ADVENT 2016 Good News of Great Joy PSALMS + PRAYERS
Good News of Great Joy We celebrate advent as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for Christmas. This waiting gives us space to reflect on the truth that Christ came into our world as Savior. He has already lived this human experience, bearing pain and sorrow and the sins of the world which culminated in his death, for us. Because of his life, death, and resurrection, we have hope. We don't have to do life alone. We get to live in relationship with the God of the Universe and in fellowship with other believers. We also know that our present suffering is not eternal. Christ's work on the cross defeated the power of sin and death, and one day in glory with him, the presence of sin and death will also be removed. So we live in the tension between the temporary pain of a broken world and the hope of future glory, sorrowful yet always rejoicing. The purpose of this guide is that it would meet you where you're at, provide comfort and grace for your struggles, and lead you to the hope we have in Christ.
WEEK ONE SADNESS
Day 1, psalm 34:1-14 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. (vs. 1-3) Prayer: Lord you are all-knowing and you know my heart. Hear my cry, Lord help me to see and know that you are good when nothing around me seems good. That you Lord are better than anything this world can offer me, for you have offered me life everlasting through your son Jesus. Remind me of this when I am overcome. Be my refuge and my peace when I am burdened or overcome. Day 2, psalm 34:15-22 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (vs. 17-18) Prayer: Lord, my heart feels like a broken vase. The flowers are on the floor, the water seeping in the cracks. I cry out for you and my heart cannot be steady. But you love the broken, and you bind up the wounded. You make me whole again. You are near, you are a refuge. Nothing evil will remain, you, oh Judge will not wait. - 5 -
Day 3, psalm 51 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (vs. 10-12) Prayer: Lord, my sin is ever before me. My heart breaks as I m confronted with the mess I ve made, and I am overwhelmed. But I know this isn t the end of my story you have already intervened in my life with pardoning grace. Your Son has made me clean. Please bring me more often to my knees, that I might know your grace more deeply and rejoice more fully in your salvation. Day 4, psalm 77 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted...you kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. (vs. 1-2,4) Prayer: I cry out to you God knowing that you hear my prayer. I am in pain and overwhelmed with stress! Where are you?! Do you still care for me? Will you keep your promise to be near to me? I will remember your faithfulness in my life, even in the darkness and confusion. I will trust you, for you alone are God. - 6 -
Day 5, psalm 88 Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death. (vs. 1-3) Prayer: God of all comfort, open my eyes to see my great need of you. Grant me courage, that in my pain I may learn to trust you more fully, looking to you as a weary child looks to his father. Show me your face and revive my soul. Day 6, psalm 130 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. (vs. 3-5) Prayer: You, oh God, are a God who hears and who heals. When I call out to you, you forgive in your faithful love. As the psalmist waited for your promised redemption in Jesus, give me the hope to wait for your daily redemption from my impatience and weak faith. I will anxiously await your return to rule and reign in eternal glory! - 7 -
WEEK TWO ANXIETY
Day 1, psalm 6 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. (vs. 2-4) Prayer: Deliver me from my tiredness, my complaining, my busyness, my unending thoughts, my exhaustion, my worry, and my anxiety. Lord you are full of mercy and in that mercy quiet my thoughts so that I may find rest and delight in you. Day 2, psalm 18 I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold... In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. (vs. 1-2, 6) Prayer: Lord, my voice is shaking and I have nowhere else to go. The sin that so easily entangles is grasping me. Lord, cut the cords of sin and shame to set me free. I know you hear my voice, you know my sound. Be my rock Lord, steady my hand and hold close till tomorrow. - 9 -
Day 3, psalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?... I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (vs. 1, 13-14) Prayer: Lord, in my anxiety I look to you. In your presence alone I find true shelter and rest for my soul. Thank you that I don t have to live in fear, because you already rescued me from sin, judgment, and death. Though others may hurt me, or my circumstances feel overwhelming, I can see your goodness and trust your loving care. Day 4, psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (vs. 1-3) Prayer: Lord God, you are my hope and strength. Therefore, I won t be afraid for my life, even though I feel like I m drowning, and my world is falling apart. Surely you are still in heaven; certainly you are still on the throne! Be still, you say, and, Know that I am the Lord. Save us, then, O Lord. Glorify your Name among all peoples! - 10 -
Day 5, psalm 55 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me...evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. (vs. 4-5, 17) Prayer: Spirit of God who formed the heavens above and the earth below, who raised Christ from the dead, who now lives in me, bless me with a deeper awareness of your presence. May I live with a renewed sense of your power that I might be at peace amidst the complications and conflict that surround me. Day 6, psalm 62 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (vs. 5-8) Prayer: You, God, are my rest and hope. Your steadfastness is my refuge and salvation. Give me the grace to hear your word and walk in it, no matter my lot in this life. May my temporal state be always in mind. You hear the cries of my heart, therefore I will rest in you alone. - 11 -
WEEK THREE JOY
Day 1, psalm 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither whatever they do prospers. (vs. 1-3) Prayer: Lord you are the giver of life. Help me to love your Word, so that I might experience and know delight. Allow me to overflow with joy as I ponder your word and what you have done for me. Protect me from falling into to sin, but when I do bring conviction quickly, and give me a growing hatred for the sin in my life. Lord may my joy only be complete in you. Day 2, psalm 5 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (vs. 11-12) Prayer: Lord, lead me in paths of joy and abundance. Let me not be tempted by the deceiving and fleeting sin. For you do not love wickedness, revenge or darkness. There is a way for me in this world, make straight my path, Help me celebrate your protection and salvation. - 13 -
Day 3, psalm 16 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (vs. 9-11) Prayer: Lord, you are the source of all good. Lesser loves cannot compare with the joy of your presence. When I am tempted to be filled by other things, please remind my heart that I will not be satisfied apart from you. Thank you for the fullness of your love, where I find both protection and pleasure. Day 4, psalm 30 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (vs. 4-5) Prayer: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. When you withheld your presence from me, I was confused and overwhelmed. When you returned to me in fullness, you restored my soul. Praise God, for he is hidden for a moment, but his faithfulness lasts forever. You turned my grief to praise; you made my tears into laughter. Lord God, I praise your name; thank you for delivering me. - 14 -
Day 5, psalm 33 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him... For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. (vs. 1, 4-5) Prayer: God of creation, fill my senses with the wonder of all you have made. Remind me of the ways you care for the birds of the air and flowers of the field. Give me faith to believe that I am far more precious to you than they. I long to believe you will provide for me and lead me. Help me to believe. Day 6, psalm 36 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep... How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. (vs. 5-6a, 7) Prayer: Loving Father, You alone are righteous to judge. Apart from you, we are wicked and malicious, unwise in thought and deed. You alone preserve us in your loving kindness. Protect us from stumbling over evildoers. Help us see Light so we can be Light in a dark world. Lead us to drink deeply from your stream of life, for you alone are the Living Water. - 15 -
WEEK FOUR LONGING
Day 1, psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul... Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (vs. 1-2, 6) Prayer: Lord thank you for your provision for me in this life. Help me to be content with what you have given me and to not compare what I have or don t have to those around me. Lord I trust that you will continue to provide me with what I need. Lord I want to live passionately for you and serve you faithfully. But I long for the day Christ will return. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Day 2, psalm 37 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. (vs. 5-7) Prayer: Lord, help my put one foot in front of the other. May my eyes follow the light and while I wait in darkness. Still my heart, set my path, and may I not fret over what I cannot control. May I do good, may I keep hope high, and may dwell with faithfulness in the land of the living. - 17 -
Day 3, psalm 42 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?...By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me a prayer to the God of my life. (vs. 1-2, 8) Prayer: Lord, I cry out to you in my loneliness and pain, but you feel far away. My heart is weary, and I m so discouraged. But I know that I am never alone your Spirit indwells me, your Word upholds me. You have been faithful to me in the past, and you are worthy of worship. Please renew me with a fresh sense of your presence. Day 4, psalm 119 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, When will you comfort me?...in your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth. (vs. 81-82, 88) Prayer: God, I long to see you face to face because my heart is full of sorrow. How long will I have to endure people who are against me? When will justice come to those who oppress your people? I know you are the giver of life. Renew my heart that I may remain faithful to you. - 18 -
Day 5, psalm 126 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. (vs. 1-3) Prayer: God of my salvation, there is no one like you. Thank you for rescuing me and giving me a place in your family. In your mercy, do not allow my pain to steal any more joy from me. In your mercy, help me trust you even as my losses increase. Restore me, Lord, and fill my mouth with your praises. Day 6, psalm 145 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down...the Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (vs. 14, 17-18) Prayer: Father, as we dwell on the coming of your Son, our salvation, we are reminded of our constant need for you to lift us up, to rescue us from our enemies, to provide for us our sustenance, the very air that we breathe. You alone are our satisfaction, our protection, our righteousness, and our salvation. May your praise never leave our lips. - 19 -
Contributors: Amanda Edmondson, Justin Karl, Allison Wopata, Jeremy Linneman, Garrett Pearson, Jonah Sage, Bekah Mason Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.