Lord,
Advent is before us. During this time, we reflect on the life of Your family—from the proclamation of the angel Gabriel to Your birth on that holy night. It is a time of grace when You give us a new opportunity to prepare our hearts for You.
Jesus, help us not to get stuck in feelings that cripple us and keep us trapped during times of trial. Let this not separate us from You or leave us tangled in our own self-focus.
- Eckhardt, John (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Merciful God, replace all the negativity in our hearts and minds with the genuine hope we are so thirsty and hungry for. May the hope of Your coming transform our closest relationships, as well as those in our community, nation, and world.
As we wait for Christ, our experience during this time may seem to echo Jesus’s prophecy:
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
Luke 21:25-26
Lord, You have warned us of great and terrible things, not so we would fear these great events, but so we would understand they are a part of our experience—something that is certain to happen. You also wanted to prepare us and encourage us in these times. We have nothing to fear with You because You are above everything.
You call us to prepare our hearts for Your coming so we will be ready for You
“At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Luke 21:27-28
I anticipate Your coming and look forward to meeting You. I don’t know when we will meet face-to-face or what that meeting will be like.
However, I can take a step toward this happy reunion right now, during this Advent season of preparation.
You want me to rethink who I am and what I believe in. Thus, I can reflect on what You mean to me as my Savior, what place I want to give You in my life, and what I have given You so far.
I can reflect on Your conception, your time of growth in the womb, and the challenges and changes Your family experienced before Your birth. In this way, I can realize that nothing in life is stable, constant, or perfect.
Everything changes, yet what remains is God, merciful and faithful in His promises. Your earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, witnessed this too.
Like Mary and Joseph, my parents accepted me and the circumstances in which I was born, and sent me into the world. You created me with my own purpose in the time and place I was born into.
Dear Jesus, send the Holy Spirit to help me truly understand the meaning of your birth. Let me delve into my own story, where I can understand You through reflecting on my mother’s pregnancy and embracing all the nuances of my childhood.
May the members of the Holy Family become my companions this Advent. As their child brought salvation and hope to so many people, let me trust that You want to bring hope to me and others through my circumstances.
Just as every grain sown needs the right time and conditions to develop, my actions and the relationships I cultivate will yield Your fruit according to Your perfect schedule.
Let me reflect with Joseph on my acts of faithfulness to You and the way I help others. How open am I for God to use me in their lives? Am I willing to change my thoughts and feelings to fit God’s will, or do I prefer to do things my own way, the old way?
Lord, you invite me to give up those habits that prevent me from being closer to You:
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.”
Luke 21:34
Lord, let me hand over to You all that is part of my past and my family. Come into my heart and shape me anew.
When, if not now, is the right time to embark on a new path? Let me strengthen my trust in the Father and choose to come to You, Jesus. Remind me not to believe the lie that nothing can be changed—a lie that drives my thoughts and beliefs into hopelessness and passivity.
Lord, You were born to bring much-needed hope to this world. Let me accept it in all abundance. Form in me the ability to accept what comes and move forward.
Jesus, create a peaceful silence in our hearts. Draw us to Yourself so we can hear You. May Your call to prayer strengthen our longing to see You again:
“For it [Jesus’s return] will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:35-36
Amen.
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