Advent Week 4

Family Prayer: December 18th - 24th, 2022

Download a Printable Version of the Liturgy with Family Activities Here.

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THE LITURGY

These devotions follow the basic structure of the Daily Office of the Church and are particularly appropriate for families with young children.

The Reading and the Collect may be read by one person, and the other parts said in unison, or in some other convenient manner.

OPENING SENTENCE

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise.

PSALM 51:15

THE PSALM

PSALM 51:10-12

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,*

and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from your presence,*

and take not your holy Spirit from me.

12 O give me the comfort of your help again,*

and sustain me with your willing Spirit.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

A WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

Luke 2:14 (NKJV)

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

NEW TESTAMENT READING

• Sun (12.18) - John 3:16–21

• Mon (12.19) - John 5:30–47

• Tues (12.20) - Luke 1:5–25

• Wed (12.21) (Thomas the Apostle) - John 14:1–7

• Thurs (12.22) - Luke 1:39–56

• Fri (12.23) - Luke 1:57–66

• Sat (12.24) (Christmas Eve) - Philippians 2:5–11

INTERCESSIONS

Take time to ask everyone at your table who they would like to pray for this day.

PRAYER THOUGHTS: This week’s theme is peace.

Read Matthew 1:23. What has the Angel told Joseph? How does God with us bring peace?

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

COLLECTS

WEEKLY COLLECT

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

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Collect from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer

Quoted Scripture from the 2016 ESV and the 2019 Book of Common Prayer