An expecting mum always throws a party in anticipation of her baby. Everyone at the party talks about the baby and, the parents might reveal the gender. It prepares everyone at the party to know what to expect.)
Think of Advent as a baby shower.)
Christians who are a family in God gather together to prepare themselves for the birth of the Son, Jesus Christ. This period is usually four weeks or four Sundays, represented by four candles. The candles are placed on a green wreath signifying God's eternity.)
The first candle represents hope. Many prophets like Isaiah predicted the coming of Jesus. It gave hope to mankind that a saviour will be born. It is also called the "prophets candle".)
The second candle represents peace. The coming of Jesus will bring peace to the world and inner peace. When the angels appeared before the shepherds they proclaimed…. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). It is also called "angels candle")
The third candle represents Joy. It is why a popular Christmas song starts with "joy to the world, the Lord is come". The shepherds were happy that Jesus came for everyone regardless of social status. It is why it is called "Shepherd's candle")
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." (Philippians 4:4-5))
The fourth candle represents love. Because of the love God has for his children, He sent His only son to die for our sins. It encourages us to spread the love this season.)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16))
Occasionally, a white candle is lit on Christmas day to show the purity of Jesus.)
Devotion is an act of showing loyalty to God.)
Devotion to God is a time we set aside daily to have a quiet time with God. Most devotions are observed in the morning or the evening. It can also be done as a group or as an individual.)
It Makes Our Day Beautiful.
Every day comes with stress and temptation. Early morning devotions remind us of what God expects of us. With this knowledge, we can overcome temptation and stress.
There is a special kind of inner peace and joy we get from devotions. It is so because we know that God is within us. With this knowledge, our day becomes beautiful.
It Builds Our Relationship With God.
We all have that one friend we do not fail to speak to every day. We tell that person about every aspect of our lives. Our relationship with that person is strong and will not falter.
It is the same way our devotion to God builds a strong relationship with Him. Our relationship with God is better than that of our friends. God will never leave us and, He will always come to our rescue.
It Aids Us To Improve Ourselves.
Because we are humans, we find it hard to be disciplined. We start tasks with great energy. We often lack motivation along the line to continue with the duty. It leads us to quit the duty entirely.
Devotion is a great way to train ourselves into discipline. Think of it as killing two birds with one stone. We wake at a set time every day to devote ourselves to God. Then we can be disciplined enough to carry out any task to the end.
Our moods change every day and, it can affect our attitude towards devotion. Blessify will adapt easily by giving us verses, prayers and stories to suit our mood. It makes the road to self-improvement easy.
Devotion Is Healthy Food For The Soul.
Our souls are always hungry and need food. There is this mood we get where we are neither happy nor sad. We cannot even explain the feeling to others. It is because we feel empty on the inside.
The emptiness is because our souls are hungry. Devotion is a great way to satisfy this hunger. During devotion, singing worship songs is a portion of excellent soul food.
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16)
Praying
The Bible said in Matthew 18: 20 " For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Praying as a family is a great way of devoting ourselves to God. It builds the family bond. It is so because everyone has a common interest which is serving God.
Praying as a family helps carry everyone along in faith. Sometimes a member might stray away. Praying together helps to bring the person back on track. Everyone looks out for each other, which builds a healthy family relationship.
Every day comes with different prayer points. Blessify will help us with the necessary prayers needed for each day.
Singing Worship Songs
As discussed before, a worship song is a portion of healthy food for the soul. We do not need to have the most beautiful voices before we sing. What God seeks is the sincerity in our hearts as we sing worship songs.
Worship songs are very calming and bring inner peace. It is why David played the harps to Saul to heal his mental illness.
"And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him." ( 1 Samuel 16: 23)
Meditating On The Bible
We must meditate on the Bible during Advent devotions. We can focus on the significance of his coming. Blessify will help us with a wide range of verses to read each day.
After meditating on the Bible, we must go back and reflect on how it applies to our lives. It is necessary because it helps us make the right decision when caught up in a similar situation.
Discussion
From the passages read for that day, family members should discuss. Everyone must contribute to the angle the perceived the verse. It helps to build one another's understanding of the word of God. It also creates room for correction in a situation where someone gets the wrong idea. It also aids in building the family bond.
Family devotion should be a core family tradition this season and afterwards. In addition to devotion, we can fast. It encourages spiritual growth among family members.
If we do not have an existing family devotion, let us not be ashamed. We can start by setting out a quiet time for devotion. If we are not sure of what to handle for each day, we can download Blessify NOW. Blessify offers prayers, content, verses and stories for every day and every mood.
