A Prayer for the First Sunday of Advent

By He Reads Truth

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
—John 1:1–5

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which Your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when He shall come
again in His glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through Him who lives
and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight. —O Little Town of Bethlehem

Welcome to Advent 2021, The Everlasting Light. We’re glad you’re here. 

A season on the Church calendar observed by Christians across history and around the world, Advent is the time of year when we slow down and prepare our hearts for the celebration to come. We turn down the volume on the noise around us and turn our attention to the God who rescues us. We read the first promises of the Savior in the Old Testament and watch expectantly as they are fulfilled in the New. During Advent, we remember the weight of our spiritual darkness and train our eyes to look for the Light. 

This is the seventh Advent for the He Reads Truth community, and each one has been part of a year with its own unique circumstances, hopes, and fears. But the centerpiece of this season is always and only Jesus. He is in the Scripture we’ll read and the prayers we’ll pray. We celebrate the joy of His birth with every carol we sing and every gift we wrap. Each Christmas tree and snowfall and sleigh bell echoes the wonder of Immanuel, “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23).  

This Advent reading plan we’re starting today is designed to testify to our hearts once again that Jesus is the embodiment of God’s promise to bring light to a dark world. We invite you to come back every day over the next five weeks as we read our Bibles together, preparing our hearts to celebrate Christmas Day with deeper joy and understanding and walk into the New Year with renewed hope in Jesus. He is our everlasting light.