The season of Advent is a time of waiting and watching… commemorating the anticipation of the Israelites awaiting the Messiah and remembering the promise that Jesus will one day return to take us to himself. But it is also a time to be extra mindful that the Lord wishes to come and make a home in our hearts this day and every day.
As we enter into this beautiful season of Advent, we wanted to provide you with a resource to help you enter more fully into this period of preparation through spending a little bit of time each day in prayer and reflection. If you do not already have one, we encourage you to get a journal or notebook that you can use throughout the entire season of Advent. Each day we will provide you with a passage of scripture from the readings for that day and a few reflection questions – we encourage you to take 10 minutes writing your thoughts and responses in your journal, and to conclude with a written prayer. We pray that by doing this, your mind and heart will be better prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th.
*You can print out this page, BELOW IN THE DOCUMENTS, for the week or bookmark it on your computer/phone.
Daily Reflections for the 4 th Week of Advent
SUNDAY (12/20)
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father” (Luke 1:31-32).
• Jesus is the culmination of God’s plan of salvation and the fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell with his people. How important is Jesus in your daily life? How often do you think of Jesus or talk about Jesus?
• What does it mean to live with Jesus as the center of your life?
MONDAY (12/21)
“The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love” (Zephaniah 3:17).
• In Jesus, God has shown us his desire to be in our midst and dwell among us. How aware are you of God’s presence throughout your day?
• What is your reaction to the idea that God “rejoices over you” and that he desires to “renew you in his love”?
TUESDAY (12/22)
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior… He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever” (Luke 1:46-47,54-55).
• Are you able to say with Mary, “my spirit rejoices in God my savior”? How has your faith and your relationship with God brought joy to your life?
• What things in your life hinder or distract you from living the joy of the Gospel? How can you maintain joy in the midst of difficulties?
WEDNESDAY (12/23)
“Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand” (Luke 21:28).
• Christmas is right around the corner. What are you most looking forward to in celebrating Christmas?
• How has Advent been for you? What can you do to share the joy of Christmas with others this year?
THURSDAY (12/24)
“In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78-79).
• Jesus is the light of the world, a light which the darkness cannot overcome. Considering this image of “light” - how has your life been illuminated by Jesus?
• How can God use you as a light in darkness, hope in the face of death, and peace in the midst of brokenness?
FRIDAY (12/25)
“I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
• MERRY CHRISTMAS! • “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). o Let us commit ourselves this year to be people of joy and hope as we seek to be God’s instruments of restoration in the salvation of the world.
Daily Reflections for the 3 rd Week of Advent
SUNDAY (12/13)
“May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
• How committed am I to growing in holiness?
• What steps can I take right now to follow Jesus more faithfully?
MONDAY (12/14)
“Teach me your ways, O Lord” (Psalm 25).
• What influence does the Gospel have on my opinions, judgements, decisions, and actions?
• What am I doing to learn how to think and act according to the way of the Lord? What else might God be calling me to right now?
TUESDAY (12/15)
“For then I will change and purify the lips of the peoples, that they all may call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one accord” (Zephaniah 3:9).
• Where is my life in need of purification? What things in my life stand in the way of serving God wholeheartedly?
• How willing am I to let God transform my heart and mind so that I can live more like Jesus?
WEDNESDAY (12/16)
“Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above, like gentle rain let the skies drop it down. Let the earth open and salvation bud forth; let justice also spring up (Isaiah 45:8).
• Where do I see brokenness and injustice in the world?
• How can I shine the light of faith, hope, and love into the darkness?
THURSDAY (12/17)
“Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever (Psalm 72).
• How does my life participate in God’s plan of salvation and restoration in the world?
• How does God want to use me as an instrument of peace in the world (in my family, in my workplace, in my community, etc.)?
FRIDAY (12/18)
“The angel said to Joseph… ‘Mary will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means God is with us (Matthew 1:21-23).
• Jesus is God himself who came to dwell with his people, demonstrating once and for all God’s desire to be truly with us… what is your reaction to this amazing love of God?
• As you prepare to celebrate Christmas, how can you share the joy of the Gospel with others this holiday season?
SATURDAY (12/19)
Speaking of John the Baptist, the Angel said, “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah… to prepare a people fit for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).
• God used John the Baptist to help prepare people’s heart to encounter the coming Messiah… how willing are you to let God use you to do the same for others?
• What do you think would attract people to the faith and help turn their hearts to the Lord?
Daily Reflections for the 2nd Week of Advent
*You can print out this page for the week or bookmark it on your computer/phone.
SUNDAY (12/6)
“What sort of persons ought you to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion… be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace” (2 Peter 3:11,14).
· How would you define holiness? What does holiness look like in daily life?
· What are the “spots or blemishes” in your life that hinder your growth in holiness?
MONDAY (12/7)
“Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” (Isaiah 35:3-4).
· How can your life be a source of hope, strength, and encouragement for others?
· What are the fears and anxieties that you experience in life? Where do you turn for strength and support?
TUESDAY (12/8)
“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word’” (Luke 1:38).
· Mary’s “yes” is our model of faith and trust in the Lord. Where is God asking you to trust him more right now?
· What role does Mary play in your spiritual life? What could you do to draw closer to Jesus through the Blessed Virgin Mary?
WEDNESDAY (12/9)
“Jesus said to the crowds: ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
· What burdens do you carry right now? How have you turned to the Lord to help you carry those burdens?
· How can learning to live like Jesus by being “humble of heart” bring “rest” to our souls?
THURSDAY (12/10)
“The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Psalm 145).
· When have you experienced the kindness and mercy of God in your life?
· Who in your life right now needs to know God’s kindness and mercy? How can the witness of your life help them discover the love and goodness of God?
FRIDAY (12/11)
“I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea” (Isaiah 48:17-18).
· What steps do you take to learn from the Lord what is good and the way you should live?
· Do you trust/believe that following the way of the Gospel will lead to your greatest good and happiness? Why or why not?
SATURDAY (12/12)
“Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed” (Revelation 12:10).
· With the coming of Jesus, the Kingdom of God is at hand and the time of renewal is upon us. How has your life been transformed and made new by God?
· How can we live as a “kingdom people” in our daily lives and help others come to know Jesus as Lord and King of creation?
Daily Reflections for the 1st Week of Advent
SUNDAY (11/29)
“Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways” (Isaiah 64:4).
· Am I mindful of the Lord in all my thoughts and actions?
· What do I need to do or change in order to more faithfully follow Jesus?
MONDAY (11/30)
“[Jesus] said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men’…and immediately they let their boat and their father and followed him” (Matthew 4:19,22).
· Where in my life is Jesus calling me to be a “fisher of men” and a witness to the good news of the Gospel?
· What might Jesus be asking me to let go of in order to follow him more closely?
TUESDAY (12/1)
“Turning to the disciples in private [Jesus] said, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it’” (Luke 10:23-24).
· How grateful am I for the gift and blessing of knowing the Lord and having a relationship with him?
· How can I more effectively share the joy of the Gospel in my daily life?
WEDNESDAY (12/2)
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us” (Isaiah 25:9).
· Consider your faith journey, where have you experienced the saving power of God?
· If you had 2 minutes to share the story of how you came to know Jesus in a personal way, what would you say?
THURSDAY (12/3)
“Jesus said, ‘Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock’” (Matthew 7:24-25)
· What am I doing to listen to Jesus’ words (prayer, scripture reading, etc.) and put them into action (virtue, obedience, etc.)?
· What areas of my life need to be set more firmly on the foundation of the Gospel (use of time, resources, speech, judgments, etc.)?
FRIDAY (12/4)
“Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I can do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘Let it be done for you according to your faith’” (Matthew 9:28-29).
· Where do I struggle in believing that Jesus has the power and the desire to do great things in my life?
· What is it that I want to ask the Lord for right now?
SATURDAY (12/5)
“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give” (Matthew 10:8).
· What do you think Jesus meant when he said, “without cost you have received?” What have we received from the Lord?
· How have you responded to God’s gifts through service and generosity to others?