An Advent Prayer Praising God for His Faithfulness
Mighty God, Loving Father, our Sovereign Lord,
We exalt you! We give praise to your holy Name!
The awesome things that you do are wonderful, and in this special season we remember and celebrate the plans and promises you made so long ago – plans for our redemption through the promise of a Savior – plans and promises you completed in perfect faithfulness.
We take comfort in the truth that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Wonderful Counselor. There is no heartbreak, sorrow, misery, grief or loneliness that we experience which is beyond your understanding. Lord Jesus, you lived on earth as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. You experienced the loneliness of Gethsemane. On Calvary’s cross, you bore our sins and carried our sorrows, and you continue to carry them today as we yield them to you. Truly, “no pit is so deep that you are not deeper still; with you, even in our darkest moments, the best remains and the very best is yet to be.”[1] In this season where lives are empty and sadness of heart runs deep, teach us to run to the comfort you offer in the midst of the struggles we face.
We are moved to worship because our Lord Jesus is the Mighty God. God incarnate – the Word made flesh – one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit – revealing the glory of God – worthy of all worship and praise. The angels sang of this to the ancient shepherds, and what a wonder that the greatest announcement ever made – the greatest news coming directly from heaven – was given first to the must humble and despised of people. How amazing that your glory is best seen not in places of wealth and power, but in hearts and lives of faith and humility. Oh, how we want people to see you in us. We want to faithfully display your glory! Help us, O God, to live and reflect you as you truly are.
We also have great confidence because our Lord Jesus is one with the Everlasting Father. You are truly a father who never leaves us – never forsakes us – never fails us – always acts toward us in love. You know every need we have. You know every problem we face. You are present in these things doing good for all who love you. Your care for us is beyond understanding, and because of this we can face life with the confidence that we are never alone.
Which is why we rest in the truth that you, Lord Jesus, are the Prince of Peace who gives us peace that passes all understanding. Peace – rest – the Shalom you promised your people of old – peace that means more than just an absence of conflict. You are at work to make everything like it should be – to replace the things in our lives that are missing – to bring our lives and this world to the completion of your plan and purpose. You have restored our relationship with the Father and one day you will restore all of creation to your original design.
And this gives us hope!
As the ancient Hebrews waited with anticipation and expectation for the coming of Messiah, so we wait with anticipation and expectation for your return to make all things new. We look forward to the time when things will be better than they are today – but not just at the end of time. We anticipate what you will do today. We live in eager expectation of your faithfulness tomorrow. And our hope in you continues day after day after day, because the wonderful plans you formed long ago – the wonderful promises you made long ago – Father, you fulfilled them with perfect faithfulness in Jesus – and you make our lives complete through your perfect faithfulness to us every day.
And for that we humbly offer our worship and praise! Amen!
[1] Corrie Ten Boom
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