Welcome to the Advent Prayer Challenge! You are invited to enter into the wonder of this Advent season through Scripture, prayer, and reflection. Starting on the first Sunday of Advent, we will post Scripture passages and prompts to help you pray and reflect. This can be done on your own or with your family, your household, or with a group of friends.
Advent means arrival, and the season of Advent allows us all to prepare not just our homes, but also our hearts for Christ.
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Advent Prayer Challenge Day 1 - November 27
Welcome to the first day of our Advent Prayer Challenge for 2022. Use this resource to enter into Advent this season. This resource can be used for your personal prayer or for family/group prayer....
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 2 - November 28
Promises Remembered Read Isaiah 4:2-6 Light one candle and say together Come and save us, Lord our God; let us see your face, and we shall be saved. (Psalm 80:3) Reflection Throughout...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 3 - November 29
Winter Life Read Isaiah 11:1-10, 1 Chronicles 17:11-14, & Matthew 1:1-6, 17 Light one candle and say together Come Root of Jesse, stand and reclaim your people. (Isaiah 11:10 & 11) ...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 4 - November 30
Beautiful News Read Romans 10:9-18 & Psalm 19:1-4, 14 Light one candle and say together May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 5 - December 1
Fix Your Mind Read Isaiah 26:1-6 Want to go deeper today? Read Psalm 118 Light one candle and say together The Lord is God and He has given us light. (Psalm 118:37) Reflection What or...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 6 - December 2
The Search for Christmas Read Psalm 27 Light one candle and say together Come, Lord Jesus, let us see your goodness. (Psalm 27:13) Reflection There's a newer holiday tradition that has...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 7 - December 3
Hope in Practice Read Isaiah 30:19-23 & Psalm 147 Light one candle and say together Come, Judge, Lawgiver, and King. Let us live according to Your will. (from Isaiah 33:22) ...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 8 - December 4
Prepare the Way Read Matthew 3:1-11 Light two candles and say together Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Let all people see the salvation of God. (Luke 3:4 & 6) ...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 9 - December 5
Speak Peace Read Psalm 85 Light two candles and say together Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people. (Psalm 85:8) Reflection I’ve always been...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 10 - December 6
Your Comfort in the Storm Read Isaiah 40:28-31 & Matthew 11:28-30 Light two candles and say together Come, Good Shepherd. Gather us in your arms. Reflection Winter isn't a popular...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 11 - December 7
Holy Rest Read Isaiah 40:1-11 Want to go deeper today? Read Psalm 103 Light two candles and say together Come, Giver of Rest. We are weary without you. Reflection "The children were...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 12 - December 8
Chosen for This Read Genesis 3:1-24 & Ephesians 1:3-10 Want to go deeper today? Read Revelation 21:1-7 Light two candles and say together Come, Emmanuel, walk with us again....
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 13 - December 9
Infinite Gifts Read Isaiah 48:17-19 Light two candles and say together O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Reflection As a kid, I never wanted to have my gifts...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 14 - December 10
More and Better Life Read Psalm 80 Light two candles and say together Come, Great Gardener. Let your face shine upon us so that we may be saved. Reflection Some people are...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 15 - December 11
Ignite Joy Read Isaiah 35 & Psalm 146:5-10 Light three candles and say together Come let us rejoice and shout for joy! Reflection It is the third Sunday of Advent. We've...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 16 - December 12
A Cosmic Story Read Zechariah 2:10-13 & Revelation 12:7-10 Light three candles and say together Come, Lord Almighty. Rouse yourself from your holy dwelling. (adapted from...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 17 - December 13
New Life Read Matthew 21:28-32 & Psalm 34 Light three candles and say together Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8) Reflection Have you considered new year’s...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 18 - December 14
Christmas Under Wraps Read Psalm 85:8-13 Light three candles and say together Surely salvation is near. (Psalm 85:9) Reflection My husband started putting wrapped gifts under the...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 19 - December 15
Advent Extremes Read Psalm 30 Light three candles and say together Come, my Helper. Turn my mourning into dancing. (from Psalm 30:10-11) Reflection If you hit shuffle on my phone’s...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 20 - December 16
Upside-Down Kingdom Come Read John 5:16-27, 36 Light three candles and say together Come, Son of God. Give us life. Reflection Everything about Jesus shook things up. A King from...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 21 - December 17
A History of Grace Read Matthew 1:1-7 Light three candles and say together Come, Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: teach us to walk in the path of...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 22 - December 18
Love Came Down Read Matthew 1:18-24 Light four candles and say together O Adonai - O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 23 - December 19
Notice Read Luke 1:5-25 Light four candles and say together O Radix Jesse: O Flower of Jesse's stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 24 - December 20
Regifted Miracles Read Luke 1:26-38 Light four candles and say together O Clavis David: O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come,...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 25 - December 21
Joy Inside Read Luke 1:39-45 & Zephaniah 3:14-18 Light four candles and say together O Oriens: O Radiant Dawn, splendour of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 26 - December 22
There Can Be Miracles Read Luke 1:46-56 Light four candles and say together O Rex Gentium: O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty...
Advent Prayer Challenge Day 27 - December 23
Untraditional Read Luke 1:57-66 Light four candles and say together O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our...
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Advent Challenge Checklist
Every day during this challenge, we’ll provide an activity suggestion to put the daily Advent theme into action. This is a great way to involve kids in the Advent Challenge, but these activities are perfect for people of any age! To make planning a little easier, we’ve provided this Checklist that gives all the activities in advance (in order!). Stay tuned to each day’s challenge to understand the context for each activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to be a certain age to participate?
The prayers and reflections are written to be multi-generational, so all ages can participate! Parents are encouraged to adapt for their own children, if necessary. Simply joining together as a family once a day to read God’s Word and pray together, whether around the dinner table or before bed, can help little ones prioritize faith in their lives, so even if your children are too young to follow the main themes, it is still a worthwhile exercise to include them.
Do I have to do the whole thing?
Nope! Take the parts that help you the most. Definitely make sure you read the suggested Scripture, reflect with the questions, and pray. But add the rest as it works!
What if I signed up late? Or miss a day?
The good news is that you will be able to pick this Challenge up at any point during Advent! If you start from the beginning, we encourage trying to get to it every day (that’s what’s fun about a challenge!) but if you miss a day, don’t get discouraged and overwhelmed. Leave the day you missed and pick it up the next day.
Do we have to do the prayers at a certain time each day?
You should decide what is the best time to pray with your family or household group. Plan it during a time that you’re generally together, and try to make it happen consistently. Mealtimes or right before bed is a great time! What is most important in this challenge is that you prioritize a time each day to pray and engage with God’s Word.
What if I live alone?
While the reflection questions included encourage a certain level of discussion, you can reflect on these on your own as well! For an extra challenge, find a group of friends to gather with weekly. During your weekly gatherings, discuss the daily readings and reflect on the questions together.
Do I have to say the exact words in the prayer that are given to us each day?
No, you do not. They are there to be a starting point. Be open to praying specifically for what Scripture stirred up in your reflection time.
How can I remember to pray? December is such a busy month!
You can choose to get a text or an email to remind you, but it may not come at the exact time when you're ready to pray. Consider blocking off time on your calendar each day and setting an alarm on your phone to remind you to do it! Starting a practice of praying at the same time each day is a really wonderful habit to have.