Prayer Prompts
Welcome to the Prayer Garden
The Prayer Garden is a place to still our bodies, minds, and hearts. Feel free to linger as long as you want, sitting in silence or reflecting on the prayer prompts offered at each of the four stations.
Here, we are invited to break from the frantic pace of life and rest in the presence of our loving God, recentering our minds and hearts in God’s presence. God is eager to be with you, asking you to bring all you are now and “sit” with Him. The stations in this Prayer Garden invite us to rest, reflect, and restore by reflecting on short Bible verses.
We hope this place will help you connect with your heart and experience God’s loving presence as He listens to you with care and love.
Romans 8:26-27
The Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we do not know how to pray as we should. The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The Prayer Garden’s focus for December will follow the themes of Advent. Move through the stations in the Garden, using the four meditations of Advent, or return to the Prayer Garden throughout the month using different prompts each time.
MURAL
Jesus Loves You
In keeping with Abvent, this mural invites us to consider the profound phrase “Jesus loves you.” We acknowledge that those who stop to ponder this art piece will have diverse views about Jesus. That is okay. We are delighted you are here. You are invited to take a moment to ponder the mural. If you are interested in the Bible’s perspective, we have provided several verses claiming Jesus loves you. Pretty audacious! But what if it is true that Jesus knows and loves you regardless of your story? As you read and consider the Bible passages, imagine Jesus is with you. Tell Him what you think about the verses and notice what comes to mind.
Romans 5:8
But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.
Fear and anxiety surround us, arising from the demands of life, a chaotic world, and an unsure future. Is the promise that Jesus loves us merely a “warm blanket” or an “emotional hug,” or does the love of Jesus help us face life’s fears and anxieties?” Before you enter the prayer garden, ponder the following passages:
1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your cares on Him, because He cares about you.
1 John 4:16,18
And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us…There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.
Don’t Rush. The key to contemplation is to slow down and pay attention, giving yourself time to notice and be aware of yourself, your surroundings, and God’s presence.
Advent Reflection One
Our Refuge Offers Hope
But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish…. The people who walk in Darkness will see a great light. Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation. You shall increase their gladness. They will be glad in Your presence,as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. Isaiah 9:1-3
Reflection
Christmas has become more than Advent. Christmas offers a break from normal routines, filling the month with family, parties, fun, gifts, and feel-good movies. Yet, by January first, the normal returns for good and bad. Advent does not reject the yearly escape from normal. However, Advent is much more than Christmas. The story of Advent offers enduring hope, peace arising from Jesus, joy that transcends circumstances, and concrete sacrificial love demonstrated through the stories of Jesus during Advent, Easter, and Pentecost. The passage for today is one of many passages of hope offered by God and fulfilled by Jesus.
- Slowly read through the above passage several times. Pause between each reading. Identify your emotions, thoughts, reactions, and physical responses. Use these observations to initiate a conversation with God.
- What was your initial response to these Bible verses? Can you imagine what it would be like if Jesus joined you here in the prayer garden? What do you think He would say to you?
- Share with God what you have experienced here, trusting that God is listening with a heart full of love for you.
Don’t Rush. The key to contemplation is to slow down and pay attention, giving yourself time to notice and be aware of yourself, your surroundings, and God’s presence.
Advent Reflection Two
Our Refuge Gives Peace
Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.
John 16:33
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will suffer in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Reflection
It is easy in the troubling times to whisper the word “peace” with little hope for its reality. Yet, Advent reminds us that Peace came embodied in Jesus. While the Jewish world groaned under oppression, God brought Peace into a feeding trough, witnessed by a young couple and a group of shepherds. Our circumstances do not limit the peace of God. May you find God’s peace as you reflect on the gift of Jesus.
- Slowly read through the above passages several times. Pause between each reading. Identify your emotions, thoughts, reactions, and physical responses. Use these observations to initiate a conversation with God.
- Allow enough silence to notice God’s presence. Can you feel it in your body? If so, where and what does it feel like?
- Remember, God loves you and is present with you right now. As you consider the verses above, share what you are experiencing with God. As you wait in quiet, do you sense an invitation from God? How do you want to respond?
Don’t Rush. The key to contemplation is to slow down and pay attention, giving yourself time to notice and be aware of yourself, your surroundings, and God’s presence.
Advent Reflection Three
Joy Brightens our Refuge
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May you shelter them, and may those who love your name boast about you. For you, LORD, bless the righteous one; you surround him with favor like a shield. Psalms 5:11-12
If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your faithful love will support me, LORD.
19 When I am filled with cares,
your comfort brings me joy. Psalms 94:18-19
Reflection
It is easy to confuse joy with happiness. When we describe ourselves as happy, we often attribute our happiness to a particular pleasant circumstance. In contrast, Joy should be limited to describing a sense of peace and personal well-being that is a state of being rather than a result of pleasant circumstances. God offers His children Joy. As you reflect on the Advent of Jesus, may you experience Joy from God.
- Slowly read through the above passages several times. Pause between each reading. Identify your emotions, thoughts, reactions, and physical responses. Use these observations to initiate a conversation with God.
- Allow enough silence to notice God’s presence. Can you feel it in your body? If so, where and what does it feel like?
- Remember, God loves you and is present with you right now. As you consider the verses above, share what you are experiencing with God. As you wait in quiet, do you sense an invitation from God? How do you want to respond?
Don’t Rush. The key to contemplation is to slow down and pay attention, giving yourself time to notice and be aware of yourself, your surroundings, and God’s presence.
Advent Reflection Four
Love Fills Our Refuge
We are a culture that experiences more than its share of anxiety. In fact, many individuals experience anxiety as normal and constant. However, Jesus offers His love as an antidote to anxiety
Luke 12:22-32
Then He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest? Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you — you of little faith? Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.”
Reflection
What are you bringing to the Garden today? Are you able to bring the good and bad, painful and joyful, sad and glad to Jesus as you rest in this place? Take your time, God isn’t leaving. Be honest, God can handle it. You are in His Refuge. Linger and rest in His love.
- Slowly read through the above passage several times. Pause between each reading. Identify your emotions, thoughts, reactions, and physical responses. Use these observations to initiate a conversation with God.
- Have you ever wondered if God knows how you feel when life is full of confusion, anxiety, and fear? These passages paint a picture of God delighting in us and planning to give us a home with Him and His other children.
Don’t Rush. The key to contemplation is to slow down and pay attention, giving yourself time to notice and be aware of yourself, your surroundings, and God’s presence.