10 Advent Devotionals to Order Before Advent Starts
One of my favorite ways to get into the Advent season and prepare for Christmas is to read a book that is specifically about Christ’s first coming and that will warm my heart to the thought of him coming again.
One annoying thing about some of these books is that Advent always begins on a Sunday, but the date can vary. I always thought Advent always started the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but today I learned that it starts on the Sunday closest in date to November 30th, which is the feast of St. Andrew.1 Because of that, Advent can start as early as November 27th and as late as December 3rd.
The reason this is annoying is that many “Advent” devotionals are really just countdowns to Christmas that you start on December 1st and include 24-25 readings, one per day. I’m not here to quibble with these incredible authors; I just want to point out that these are not necessarily meant to be started on the first Sunday of Advent. However, this year it works out pretty well since you’d only be one day off in some of these books.
I actually haven’t read very many different Advent devotionals, because I’ve been reading the same one for several years. This year, though, I wanted to see what else was out there and find a new one to try. Here are my top picks for this year—if you order now, it will be here in plenty of time to start on the first Sunday of Advent (November 30th) or the first day of December.
Love Came Down at Christmas: A Daily Advent Devotional by Sinclair B. Ferguson
I have read through this book for many years now, and reading over the notes I wrote each year has brought a mixture of joy and grief, a combination of emotions that I feel is appropriate for Advent. The basis of all the readings in this book is 1 Corinthians 13, which might seem like an odd choice for the Christmas season, but I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Let Earth Receive Her King: Daily Readings for Advent by Alistair Begg
I just bought this one for myself to read this Advent season. I haven’t read it yet, but I respect Alistair Begg as an author and am excited to try this one for the first time and add it to my Advent rotation. The Amazon description says that it includes a hymn or carol for each day as well as that “Every day you’ll be guided through scripture to discover how Jesus was predicted in the Old Testament, unveiled in the gospels, and then understood through the epistles. You will also see how we look forward to his return in the book of Revelation.”
Advent for Exiles: 25 Devotionals to Awaken Gospel Hope in Every Longing Heart by Caroline Cobb
The author of this one is a prolific songwriter, and I’ve especially enjoyed her music that is based on Scripture. The Amazon description says that she incorporates lyrics to her music into the devotional, which could be cheesy, but I trust her.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Advent to Epiphany by Jonathan Gibson
If you’re familiar with Jonathan Gibson’s other work, you won’t be surprised that this one actually corresponds to the church calendar (unlike the 24-25 day devotionals). This one starts on the first day of Advent and includes an entire liturgy for each day, which includes guided readings, Scripture, hymns, prayers, and other prompts. This one will take you past Christmas until the end of Epiphany (January 6—12 days after Christmas).
His other books include O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, which goes from Easter through Pentecost, and Be Thou My Vision, which contains liturgies for 31 days and can be used at any time of the year.
Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional by Paul David Tripp
This one starts on December 1st and will take you through Christmas. I’ve enjoyed Paul Tripp’s Lent devotional Journey to the Cross, so I assume this one is equally good!
Repeat the Sounding Joy: A Daily Advent Devotional on Luke 1-2 by Christopher Ash
Unlike some devotionals which go more broadly over prophecies of Jesus’ birth from the Old Testament, this one focuses in on just two chapters in the book of Luke. If you enjoy deep studies on shorter passages of Scripture, this will be a good choice for this Advent. I have not read this one, but my husband trusts Christopher Ash as a great biblical commentary writer, so I have every reason to trust this book!
With Heart & Soul & Voice: Advent Devotions on the First Christmas Songs by Tim Chester
This book covers the four “songs” in Scripture that occur around Jesus’ birth. The Amazon description also notes that there are more modern Christmas hymns included in the book as well.
The Christmas We Didn’t Expect: Daily Devotions for Advent by David Mathis
I’ve read two of the author’s other books and have every reason to commend this one, despite not having read it myself.
Born a Child and Yet a King: The Gospel in the Carols by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
This book says it is a 31-day devotional, which makes me think it actually covers all the days in Advent—not just December. I am a sucker for anything music-related, so I have this on my list to read in the future. Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth is a wonderful writer and has always written in a way that is faithful to Scripture.
Heaven and Nature Sing: 25 Advent Reflections to Bring Joy to the World by Hannah Anderson
The illustrations in Hannah Anderson’s books are always so beautiful, and while that alone should not be a reason to buy a book, I’ve also enjoyed her previous book Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul.
Do you have a favorite Advent devotional? If so, I’d love to hear about it!