BUY NOW
we were ever in control of our lives in the first place.”
Waiting certainly reminds us that we are not in control.
Maybe that has become painfully true for you. You might be waiting through a period of illness. Or a season of unem- ployment. Or deep loneliness. a deep and personal way. May I be attentive to your loving and merciful voice.
Excerpted from Waiting For Jesus: An Advent Invitation to Prayer and Renewal by Rich Villodas. Copyright © 2025 by Richard A. Villodas. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
In all that, take heart, dear friend. The darkness need not be a sign that the end is near. In fact, Advent tells us that a new beginning is right around the corner.
REFLECT
PREPARE: Spend two minutes in silence and stillness before God.
PRAYER FOR PRESENCE: Lord Jesus, in this moment, I believe you want to speak to me in
BUY NOW
Rich Villodas is the bestselling author of four books including The Deeply Formed Life( winner of the Christianity Today Book Award), The Narrow Path and Waiting for Jesus. He is the lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than 75 countries represented, in Elmhurst, Queens, and Long Island, New York. He’ s been married to Rosie since 2006, and they have two beautiful children. 20