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 Jackson R
Matthew 1:23
‘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.
We’re REFLECTING on the story of Zechariah again today. After he regained his voice, he sang a song to praise and thank God.
Read by Jackson R
Luke 1:68-70, 75
[Zechariah sang] ‘Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to help his people and has given them freedom.
He has given us a powerful Savior from the family of God’s servant David.
He said that he would do this through his holy prophets who lived long ago: being holy and good before God as long as we live.’
Luke 1:68-70,75 (NCV)
Zechariah sang about God’s goodness and faithfulness, not just to Zechariah, but to all of those who had come before him. What good news! God comes to help. And God is powerful too! In his song, Zechariah says that God has given us a powerful Saviour, Jesus, and He has come to set people free!
It’s easy to forget to thank God when He answers our prayers, or simply to be grateful for the good things in our life. But Zechariah’s song is a great example of how we should respond to God’s goodness in our lives – by praising Him!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What are some of the good things in our lives we can praise God for today?
And now, we ASK God to help us and others.
Father God, we ASK You to remind us to give thanks for all You have done for us. Most of all we thank you for sending Jesus to be with us.
In today’s Bible reading, Zechariah sang about God setting people free. There are lots of people around the world today who aren’t free, and some of these are in prisons, simply because of what they believe.
God of freedom, we ASK You to be with those who have been imprisoned because of their faith, especially those who believe in Jesus. Give them courage and comfort right now. And we also ask for a miracle – set them free.
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 1:68-70, 75
[Zechariah sang] ‘Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to help his people and has given them freedom.
He has given us a powerful Savior from the family of God’s servant David.
He said that he would do this through his holy prophets who lived long ago: being holy and good before God as long as we live.’
Luke 1:68-70,75 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord God, You have called us to bring hope to the world around us. We say YES to using our voices to praise You – whether that be with songs, with words, or with writing. We want to share Your goodness and love in our lives.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 1:23
‘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.
Unathi lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband and 5 kids; and has a passion for seeing families thriving.
You’ll most likely find her homeschooling the tribe, reading, writing, or dreaming about the next DIY project.
She also loves good coffee, dark chocolate and hiking.
Jackson is 11 and lives with his younger brother and parents in Surrey. He loves pretty much all sport but his favourites are football, golf and jumping off high stuff into water! He enjoys gaming and is always ready to build something on Minecraft.
