Advent is a hugely significant time in the life of every believer, as it is centred around the incarnation of God through Jesus Christ. In the Christian calendar, Advent takes place in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. This period of time is designed to help us focus our hearts on the coming of Christ all those years ago and praise the Lord in light of that.

In its simplest terms, ‘advent’ refers to the arrival of a person or thing of significance, which in the Christian faith is Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at how we can best use this time of Advent to reflect on the overwhelming grace of God and look to the future, when Christ will come again to usher in the new Heavens and new Earth.

Making the most of the Advent season

Everyone celebrates Advent differently, and there are many ways to glorify God throughout this season. Here are just a few practical and spiritual steps that you and your loved ones can take to make the most of the Advent season this year:

• Make some changes to your Advent calendar

Over the years, as Christmas has been adopted as more of a cultural tradition in the West than a Christian one, Christ has been slowly taken out of the Advent season to some extent. As such, Advent calendars are more commonly associated with chocolates, or other gifts, rather than Jesus Himself.

So, defy cultural norms this season and follow an Advent calendar that puts Christ at the centre. There are a number of different biblically focused Advent calendars that you can access online. Alternatively, you could create your own by selecting specific readings from Scripture for every day of the Advent season.

• Daily prayers of gratitude

Advent is a time for all Christians to practice gratitude and really take time to thank God for everything He has done, is doing, and will continue to do for us. The central focus of this gratitude is the coming of Christ and the salvation that He bought for us through His death on the cross. Regardless of our circumstances, when we are in Christ, there is so much to be grateful for. Advent is the perfect time to focus on gratitude and thank God for everything He has done in your life.

If you struggle to come up with your own prayers, there are also some great resources out there that provide prayers or pointers for each day of the Advent season. You can use these to guide your daily prayer life and prepare your heart for Christmas throughout Advent. Or, you could create your own gratitude plan for Advent and come up with specific things for which you can praise God each day of the season.

• Follow an Advent Bible plan

One of the best ways to prepare for Christmas throughout the Advent season is to read through the Christmas story. If you have been a Christian for many years, it is likely that you will have heard the Christmas story countless times. For this reason, it can be easy to switch off when the story of Christ’s birth is read and taught. However, the living Word of God is not like any other text – it does not lose its meaning over time. In fact, every time we read God’s Word, He is faithful to bless us.

This Advent, why not commit to reading through the Christmas story, as told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke? Each time you come to the Word, ask God to reveal Himself to you. Ask God to increase your understanding of who He is and all He has done for you, particularly through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By doing this, you will be able to look at the Christmas story with a fresh perspective and a renewed appreciation for your loving Saviour.

• Rest

Unlike the other steps in this list, which call us to do something, this step calls us to do the exact opposite. For many people, Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year. Therefore, the idea of taking intentional rest can seem like a pipe dream. However, it is important not to let the festivities overwhelm you to the point of exhaustion.

The Bible regards rest as a gift from our good and gracious God that we are to enjoy and use for His glory. The Lord himself rested on the seventh day of creation, which shows how highly it is valued.

Resting in the biblical sense is not just lazing around the house and neglecting responsibilities. Instead, it is a time of intentional peace and quiet, where we can block out the distractions of the world and give ourselves fully over to the Lord. During times of rest, we are challenged to stop relying on our own strength and entrust our lives to God.

Rest should be a fundamental part of the Christian life at all times of the year, but it can be particularly hard to focus on during busy times like the run-up to Christmas.

We hope you have found these tips helpful and will be able to use them to glorify God this Advent season! Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up to date with all of LMI’s ministry endeavours.

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Reach out and let us know if you try any of the steps mentioned in this blog. We would love to hear from you!