Faith and prayer

40 Advent Journal Prompts

Advent is the season of waiting before Christmas, a few weeks set aside to prepare for the coming of Jesus. These Advent journal prompts are for anyone who wants to keep that waiting with a pen in hand. You might write every day, once a week as each candle is lit, or whenever a quiet moment finds you.

The prompts move through the themes many churches mark in these weeks: hope, peace, joy and love. They also make room for longing, for preparation, and for the dark evenings of December when a small light means a lot. Some ask you to notice the ordinary signs of the season. Others invite you to sit with a passage from the Gospels or the prophets and write a prayer of your own.

Come as you are. If this December is full and bright, write from that. If it is tired or heavy, write from there too. There is no right way to wait, and your journal does not need to sound holy. Honest words are a fine offering.

All 40 prompts

Each prompt is marked quick (2 to 5 minutes), reflective (about 10 minutes) or deep (20 minutes or more).

  1. Name three things you are waiting for this month, from the ordinary to the deeply important. quick

  2. Which of the four Advent themes, hope, peace, joy or love, feels most within reach for you right now? quick

  3. Write a one-sentence prayer you could say each morning this Advent as you light a candle or start your day. quick

  4. Where in your home could you set aside a quiet corner for prayer during these weeks, and what would you place there? quick

  5. What did Advent look like when you were a child, if you marked it at all? quick

  6. Which Christmas carol or hymn keeps returning to you this year, and what line stays with you? quick

  7. What is one thing you could set down this week to make a little more room to wait well? quick

  8. Where did you see light today, even a small amount? quick

  9. Who is one person you want to pray for by name every day this Advent? quick

  10. Write down one moment today when you felt peace, even if it lasted only a few seconds. quick

  11. What is one quiet act of love you could offer someone this week without anyone knowing it came from you? quick

  12. How do you hope people feel when they walk into your home this December? quick

  13. Advent is a season of waiting. What is hard for you about waiting, and what has waiting taught you in the past? reflective

  14. What does preparing your heart for the coming of Jesus mean to you, apart from preparing your house? reflective

  15. Where are the busy weeks before Christmas crowding out quiet for you, and what is one change you could make? reflective

  16. Read about the shepherds in Luke 2:8-20. Where do you feel like you are keeping watch in the dark right now, and what would good news look like there? reflective

  17. Mary's song in Luke 1:46-55 celebrates the lowly being lifted up. Who in your community feels overlooked this season, and how could you notice them? reflective

  18. Joseph's plans changed in Matthew 1:18-25. When has an interruption to your plans later made room for something good? reflective

  19. What does peace mean to you right now: quiet around you, calm within you, or repair between people? reflective

  20. Zechariah was silent for months in Luke 1. Sit in silence for a few minutes, then write what you noticed when the noise fell away. reflective

  21. Elizabeth welcomed Mary when she arrived. Who welcomed you in a season when you felt unsure, and how could you pass that welcome on? reflective

  22. What would it look like to welcome joy this week without needing everything to go perfectly? reflective

  23. How could your household mark the weeks of Advent together in one simple way that fits your real evenings? reflective

  24. Make a list of gifts you have received this year that could never be wrapped. reflective

  25. Write about a Christmas season that was hard for you. What helped, even a little? reflective

  26. As the days grow shorter, how do you feel about the long dark evenings, and what light could you bring into them? reflective

  27. What are you longing for this Advent that you have not yet said out loud to anyone? Write it here as a prayer. deep

  28. Write a letter to Jesus about what it means to you that he came into the world as a small, vulnerable baby. deep

  29. Where does darkness feel close in your life right now? Write about it honestly, then write about one place you have seen light, however faint. deep

  30. Read Isaiah 9:2-7 slowly. Which image stays with you, and why do you think it speaks to where you are this year? deep

  31. Advent looks back to the birth of Jesus and forward with hope to his return. What stirs in you as you hold both remembering and expecting? deep

  32. If you are carrying grief this December, write about the person or the loss you miss, and what you wish this season could hold for you. deep

  33. What would the coming year look like if you lived a little more from hope and a little less from fear? deep

  34. Think of someone you find hard to love this season. Write a prayer for them, as honest as you can make it. deep

  35. Write about a time you waited a long while for something that mattered. How did your faith change during the waiting? deep

  36. A crowded Bethlehem had to make room for a newborn. What is crowding your heart, and what would it take to make room? deep

  37. Imagine the night before the birth from Mary's point of view. What fear, wonder or hope do you share with her, and what do you want to pray about it? deep

  38. Look back over this Advent. Where did hope, peace, joy or love show up in ways you did not expect? deep

  39. Write a prayer for the year ahead that begins with something you learned during these weeks of waiting. deep

How to use these prompts

Pick one prompt each day, or choose one for each week of Advent and return to it more than once. The quick prompts take a few minutes over morning coffee or before bed; the deeper ones are worth twenty minutes on a quieter evening or a Sunday afternoon. If a prompt names a Bible passage, read it slowly first, then write. You can begin or end with a short prayer, or light a candle as a simple signal that this time is set apart. If you feel stuck, write the prompt itself at the top of the page and answer it in one plain sentence, or skip it and come back another day. A few lines written honestly are enough.

Download the advent prompt sheet (PDF)

Questions

Do I need to use these prompts in order?

No. They are arranged from lighter to deeper, but you can choose whatever fits the day you are having. Some people like to focus on hope in the first week, peace in the second, joy in the third and love in the fourth.

Can I use these prompts if Advent feels hard for me this year?

Yes. Advent is a season of longing as well as joy, and many people carry grief, loneliness or worry into December. Write gently, take the prompts that feel bearable, and leave the rest for another year.

How can I combine these prompts with reading scripture?

Several prompts name a passage, such as the opening chapters of Luke or Isaiah 9, which you can read before you write. You might copy one phrase that stands out to you into your journal and write a short prayer in response.

Can a family or small group use these prompts together?

Yes. Many of the quick prompts work well read aloud at dinner or at the start of a group gathering, with each person answering in a sentence or two. Keep any sharing optional so people can write privately if they prefer.

What if my church does not usually mark Advent?

You are still welcome here. These prompts simply invite you to slow down and prepare your heart for Christmas, and they can sit alongside whatever traditions your church or household already keeps.

Hope

40 prompts

Faith