Advent Reflections for Children

Lincoln Diocesan Board of Education
Advent Reflections
for Children
Contents
Day 1: Looking ............................................................................................................................................... 1
Day 2: Being Human ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Day 3: Struggling ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Day 4: Recognising ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Day 5: Doubting ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Day 6: Risking ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Day 7: Trusting .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Day 8: Receiving ............................................................................................................................................ 8
Day 9: Journeying .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Day 10: Listening ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Day 11: Inheriting ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Day 12: Being Still........................................................................................................................................ 12
Day 13: Being Ordinary ............................................................................................................................... 13
Day 14: Celebrating ..................................................................................................................................... 14
Day 15: Hoping ............................................................................................................................................ 15
Day 16: Promising ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Day 17: Sacrificing ....................................................................................................................................... 17
Day 18: Affirming ........................................................................................................................................ 18
Day 19: Changing ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Day 20: Not Judging .................................................................................................................................... 20
Day 21: Running Away ................................................................................................................................ 21
Day 22: Accomplishing ................................................................................................................................ 22
Day 23: Being Faithful ................................................................................................................................. 23
Day 24: Making a Difference ....................................................................................................................... 24
Day 25: Speaking ......................................................................................................................................... 25
Day 26: Succeeding! .................................................................................................................................... 26
Glimpse
Day 1: Looking
In the season of Advent we spend time looking for the
ways God shows himself to us in the world. Christians
believe that because God chose to show himself to us by
becoming human in Jesus Christ, we can now know him
much better. We might not understand him in our minds,
but we can know him in our hearts.
Ephesians 3:5
In the past humans couldn’t
understand the mystery of God, but
now it has been revealed* to them by
the Holy Spirit.
*revealed – shown, made known
I wonder…
… how we can truly understand the mystery of God?
… why God thought it was so important that we understand him?
… how we can know things in our hearts, even if we don’t know in our minds?
 Draw a picture of a heart and write inside it all the things and people that you hold in your
heart.
 Pray, “Thank you God for showing yourself to us in Jesus. Please help us to understand you
better during this season of Advent. Amen.”
1
Glimpse
Day 2: Being Human
God created the world and everything in it –
including us! The Bible tells us that we’re extra
special because we are made in the image of
God. This doesn’t mean that we look like God, or
sound like him, but it does mean that when we
are kind to each other, we are showing
something of God’s love.
Genesis 1:27
So God created humankind in his
image, in the image of God he
created them; male and female he
created them.
I wonder…
... why God chose to make us in his image, and not any of the other animals?
… why it isn’t always easy to be kind to other people?
… how I can show something of God’s love?
 Make a ‘You’re a Star’ badge for someone who has been kind to you.
 Pray, ‘Dear God, thank you for making me in your image. Help me to always be kind to other
people so that I can show something of your love. Amen.’
2
Glimpse
Day 3: Struggling
It isn’t always easy coming to know God.
We might be confused or angry that we
can’t understand him better. We might
even feel hurt. But doing something that
we find difficult can be even more
rewarding in the end. God is with us even
when we struggle and he blesses those
who make the effort to get to know him.
Genesis 32:22-31
That night Jacob was left alone; and a
man wrestled with him until the
break of day. When the man realised
he would not defeat Jacob, he hurt
him badly. Jacob kept on wrestling
with the man, holding on tight. The
man said, ‘Let me go, for day is
breaking.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not
let you go unless you bless me.’ …
And so he blessed him.
I wonder…
… Jacob kept wrestling even when he was hurt?
… why God sometimes makes it so hard for us to know him?
… who will help me when I am struggling?
 There are many people around the UK who are struggling to find enough food to eat. Find out
about the work of The Trussell Trust (http://www.trusselltrust.org/) and think about how you
might help people who are struggling.
 Pray, ‘Lord God, please be near to everyone who is struggling today. Help them know that you
are with them, and that these difficult times can help them to know you better. Amen.’
3
Glimpse
Day 4: Recognising
It is always important to look for God in our
lives; to learn about him and the ways he has
come to meet us in human history.
God wants to meet with us and be in
relationship with us. Whatever we come to
know about God is a gift from God himself. It
is our responsibility to care for this gift wisely.
1 Corinthians 2:11-12
In the same way no one knows the
thoughts of God except the Spirit of
God. What we have received is not
the spirit of the world, but the Spirit
who is from God, so that we may
understand what God has freely given
us.
I wonder…
… what is the most precious gift I have ever been given?
… how the Spirit of God comes to meet me in my life?
… how I can recognise God in everyday life?
 What can you see in this picture? How did you recognise the old lady/young woman?
 Pray, ‘Dear God, thank you for your gifts of friendship and love, and for
coming to meet us all through your son, Jesus Christ. Help me to recognise
you when you come to meet me in my life. Amen.
4
Glimpse
Day 5: Doubting
It is not easy to believe in God and all the
miraculous things he has done throughout
history. It doesn’t matter how much or how
often we doubt God, he will continue to reveal
himself until we are ready to believe in him.
God knows how hard it is for us to believe in
him, so he reaches out to us through the things
we can understand through our senses, such as
the world around us and the person of Jesus.
John 20:24-25
But Thomas… was not with them
when Jesus came. So the other
disciples told him, ‘We have seen the
Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I
see the mark of the nails in his
hands…, I will not believe.’
I wonder…
…why Thomas didn’t believe his friends when they said they had seen Jesus after he had risen from the
dead?
… if I would have believed that Jesus had risen from the dead if I hadn’t seen him for myself?
… how I can know God through my senses?
 Write a list of five things that you know (for example, your name, or what day of the week it is!)
and five things that you believe (for example, most swans are white) – what is the difference
between knowing something and believing something? Do you think that one is better than the
other? Why?
 Pray, ‘Lord God, you know that it is not always easy for me to believe in you. I am sorry that
sometimes I doubt you; please help me find you again when I doubt. Amen.’
5
Glimpse
Day 6: Risking
Saul was a man who had tried to arrest many
Christians for following their faith. When God asked
Ananais to go and visit Saul in order to heal him of
his blindness, Ananais had to take a big risk. He had
to let go of his fear that Saul might try and arrest
him, and he had to trust that God would keep him
safe.
Believing in God means taking a risk – that people
might tease you or make fun of you, that your
friends might not understand, that you might not
always understand! But the risk is worth it,
especially if it means that you can help reveal God
to other people as Ananais did for Saul.
Acts 9:8, 17-18
Saul got up from the ground, and though his
eyes were open, he could see nothing; so
they led him by the hand and brought him
into Damascus. So Ananias went and entered
the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said,
‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared
to you on your way here, has sent me so that
you may regain your sight and be filled with
the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something
like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was
restored. Then he got up and was baptized.
I wonder…
… how Ananais felt when he went into Saul’s house?
… how Saul felt when he suddenly regained his sight?
… how I can reveal God to the people around me?
 Take a risk: talk to someone at school or at home who looks lonely – think about how you can
make them feel better about themselves.
 Pray, ‘Lord God, you are always looking for new ways to meet new people; help me to reveal
your love to those around me as I go about my daily routine. Amen.’
6
Glimpse
Day 7: Trusting
As we travel through this journey
of Advent, think about the lifelong
journey of Christianity. We catch
glimpses of God throughout our
lives, and if we watch carefully,
recognise him, love him, worship
him and learn from him, our
journey’s end will be to see him
face to face.
Revelation 22:1-2, 5
Then the angel showed me the river
of the water of life, bright as crystal,
flowing… through the middle of the
street of the city. On either side of
the river is the tree of life… and the
leaves of the tree are for the healing
of the nations. They will see his face…
and there will be no more night; they
need no light of lamp or sun, for the
Lord God will be their light, and they
will reign for ever and ever.
I wonder…
… what path my journey through the rest of Advent will take?
… what challenges and blessing I might encounter on my journey?
… what it would be like to see God face to face?
 Draw a map of your life so far: where have you been? Where are you heading to?
 Pray, ‘Dear God, as I continue my Advent journey, please walk alongside me; help me celebrate
my gifts and blessings, and be there with me during my struggles. Amen.’
7
Called
Day 8: Receiving
The Gospels teach us that the most important
thing we can do is to love God and treat each
other the way we would like to be treated. This
message is God’s gift to us, and we are asked to
honour this gift by living our lives in this way.
Ephesians 3:7
Of this gospel I have become a
servant according to the gift of God’s
grace that was given me by the
working of his power.
Each of us has our own particular gifts, given to
us by God. By using our own particular gifts to
praise God and help each other, we are
honouring God’s message to us in the Gospels.
I wonder…
… what my particular gifts from God are?
… how I use my gifts to praise God and help other people?
… how easy I find it to recognise other people’s special gifts?
 Draw a picture of a present on paper – make it big and colourful! Inside the present, write down
all the things that you think are your special gifts from God. Show your picture to your friends
and family: do they think you could add anything else?
 Pray, ‘Dear God, as we enter the second week of Advent, please help see this time of
preparation as a time of celebration as well; thank you for my gifts, Lord – help me help other
people to celebrate their gifts as well. Amen.’
8
Called
Day 9: Journeying
Sometimes God asks us to go on a journey
that we were not expecting. Journeys can
be very exciting, but sometimes they can be
frightening too. God never asks us to travel
alone – he always walks alongside us,
wherever we go. If we go on God’s journey,
we become a blessing to everyone we pass
on the way.
Genesis 12:1-2
Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go
from your country… to the land that I
will show you. I will make of you a
great nation, and I will bless you, and
make your name great, so that you
will be a blessing.’
I wonder…
… where God is in my life journey?
… how to ask God if he is with me on my journey?
… if I can tell where my journey is heading to?
 Travelling on your journey with God is very important, but so is travelling on journeys with those
you love. Go for a walk today with someone you care about – a friend or a member of your
family. As you walk, think about how important you are to each other and how much it helps to
be travelling with someone you love.
 Pray, ‘Lord God, I cannot always see where my journey is heading; please stay close by me as I
travel and bless those who travel with me. Amen.’
9
Called
Day 10: Listening
God knows you and God loves you. He even
knew you and loved you before you were
born! God knows the special place meant just
for you in the whole of creation; you must
listen hard to Him so you can hear him tell
you where you are meant to be.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
Now the word of the LORD came to
me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in
the womb I knew you, and before you
were born I set you apart…’
I wonder…
… if God’s voice is quiet or loud?
… how hard I have to listen to hear the voice of God?
… why God chose to speak through other people, like Jeremiah?
 Keep your eyes open and listen to what is around you. Write a list of what you can hear. Now
close your eyes and listen again. Did you hear anything different this time? Did closing your eyes
help you concentrate on listening?
 Pray, ‘Dear God, sometimes it’s hard to listen for you in our noisy world; I’m sorry if I don’t
always listen for you as carefully as I could do. Please help me hear you even when I’m finding it
really hard to listen. Amen.’
10
Called
Day 11: Inheriting
Today’s reading talks about God adopting us. This shows
us that God loves us as much as our parents love us. It
also means that we will inherit things from God, just like
we inherit things from our parents. You might have the
same colour eyes as your Mum, or the same shape nose
as your Dad – you have inherited these things from your
parents.
Ephesians 1:3, 5
Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
in Christ with every spiritual
blessing… He destined us for
adoption as his children through
Jesus Christ…
But what can we inherit from God, who adopts us as a
parent? The Bible tells us that what we inherit from God
is the Kingdom of Heaven – the promise that dying is not
the end, and that one day we will all be together as one
big family in Heaven.
I wonder…
… how I can tell that God loves me like a parent?
… what I have inherited from my family members?
… what I will pass on to my descendents?
 Ask your parents or grandparents if they have any photos of themselves when they were young.
Do you look like them when they were young? Can you see any features that you have
inherited?
 Pray, ‘God, thank you for adopting us as your children. Please protect and love us all like my
family protect and love me, and please help us learn how to walk in your ways. Amen.’
11
Called
Day 12: Being Still
The world is a very busy place, with lots of
noise and rushing around. With everything
that distracts us – like our phones,
computers, TVs, the Internet – it can be
really hard to find a moment to just be still
and be quiet.
Psalm 46:10
‘Be still, and know that I am God!’
But the writer of today’s reading thinks it is
worth it: when we are quiet and still, it is
easier for us to listen out for God.
I wonder…
… how easy I would find it to stop rushing around and being distracted by other things?
… why it is easier to hear God in the stillness?
… how I can help the people around me find peace and stillness?
 Find a quiet place at home where you can avoid distractions. Sit in a comfortable position,
keeping your back straight and your shoulders relaxed. You can close your eyes if you want to.
Take a moment to concentrate on your breathing. Notice the rhythm of your breathing, in and
out, in and out. If you feel busy or stressed out during your day, go back to focus on the rhythm
of your breathing. How does this moment of being still affect you?
 Pray, ‘Lord God, you ask us to be still to hear you better; in this busy world full of busy people,
please help us to find the time and the space to be still with you. Amen.’
12
Called
Day 13: Being Ordinary
God isn’t just interested in people who are
powerful or clever or important – he loves all of
us in our ordinary lives, and he calls each of us
to our own special path in life and gives us the
gifts we need to walk it.
1 Corinthians 1:26
Brothers and sisters, think of what
you were when you were called. Not
many of you were wise by human
standards; not many were influential;
not many were of noble birth.
Loving God is an ordinary part of our ordinary
lives, but some people find it extraordinary;
some people might even make fun of us. The
trick is to show people that loving God is not
extraordinary or ridiculous, but a very normal
part of life!
I wonder…
… how I can share my love of God through my ordinary life?
… why some people think that believing in God is ridiculous?
… I can help people who are not able to share their love of God through their ordinary lives?
 Think about all the ways you can show love in ordinary ways. Make a cup of tea for someone
you love, or cheer someone up by helping them with their homework. You could even help tidy
up around the house!
 Pray, ‘Lord God, you love me just as I am. Help me to show other people how much I love you in
my normal daily routine. Please protect those Christians around the world who cannot do this
and let them know that we will do whatever we can to help them. Amen.’
13
Called
Day 14: Celebrating
During this season of Advent as we prepare to
celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day,
we need to remember to shout about our faith
in God – it’s nothing to be ashamed of!
2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not
make us timid, but gives us
power, love and self-discipline.
Even as we take the time to think about why we
need God’s love, and how we sometimes make
mistakes and upset God, it’s really, really
important that we take the time to celebrate as
well. So, shout the good news loudly – and sing
and dance it as well!
I wonder…
… what piece of music makes me feel like celebrating?
… how Jesus’ mother, Mary, and father, Joseph, celebrated the last days before Jesus was born?
… how many Christians around the world are celebrating their faith today?
 Parties are a great way to celebrate special occasions. Design a party invitation to invite
everyone to celebrate the birth of Jesus in a few weeks’ time. Make it colourful and exciting!
 Pray, ‘Dear God, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we give you thanks that you loved
us so much that you sent your Son to help us know you better. Help us to always celebrate our
lives as Christians. Amen.’
14
Challenge
Day 15: Hoping
Challenges come in all shapes and sizes, but the
biggest ones often involve living with or helping those
with suffering. It is easy to lose faith when you are
suffering, and to doubt God’s love.
Ephesians 3:13
I pray, therefore, that you may not
lose heart over my sufferings for you;
they are your glory.
What are the biggest challenges in your life? Have you
suffered? How did you deal with it? Paul is
encouraging the Christians who lived in Ephesus, the
Ephesians, to hope even though they can see Paul’s
sufferings. It is by hoping when we face challenges
that we learn how to grow. Hope brings us energy – to
sort out our own sufferings and to help other people
who are suffering.
I wonder…
… what was causing Paul’s sufferings?
… how the Ephesians tried to help him? Did they pray for him? Did they go to see him in person?
… how I can help other people feel hope when they are facing big challenges?
 Think about all the things that you give you hope when you are facing challenges – is it other
people? Friends and family? Is it the belief that everything will be ok, if it doesn’t feel that way
right now? Is it trust in God? Create a colourful poster of the things that give you hope and stick
it somewhere you can always see it.
 Pray, ‘Lord God, as we enter the third week of Advent, we give you thanks for the great hope
you sent to us in your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to be a source of hope for other people when
they face difficult times in their lives. Amen.’
15
Challenge
Day 16: Promising
Genesis 6:17-20, 22
Noah was called by God to save his family and
the animals of creation when the floodwaters
came. God made a promise: God would protect
Noah’s family and the animals if Noah agreed
to follow God’s commands.
Noah faced a great challenge – not only to
build a giant boat or to find a male and female
of every animal and bird in creation, but to
face up to the teasing of the people around
him, who didn’t believe his warnings that a
flood was coming. What gave him hope in this
time of challenge was his trust in God’s
promises.
So God said to Noah, ‘…I am going to bring
floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under
the heavens, every creature that has the breath
of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I
will establish my covenant with you, and you will
enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife
and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring
into the ark two of all living creatures, male and
female, to keep them alive with you. Two of
every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of
every kind of creature that moves along the
ground will come to you to be kept
alive.’ …Noah did everything just as God
commanded him.
I wonder…
… how Noah felt as he started to build his ark?
… how easy it was for Noah to do everything God commanded him to do?
… whether I can think of a time when I have trusted someone else to help me in a challenging situation?
 See if you can find a seed near a plant or tree in the garden or the local park, or buy a packet of
seeds from the local shop. Plant the seed and think about all the things you will need to do to
make sure it grows.
 Pray, ‘Father God, I trust that you are always there with me, even during the toughest times.
Show me your loving kindness and help me to do all the things you ask me to do. Amen.’
16
Challenge
Day 17: Sacrificing
Abraham was the first man to make a promise to follow God. He and his
wife, Sarah, were not able to have children, but God promised them a son
and, after some time, Sarah gave birth to a baby boy. They called him Isaac,
and they loved him very much.
Genesis 22:1
After these things, God tested
Abraham.
Some time later, God tested Abraham: he asked him to travel to the
mountains with his beloved son, Isaac, and when they got there, to sacrifice
Isaac to show how much he honoured God.
Abraham followed God’s commands and travelled to the mountains with
Isaac. When they arrived, Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac. As he lifted
his hand to kill his beloved son, an angel of God stopped him, saying, ‘…now
I know that you fear God.’
This story is very difficult to understand. What it shows us is that sometimes
God asks us to make sacrifices and go without the things we really, really
love. When this happens, we have to ask ourselves why we might be being
asked to make this sacrifice and how it might change us for the better if we
do make the sacrifice. It also reminds us of the great sacrifice God made in
sending his Son, Jesus, to save us.
I wonder…
… how Abraham felt when God told him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac?
… how Sarah felt when Abraham told him that he was going to follow God’s command?
… how sacrificing things can help us become better and grow in our faith?

For the rest of this week, give up something you love – watching TV, playing on the computer,
using Facebook, eating chocolate… How does it make you feel to give up something you love?

Pray, ‘Lord God, who tested Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his only son, help us
understand what it is like to go without the things we love. Show us ways in which can help
those who go without the things they need in life. Amen.’
17
Challenge
Day 18: Affirming
God chose Moses to speak out in front of Pharaoh, the
King of Egypt. The people of God, the Israelites, were
trapped in slavery in Egypt and God was calling Moses
to rescue them.
But Moses was frightened. He had left Egypt because
he had committed a serious crime and didn’t want to
go back. He was also nervous about speaking in front of
Pharaoh because he didn’t like speaking in public.
Exodus 9:10-12
‘So now, go. I am sending you to
Pharaoh to bring my people the
Israelites out of Egypt.’
But Moses said to God, ‘Who am
I that I should go to Pharaoh and
bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’
And God said, ‘I will be with you…’
But God promised to do everything he could to support
him and to be with him every step of the way. With a
little bit of self-belief, Moses travelled to Egypt, spoke
to Pharaoh, and rescued the Israelites from slavery.
I wonder…
… how Moses felt when God asked him to go to Egypt and speak with Pharaoh?
… why people sometimes find it hard to believe in themselves, even when other people believe in them?
… how I could help someone else see how wonderful they are?
 Write down all the things about yourself that you feel good about. Show the list to your friends
and family – do they add anything to you list that you hadn’t thought of?
 Pray, ‘Dear God, you know us better than we know ourselves. Help us to see ourselves as you
see us, and help us show others how to believe in themselves. Amen.’
18
Challenge
Day 19: Changing
After leaving slavery in Egypt, the Israelites travelled
with Moses through the desert for forty years. When
they finally arrived at the Promised Land, they had a big
challenge to face: by leaving the desert behind and
moving into a new land, the Israelites faced a great
change.
Deuteronomy 1:8
‘See, I have set the land before you;
go in and take possession of the land
that I swore to your ancestors, to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to
give to them and to their descendants
after them.’
Change is not easy; we don’t always want to change, and
we don’t always find it easy to accept change. Change
can take a long time to happen, or it can happen very
quickly. During this season of Advent, we have a chance
to think about all the changes that happen during our life
journey. It also gives us the chance to think about any
changes we would like to make in our lives.
I wonder…
… what it would feel like to enter the Promised Land after forty years in the desert?
… what changes I could make in my life that might make me happier?
… what changes have made me feel worried or scared?
 Winter is a time of great change outdoors – leaves fall off the trees, it gets cold outside and
sometimes it snows. Draw a picture of the four seasons of the year, thinking about all the
changes that happen in the natural world every year.
 Pray, ‘Father God, I am sorry that sometimes I don’t want to change when you ask me to
change; help me find a way to make changes in my life that make me happier and make those
around me happier as well. Amen.’
19
Challenge
Day 20: Not Judging
God asked Samuel to find the next king of Israel.
Samuel was expecting to find someone strong and
tall, but God warned him not to judge by
appearance.
1 Samuel 16:7
‘… the LORD does not see as humans
see; they look on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks on
the heart.’
God loves us all exactly as we are. Each of us is
made in the image of God, and God knows our
hearts. As children of God, we need to try and
remember this each time we look at another
person – no matter how much they might annoy
us!
I wonder…
… how Samuel felt when God told him not to judge people by their appearance?
… how often I am encouraged to judge people by their appearance by the media and modern society?
… how I can see everyone through God’s eyes?
 Find or make a very plain box, and fill it with something exciting – perhaps mince pies, or
chocolates, or a special gift for someone you love. Do people around you expect there to be
something exciting in the box?
 Pray, ‘Lord God, you have made us all in your image; help us to see each other in this way and
let us celebrate our own uniqueness. Amen.’
20
Challenge
Day 21: Running Away
God called Jonah to go to the great city Nineveh
and tell them to change their ways. Jonah was
frightened; he didn’t think that he could do what
God wanted him to do. So he ran away.
It is really easy to run away from things that we
don’t want to do. The reality is that we can’t run
away from God – just like Jonah couldn’t really
run and hide from God. With God, there is no
escape – he will always be with us. The other
reality is that running away from our problems
doesn’t solve them. The harder thing to do is to
stay and face them so that we can solve them.
Eventually Jonah did this, and the people of
Nineveh were saved.
Jonah 1:1-3
Now the word of the LORD came to
Jonah son of Amittai, saying, ‘Go at
once to Nineveh, that great city, and
cry out against it; for their wickedness
has come up before me.’ But Jonah
set out to flee to Tarshish.
I wonder…
… what Jonah felt like when he ran away from God?
… why God asked Jonah to face up to something that made him feel frightened?
… how I would react if God asked me to do something that frightened me?
 Set yourself a challenge today: what fear could you face today? Ask people for help if you want
to, but do your very best not to run away!
 Pray, ‘Lord God, as we continue on our Advent journey, please help us to face up to the things
that frighten us and the things we think we cannot do. Thank you for always travelling along
with us on our journey this Advent and always. Amen.’
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Day 22: Accomplishing
God accomplishes great things every day – even if we don’t always see
them or acknowledge that it is God at work.
God accomplishes great things every day because God works through
us!
A great Christian woman writing roughly 500 years ago put it like this:
Ephesians 3:20
… him who, by the power at work
within us, is able to accomplish
abundantly far more that all we can
ask or imagine.
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
St Teresa of Avila
I wonder…
… why God chooses to work through ordinary humans?
… if I can tell how God is working through the people around me?
… if I can tell how God is working through me?
 Think about the things that God is accomplishing through someone close to you; create a
certificate for that person, celebrating the things they are doing that show God’s love in the
world.
 Pray, ‘Father God, as we enter the last days of Advent, help us to celebrate everything you
accomplished in the world through the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, and everything you
accomplish through us every day. Amen.’
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Day 23: Being Faithful
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were Jews living in the area of Babylon,
which was ruled by King Nebuchadnezzar, who was not a Jew.
Nebuchadnezzar created a golden statue and ordered that everyone in
Babylon should bow down and worship it. But Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego refused, because they believed that there is only one God, and
they did not want to worship idols. When they refused to worship the
golden statue, Nebuchadnezzar ordered that they be thrown into a fiery pit
and burned alive.
To the astonishment of everyone present, when they looked into the fire,
they could see four men, not three. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
came out of the fire untouched, and everyone realised that they had been
protected from the fire by an angel from God. Nebuchadnezzar promised
to protect the Jews and their beliefs from that day onwards.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not follow the crowd or bow down
to pressure; instead, they stayed strong in their faith and trusted that God
would be with them – even if they should die in the fire. God accomplished
great things through these men.
Daniel 3:14-15, 27-28
King Nebuchadnezzar said to
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
‘…if you do not worship [my gods],
you shall immediately be thrown into
a furnace of blazing fire
… [the king’s men] gathered together
and saw that the fire had not had any
power over… those men; the hair of
their heads was not singed, their
tunics were not harmed…
Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Blessed be the
God of Shardrach, Meshach and
Abednego, who has sent his angel
and delivered his servants who
trusted him.’
I wonder…
… how the men felt when they realised they were going to be thrown into the fire?
… what it would have been like to be in the crowd of people watching what was going on?
… what things sometimes make it harder for me to stick to my beliefs?
 Create an artwork – a painting, sculpture, poem, song – that reflects what faith means to you.
 Pray, ‘Lord God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, please be with me too when times are
hard and I feel under pressure. Help me shine a light on my faith to those around me so that
they can come to know you and your love better. Amen.’
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Day 24: Making a Difference
God uses small, ordinary things to accomplish
great things: five loaves and two fish feeding
five thousand people.
We often think of ourselves as small and
unimportant, but it’s often the small things
that make big differences in people’s lives. In
these last few days before we celebrate the
birth of a small baby born to unimportant
parents, who made such a huge difference to
all our lives, think about the small things you
do in life that make a big difference to those
around you.
Luke 9:13, 16-17
Jesus said to them, ‘You give them
something to eat.’ They said, ‘We
have no more than five loaves and
two fish.’
…taking the five loaves and the two
fish, he looked up to heaven, and
blessed and broke them, and gave
them to the disciples to set before
the crowd. And all ate and were filled.
I wonder…
… how Jesus felt when he saw all the thousands of people who had come to hear him talk about the
Kingdom of God?
… how the people in the crowd reacted when they realised that so many people had been fed with so
little food?
… what small thing will make a big difference to me today?
 Do something kind for someone today, but do it secretly!
 Pray, ‘Dear God, I am sorry that sometimes I don’t help when I could because I don’t think I’m
big or important enough to make a difference; help me to make a big difference in small ways.
Amen.’
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Day 25: Speaking
Throughout the Bible, when God speaks it is
for a purpose.
God spoke when he created the earth. He
spoke to Abraham and Moses and Jonah.
In the Gospels, Jesus is called the Word of
God. God sent Jesus to us, and he did not
return to God until he had succeeded in his
mission: to save us all from death. Tomorrow
we will be celebrating the moment when
God sent for his Word – the moment when
Jesus was born and the beginning of his
journey back to God after his life, death and
resurrection.
Isaiah 55:10-11
‘For as the rain and the snow come
down from heaven, and do not return
there until they have watered the
earth, making it bring forth and
sprout…, so shall my word be that
goes out from mouth; it shall not
return to me empty, but it shall…
succeed in the thing for which I sent
it.’
I wonder…
… how often I speak without thinking about how my words travel out into the world?
… how many words of joy I will speak today?
… how I can speak about my faith as a Christian to as many people as possible on this Christmas Eve?
 Today we are beginning to focus on the great event we will celebrate tomorrow. Use whatever
you can find around the house to create a Nativity scene: don’t forget to include Jesus, Mary,
Joseph, a great star, some wise men and some shepherds.
 Pray, ‘Heavenly Father, you care about words and you have chosen to speak to us through your
Son, Jesus. Help us to listen carefully and speak wisely and joyfully. Amen.’
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Day 26: Succeeding!
Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Son
of God and our Saviour!
In the birth of this tiny baby, born in a humble
place to very ordinary parents, God
accomplishes his plan for saving humanity.
Luke 2:7
And she gave birth to her firstborn
son and wrapped him in bands of
cloth, and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them
in the inn.
This is a day for joy; for being with those you
love, and for giving thanks for all the good
things God has given us.
I wonder…
… how other Christians around the world are celebrating this day?
… why our all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God chose to come to us as a tiny, vulnerable baby?
… how I can keep the feeling of celebrating the joy of Jesus’ birth alive for the rest of the year?
 Celebrate Christmas! Be with those you love, give thanks, think about the baby Jesus coming
into the world over two thousand years ago.
 Pray, ‘Dear God, you are the Creator of all, the one who spoke through Abraham, through
Moses, through the Prophets, who has accomplished great things throughout history. You have
come to us this day as a tiny baby; thank you for living as we live, loving us completely and being
fully present to us, even in the most vulnerable of forms. Amen.’
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