Transcription

[Candida Long]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. My name is Candida Long and I have been part of the Bridgeway community for almost five years. Today is Thursday, December 18th.

Today and every Thursday during Advent we pass to highlight one way our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world welcome the light of the world. As we listen and learn may our hearts be enlarged by the beauty of the global church and the fullness of the same spirit who gathers us all into one family. Today our journey takes us to Mexico and Central America where believers prepare for Christmas through a celebration called Las Posadas.

In Spanish, Las Posadas means the inns or shelters. For nine nights before Christmas family and neighbors walk through their communities by candlelight singing songs that tell the story of Mary and Joseph searching for a place to stay in Bethlehem. At each door they ask for lodging and are thrown away until finally one home opens wide.

The crowd bursts into song, laughter fills the courtyard and the night becomes a festival of joy. Children break star shaped piñatas symbolizing the light that led the Magi. Food is shared, prayers are lifted and the story of Christ's coming is retold once again.

This tradition echoes an ancient promise, one first spoken by the prophet Zechariah. Rejoice greatly daughter Zion, shout daughter Jerusalem, see your king comes to you righteous and victorious. Humble and riding on a donkey he will proclaim peace to the nations.

Zechariah's words were a call to joy not because everything was easy but because the king of peace was on his way. In Las Posadas that same joy is sung from door to door. Joy that rises out of hope, joy that believes God will find a way to enter our weary world once more.

Joy in scripture is never shallow, it's not denial, it's defiance. The light that refuses to go out. When the doors open in Las Posadas it's a picture of that very truth.

Christ comes and every closed door can become a place of welcome. The humble king has arrived bringing peace from sea to sea. And maybe that's where joy begins for us too in a simple act of making room for Jesus again, of opening our hearts to his quiet joyful reign.

Because when we welcome him in he brings the same gift he promised through Zechariah. Peace that stretches farther than we can imagine. Joy that reaches to the ends of the earth.

Let's pray together inspired by the brothers and sisters who celebrate Las Posadas with songs of welcome and joy. Lord Jesus our humble king we rejoice greatly for you have come to us righteous and victorious yet gentle and near. Thank you for the joy that fills the homes of those who celebrate Las Posadas and for the songs of welcome.

Thank you for the joy that fills the homes of those who celebrate Las Posadas. For their songs of welcome, their open doors and the reminders that true joy is found in making room for you. Teach us to rejoice like them, to find joy not in comfort but in pure presence.

Not in abundance but in hospitality, not in control but in surrender to the one who brings peace. Let your rule extend from sea to sea, from our homes to the nations, from our hearts to every heart that longs for light. We pray this in your name.

Amen.

Transcription

[Kyrie Newman]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. My name is Kyrie Newman and I have been part of the Bridgeway community for 13 years. Today is Wednesday, December 17th.

Each Wednesday of Advent, we pray through a short scripture and take a few minutes to listen quietly for what God may want to say to us personally. We'll read the same passage three times. First, to simply listen.

Second, to notice a word or phrase God highlights. And third, to pray the scripture into our lives. Today's passage is Luke 13, 10 through 17.

The story of a woman who has been bent over for 18 years. On the Sabbath, in the middle of Jesus' teaching, he sees her, calls her forward, and sets her free. After nearly 20 years of being bent low, she's suddenly standing tall and the very first thing she does is praise God.

As I read the passage the first time, simply listen. Use your imagination and try to picture the moment. Luke 13, 10 to 13.

On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, woman, you are set free from your infirmity.

Then he put his hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God. I imagine how self-conscious she must have felt, bent over, unable to lift her head, different from everyone else gathered to hear Jesus teach. This was her place of worship, yet her body likely carried both pain and the quiet weight of being seen as less than for so many years.

I can picture her wrestling with discomfort, straining to hear while others towered above her. As I read the passage again, notice what word or phrase stands out to you, what tugs at your attention or stirs something in you. Luke 13, 10 to 13.

On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, woman, you are free from your infirmity.

Then he put his hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Let's take a moment to talk to God about what he highlighted. I'm struck by how intentional Jesus is with his proximity to her.

He sees her, he calls her forward, and then he touches her. If she was bent over, it would have been difficult for her to look him in the eyes. By drawing her closer and placing his hands on her, Jesus bridges a physical and emotional gap.

He doesn't heal from a distance, he moves toward her. This is the length our Jesus goes to in order to help us feel his nearness. This woman's story reminds us that Jesus restores what we've given up hope on.

He notices where we feel bent over or weary and he calls us forward to stand tall in the joy of his love. Luke 13 10 to 13. On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues and a woman was there.

She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, woman, you are set free from your infirmity. Then he put his hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Take a moment now to pray over the places in your life where you've stopped expecting God to move. Invite him to replace despair with joy. Jesus, you see what's bent and burdened in us, what's been that way for a long time.

You notice us, you call us near. Where we've grown used to limitation, breathe your freedom again. Where we've stopped hoping for change, awaken fresh faith in us.

Let joy arise in the very places that once felt impossible and like the woman in this story, may we stand tall in your presence and praise you with all our hearts. Amen.

Transcription

[Jesus Real]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. Today is Tuesday December 16th. My name is Jesus Real and I have been part of the Bridgeway community for just over a year.

Today and every Tuesday during Advent we will reflect on the symbols of this season and let them guide our prayers. Today we will consider the nativity scene and how it invites us to reflect on the various aspects of the Christmas story. Nativity scenes are popular Christmas decorations and come in many forms.

They are meant to serve as a visual reminder of many of the events surrounding the birth of Christ. Traditionally a nativity scene includes figures of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, along with figures of the Wise Men from Matthew 2. Some scenes also include the shepherds from Luke 2, an angel, and animals.

In our prayer today we will remember some of these key figures from the story and let them guide our prayers. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we are now in the joy and we rejoice in the fast approaching celebration of Christ's birth.

Today as we reflect on the nativity scene we remember those who were present for that miracle all those years ago. As we remember Mary we pray her words from Luke 1. My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

We thank you for Mary's extraordinary faith and the trust she placed in you as she carried the Christ child in her womb. Show us today what it means to magnify you and to truly rejoice in you. As we remember Joseph we remember how sensitive he was to listen to your voice when you spoke to him.

Not only did he listen but he also responded in obedience by taking Mary as his wife and caring for her. Teach us to hear your voice and respond in obedience even when it's difficult or when we struggle to make sense of what you are saying. As we remember the shepherds we remember the joyful message of Christ's birth that was delivered to them while they were in the fields.

We remember how they rushed to see the newborn baby Jesus and we remember the words of Luke 2 which tell us that when they returned from visiting him they were glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told to them. We pray today that you would give us the same sense of joy as we consider the miracle of Christmas. As we remember the wise men who came from a different culture far away to worship Jesus we thank you that your kingdom is a multicultural kingdom made up of people from all over the world.

You came to save and set free people from every tribe, tongue and nation. We thank you for the incredible ways that you are at work in our culture and in so many other cultures in the world. We pray you would use believers from backgrounds different from our own to teach us how to know you more deeply and follow you more closely.

Finally we remember Jesus the image of the invisible God the firstborn of all creation. The one through whom all things were created in heaven and on earth. The one who is before all things and in whom all things hold together.

The one who is all of these things and yet humbled himself to be born as a baby. We thank you for his coming at Christmas. We pray you would fill us with joy today as we prepare to celebrate his birth.

We pray these things in Jesus name, Amen.

Transcription

[Pastor Anthony Lipscomb]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. My name is Anthony Lipscomb and I've been a part of the Bridgeway community for two and a half years. Today is Monday, December 15 and today and every Monday during Advent we reflect on the anticipation of the Messiah in the Old Testament.

Today we meditate on the Prophet Zechariah's anticipation of a coming King who would enter not in pride or power but in humility, bringing righteousness, salvation, and joy to his people as he speaks peace to the nations. Let's listen to Zechariah 9, 9 through 10 together. Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you, righteous, and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot of Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations.

His rule shall be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. Zechariah calls God's people to rejoice greatly in the midst of the struggle to rebuild their lives after returning from exile, not because the world has finally been made right, but because their King is faithful and his peace will one day reach the ends of the earth. True joy doesn't ignore the pain of the present.

It rests in the promise of what God is still bringing to pass. Let's celebrate with Zechariah in prayer to our great God. Lord Jesus, our humble and victorious King, we rejoice greatly for you have come to us.

You are righteous and full of salvation. You bring joy that endures even when the world still trembles. Though wars continue and violence has not yet ceased, we trust that your peace is stronger than every sword and that your kingdom will one day make all things new.

Until that day, give us joy that is steady and true. Joy that grieves honestly, yet hopes fiercely. Joy that remembers you are near, even when the night feels long.

Teach us to rejoice, not because life is easy, but because your promises are sure. Let your joy strengthen those who suffer for your name. Let it fill the hearts of the weary and shine through your church as a light to the world.

And as we wait for your coming, may our rejoicing join the song of Zion, declaring that the King still comes, humble, faithful, and full of joy. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Invitation to Promise Part 9

The Israelites Settle In

Joshua 20-21

Pastor Lance Hahn

Pastor Lance's Notes

Transcription

[Elijah]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. My name is Elijah, and I've been part of the Bridgeway community for a little over a year. Today is Saturday, December 13th, and on Saturdays during Advent, we will reflect on Scripture passages about Jesus' second coming.

Today, we will meditate on Paul's words from 1 Corinthians 15, where he describes what will take place when Jesus returns. Let's listen to 1 Corinthians 15, 50-58. Then it will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Let's pray. Jesus, we thank you for the incredible promises contained in this passage from your word, and we look forward to the day when we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

We thank you that when you return, we will be changed forever. We will be free from the suffering of this world and able to enjoy you forever. We thank you for the promise of eternal life, when our faith will be made sight and we will see you face to face.

We thank you that you love us so much that you have gone to prepare a place for us, and that you will return to be with us forever. We thank you that we can live today, knowing that a day will come when death has been swallowed up in victory. In this life, we see the sting of death all around us.

But we thank you, Jesus, that since you have defeated death, death forever stands defeated. Even as we feel its sting now, we await the day when we will say, O death, where is your sting? We pause now for you to pray for family members, friends, and loved ones who are mourning loss in this season.

We also invite you to consider your own mourning as you reflect on losses you've experienced this year. We pray that the hope of heaven would comfort all of us, even as we grieve. We thank you, Jesus, that you are the one who gives us victory over anything the world throws at us.

In this second week of Advent, where the theme is peace, we remember the amazing truth that the real peace is possible because of your victory over sin and death. We pray that you would help us to feel your peace in a tangible and powerful way this week, and that you would allow us to demonstrate your peace to others. In light of your promise of peace and your promise of eternal life, today we commit ourselves afresh to live out the words of 1 Corinthians 15 58.

We commit to be steadfast and fully committed to you. We remember that you are the only one who can save us, and you are the only one worthy of our worship. We commit that we will be immovable.

We will not allow the winds of culture or the anxiety and anger we see around us to direct our lives, but rather we will anchor ourselves in your truth and allow your voice to be our biggest influence. We commit to abounding in the work of the Lord and joyfully serving you today, wherever you would take us. Give us supernatural vision to see the opportunities you will place before us today to show your love and your grace to those around us.

We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

Transcription

[Pastor Brian Kiley]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. My name is Brian Kiley and I've been part of the Bridgeway community for 13 years. Today is Friday, December 12th, and on Fridays during Advent we will be praying selections from the Book of Common Prayer, which includes both scripture passages and pre-written prayers.

I invite you to pray along with me as I pray out loud. In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40 verse 3. Let us confess our sins against God and neighbor. Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not have done.

And apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy on us. Spare all those who confess their faults.

Restore all those who are penitent according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life to the glory of your name. Amen.

Grant to your faithful people, merciful Lord, pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins and serve you with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Lord, open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praise the Lord. The Lord's name be praised. Our King and Savior now draws near.

O come, let us adore him. O come, let us sing unto the Lord. Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and show ourselves glad in him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are all the depths of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land. O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Psalm 106. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endures forever. Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord, or show forth all his praise?

Blessed are those who act with justice, and who always do righteousness. Remember me, O Lord, according to the favor that you show your people. O visit me with your salvation, that I may see the felicity of your chosen, and rejoice in the gladness of your people, and give thanks with your inheritance.

We have sinned like our fathers, and we have done wrong and dealt wickedly. Our fathers regarded not your wonders in Egypt, neither did they keep your great goodness in remembrance, but were disobedient at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his power known.

He rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up. So he led them through the deep, as through a wilderness. And he saved them from the adversary's hand, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.

As for those who troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them, there was not one of them left. Then they believed his words, and sang praises unto him. But soon they forgot his works, and would not wait for his counsel.

A craving came upon them in the wilderness, and they tempted God in the desert. So he gave them their desire, and sent leanness into their soul. They were envious of Moses also in the camp, and of Aaron the holy ones of the Lord.

So the earth opened up, and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. And fire was kindled in their company, the flame burnt up the ungodly. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen. Luke 1, 68 through 79. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.

He has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David, through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight, all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, in the tender compassion of our God. The dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

O Lord, show your mercy upon us, and grant us your salvation. O Lord, guide those who govern us, and lead us in the way of justice and truth. Clothe your ministers with righteousness, and let your people sing with joy.

O Lord, save your people, and bless your inheritance. Give peace in our time, O Lord, and defend us by your mighty power. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Create in us clean hearts, O God, and take not your Holy Spirit from us. Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning, grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your Holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross, that everyone might come within reach of your saving embrace. So clothe us in your Spirit, that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you, for the honor of your name.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, your unworthy servants, give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life, but above all, for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace and for the hope of glory. And we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts, we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God. Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to him from this generation to generation in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever.

Amen.

Transcription

[Aprilyn Janeo]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. My name is Aprilyn Janeo, and I've been part of the Bridgeway community for more than a year. Today is Thursday, December 11th.

Today and every Thursday during Advent, we will pause to highlight one way our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world welcome the light of the world. As we listen and learn, may our hearts be enlarged by the beauty of the global church and the faithfulness of the same spirit who gathers us all into one family. Today, we travel in our hearts to the Philippines.

In the Philippines, Christmas is not just a day, it's a whole season. Streets glow with color, music fills the air, and nearly every home displays something beautiful and familiar, a parol, a star-shaped lantern. Some are simple, made from bamboo and paper, others shimmery glass, oyster shell, or bright electric light.

But every parol carries the same meaning. It represents the star that led the magi to Jesus, the light of the world. During the long nights of December, those lanterns hang in windows and on street corners, shining against the darkness.

And for many Filipino Christians, that little light means peace. Not the fragile peace that depends on circumstances, but the deep peace that comes from knowing, even in the night, even in waiting, God is near. That's what Advent peace is.

It isn't the absence of struggle, it's the presence of Christ. It's the calm that settles in our hearts because we trust that the light has come, and that His light will never be overcome. When Filipino families light their parol, they remember the story of a star that once guided travelers across a dark sky to the Savior's cradle.

It's a story of direction, of assurance, of a God who meets us on the road and says, Don't be afraid, I'm with you. It's easy for us in our own seasons of noise and hurry to lose sight of that peace. But imagine a quiet street in the Philippines, warm night air, palm trees swaying gently, and hundreds of small lanterns glowing like stars.

Each one whispers the same truth, peace has come. Not just for some people, but for the world. Not just long ago, but even now.

When we light our own Advent candle of peace this week, we join that Filipino chorus of light. Our flame joins theirs, our prayers join theirs. Our prayers join theirs.

Our hearts are united with believers across the world who look to the same Savior. From the busy streets of Manila, to the quiet chapels of Lagos, to the sanctuaries of America, we are one people, redeemed and at peace in Christ. Maybe your life feels anything but peaceful right now.

Maybe you feel restless or uncertain or weighed down by the news of the world. Let the light of the parole remind you, God's peace isn't something we earn or build. It's a gift, the gift of His presence.

And His presence is nearer than you think. Let's pray, inspired by our Filipino brothers and sisters who shine their lanterns as a testimony of Christ's peace. Lord Jesus, light of the world, prince of peace, we thank you for the beauty of your church around the world.

For the believers in the Philippines who lift up lanterns of light and hope. Let their faith remind us that peace isn't found in perfect circumstances, but in your steady, radiant presence. When our hearts are restless, be our calm.

When the world feels dark, be our light. Teach us to welcome others with the same warmth and generosity that shines from every parole. A welcome that says, Christ has come and His peace is for you.

May our lives like theirs be beacons of your peace, in our homes, in our churches, and in our world. We pray this in your name, amen.

 

Transcription

[Pastor Heather Johnson]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. My name is Heather Johnson and I've been a part of the Bridgeway community for 11 years. Today is Wednesday, December 10th.

On Wednesdays during Advent, we'll pray through a short scripture and take a few minutes to listen quietly for what God may want to say to us personally. We'll read the same passage three times and pause after each reading. First, simply listen.

Second, we'll notice a word or phrase that God highlights. And third, to pray the scripture into our lives. Today's passage is Mark 4 verses 35 through 41.

The account of Jesus calming the storm while the disciples feared for their lives. It's a familiar story. Jesus is asleep while life-threatening winds and waves rage around him.

In his humanity, Jesus shows us what peace is like by sleeping when the rest of us would be panicking, including the disciples. As I read the passage the first time, simply listen to the story. Notice any words or phrases that stand out to you.

Mark 4, 35 through 41. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, let us go across to the other side. And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.

And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

And they woke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And he said to them, Why are you so afraid? Have you no faith? And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

I'm struck that they're in a life-threatening storm precisely because they obeyed Jesus's instruction to go to the other side. Lord, how often am I surprised when fear and chaos rise, even after I've followed what you've asked me to do. So much of me assumes that life should be smooth sailing if I'm walking with you.

Lord, when challenges hit and I start to think I've missed the mark, or that you've left me, help me remember more quickly that you are at peace. Teach me to bring my fear and my disillusionment to you, to picture you asleep in the boat, unshaken, unsurprised and near, so your peace can steady my heart. Let's read the scripture again.

After this second reading, I'll pause to give you a space to talk with the Lord about any word or idea that he might highlight for you. Mark 4, 35 through 41. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, Let us go across to the other side.

And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace be still.

And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?

And they were filled with great fear, and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him? The peace of Advent is not the absence of storms, but the presence of Jesus, who says, Peace be still. After I read the passage one last time, I'll pause and give you space to pray that same peace over whatever feels chaotic, overwhelming, or beyond your control today.

Mark 4, 35 through 41. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, Let us go across to the other side. And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.

And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

And they woke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

He said to them, Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? And they were filled with great fear, and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?

Take a moment now to pray Jesus's words, Peace be still, over your own life. Jesus, you are the one who commands the wind and the waves. Speak your peace over our anxious hearts and our restless minds.

Where we feel tossed and unsteady, calm us. Where we feel overwhelmed, strengthen us. Where we feel alone, remind us that you are in the boat with me.

Teach us to trust your presence more than the circumstances we experience around us. And let your peace, deep, steady, and unshakable, take root in us this Advent. Amen.

Transcription

[Melanie Johnson]

Welcome to Bridgeway Christian Church's Daily Advent Prayer. My name is Melanie Johnson, and I have been part of the Bridgeway community for four years. Today is Tuesday, December 9th, and on Tuesdays during Advent, we will reflect on the symbols of the season and let them guide our prayers.

Today, we will consider the four Advent candles that surround the center candle. Traditionally, one candle is lit on each Sunday during the Advent season. The flickering light is meant to remind us of the words from John 1, verse 5.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The candles corresponding to weeks one, two, and four are purple, which is the traditional color of penitence. They are meant to remind us that the Advent season is a time to look within our own hearts and reflect upon our need for God's grace and the hope he brings to our lives.

The third candle, known as the shepherd's candle, is pink and is meant to symbolize the good news of great joy that was announced to the shepherds in Luke 2. It is also a reminder of the power of joy in a world that can often feel dark and uncertain and the joy of Christ's arrival at Christmas. All of these four candles also serve as a reminder of the words of the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 9, verse 2.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. Let's pray.

Jesus, we thank you for the light that shines into the darkness of our world. We thank you that darkness cannot overcome your light and that your light will shine when all else fades. We pause today in a spirit of repentance and reflection to consider the state of our own hearts.

We acknowledge that we need more of your light and we declare to you today that before we are concerned about the darkness we see in the world, we will be concerned with the darkness of our own hearts. We say with a psalmist from Psalm 139, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

We pray, Holy Spirit, that you would fill our hearts with your light. Shine into the dark places of our hearts so that we can experience your healing. Help us to see and understand your love in such a way that it transforms us and leads us to set our minds on the things of heaven and not the things of earth.

We thank you that when we confess our sin, your word says you are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us. So today we acknowledge our need for your forgiveness and grace, and we thank you that in your mercy you freely grant us those things. We pray also for your light to shine into every aspect of our world.

For this next section of prayer, I will name specific topics and then leave several seconds of silence to allow you to pray as you feel led. We pray for our families that you would fill us with the joy of the Lord. We pray for our leaders in church, business, and government that they would be honest and full of integrity and that they would seek to honor you by leading well.

We pray for our neighbors that you would empower us to shine your light to our neighbors and those we interact with on a daily basis. We pray for our schools and workplaces that you would use us to shine your light and love in those spaces. We pray for Christians all over the world who are seeking to serve you amidst persecution that you would protect them and empower them to boldly shine your light.

We thank you, Jesus, that in the same way that a small candle can shine brightly in a dark room, your light living in us can shine brightly out into the world. We pray that you would equip us this week to be bright shining lights for you wherever you take us. Give us supernatural patience in the midst of holiday stress.

Give us supernatural hope in the midst of to-do lists and personal challenges. Give us supernatural love that comes from your great love for us. As we close, we remember the words of the psalmist from Psalm 112, for light dawns in the darkness for the upright.

He is gracious, merciful, and righteous. We thank you, Jesus, that you are the light of the world. We pray these things in your name.

Amen.