This prayer is for anyone who wants to ask God for blessing during Advent, the season of waiting that leads up to Christmas. Pray it in the early mornings of December, at an evening candle, or whenever the busyness of the season starts to crowd out the reason for it. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak in your own words.
Blessings for Advent
Lord, this season arrives with its own weight. There are lists to finish, gatherings to plan, and people we love who are far away or hard to be with. Some of us are carrying grief into December, the first empty chair at the table, or a diagnosis we are still learning to say out loud. Others feel the pressure to appear joyful when the joy will not come easily. We bring all of it to you, just as it is.
Bless the waiting. Teach us to wait the way the people of Israel waited for the Messiah, with hope that holds even when nothing seems to be happening. Slow us down enough to notice the light of each candle and the small kindnesses that reach us through others. Where we are anxious about money, health, work or family, let our worry become prayer. Give us rest for our bodies and our minds, and courage to say no to what we cannot carry.
Above all, draw near to us as you drew near in the coming of Jesus. Let the story of his birth become more than a memory for us this month. Fill our homes with peace, our hearts with gratitude, and our hands with the work of love. Keep us awake to your presence, and help us to bless others as we have been blessed. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Father, in this busy week, I ask for a little stillness. Bless the waiting I am in, and let hope rise in me even now. Quiet my worry, steady my breath, and remind me that you are near. Help me bring one bit of your peace into the next room I walk into. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(WEB)
This verse names the child whose coming Advent anticipates. Pray it slowly, letting each title draw your heart toward the one who was promised, and ask him to be those things for you in the days ahead.
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD. My soul waits. I hope in his word.
(WEB)
The psalmist speaks of waiting for the Lord more than watchmen wait for morning. Use this verse when waiting feels long, and ask God to strengthen your hope while you keep watch.
Luke 1:38
Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.
(WEB)
Mary answers the angel with openness to God’s word. Pray this verse as your own response, asking for a willing heart in the things you are being invited to say yes to this season.
Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
(WEB)
Paul prays for the God of hope to fill believers with joy and peace. Pray it over your home and the people in it, asking that hope would overflow rather than merely hold on.
Numbers 6:24-26
24 ‘The LORD bless you, and keep you. 25 The LORD make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. 26 The LORD lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.’
(WEB)
This is the priestly blessing given to Israel. Pray it over yourself or the person you love, using the words as a direct request for God’s keeping, grace and peace.
How to Pray This Prayer
Try praying it first thing in the morning, before the phone and the to-do list take over. Sit near a window or light a candle, and let your hands rest open in your lap or hold a warm cup. If you are praying with someone else, such as a spouse, a child or a friend who is grieving, read the prayer aloud together and let each person add one sentence of their own.
You might return to it at the end of the day as well, using the shorter version while you wait for sleep. If the words feel heavy, pray only the first line and sit quietly with it. Advent is not a test of how well you feel, and God is glad to receive whatever you bring.
A Blessing to Close
May the God who came near in a manger keep you in this season and fill you with hope that does not fade. May you rest in his faithfulness, be surprised by small joys, and find that the waiting itself becomes a place where you meet him.
