Advent Night Prayer

night prayer for Advent

From the First Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve

Introductory Responses

The God of peace grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

Amen.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

the maker of heaven of earth.

The angels of God guard us through the night,

and quiet the powers of darkness.

The Spirit of God be our guide,

to lead us to peace and to glory.

It is but lost labour that we haste to rise up early,

and so late take our rest, and eat the bread of anxiety.

For those beloved of God are given gifts even while they sleep.

Night Prayer continues with the Penitential Office.

Penitential Office

Dear God, we thank you for all that is good,

for our creation and our humanity,

for the stewardship you have given us of this planet earth,

for the gifts of life and of one another,

for your love which is unbounded and eternal.

Merciful God, we have not loved you with our whole heart,

nor our neighbours as ourselves. 

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

forgive what we have been, accept us as we are,

and guide what we shall be.

O God of mercy, you forgive our past sin,

you strengthen us in your gift of eternal life,

you shape us for glory. 

O God of mercy, we thank you.

Night Prayer continues with A Hymn for the Night.

A Hymn for Night

The following or some other suitable hymn may be sung.

Creator of the stars of night,

thy people’s everlasting light,

Jesus, redeemer of us all,

hear thou thy servants when they call.

Thou, sorrowing at the helpless cry

of all creation doomed to die,

didst save our lost and guilty race

by healing gifts of heavenly grace.

When earth was near its evening hour,

thou didst in love’s redeeming power,

like bridegroom from his chamber, come

forth from a maiden mother’s womb.

At thy great name, exalted now,

all knees in lowly homage bow;

all things in heaven and earth adore,

and own thee Lord for evermore.

To God the Father, God the Son,

and God the Spirit, Three-in-One,

praise, honour, might and glory be

from age to age eternally.

Night Prayer continues with the Psalm.

The Psalm

Psalm 113

¹ Hallelujah!

Give praise, you servants of the Lord; *

            praise the name of the Lord.

² Let the name of the Lord be blessed, *

            from this time forth for evermore.

³ From the rising of the sun to its going down *

            let the name of the Lord be praised.

⁴ The Lord is high above all nations, *

            God’s glory above the heavens.

⁵ Who is like the Lord our God, *

            who sits enthroned on high,

⁶ but stoops to behold *

            the heavens and the earth?

⁷ The Lord takes up the weak out of the dust *

            and lifts up the poor from the ashes,

⁸ enthroning them with the rulers, *

            with the rulers of the people.

⁹ The Lord makes the woman of a childless house *

            to be a joyful mother of children.

            Hallelujah!

We magnify your name, O Lord, in all times and places.  you subdue the arrogant and raise the humble; you feed the hungry and reveal the poverty of wealth.  Amen.

Night Prayer continues with the Reading.

The Reading

Isaiah 30.19, 26

Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more.  He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer.  Moreover the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up the injuries of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

After a period of silent reflection one of the following is said.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

or

Here what the Spirit is saying to the church.

Thanks be to God.

or

Holy Word, Holy Wisdom.

Thanks be to God.

Night Prayer continues with the Responsory or the Canticle.

The Responsory

Into your hands, O God, I commend my spirit;

for you have redeemed me, O God of truth and love.

Keep us, O God, as the apple of your eye;

hide us under the shadow of your wings.

The Canticle

Antiphon

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping;

that awake we may watch with Christ,

and asleep we may rest in peace.

The Song of Simeon (Luke 2.29-32)

Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace:

            your word has been fulfilled.

My own eyes have seen the salvation

            which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations

            and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to God, Source of all being, eternal Word and Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever.   Amen.

or

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever.  Amen.

Antiphon

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping;

that awake we may watch with Christ,

and asleep we may rest in peace.

Night Prayer continues with the Affirmation of Faith or the Prayers.

Affirmation of Faith

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.  Amen.

Night Prayer continues with the Prayers.

The Prayers

Lord, it is night.

The night is for stillness. 

Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day. 

What has been done has been done;

what has not been done has not been done;

let it be.

The night is dark. 

Let our fears of the darkness of the world

and of our own lives rest in you. 

The night is quiet. 

Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,

all dear to us, and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn. 

Let us look expectantly to a new day, new joys, new possibilities. 

In your name we pray.  Amen.

After a period of silence the following prayer is said.

For the peace of the whole world:  God of grace, hear our prayer.

For those who are weary, sleepless or depressed:  God of grace, hear our prayer.

For those who are hungry, sick or frightened:  God of grace, hear our prayer.

For rest and refreshment:  God of grace, hear our prayer.

Intercessions, thanksgivings and petitions may be offered.  The time of prayer may be brought to a conclusion by saying the following prayer.

Be present, merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

This Responsory is  used after the prayers.

I will lie down in peace and take my rest,

for it is in God alone that I dwell unafraid.

May God’s name be praised beyond the furthest star,

glorified and exalted above all for ever.

The Lord’s Prayer

Gathering our prayers and praises into one,

let us pray as our Saviour taught us,

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven. 

Give us today our daily bread. 

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us. 

Save us from the time of trial,

and deliver us from evil. 

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and for ever.  Amen.

Night Prayer continues with the Dismissal.

The Dismissal

Let us bless the Lord who comes among us.

Thanks be to God.

Then may be said.

May the Sun of Righteousness shine upon us and scatter the darkness from before our path.  Amen.

Liturgical Resources Used

A Hymn for the Night, ‘Creator of the Stars of Night’, is taken from Common Praise of the Anglican Church of Canada, #96.

Psalm 113 is taken from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, (c) 2006 by The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and emended for Canadian orthography.

Isaiah 30.19, 26 is taken from the New Revised Standard Version, (c) 1989 by The National Council of Churches.

The text of the Apostles’ Creed has been suggested by the Consultation on Common Texts and included in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

‘Lord, it is night’ is taken from Prayer at Night, (c) 1988 by Jim Cotter.

The concluding doxology is adapted from The Book of Occasional Services 2003, p. 23 (c) 2004 by The Church Pension Fund.

All other liturgical texts are taken from ‘Night Prayer’ in Eucharist Prayers, Services of the Word, and Night Prayer:  Supplementary to The Book of Alternative Services, (c) 2001 by The Anglican Church of Canada as emended by the Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett.