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today we’re REFLECTING on the moment when the angel told Mary she was going to give birth to a very special baby.
Read by Selah
Luke 1:30-34
But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be?’ Mary asked the angel.
Luke 1:30-34a (NIVUK)
Mary must have been pretty shocked. First, she found herself face to face with an angel – this was not something that happened every day! – and then the angel told her that she was going to have a baby, and that she must call the baby Jesus, which means ‘Saviour’ or ‘Rescuer’.
Maybe Mary didn’t think that she was important enough for God to choose her and use her. Maybe she felt like she was too young. But God still cared for her and chose her anyway. God chose this ordinary, young girl, to be the mother of His Son, Jesus, the saviour and rescuer of the world – not just the people, but the planet too. In fact, the whole Universe!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Have we ever saved or rescued something? Maybe a lost animal, or a tired bee? Maybe something that someone was going to throw away?
Sometimes we feel like we’re too young (or too old) for God to use us. Maybe we feel like we’re not clever enough for Him, or like we don’t know the right people or have the right friends. Let’s tell God how we’re feeling.
Loving Father, the Bible says that we don’t actually choose You, but You choose us. (John 15:16) We thank You for showing how much You care for us by choosing us.
Let’s think about something that seems to be going wrong in the world at the moment. What needs rescuing or saving?
Lord Jesus, You are the Saviour of the whole world. We ASK You to put things right.
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 1:30-34
But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be?’ Mary asked the angel.
Luke 1:30-34a (NIVUK)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
Let’s close our eyes and remember that when God sent Jesus to rescue the whole world, God also sent Jesus to rescue us.
Father God, we thank you that You sent Jesus to rescue us – we say YES to being saved by you.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Luke 1:46-47
Then Mary said, ‘My soul praises the Lord; my heart rejoices in God my Savior.’
Luke 1:46-47 (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.
Selah is 14 and she lives in the middle of The USA in Kansas City, with her parents, sisters and dogs. Selah loves adventures and plays (and watches) all kinds of sports. She also enjoys science and likes inventing and building things…especially if they help others in some way.
