Week: The Advent Voices - Heaven
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 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 song the angels sang after they told the shepherds where to find the baby Jesus.
Read by Vera Lynn
Luke 2:13-14
Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying, ‘Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.’
Luke 2:13-14 (NCV)
When was the last time we heard a choir singing? Maybe it was at a show or an event at school? Or when was the last time we heard people singing together at a sporting event or a concert? Singing with hundreds of other people can move us to tears, or fill us with incredible joy and excitement.
And so… just imagine what it must have been like for the shepherds on that hillside as a very large group of angels suddenly appeared and started singing together! Maybe they were stunned into silence, or maybe they fell to the ground in awe and fear, or maybe they jumped around in delight?
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Which singer or group would we most like to see perform?
‘Give glory to God,’ sang the angels. To give glory means to give honour and praise – it means recognising when someone is or has done something amazing. So it’s like the angels were saying, ‘Recognise that God is amazing… and praise Him!’
Lord God, we join in with the angel’s song as we give You glory. You are amazing, and You do amazing things in our lives, and in the world.
The angels also sang about there being peace on Earth. Ultimately, that’s what God sent Jesus to do – to make peace on Earth, in every possible way.
Lord Jesus, we long for peace. The Bible describes You as the Prince of Peace, and so, especially during this Christmas season, we ASK You to bring peace to our families, peace in our communities, and peace around the world too.
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 2:13-14
Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying, ‘Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.’
Luke 2:13-14 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s use the angel’s song one more time, as we say YES to God together.
Almighty God, we say YES to giving You all the glory – You’re the only one who deserves honour and praise because You are amazing.
And we also say YES to peace. Peace where there is war and violence. Peace where people are arguing and upset with each other. Peace where people are suffering. Come, Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, our world needs You.
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.
