An Advent Prayer on Love

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16 - Verse Image

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This Advent Prayer is the last in a series of four.
Week 1 – An Advent Prayer on Hope
Week 2 – An Advent Prayer on Peace
Week 3 – An Advent Prayer on Joy
Week 4 – An Advent Prayer on Love

Discover the joy of Christmas:

Joy

For weeks, we’ve been preparing for Christmas with Advent Prayers, and now Christmas is a week away! Christmas is intended to be a joyous occasion, but how do you choose joy when the world is filled with hurt and hardship?

This week, get vivid reminders of the joy of Christmas with our special YouVersion Original Christmas Plan. If you haven’t begun the Christmas Challenge yet, this is a great way to join.

To help you get started, we’ve provided the first Plan day below:


Day 1: The Story Begins - What exactly is joy? To unpack it, let’s go back to when God created the world. Imagine you’ve just been brought to life by the breath of God, and as God pulls you up from the ground, He smiles at you. From then on, whenever He looks at you, His face lights up. Life’s perfect until one day, you do the only thing God swore you could never do, and because of this act of rebellion, you separate yourself from the One who knew you perfectly and loved you relentlessly. In an instant, what was meant to be eternal closeness with God becomes eternal separation from Him. That’s what happens in Genesis 1-3… but thankfully, it’s not the end of the story.

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Things were not good in my marriage. I was on a downward spiral, at the beginning of an emotional affair. I gathered the courage to send him ‘the’ text: the one that would change our relationship from friends to lines-being-crossed. I was terrified, typing what I knew could end my marriage. But the Holy Spirit was fighting for me. The word TEMPTATION flashed before my eyes. I didn’t know what to do, so I pulled up YouVersion and typed ‘temptation’ in the search field. As I read every verse the app showed me, the tears fell. I called on Jesus’ name, and the devil fled. I erased that text and ended the conversation. If I had not had the Bible App that day, I don’t know what would have happened. Thank you for always having His word so close!

JENNY, COLORADO, USA*

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* Name and location changed, to protect privacy.

An Advent Prayer on Joy

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” - Luke 2:10-11 - Verse Image

This week’s Advent theme is joy: the praise-filled assurance that God is in control and working everything out for our good and His glory.

Take a moment to reflect on God’s goodness and fix your heart on Jesus with this prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the joy that entered the world when Jesus was born.
Thank you for becoming God with us.
Lord, sometimes it’s difficult to live joyfully, especially in difficult or busy seasons.
Please purify our hearts this week and remind us that You’re in control.
Help us to consider it joy when we experience trials of any kind because we know You’re creating something beautiful and eternal.
As we fix our eyes and hearts on You, fill our souls with renewed strength, courage, and hope.
Lord, you are always worthy of being praised – and we want to worship You!
Amen


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This Advent Prayer is the third in a series of four.
Week 1 – An Advent Prayer on Hope
Week 2 – An Advent Prayer on Peace
Week 3 – An Advent Prayer on Joy
Week 4 – An Advent Prayer on Love

Complete a Christmas or Advent Plan…

2019 Christmas Challenge Badge

Unwrap the 2019 Christmas Challenge Badge!

The countdown to Christmas has begun! This time of year, holiday commitments can easily distract us from seeking intimacy with Immanuel, “God with us.” That’s why we created the Christmas Challenge: to reflect on the reason we celebrate this season.

Complete any Christmas or Advent Plan between now and December 31, and you’ll earn our 2019 Christmas Challenge Badge! Start any Plan below or, if you’re already doing a Christmas or Advent Plan, just keep going.

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See More Christmas Plans

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Christmas and Advent Plans 2021
Get Ready for Christmas with an Advent Bible Plan
An Advent Prayer on Hope