Focus your mind on worshiping God.

With the words of this Psalm, God calls you to worship him. A young child could read these words:

Psalm 63:1-4 (NIrV)

God, you are my God.

I greatly long for you.

With all my heart I thirst for you

in this dry desert

where there isn’t any water.

I have seen you in the sacred tent.

There I have seen your power and your glory.

Your love is better than life.

I will bring glory to you with my lips.

I will praise you as long as I live.

I will lift up my hands when I pray to you.

Pray this prayer:

Faithful God, we wait for you to come.

We know that you will

because you already have

and because you promised to return.

While we wait, send your Spirit

so that we may grow in grace.

Prepare us for your coming, Lord. Amen.

Praise God with the words of this Advent song:

Pray this prayer of confession:

God in heaven,

If we look at our own lives,

we must confess the mixture of giving and selfishness.

Our waiting for Jesus turned to an endless rush.

Our patience became impatience.

Lord, forgive our frantic ways, our forgetfulness, 

our short-term thinking, and our earthly thinking.

Help us to trust in you, our God,

who still brings us salvation,

who still supplies us strength,

who hears our songs of longing,

and who gives us peace.

God gives you hope with these words:

Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. 

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. 

For the joy set before him he endured the cross, 

scorning its shame, and sat down

at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, 

so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

Give thanks to God with this song, and then listen as God teaches you from Matthew 25:1-13: