Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds, through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
“Pastor, I am so worked up, I can hardly sleep at night.” My friend wasn’t going through a crisis or some sort of terrible moment in her life or the world around her. She was preparing for her daughter’s wedding. There was much to do, a hundred little things that needed attention. She had probably laid on herself some unrealistic expectations, but all of it was really flowing out of her love for her daughter.
The prayer today urges God to stir up our hearts so we can prepare the way of Jesus. We beg God that the coming of Jesus would be an occasion to serve our God with a pure mind. If we would have that purity of mind, we probably need to be stirred up a little from our comfortable status quo, or even from an uncomfortable status quo. The coming of Jesus is a big deal, a really big deal, bigger than your daughter’s wedding. It is worth putting some effort into getting ready. Of course, our struggle with this is timing. We don’t know just when. But many a parent has started saving for a wedding which will happen at some undetermined date in the future. They see how much such things cost and they are a little stirred up to save and prepare. Advent is a time when we consider our preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus. We pray God to stir us up in this season. Help us to be less comfortable with the suffering of others, less comfortable with the brokenness of our world and society, and less comfortable with our own sins. Alleviate some suffering today, strengthen the good around you, examine yourself and confess with God your sin and your Savior’s good work. Be stirred up by God.