As we start our Advent Prayer together, praying for every person, home and place where God has placed us, I encourage us all to start with stillness and resist the pressure to be busy in this season.

Psalm 46:10-11 says:

Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress

Yesterday, we lit the first candle of Advent; asking that the God of all Hope would shine His light on Jesus, the hope of the world. May God use us as we Walk, Pray and Bless and spend time with people. 

In Luke 1 and 2 we see the hope that was alive within people of faith who lived in struggling times and struggling communities. They would have rooted their hope in scriptures such as Psalm 46, 130, 131. Isaiah 42. Paul later encourages the church in Rome to do so which we can read in Romans 15. I encourage us all to meditate on these scriptures this week and let them lead us into prayers and blessings.

Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to be at work in every heart so that all would put their hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem us from all our sins.

Let’s pray that there be a revelation of God with us, Jesus, Immanuel and that God’s presence fills hearts and homes. 

Let’s bless our communities using Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I also encourage you to pray The Lord’s Prayer. I have found this particularly meaningful as I have walked in our community and have taken notice of the word ‘our’.

Other verses that may help you include Psalms 33:22, 42:11, 71:14, 130:5. Isaiah 40:31. Jeremiah 29:11. 1 Peter 1:3. You can of course search the internet for Prayers for Hope and find ones like.

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/prayers-for-hope.html.

Pete Hay