Today is the First Sunday in Advent, the beginning of the season of preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Each Advent I follow a different Bible reading plan, and each year I post on my blog the Scriptures and prayers from my Advent readings from the previous year. I hope you will join me every day from today through Christmas for a brief moment of prayer and the Word of God.
Genesis 1:1-5 (ESV)
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Heavenly Father, at this season of Advent we recognize Your great power. You created the heavens and the earth from nothing but Your voice. We find it difficult to understand how very mighty You are. Your thoughts are so far above our thoughts and Your ways so far above our ways that it is beyond our comprehension. But even more amazing is why we are observing this Advent season: You loved us so much that You sent Your Son, of the same substance as the Father, to earth for our salvation. Help us to realize, O Lord, the magnitude of Your love for us—as great as the magnitude of Your endless power. As we prepare for Christmas, let us prepare for the Coming of Christ—in a manger in Bethlehem, in our hearts when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, and at the end of time to judge the world. Make us ready, O Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.