Household Prayer for Advent 2017 A guide to praying at home during the Advent Season
Daily Prayer and Readings for Advent This simple form of daily prayer and Bible reading for Advent is a way for individuals and households to nurture faith and open their eyes and hearts to our Lord s promise in this holy season. The daily readings continue the story and theme from Sunday s reading. Some of the individual readings may be challenging in isolation, but read as part of the larger whole they tell the story of God s unfolding promise to his people. Daily readings for children from a children s bible are also suggested in this booklet. The Order of Daily Prayer for Advent (page 6-7) can be said at the kitchen table around a candle and/or an advent wreath, or quietly at one s desk over lunch, or as part of a morning or evening time of personal prayer. In addition to this daily prayer and Bible reading, we will have services of Evening Prayer at 7pm on Wednesday evenings during Advent. Also, each week Pastor Chris publishes a blogpost and a podcast reflecting on the reading for the upcoming week. Daily readings are also available on the New Joy mobile app. These spiritual practices daily prayer, weekly Evening Prayer, weekly Scripture reflection blogpost and podcast, and Sunday worship all work together as spiritual practices to nurture faith as we look in hope and expectation for our Lord s Advent among us. Page 2
Daily Readings for Advent & Christmas 2017 First Week of Advent: December 3-December 9 Sunday, Daniel 3:1, 8-30, Daniel: The Fiery Furnace Monday, Daniel 1:1-21, Four Israelites at the Babylonian Court Tuesday, Daniel 2:1-16, Nebuchadnezzar s Dream Wednesday, Daniel 2:17-23, God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar s Dream Thursday, Daniel 2:24-35, Daniel Interprets the Dream Friday, Daniel 2:36-45, Daniel Interprets the Dream Saturday, Daniel 2:46-49, Daniel and His Friends Promoted Second Week of Advent: December 10-December 16 Sunday, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ezekiel: Valley of Dry Bones Monday, Ezekiel 1:1-14, The Vision of the Chariot Tuesday, Ezekiel 1:15-28, The Vision of the Chariot Wednesday, Ezekiel 2:1-3:11, The Vision of the Scroll Thursday, Ezekiel 40:1-19, The Vision of the New Temple Friday, Ezekiel 40:20-37, The Vision of the New Temple Saturday, Ezekiel 40:38-47, The Vision of the New Temple Third Week of Advent: December 17-December 24 Sunday, Isaiah 55:1-11, Word Accomplishes God s Purpose Monday, Isaiah 40:1-11, God s People Are Comforted Tuesday, Isaiah 53:2-12, The Suffering Servant Wednesday, Isaiah 57:14-21, A Promise of Help and Healing Thursday, Isaiah 59:1-8, Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished Friday, Isaiah 61:1-11, The Good News of Deliverance Saturday, Isaiah 65:17-25, The Glorious New Creation Fourth Week of Advent, First Week of Christmas: December 24-30 Sunday, John 1:1-18, Word Made Flesh Monday, Luke 2:1-20, Birth of Jesus Tuesday, Luke 1:26-38, Birth of Jesus Foretold Wednesday, Matthew 2:1-12, Wise Men Thursday, Luke 2:21-32, Jesus Is Presented in the Temple Friday, Luke 2:33-40, Jesus Is Presented in the Temple Saturday, Luke 2:41-52, The Boy Jesus in the Temple Page 3
Second Week of Christmas, December 31-January 6 Sunday, John 1:19-34, A Voice in the Wilderness Monday, Psalm 32:1-2, The Joy of Forgiveness Tuesday, Psalm 32:3-4, The Joy of Forgiveness Wednesday, Psalm 32:5, The Joy of Forgiveness Thursday, Psalm 32:6-7, The Joy of Forgiveness Friday, Psalm 32:8-9, The Joy of Forgiveness Saturday, Psalm 32:10-11, The Joy of Forgiveness Daily Children s Bible Readings for Christmas & Advent Reading the Bible each day with children during the holiday is a great for children to become familiar with, and to celebrate, the wonder of God s love. All children s Bibles are different. The selections below are based on the Spark Story Bible, by Augsburg Fortress/Sparkhouse Publishing. If you don t have this particular Bible, you can select related readings from another children s Bible. The household readings above are part of a year-long daily reading cycle, designed to fill in the gaps between Sundays. The readings from the Children s Bible are a self-contained series designed to give highlights of the story of God s salvation leading up to the birth of Jesus. First Week of Advent December 3-9 Sunday, Creation (Genesis 1) Monday, Adam and Eve (Genesis 2) Tuesday, Noah s Ark (Genesis 6-9) Wednesday, God s Promises to Abram (Genesis 15) Thursday, Abraham and Sarah s Visitors (Genesis 17) Friday, Isaac s Blessing (Genesis 25, 27) Saturday, Jacob Wrestles (Genesis 32) Page 4
Second Week of Advent December 10-16 Sunday, Baby Moses (Exodus 2) Monday, The Burning Bush (Exodus 3) Tuesday, Free from Slavery (Exodus 5-6) Wednesday, The Red Sea (Exodus 14) Thursday, Manna, Quail, and Water (Exodus 16, 17) Friday, The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) Saturday, A Message from God (Deuteronomy 6) Third Week of Advent December 17-23 Sunday, Deborah (Judges 4-5) Monday, Naomi and Ruth (Ruth 1) Tuesday, God Calls Samuel (1 Samuel 3) Wednesday, David is Chosen (1 Samuel 16) Thursday, Solomon Builds the Temple (1 Kings 6) Friday, Angels Visit (Matthew 1, Luke 1) Saturday, Mary Visits Elizabeth (Luke 1) Fourth Week of Advent, First Week of Christmas December 24-30 Sunday, Zechariah (Luke 1) Monday, Jesus is Born (Luke 2) Tuesday, God Will Bring Peace (Isaiah 2) Wednesday, A Child Called Immanuel (Isaiah 7) Thursday, God s Peaceful World (Isaiah 11) Friday, A Ruler from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-5) Saturday, A Good Ruler (Jeremiah 33) Second Week of Christmas December 31-January 6 Sunday, Jesus the Word (John 1) Monday, Wise Men (Matthew 2) Tuesday, Escape to Egypt (Matthew 2) Wednesday, Simeon and Anna (Luke 2) Thursday, The Boy at the Temple (Luke 2) Friday, John the Baptist (Matthew 11, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1) Saturday, Jesus Baptism (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3) Page 5
Order of Daily Prayer for Advent The devotion can begin by singing one or more verses of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. (On reverse) On and after Christmas Day, sing a favorite Christmas carol. Light the appropriate number of candles for the given week in the season. When more than one are praying together, invite someone to lead the prayer (light font) with others saying the response (bold font). Jesus Christ, Light of the World, come and brighten the darkness. On and after Christmas Day the following invocation can be used: Jesus Christ, Word made flesh, dwell among us. Continue with the litany below. With this fire, O God, shine your hope and light in the world. Christ be our light! Cast a light of peace, O Lord, uniting all that is divided. Scatter the darkness! Burn the light of love in our lives, O Savior. Enlighten your church! Unleash the fire of your joy, O Spirit, and give us new life. Show forth your mercy! Page 6
Let us pray: Gracious God, bless us as we light this candle/these candles. Shine your: hope (week 1) peace (week 2) love (week 3) joy (week 4) in our lives, and give us hope as we await the coming of your Son, Jesus. Renew all the world, O God, according to your glorious intent, and fill the universe with your joy. In the name of Jesus, the one who comes with good news, we pray. Amen. Read the assigned passage for the day, and/or any seasonally appropriate children s Bible reading. The Lord s Prayer is said by all. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God! Almighty God bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen The devotion can conclude by singing one or more verses of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (on back). On and after Christmas Day, sing a favorite Christmas carol. Page 7
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