Are you looking for a gospel-centered devotional to use during the Advent season? Explore a handful of our favorite Advent resources to guide your study of the coming of Jesus—the greatest gift ever given!
What is Advent?
Advent is the season leading up to Christmas, which begins four Sundays before December 25. This year, Advent begins on Sunday, November 28.
During Advent (which means “arrival”), Christians focus on looking back at the past “arrival”—the birth of Jesus Christ (see 1 Peter 1:10-12)—while also looking forward to a future “arrival”—anticipating the second coming of Christ, as promised in Matthew 25:31-32 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
The Advent season is a wonderful time to celebrate God’s faithfulness to us, especially through the promised Son of God, the man Jesus Christ. The birth of Jesus fulfills all promises God has made to provide a way for us to draw near to the Father and receive the promised gift of salvation. Hallelujah!
Christmas Advent Devotionals
While not every church will formally recognize Advent, many Christians choose to incorporate Advent readings or age-appropriate family activities to keep the meaning of Christmas centered on Christ.
Below are some of our personal favorites for Christmas Advent devotionals:
- Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Family Devotional (by Marty Machowski): This is the book (with CD) our family chose to use last year. It contains four weekly devotionals, and each week includes fun Christmas activities and Christmas carols to go with the Bible reading.
- Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas (by Nancy Guthrie): My husband and I used this book two years ago and loved it. The book is a collection of 22 works and sermons by both classic theologians and modern Bible teachers, and will help you pause and reflect on the gift of Jesus in a fresh way this season.
- Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent (by Sinclair Ferguson): This devotional breaks down the Bible’s “love chapter”—1 Corinthians 13—phrase by phrase to show us that “love is” the Lord Jesus himself. Daily readings include a prayer and question for reflection.
- Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional (by Paul David Tripp): If you’re looking for a daily reading guide, this one has a reading for each day in December. Trade the busyness of Christmas to-do’s for a quiet minute each day to prepare your heart to adore Christ the Savior. Each devotion includes a note for parents and children.
Additional Advent Resources
Unwrapping the Names of Jesus (by Asheritah Ciuciu): Worship Jesus during Advent with daily readings and optional family activities/service projects by using this devotional, based on the names of Jesus. (Asheritah writes at OneThingAlone.com and has a lot of valuable Christ-centered resources!)
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas (by Ann Voskamp): The entire family can enjoy this book, including beautiful illustrations, Scripture readings, discussion questions, suggestions for family activities, and downloadable materials. (Ann is a bestselling author and blogs at www.aholyexperience.com)
Original post published: November 24, 2018 | Post updated: November 24, 2021
Lindsey Cover is a chaplain’s wife and stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four sweet boys. She and her husband, Matt, have served in various church ministries over the past fourteen years. They currently live near the beach in southern Delaware.
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