An Advent prayer
Advent 2026 begins Sunday, November 29. If you only need one prayer for the season, this works on any day, alone or around a lit candle.
A prayer for Advent
Lord Jesus, in all the noise of December, help me wait for You. The lists are long and the days are short. Quiet my heart enough to notice You coming.
You came the first time to a tired world, as a baby no one was expecting. Come again into the parts of me I keep hidden, into my family and into this world. Fill this season with hope, and let me be ready when You come. Amen.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
A traditional Advent prayer (Book of Common Prayer, 1662)
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
Thomas Cranmer's collect for the first Sunday of Advent, prayed in Anglican churches for nearly five hundred years. "The quick" means the living.
What is Advent?
Advent, from the Latin for "coming," is the four weeks before Christmas. For centuries Christians have used it to remember how God's people waited for the Messiah, to prepare to celebrate Jesus' birth and to look ahead to the day He comes again. In many churches it also begins the new church year.
It's a season of waiting, not yet Christmas. In a month that rushes, Advent asks you to stop for a few minutes and pray. Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and many evangelical churches keep it in their own ways, and Orthodox Christians keep a longer fast before Christmas.
Advent always begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, so the start date moves each year, from November 27 to December 3.
Advent candles and the wreath
An Advent wreath holds four candles, one lit for each Sunday, often with a white Christ candle in the center for Christmas Eve. Many churches name the weeks hope, peace, joy and love, and the third candle, lit on Gaudete Sunday (December 13, 2026), is often pink.
Our Advent candle prayers guide has the lighting order, a blessing for the wreath, a prayer for each Sunday and a free printable 2026 Advent prayer calendar with candle cards.
Daily Advent prayers
One short prayer for each day of Advent, from the first Sunday to Christmas Eve. Pray it in the morning, at dinner by the wreath or as you turn out the light. Each week follows that week's theme.
Week 1, hope: November 29 to December 5
- Day 1, Sunday: Lord, as Advent begins, wake up my heart to wait for You. Amen.
- Day 2, Monday: God, You kept Your promises to Israel for centuries. Help me trust You with mine. Amen.
- Day 3, Tuesday: Jesus, come into the parts of this week I'm dreading. Amen.
- Day 4, Wednesday: Father, give hope to someone who's run out of it today, and let me be part of the answer. Amen.
- Day 5, Thursday: Lord, when the waiting feels long, remind me that You're not late. Amen.
- Day 6, Friday: God, help me hope for more than presents this Christmas. Amen.
- Day 7, Saturday: Jesus, the world groans and waits for You. So do I. Come soon. Amen.
Week 2, peace: December 6 to December 12
- Day 8, Sunday: Prince of Peace, quiet the noise inside me before the noise of the week begins. Amen.
- Day 9, Monday: Lord, make a straight path in my heart for You to walk in. Amen.
- Day 10, Tuesday: God, bring peace to one relationship in my life that's tangled up. Amen.
- Day 11, Wednesday: Jesus, I give You the list that's keeping me up at night. Amen.
- Day 12, Thursday: Father, comfort the people living through war and fear this Christmas. Amen.
- Day 13, Friday: Lord, help me be a peacemaker at the next family gathering. Amen.
- Day 14, Saturday: Holy Spirit, let God's peace guard my heart and mind today. Amen.
Week 3, joy: December 13 to December 19
- Day 15, Sunday: Lord, the pink candle is lit. Teach me to rejoice in You, whatever today holds. Amen.
- Day 16, Monday: Jesus, give me the joy of the shepherds, who ran to see You. Amen.
- Day 17, Tuesday: God, open my eyes to one small gift You've hidden in this ordinary day. Amen.
- Day 18, Wednesday: Father, let my joy spill over to someone who needs it. Amen.
- Day 19, Thursday: Lord, like Mary, let my soul magnify You, even in the middle of the rush. Amen.
- Day 20, Friday: Jesus, bring joy to the lonely, the grieving and the tired this week. Amen.
- Day 21, Saturday: God, thank You that Your joy doesn't depend on a perfect Christmas. Amen.
Week 4, love: December 20 to December 24
- Day 22, Sunday: Father, all four candles are lit. Fill me with the love that sent Jesus to us. Amen.
- Day 23, Monday: Lord, help me love the people I'll see this week, especially the difficult ones. Amen.
- Day 24, Tuesday: Jesus, You came for the overlooked. Show me who I've been overlooking. Amen.
- Day 25, Wednesday: God, like Joseph, help me trust You when the plan changes. Amen.
- Day 26, Christmas Eve: Emmanuel, God with us, tonight the waiting is over. Thank You. Amen.
The last week of Advent changes length every year. If there are extra days before Christmas Eve, pray that week's Sunday prayer again. If there are fewer, skip ahead to Christmas Eve. For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day themselves, see our Christmas prayers.
The O Antiphons (December 17 to 23)
The O Antiphons are seven short prayers sung at evening prayer in the last week of Advent, since at least the 700s. Each calls Jesus by a title from the prophets, and together they became the carol "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans still pray them. Here's a one-line prayer for each.
- December 17, O Wisdom: teach me to see this day the way You see it. Amen.
- December 18, O Lord (Adonai): You spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Speak to me, and lead me in Your ways. Amen.
- December 19, O Root of Jesse: You grew from a stump no one expected anything from. Bring life to what looks finished in me. Amen.
- December 20, O Key of David: open what's locked, and set free everyone who feels trapped this Christmas. Amen.
- December 21, O Morning Star: rise on everyone facing the longest night of the year. Amen.
- December 22, O King of the Nations: bring peace between peoples, and between the people in my house. Amen.
- December 23, O Emmanuel, God with us: come, and stay. Amen.
Advent prayers for families at home
You don't need a perfect wreath or a long devotional. A few minutes at dinner is plenty.
A family prayer around the wreath
Lord, thank You for this table and this family. As we light our candles tonight, help us wait for Jesus together: the little ones with their wiggles, and the rest of us with our lists. Make our home a place He'd feel welcome. Teach us to give more than we get this month. Amen.
- 1
Set up a simple wreath
Four candles in a circle on the table is enough. Add greenery if you like, and a white candle in the middle for Christmas Eve.
- 2
Pick one time each day
Dinner works for most families. Light the candles for this week, read a verse and pray the day's prayer. It takes two minutes.
- 3
Let everyone have a part
One person lights, one reads, one prays. Rotate through the week so even the youngest gets a turn.
- 4
Don't give up if you miss a day
Advent isn't a test. Pick it up again tomorrow, or read two days at once.
- 5
Keep the candles safe
Never leave them burning unattended, and keep dried greenery away from the flames.
Advent prayers for kids
Let a child light the candle (with help) and say one of these. Short and concrete works best.
- Dear God, thank You that Jesus is coming. Help me get ready. Amen.
- Jesus, help me wait nicely, even when I really want it to be Christmas. Amen.
- God, thank You for this candle. Thank You that Jesus is the light. Amen.
- Dear Jesus, help me be kind to my brother [or sister] today. Amen.
- God, help me think about giving, not just getting. Amen.
A candle prayer kids can answer
Grown-up: Jesus is the light of the world.
Kids: We're waiting for You, Jesus.
Grown-up: When we're happy and when we're sad,
Kids: we're waiting for You, Jesus.
Grown-up: Help us share and help us be kind,
Kids: we're waiting for You, Jesus. Amen.
A bedtime Advent prayer for kids
Dear God, thank You for today. Thank You that Christmas is coming, and that it's Jesus' birthday. Help me remember that He came because You love me so much. Help me be patient, and help me be kind. Watch over my family tonight. Amen.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Make it theirs
Let kids pick the person the family prays for each night, or draw a name from a jar of friends, teachers and neighbors. By Christmas they'll have prayed for two dozen people.
Advent prayers for a small group
To open or close a small group, a Bible study or a church gathering during Advent. Read slowly; let a few seconds of quiet sit at the end.
Opening a small group in Advent
Lord, thank You for this group and for this season of waiting. Half of us came straight from work and the other half from the mall. Slow us down. As we read about the people who waited for You, Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, the shepherds, teach us how to wait well too. Amen.
Closing a small group in Advent
God, thank You for what You showed us tonight. As we go back into a busy week, keep us watchful for You. Remind us of each other's needs, and help us pray for them before we see each other again. Let our homes feel more like Bethlehem than a shopping mall this December. Amen.
Praying for each other during Advent
Holy Spirit, we bring You the people in this room and what they're carrying: [the hospital visit, the job search, the first Christmas after a loss]. You came near to us in Jesus. Be near each of them now. Where hope is thin, give them hope. Where home feels like chaos, give them peace. And let them feel loved by You and by us. Amen.
If your group is new to praying together out loud, our guide on how to pray with friends has gentle ways to start.
Advent prayer for a friend who is struggling
Not everyone feels merry in December. Grief, illness, money worries, a hard marriage or depression can feel heavier when everyone else seems happy. Advent is honest about darkness, which makes it a good season to pray for a friend who's in it.
For a friend having a hard Advent
Lord, [Name] is having a hard December. The lights and the music feel like they're for other people this year. You know what they're carrying. You came into a dark world, not a cheerful one, so come into theirs.
Give them one good day this week. Send people who'll sit with them instead of trying to cheer them up. Let them feel You near, even if it's just a little. Amen.
For a friend dreading the holidays after a loss
Jesus, [Name] is already bracing for Christmas. Every ad and every carol reminds them who won't be there this year. Give them permission to skip what they can't face, and courage for what they can. Let the people around them notice, and stay. Amen.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
I know December is hard this year. I'm praying for you, and you don't need to reply.
Thinking of you tonight. Want to get coffee this week? No holiday talk required.
Lit a candle tonight and prayed for you by name. Love you.
Many churches hold a quiet "Blue Christmas" or "Longest Night" service around December 21 for people who are grieving. Offering to go with a friend can mean a lot. Our prayers for grief may help too. If your friend seems hopeless or talks about not wanting to live, help them get support now. In the US, call or text 988 any time.
Advent scripture readings for each week
A short list of readings to go with each week's candle. Read one a day, or one each Sunday by the wreath. These follow the themes above, not any one church's lectionary.
Week 1, hope
- Isaiah 9:2–7, a light for people in darkness
- Jeremiah 33:14–16, the promise that will be kept
- Romans 15:4–13, the God of hope
- Luke 21:25–28, look up
Week 2, peace
- Isaiah 40:1–11, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people"
- Isaiah 11:1–10, the peaceable kingdom
- Mark 1:1–8, John the Baptist prepares the way
- Luke 1:67–79, Zechariah's song
Week 3, joy
- Isaiah 35:1–10, the desert will bloom
- Zephaniah 3:14–17, God rejoices over His people
- Philippians 4:4–7, rejoice in the Lord
- Luke 1:46–55, Mary's song
Week 4, love
- Micah 5:2–5, a ruler from Bethlehem
- Luke 1:26–38, the angel visits Mary
- Matthew 1:18–25, Joseph's dream
- 1 John 4:7–12, God is love
Christmas Eve
- Luke 2:1–20, the birth of Jesus
- John 1:1–14, the Word became flesh
Coming soon to the App Store
Wait for Christmas with your people
PrayerBoard is a private circle for the few friends you pray with. Share what you're carrying this Advent and see who's praying with you.
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Questions people ask
When does Advent start in 2026?
Advent 2026 begins on Sunday, November 29. The four Sundays are November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20, and Advent ends on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24.
What is a short prayer for Advent?
Try: "Jesus, help me wait for You this week, and make my heart ready for Christmas. Amen." The oldest Advent prayer is even shorter: "Come, Lord Jesus," from the last lines of the Bible.
What is the meaning of Advent?
Advent means "coming." It's four weeks of waiting and preparing to celebrate Jesus' birth at Christmas, and of looking ahead to His return.
What are the O Antiphons?
They're seven short, ancient prayers sung in the last week of Advent, from December 17 to 23, each calling Jesus by a title from the prophets, like Wisdom, Root of Jesse and Emmanuel. The carol "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is based on them.
