Each Wednesday in Advent, I will share a prayer for us to pray together as a church family. The theme of this week’s prayer is hope since we lit the candle of hope this past Sunday in worship. In the coming weeks, I will share prayers of peace, joy, and love. As you pray this week’s prayer of hope, may God fill your heart with anticipation and draw you closer to Christ. I love you, Union family, and pray that your week is filled with the hope that only Christ can bring.
A Prayer of Hope for Advent
Oh, Gracious God of All Seasons,
As we step into Advent, a season of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ, our hearts turn to you, the giver of hope that never fails. Like the morning sun breaking through a dark night, your promises light our way, steady and true.
We give thanks for the stories of those who waited before us—your people waiting for the promised Messiah, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Anna and Simeon, and the Magi. Their stories of faith and trust in your promises, even in times of uncertainty, remind us that you are always working, weaving hope into our longest days and darkest nights. Let the stories of their faith inspire ours. Let the stories of their trust steady our steps.
O God, who makes crooked paths straight and fills valleys with streams of living water, teach us to see the glimpses of the hope you plant all around us. In a child’s laugh, in the kindness of a neighbor, in the quiet stillness of prayer—you whisper, “I am here. Do not be afraid.” May the calm assurance of your presence fill our hearts with hope.
When the world feels heavy, remind us that you are the God who moves mountains, breaks chains, and opens the door to new beginnings. In this Season of Advent, may we feel the warmth of your love, carrying us forward into the story you are still writing. Shape our hearts to wait for you with courage and joy. Fill us with hope that stretches beyond ourselves. Let us remember that we are the bearers of this hope, the messengers of your love and Good News. May we share this hope with those who need to hear of your love and Good News.
Help us not rush full steam ahead into Christmas but prayerfully linger in the in-between of Advent—waiting, watching, preparing, and planting seeds of hope, peace, joy, and love in a weary world as we wait for Christ to come again.
Come, Lord Jesus. Fill this season with your light, and let the hope you offer anchor our souls.
In the Name of Christ, We pray, Amen.