Category: Advent People

Saint Augustine, one of our early church fathers, who was a bishop of Hippo from 354 to 430 AD wrote this “Christmas Prayer”: 

Let the just rejoice,
for their Justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their Saviour is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free ones rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let all Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.

You can hear echoes of scripture from this prayer.

Luke 2:13-14 NIV – ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:20 NIV – The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Isaiah 61:1 NIV –
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

May our rejoicing in the Lord be contagious and may we “go” and proclaim the good news, for his saving, healing and freedom to be received by those in our cities and campuses.

Prayer: Father, we rejoice in you as we were the “poor”, “brokenhearted”, “captives” and “prisoners” that you came to seek and save. We ask that our hearts would be stirred to be in the prayers that you have for us so that many more lives can be brought into the rejoicing of this “good news.”  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s be renewed in our calling to live in God’s favor to “go” as we sing this version of “Go Tell It on The Mountain” by King & Country (click here).

– EK

Luke 1:28, 30, 38 NIV – ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” 

Billy Graham, a renowned American Evangelist, wrote about Mary in this way:

“And then notice Mary herself. She was young, probably not more than 16 years of age. She was a young woman of tremendous faith.

What kind of favor did she find? What were the results? Many of us would be reluctant today to claim that favor. She would go on a long and wearing journey to a small town. The pains of childbirth would come upon her in a stable. Then there would be the long trip to Egypt, the return to Nazareth, long years of obscurity and perhaps poverty. And she would see her Son crucified on a Roman cross. That was her calling; that was the favor of God upon Mary.

Some of you who are suffering, could it be a favor from God? Maybe this Christmas you are suffering…Whatever it is, it may be the favor of God in your life, because God is sovereign, and nothing happens to a believer by accident. When disappointments and heartbreaks come, that could be the favor of God—a steppingstone to a greater involvement with Christ and a great surrender to Him. God’s favor for a person or a nation may be bestowed not by affluence but in challenge, when faith is put to a costly test.”

(Billy Graham, adapted from The Hour of Decision, Dec. 26, 1982, and “Christmas: A time of Renewed Hope” message)

Prayer: Father, help me to trust in all the “favor” that I have already received in Christ and to stay, walking in your great “favor” over my life. With all my heart and life, I desire to be surrendered to your will as you have called me to be a servant of the Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s continue in our trust in the Lord as we sing “God, You’re So Good” by Passion (click here).

– EK

We had an incredible time of being led into worship by our middle schoolers this past Sunday.  Let’s read aloud the truths we received together again and be washed anew by the word of God.

John 3:16-17 NIRV – God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.  God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.

Psalm 36:5-9 NIV –
⁵ Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the skies.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
    your justice like the great deep.
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
⁷ How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ They feast on the abundance of your house;
    you give them drink from your river of delights.
⁹ For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.

2 Corinthians 4:5-6 NIV – For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, how great is your love over us, your church, your people.  We thank you for all the ways we have experienced your love and faithfulness in our lives, and we look forward to experiencing even more and deeper for the upcoming new year. We also pray that you will shine your light in the hearts of all our children (whether biological or spiritual) and that they will grow abundantly in the faithfulness of your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship to this song, “Oh What A Glorious Night” by Sidewalk Prophets (click here).

– EK

Psalm 98:4-6, 8-9 NIV –
⁴ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵ make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
⁶ with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
⁹ let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.

“Isaac Watts wrote ‘Joy to the World’ as Part Two of a meditation on Psalm 98. His title was: ‘The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.’

The song is indeed about the Christmas coming — and the present reigning, and the final future coming to renovate the world.

Here is what the reigning Savior does now. He rules. He compels (makes). The second three lines unpack the first. ‘Righteousness’ and ‘love’ correspond to ‘truth’ and ‘grace.’ He rules with truth and grace. And he compels the nations to come to terms with the truth and rightness of all he does, and the ever-present, ever-offered, ever-wonderful grace and love.

Jesus is King! Jesus is Savior! Jesus has conquered the curse! Jesus rules the nations! Ride on, King Jesus!”

(John Piper, Desiring God article, “World, Get With the Program: Joy! Joy! Joy!”)

Reflection: Let’s take a moment to consider our Lord’s present reigning in our lives.  This changes everything, and we can now live in his victory, grace, and love.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my king!  You are my Savior! You have conquered the curse!  You are reigning over all!  May I live in your victory, grace, and love, and may my life be a song, declaring the joy, joy, joy that you have brought into my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s close in prayer singing “Joy to the World (Joyful, Joyful) by Phil Wickham (click here).

– EK

Matthew 1:21, 23 NIV – ^21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

“What does Christmas mean to you? This Christmas, let it mean the birth of the Person of Jesus. He didn’t come just to be born; He came to die. His death was planned before the foundation of the world.

When he was dying on that cross, God laid upon Him your sins and mine. Because of that cross and the glorious resurrection, God can say to us today, ‘I forgive you.’

God revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus a reconciling love that rescues us from separation and loneliness.

At this Christmas season, you can be assured that Jesus Christ is here. He is here to give us hope, to forgive our sins, to give us a new song, to impart faith and to heal our spiritual wounds, if only we will let Him. You can go to bed tonight and know that your sins are forgiven and that you are ready to meet God.”

(Billy Graham, adapted from The Hour of Decision, Dec. 26, 1982, and “Christmas: A time of Renewed Hope” message)

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, I thank you for showing the depth of your love through the coming of Jesus, our Savior and Lord.  Thank you that I am assured that he is here with me, giving me hope for each day and placing a new song in my heart. I worship and praise you this Christmas. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship in singing this version of “O Come All Ye Faithful” by Kingdom Kids, Shane & Shane (click here).

– EK