Laurie Hopkins

Taken from: Advent Devotions to Take You Deeper: A Season of Faith (Laurie Hopkins, 2018, pages 25, 26)

“Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, He who speaks, fulfills, and reveals, we come before You and cry Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!  We are humbled in Your presence this Christmas season as we seek to learn the faith story.  We are humbled by these men and woman whose lives You have chosen to be part of the miracle of the birth of the Christ Child.  We are humbled by their faith, their obedience, their praise and their service – but we are even more humbled by the thought that you choose to record their stories in Your Word, that we might know and understand that you have also chosen each one of us, as “everyday” as we may be.  We know that this journey into faith impacts much more than how we spend our Christmas this year; that it impacts how we live our very lives.  We know that you have a plan for each of our lives and we ask as we continue on this journey of faith, that you would grant us wisdom regarding our own faith, where it is and where it needs to be and how to walk that path; that you would reveal to us Your plan for our lives and would grant us the faith to walk it out in obedience and service.  We ask this in the precious Name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen and Amen and Amen.”

Taken from: Advent Devotions to Take You Deeper: A Season of Faith (Laurie Hopkins, 2018, page 15)

“Let us pray together:

Gracious Father of all faith, hope and love, we come and sit still before you as we prepare for this Christmas season.  We have lost our way and we seek Your direction to find Your path among the paths of the world.  We thank you, for the most precious gift of all time, Your Beloved Son, whom You sent to earth in the form of a baby in Bethlehem.  This was the first step of a journey that would lead to Calvary where He would shed His blood for our salvation.  We ask Father that you would speak to us; show us the journey back to the true message of Christmas. The message that is not just for a season but one that we should live out every day of our lives; through our bodies, minds, and spirits, an extension of Your Almighty Hand in this world. We Praise Your Almighty Name as we bring these things before you in the Name of Jesus.  Amen and Amen and Amen!”

Taken from: Advent Devotions to Take You Deeper: A Season of Faith (Laurie Hopkins, 2018, pages 5,6)

“Let us pray together:

Almighty God, Giver of hope, love and life itself; we praise Your holy name and thank You for this Christmas season – the season in which we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child – the first step on the road to Calvary and eternal life.  Although some of us would be hesitant to admit it, for many of us the Christmas season has lost its meaning and we have been left with a time of rush and excess and stress that leaves us empty and disappointed in the end.  We long, Father, for the meaning and simplicity of earlier times.  We aren’t exactly sure where we took the wrong turn or how to find our way back. We ask, Father, that you would grant us wisdom and understanding this Christmas season as we search Your Word and study the lives of faith of those involved in the events of the first Christmas.  Grant us divine revelation Father.  Show us Your truth.  Help us to examine our faith and its impact on how we celebrate the birth of Your Son as well as its impact on our daily lives long after Christmas has passed.  We bring these things before You in the precious name of Jesus. Amen and Amen and Amen.”