The Rich Tradition of Advent and Creative Prayer

Advent, meaning "coming" or "arrival," has been celebrated by Christians for nearly two thousand years as a season of anticipation and preparation. Rooted in history, it invites believers to reflect on the birth of Christ and the hope of His promised return. Throughout the centuries, Christians have prayed and worshipped in profoundly meaningful and creative ways during Advent, leaving a legacy that inspires us today.

A Brief History of Advent

The celebration of Advent can be traced back to the 4th century in Gaul (modern-day France), where it was observed as a time of fasting and repentance leading up to Epiphany. Early Advent practices were deeply penitential, much like Lent, as believers prepared for baptism or renewed their faith commitments.

In the 6th century, Pope Gregory I standardized Advent as a four-week season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ and wrote many of the prayers, liturgies and pslams that are still used to this day. The focus shifted from repentance to joyful anticipation of Christ’s coming—both His incarnation and His promised return.

Historical Creative Prayer Practices During Advent

Throughout history, Christians have expressed their Advent prayers through unique and creative practices through worship and prayer. Here are a few notable examples:

1. The O Antiphons (6th Century)
   One of the most enduring Advent traditions is the singing of the "O Antiphons," a series of seven prayers sung or recited in the seven days before Christmas Eve. Each antiphon begins with "O" and a title for Christ, such as "O Wisdom" or "O Key of David," and concludes with a petition for His coming. These antiphons inspired the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and were a central part of monastic prayer during Advent.

   Monks would chant the antiphons in candlelit chapels, their voices echoing the longing of all creation for the Savior. Today, these ancient prayers remain a profound way to connect with the hope of Advent.

2. St. Francis of Assisi and the Nativity Scene (1223)
   In 1223, St. Francis of Assisi created the first live nativity scene to help believers visualize and meditate on the birth of Christ. Using simple materials, he crafted a manger and invited villagers to pray and sing hymns around it. This creative act of prayer brought the Gospel story to life, making it accessible to those who couldn’t read.

   Inspired by this tradition, many Christians incorporated nativity scenes into their Advent prayers, using the figures to reflect on the humility of Christ’s birth.

3. The Jesse Tree (Middle Ages)
   The Jesse Tree, named after Isaiah 11:1 ("A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse"), became a popular Advent tradition in medieval Europe. Families or churches would create a tree adorned with ornaments symbolizing biblical stories leading to Christ’s birth. Each day of Advent, a new ornament was added, accompanied by a scripture reading and prayer.

   This practice allowed believers to trace God’s redemptive plan and pray with gratitude for His faithfulness.

4. Advent Processions
   During the Middle Ages, Advent processions were common, particularly in monasteries and cathedrals. Communities would carry candles or lanterns through darkened streets, singing hymns like "Rorate Caeli" ("Drop down, ye heavens"). These processions symbolized the light of Christ breaking into a dark world and were accompanied by prayers for the coming of His kingdom.

5. Martin Luther and the Advent Wreath (16th Century)
   Martin Luther is often credited with popularizing the Advent wreath, a circular arrangement of evergreens with four candles. Each week, a candle was lit as families prayed together, focusing on themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. The wreath’s unbroken circle symbolized God’s eternal love, and its candles served as a reminder of Christ, the Light of the World.

Creative Advent Prayer Ideas for Today

Building on these historical traditions, here are modern ways to creatively engage in prayer during Advent:

1. Create a Jesse Tree
   Use a Christmas tree or other small tree, and hang an ornament on it every day of advent. You can make ornaments or use existing ones, but take each time to hang a meaningful ornament that helps you reflect on the season. You can write Bible verses, thinks you are thankful for other more on them!

2. Host a Nativity Prayer Night
   Set up a nativity scene in your home or church and invite others to gather around it for prayer and worship. Include scriptures, hymns, and moments of silence to reflect on the wonder of the incarnation.

3. Set up a reflective prayer space
   Set up prayer stations in your home or church. Each station could represent an Advent theme, such as hope or joy, with scripture and prayer prompts to guide participants.

4. Engage in Artistic Prayer
   Reflect on the "O Antiphons" or another Advent scripture and create art in response—whether painting, writing poetry, or even crafting ornaments for your tree. Let your creativity become a form of worship.

5. Write Your Own Advent Antiphons
   Inspired by the "O Antiphons," write personal prayers that reflect your anticipation for Christ’s coming. For example:

   • "O Bright Morning Star, light up the dark corners of my life."

   • "O Prince of Peace, bring calm to the chaos of my heart."

6. Pray Through Christmas Hymns
   Choose a favorite Christmas hymn and use it as a prayer guide. Reflect on each line, turning its words into personal prayers of gratitude or intercession.

7. Create your own Advent Calendar
   There are tons of amazing resources out there for advent, but there is also something special that happens when we create out own. Fill an Advent calendar with daily prayer prompts, scriptures, or acts of kindness. For example, one day might focus on praying for peace, while another encourages you to serve a neighbor in need.

8. Pray over Christmas Cards
   Every day, choose a Christmas card from someone that has sent one to you, and take time to pray over them!

More Resources

1. Walk-by Advent Prayer Stations - These beautiful prayer stations can be printed out and set up for people to walk by and reflect on. These can be used for churches, ministries, schools, cafes or really anywhere people can walk by and see them!

2. Illuminating Advent Daily Devotional- This daily devotional we created provides scripture readings, artwork, photography and creative prayer prompts to help you connect more deeply with God every day during this advent season

3. Free Interactive Prayer Stations- These simple prayer stations can be set up for people to go through at their own pace using simple supplies. This would be great to integrate into a youth group or small group prayer night.

Advent is a gift—a time to slow down, look back on God’s faithfulness, and look forward with hope. Whether through ancient traditions like the "O Antiphons" or modern creative expressions, prayer during Advent invites us to draw closer to Christ and prepare our hearts for His coming.

This season, embrace the creativity of prayer as you journey toward Christmas. Let your anticipation of the Messiah shape your prayers, and may they overflow with the hope, peace, joy, and love of Advent.

What are your favorite ways to pray during Advent? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments below!