Week: The Advent Voices - Men
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 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 Max
Matthew 1:23
[The angel said] ‘She will have a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which means God is with us.’
Matthew 1:23b (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on the actions of an old man called Simeon, who waited patiently for God to fulfil a promise He’d made to save the world.
Read by Max
Luke 2:26-30
Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord. The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to do what the law said they must do, Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God: ‘Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace as you said.With my own eyes I have seen your salvation.’
Luke 2:26-30 (NCV)
Talk about God’s perfect timing! Simeon had been waiting his whole life for God to fulfill a promise, even though he didn’t know exactly what the fulfillment would look like. And then, one day, the Holy Spirit gave Simeon a nudge… and so he went to the temple at exactly the moment when Mary and Joseph arrived with baby Jesus. And somehow Simeon knew, instantly, that this baby was what he’d been waiting for. This baby would save the world!
Seeing Jesus was the gift that Simeon had waited his whole life for. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What gifts are we looking forward to giving this Christmas? (Let’s try to think of one that doesn’t spoil a surprise for others in the room!)
Father God, thank you… thank you for sending Jesus, not just to fulfill Simeon’s lifelong hopes and dreams, but to save the whole world.
Lord Jesus, thank you for being born into the world with us. Thank you for living fully, for showing us how to truly love other people. Thank you for dying for us, so that we can be forgiven and set free. And thank you for rising again, and for offering us eternal life with you.
Holy Spirit, you are the great gift that Jesus promised when he rose again. ‘Wait here to receive the promise from the Father,’ (Acts 1:4) he said. And so, like Simeon, we wait for you. We ASK you to fill us with your presence. Help us to live like Jesus.
Simeon was an old man when he met Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the temple.
Loving Father, we ASK you to be with those we know who are a lot older than us! We thank you for them, for their love and kindness, their wisdom, their example to us. We ASK you to be especially close to those who, like Simeon, are still hoping and dreaming for something that hasn’t been fulfilled in their life yet. Encourage them, we pray.
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 2:26-30
Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord. The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to do what the law said they must do, Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God: ‘Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace as you said.With my own eyes I have seen your salvation.’
Luke 2:26-30 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Heavenly Father, we say YES to being patient, to waiting, even though it’s hard sometimes. We trust that you will do things, show us things, fulfill things and answer things at exactly the right time, just as you did for Simeon.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 1:23
[The angel said] ‘She will have a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which means God is with us.’
Matthew 1:23b (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.
Joy lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and her dog. She works for Bridgetown Church where she leads kids as they grow, learn, and have lots of fun. Joy loves gardening, summer camp, eating ice cream, and reading her favourite books, The Chronicles of Narnia.
Max is 9 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia with his older brother and mum and dad. He often rides his bike to school and enjoys being creative by drawing or building with Lego. Max is also learning how to play the electric guitar and loves turning it up loud!
