Good morning, friends.
Today marks the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a season that invites us to slow down, breathe deeply, and look for the Light that pierces our darkness. Advent doesn’t rush. It whispers. It waits. It reminds us that God often moves quietly long before we see the evidence with our eyes.
This first week centers on Hope—not the thin, fragile hope the world trades in, but the solid, steady hope that anchors our souls in Christ.
The Hope We Hold
In Matthew’s Gospel, we see Jesus stepping into places of brokenness, weariness, and longing, meeting people right where they are. Advent invites us to remember that the same Jesus is still stepping into our world right now. God is stepping into your world, meeting you where you are.
Isaiah 9:2 ESV
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
Hope doesn’t deny the darkness. It just refuses to believe the darkness gets the final word.
For many of us, this year has been a mixture of beauty and burden. Some of us are stepping into Advent tired. Some are carrying grief. Some feel stretched thin or spiritually numb. But Advent reminds us: God draws near to those who wait.
A Season for Real People with Real Lives
One of the things I love about Advent is that it embraces real life. It doesn’t require us to pretend. It simply asks us to stay awake to God’s presence in the middle of this messy, beautiful world.
If you feel disoriented, depleted, or just unsure how to approach the season, start here:
Light a candle.
Say a simple prayer.
Let your heart breathe.
Friend, Christ came for you, too, and He will return for you, as well.
First Advent Sunday Prayer
Sweet, Precious Lord Jesus,
On this First Sunday of Advent, awaken hope within us. Shine Your light into the dark corners of our hearts and our world. Teach us to wait with expectation, not fear; with trust, not anxiety. Draw near to those carrying grief, strain, or uncertainty today.
May Your presence be our peace, and may our hope rest firmly in You.
In Your Mighty name we pray, Amen.
Reflection Question
As you enter this Advent season, where do you sense God inviting you to hope again?
Interested in starting Advent strong?
Checkout these pointers from fellow blogger Barb. She publishes Christian content faithfully on her site My Life In Our Father’s World. #ADVENT2025
Until my next post…
Be salty, stay lit.
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
You can now find my articles in The Christian Grandfather Magazine.
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© 2025 Rainer Bantau | The Devotional Guy™ | All Rights Reserved
The Devotional Guy™ 
My pleasure, Richard. I’m glad this message resonated with you.
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Amen. Rainer, your testament of faith encourages each of us to see hope waiting in Bethlehem. Thanks for sharing Barb’s post as I follow her reflections as well.
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😃 🙏
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Amen 🙏 You are very welcome…
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Barb, I’m glad that the prayer and question at the end of my post helped you tune in to the Lord more. You’re a faithful servant and I’m thankful for you. Also, thanks for the re-blog. 🙏
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Thank you, Willie. Yes, indeed—may we focus our hearts and minds on the hope we have in Christ. 🙏
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Real HOPE is so much more than, “I hope the line is short at Starbucks today.” It is an assurance that God is ultimately in control and is working behind the scenes to redeem His people.
The prayer and reflection question at end helped me to refocus my heart.
My reblog is on the way.
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Amen 🙏🕯️ Advent really does slow us down and point us back to the Hope we have in Christ. His light still breaks through every bit of darkness we face.
Thank you for sharing this reminder.
Praying this first week of Advent fills our hearts with renewed Hope in Jesus.
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What a great reminder David!
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David, thank you for a glimpse behind the scenes into what God brought you through. You have such a beautiful life that it’s hard to imagine anything but the loving, encouraging, and kind soul you are today. I am honored and overjoyed that you chose to take part in this wonderful project that I hope will magnify and glorify the lover of our soul—Jesus. We’re just getting started. The best is yet to come. Blessings to you and Nancy today.
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Thank you, Alan. I pray the same for you and yours as well. Thanks for joining us on this journey.
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Me, too, Bridget. In Him we have hope and salvation. That’s pretty awesome.
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Reading through your post I am reminding that Jesus is a real as real can be, and He steps into our lives to meet us right where we are. This first Sunday of Advent provides a reminder that God has given me hope through some pretty tough circumstances: divorce, loss of my full-time career in ministry, and the death of both of my parents, plus two twenty-something year old nephews who left this world too soon. God’s brand of eternal hope is still very much alive–in spite of the roller coaster moments of life. Bless you, my brother, for heading up this Advent 2025 series. It was a great idea, and will have a great impact for God’s kingdom. Blessings!
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Thank you for pointing to the simplicity of our hope in Christ and the peace that He brings into our lives. A very serene post Rainer.
God bless you and Terri on this Lord’s day 🙏
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Amen. I’m so grateful for The Light of the World! 🙌🏻
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