An Advent Prayer — sacred illustration
✶ Our Bible Moments No. 248 / 253

Advent

An Advent Prayer

Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 7:14 is the sign the prophet Isaiah gave to King Ahaz of Judah when two enemy kings marched against Jerusalem, a promise that Matthew’s Gospel later quotes of the birth of Jesus: Immanuel, God with us.

Lord God, You promised a sign: the virgin will give birth to a son, and His name is Immanuel. As I light this candle, I wait for Him again. Clear a place in my busy heart for Jesus. Where I am afraid, remind me that You are God with us. Make me ready to welcome Him this Christmas and when He comes again. Amen.

Isaiah 7:14 is the sign the prophet Isaiah gave to King Ahaz of Judah when two enemy kings marched against Jerusalem, a promise that Matthew’s Gospel later quotes of the birth of Jesus: Immanuel, God with us.

The Scripture

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.”

— Isaiah 7:14

Prayer points from Isaiah 7:14

  1. Thank God that He keeps His promises, even across centuries.
  2. Light a candle and sit for a moment in quiet before you pray.
  3. Ask Him to make room in your heart and home for Jesus.
  4. Name one fear and tell Him: You are God with us.
  5. Pray for someone who is waiting for something this season.
  6. Ask Him to keep you ready for the day Christ comes again.

About this verse

When two kings marched against Jerusalem, King Ahaz and his people trembled “like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.” God offered him a sign, and when Ahaz refused to ask for one, Isaiah announced it anyway: “Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” Centuries later, Matthew’s Gospel quotes these words of the birth of Jesus and explains that Immanuel means God with us. Advent, which begins four Sundays before Christmas, is the church’s season of waiting for His coming, both at Christmas and at the end of the age. Many families and churches keep it with an Advent wreath: a ring of evergreens with four candles, one more lit each Sunday, and often a white Christ candle in the middle for Christmas. The wreath began among German Lutherans and is a tradition, not a command of Scripture, but it helps people wait on purpose. This prayer is for lighting an Advent candle at home or at church, or for any day in Advent.

When to pray this prayer

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