Advent

Prayer ideas:

• What does "incarnation" mean to you? Go to your first thought ...

  • A baby - vulnerable, poor, illegitimate, highly anticipated, but unexpected, ...

  • "Son of Man" - teacher, healer, miracle worker, table scatterer, water walker, 5,000 feeder, ...

  • "Lamb of God" - sacrifice, guilt, forgiveness, ...

  • "Lion of Judah" - victorious, new hope, new power, new life, ...

  • Praise him for who he is for you.

• What colours, sounds, smells, feelings come to mind as you consider Immanuel - "God with us"?

  • Colours - dark sky, bright stars, dark foreboding sky, the dark before dawn, brightness erupting, ...

  • Sounds - sheep, crying, angels, crowds, bustle, running, screaming, hammer on nails, silence, ...

  • Smells - hay, new "baby", dust, smelly feet, party food, good wine, perfume, embalming spices, fresh air, ...

  • Feelings - pain, joy, relief, expectation, confusion, excitement, shame, desolation, disbelief, joy, ...

  • Go to that place, sit, stand, wait with Jesus, hang out with him.

• Who is your "role model"? Be real. Be true to yourself. Who do you admire, aspire to?

  • Parent?

  • Teacher?

  • Celebrity?

  • Achiever?

  • Server?

  • Thank God for them and where they help you to be more like Jesus.

  • Ask forgiveness for where they drag you down, away from God's good plan for your life.

• As far as you understand Jesus' work in your life ...

  • What would, could, should it mean to ...

    • A friend

    • An enemy

    • A neighbour

    • A stranger

  • Who is on your heart ...

    • Family, parent, child, brother, sister, ...

    • Friend, colleague, peer, boss, employee, ...

    • Those abroad, closer to home, in prison, in debt, alone, ...

  • Pray for them, and yourself. Be brave. Ask big prayers.