One of my favorite times of the year has arrived, and with it I have created a new resource for our family for Advent this year! With two teenaged kids at home, we were needing something that fit better with our family’s scheduled rhythms. We have loved using my Advent Bible Reading Plan previously to take us through the entire narrative of scripture leading up to Jesus. It has been a true joy going through this each year and we will definitely continue to do so on our own, with others, and even just use the printables as a countdown to remember the story of scripture. This year was a year to try something new!
Why Pray the Names of the Jesus?
I have been challenged this past year to dig into who Jesus truly is with my kids and to teach them to respond to him in prayer. We spend a lot of time talking about believing in him, spending time hearing from him in his Word, and even sharing him faithfully with others, but I really want them to know WHO Jesus truly is. This is where the idea of praying the names of Jesus at advent came from. As we travel through the month of December together, I want us to spend time diving deep into the names of Jesus to discover who he says that he is, and as we do so, I want each of us to fall more in love with our Savior and to respond to him in prayers of praise. Advent is a special season to slow down and remember God’s promises and faithfulness in sending Jesus, the promised Messiah. My prayer is that this plan will help us to do just that: slow down, remember who this promised Messiah truly is, and praise his name together.
How to use the “Praying the Names of Jesus at Advent” plan:
Using this guide to praying the names of Jesus is super simple and I hope will provide you with something that points you and your family close to Jesus this advent season. Each day from December 1 to December 25, you will have a different name of Jesus and a passage from scripture that calls Jesus this name. Here’s how we will to use this plan, but feel free to get creative and make it your own!
- Read the name of Jesus and the verse accompanying it.
- Discuss together or think through on your own what this name of Jesus means. Think through the following questions:
-What does it mean that Jesus is _____?
-What are the implications if Jesus truly is _____?
-How does this affect my relationship with him if he truly is _____? - Pray and give thanks for this name of who Jesus says that he is. Praise him for this attribute of his character and ask him to reveal more of himself to you as you dwell on this throughout the day. Ask him to help you to trust that he is who he says he is and to have a heart of praise. Pray that he will help you to believe and be transformed by knowing this aspect of his character.
That’s it! Super simple but transformative as we learn the character of Jesus as well as how to use scripture to form our prayers. This plan can be used on your own, as a family, with someone you are discipling, as a small group, or with any format you choose! Or maybe you are a prayer journaler- this would be a great resource to guide your prayers in your journal or to write scripture as well.
Getting Started in Prayer
What if you feel like you don’t know how to pray or what to say? This is one reason I LOVE to pray scripture. It is simply reading the verse and praying that verse back to God in thanksgiving! For example, one of the names of Jesus in my plan is that Jesus is the light of the world. In John 8:12, Jesus says: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
I might respond in prayer in this way:
Thank you, Jesus, that you are the light of the world! Thank you that when I follow you, I have the light of life to guide me and to help me to not walk in darkness. Thank you that you are good and bring light to the world and to my life. Help me to walk in your light today and to run from darkness. Thank you for the Holy Spirit living in me to help light my way in truth. You are so good and true! Help me to trust you as the light of the world today! Amen!
Simple, right? Still wanting some help in getting started in prayer? Check out a few of these other posts to get you started and to keep you going all year long!:
How to Start Praying to God
Importance of Prayer in Discipleship: 5 Prayers for Those You Disciple (Also focused on praying scripture!)
How to Organize Your Prayer Life
31 Days of Prayer For My Children (Also focused on praying scripture!)
Praying the Names of Jesus at Advent Printable!
And finally, here is the list of names of Jesus to pray this advent season, along with the printable to use together as you pray.
1. Almighty – “…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
2. Alpha and Omega – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13
3. Advocate – “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” 1 John 2:1
4. Bread of Life – “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” John 6:35
5. Beloved Son of God – “And behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17
6. Good Shepherd – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
7. Great High Priest – “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” Hebrews 4:14
8. Image of God – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Colossians 1:15
9. Immanuel – “Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).” Matthew 1:23
10. Lamb of God – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
11. Light of the World – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
12. Lord of All – “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
13. Mediator – “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5
14. Messiah – “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).” John 1:41
15. Redeemer – “‘And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, ’declares the Lord.” Isaiah 59:20
16. Savior – “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
17. Son of Man – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
18. Son of the Most High – “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.” Luke 1:32
19. Supreme Creator Over All – “By him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17
20. Resurrection and the Life – “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” John 11:25
21. True Vine – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1
22. The Way, Truth, and Life – “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
23. The Word – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
24. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
25. Jesus– “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
I pray that this resource will help you draw near to Jesus this advent season as you reflect on who he says that he is and as you give him the praise due his name! He is most worthy of the praise of the all of the nations!