4 Advent Prayers from Scripture

The Significance of the Incarnation

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (Psalm 46:10).

Today, ask God for a fresh revelation of the significance of the incarnation. Commit to Him in prayer, your desire to be still this Advent season and know that He is God:

Thank You Father that Jesus became flesh and lived among us, and that His glory was revealed! Father, thank You for sending Jesus, Your own Son, in the likeness of sinful man, to be a sin offering for me, providing the way for me to become Your child.  Jesus the Messiah is born!

You alone Lord Jesus are Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.  It is in You alone, Lord Jesus that all the fullness of God dwells, and through You alone that I have been reconciled to God because of Your shed blood on the cross! I confess Lord Jesus, that You alone are the way to God the Father, you alone are the truth and the life. No longer am I alienated from God, but instead, because of Your sacrifice for me, I am now presented as holy in the Father’s sight, without blemish and free from accusation! Help me I pray to continue in my faith, established and standing firm. Empower me by Your Spirit, to convey this “gospel-hope” to those around me. May the light of Jesus and the gospel so shine from my life to others that they will turn and glorify You Father.

Forgive me, I pray for the ways that I have allowed the light of Christ in me, to be diminished--for You have said Lord Jesus that if the light within me is darkness, how great is that darkness! You Lord Jesus, who is the light of the world, and has entrusted me with the light of the gospel--shine through me! 

Fill me with Your compassion for those around me, and help me to love like You love.  Destroy complacency and the desire for comfort in me. Change me that I might be willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of others and the gospel.  Open my eyes to the needs of those around me, and may I be one who invests in what is eternal.

By Your Spirit, may I always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that I have. You, Lord Jesus are my hope. But may I always do so with gentleness and respect, that the incarnation of the gospel may be lived out through me. As I enter this season, celebrating Your coming Lord Jesus--the first Advent, I pray that the wonder of Your coming to earth would capture my heart once again. Fill me with child-like awe and inexpressible joy. I ask this in Your mighty name.  The name of Jesus, Amen.

(John 1:14; Romans 8:3; John 1:12; Isaiah 9:6; John 14:6; Colossians 1:19-23; Matthew 5:16; Matthew 6:23; 1 John 2:15; Matthew 9:36; 1 Peter 3:15)

Wonderful Counselor 

Father, I praise You, for all things come from You! You are wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom! You have sent Jesus to be my Wonderful Counselor. Thank You that the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel and power rest on Him and that He is the One Who intercedes on my behalf before Your throne. Thank You for the instruction and counsel You give to me. May I always trust in You and not be dismayed by the circumstances that seem to have hemmed me in:

·       For the relationships in my life that are in disrepair, I ask for Your wisdom O God, and humility to serve others out of my love for You.

·       In the handling of my finances and in the circumstances I find myself, give me Your wisdom Father.

·       For the decisions that I face in the arena of life where You have placed me, I confess that apart from You I can do nothing and need Your wisdom Lord.

At the very depths of who I am may I have Your wisdom, that I might respond in each situation that I face as one who has listened to Your counsel.

Forgive me, I pray, for the times that I have been wise in my own eyes, for running ahead of You, or excluding You completely from decisions that I make. I have been foolish, forgive me O Lord.

By Your Spirit, help me to truly revere You, that wisdom may be found in me. May I reflect the likeness of Jesus and become a person of wisdom and godly counsel. I trust in You, Holy Spirit, to lead me and guide me in all truth, and I thank You, Father, that You will be a sure foundation for my times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. Remind me, I pray, that revering You is the key to this great treasure. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Isaiah 28:29; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 11:2; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; Psalm 16:9; Isaiah 28:16; James 1:5; Psalm 51:6; Proverbs 3:7; Psalm 111:10; Luke 4:18; Psalm 73:24; John 16:13; Isaiah 33:6

Peace, Be Still

Before you begin, ask God to reveal to your heart the ways that the enemy has robbed you of the peace that is yours because of Christ. Confess these things to Him and ask Him to pour out on you His peace that passes all understanding.  Ask Him to still the storms in your life and refocus your living.

I thank You Father, that Jesus Himself is my peace and that He has completely destroyed the barrier that separated me from You! How grateful I am that I have been reconciled to Him through His blood shed on the cross and now have peace with You.

Forgive me I pray, for the times that I do not cast my cares and anxieties onto You, but instead carry them myself and allow my heart to be weighed down and needlessly burdened. I ask that Your peace, which is beyond my ability to understand, guard my heart and my mind--cover me, because I am in Christ Jesus. I belong to You. Thank You Lord Jesus, for the peace that You give to me which is so very different than the fleeting attempts of the world to quiet my heart. Guard my heart by Your Holy Spirit, that I might not be afraid. Help me to learn to be still and know that You are God, to hear Your voice in the midst of the storms that I face saying “Peace, be still.” Keep me from fear and increase my faith. May my life be characterized by Your peace no matter what situation I might face, that You may be glorified in me and through me and receive the praise that is due Your name.

May I love Your Word that I might have great peace and not stumble.

May my mind be controlled by Your Holy Spirit and produce life and peace.

May Your strength and peace fill my life because I belong to You.

Lord Jesus, You are my Wonderful Counselor, You are Mighty God, the Everlasting Father incarnate and Prince of Peace! With You all things are possible. I invite You into the impossible situations of my life and ask that as I wait on You, You fill me with Your peace – for my hope is in You alone and I trust in Your great name.

(Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:20; Romans 5:1; 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:7; John 14:27; Psalm 46:10; Mark 4:35-41; Psalm 119:165; Romans 8:6; Psalm 29:11; Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 19:26)

Free Gift

Before you begin, meditate on this thought:  God has chosen to work through me.

Father how I thank You that because I have put my faith and trust in Christ, He has made me a new creation!  The old has gone--the new has come! This great redemptive work is from You Father, through Christ, for me!  My relationship with You has been made right and because of His finished work on the cross You do not hold my sin against me! Hallelujah! Praise Your holy name! (Pause and be thankful that Christ Jesus has saved you from your sin.)

Now Father I ask that You help me to understand what it means that because I am in Christ the message of reconciliation is lived out and proclaimed, through me!  May I be found worthy of the name “Ambassador of Christ” and faithfully implore others to be reconciled to You.

The free gift of salvation through Jesus that alone can make us to be the “righteousness of God” is good news that most around me need desperately to hear. I ask that You capture my heart again I pray, with the joy of this great salvation in You and open my lips that I might praise You and proclaim with great joy, the gospel message.  You are the God of all hope and I ask that I would overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit and continually be prepared to give the reason for the hope that I have in You. 

This day I ask You Wonderful Counselor, that You open my heart and mind and give me ears to hear what You would say to me, what You would speak through me. Make me increasingly sensitive to Your voice and gentle promptings, and give me a willing, submissive spirit that I might obey.

Mighty God, may Your power be evident through the way I live and conduct my life, that I would truly live and move and have my very being in You alone.

Everlasting Father may Your fatherly embrace and great love be expressed through my life. In my conversations and interactions with the world around me, be glorified I pray.  May Jesus be seen through me in such loving ways that many are drawn to Him.

Prince of Peace in the midst of this chaotic fearful world, may the peace of Christ be spread through my life. Increase my trust and hope in You that I in turn might minister to those around me who are as sheep without a shepherd.

Give me Your heart. Your eyes. Your ears, O Lord. That in all things I might respond as Jesus would, and be a worthy ambassador of the gospel. In the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, I pray. Amen.

(2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Psalm 51:12,15; Romans 15:13; 1 Peter 3:15; Acts 17:28; Matthew 5:16)

--These Advent prayers were written by Tiece L. King, the author of Pray the Word, a resource line of Scripture prayers.