Advent is the four weeks before Christmas when Christians slow down to remember that God kept His promise. For centuries His people waited for a Savior. Then, in a small town, on an ordinary night, He came. Advent is a chance to wait with them, so that Christmas means more than a busy December.
This year Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, 2026. Below are 29 Advent Bible verses (NIV), grouped by the four themes many families use for the four Sundays: hope, peace, joy and love, plus verses about waiting and verses about the light of Christ for Christmas Eve. Each one is quoted word for word. Use them for your Advent wreath, a daily reading, a family devotion or a card.
A 1-minute Advent prayer
Lord Jesus, as this season starts, slow me down. Before the shopping and the plans, I want to remember why we wait. You are the promise kept, the light in the dark and the God who came close. Fill my heart with hope this week, and make room in me for You. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)
Week 1: Advent Bible verses about hope
The first Sunday of Advent is about hope: the long-awaited promise of a Savior. These verses were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, and they still speak to anyone waiting on God today.
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”
Isaiah 11:1 (NIV)
“But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”
Micah 7:7 (NIV)
“I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Psalm 130:5 (NIV)
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
A short prayer for the hope candle: God of hope, You keep every promise. Where I’ve stopped expecting good things, wake up my hope again. Amen.
If hope feels far away this year, our Bible verses about hope and prayer for hope are good companions to this week.
Week 2: Advent Bible verses about peace
The second week points to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. These verses are especially good for anyone carrying anxiety into the holidays.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”
Isaiah 40:1 (NIV)
“”Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.””
Luke 2:14 (NIV)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27 (NIV)
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
A short prayer for the peace candle: Prince of Peace, calm what’s racing in me. Let Your peace guard my heart this week, in my home and in my head. Amen.
If December is already stressful, our prayer for holiday stress has short prayers for the busiest days.
Week 3: Advent Bible verses about joy
The third week is joy: the shepherds’ good news and the wise men’s delight when they saw the star. Joy in Scripture isn’t the same as being happy all the time. It’s gladness that God is with us, even in a hard year.
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)
“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”
Matthew 2:10 (NIV)
“The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
Psalm 126:3 (NIV)
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
Psalm 28:7 (NIV)
A short prayer for the joy candle: Lord, You have done great things for us. Give me a joy that doesn’t depend on a perfect season, because it comes from You. Amen.
Week 4: Advent Bible verses about love
The fourth week is love. The manger shows how far God was willing to come for us.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 (NIV)
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”
1 John 4:9 (NIV)
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:5 (NIV)
“We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 (NIV)
A short prayer for the love candle: Father, thank You for sending Your Son. Let Your love pour through me to the people around my table this Christmas. Amen.
Advent Bible verses about waiting
Advent is a season of waiting, and most of us are waiting on something: a diagnosis, a job, a prodigal child, healing in a marriage. These verses are for the in-between.
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
“The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”
Lamentations 3:25-26 (NIV)
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.”
Psalm 62:5 (NIV)
Bible verses about the light of Christ (for Christmas Eve)
Many families light a white Christ candle in the center of the wreath on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. These verses are made for that moment.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5 (NIV)
“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”
John 1:9 (NIV)
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
John 8:12 (NIV)
“”The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).”
Matthew 1:23 (NIV)
For verses you can copy into Christmas cards, see our short Christmas Bible verses.
How to use these Advent verses at home
- With an Advent wreath. Each Sunday, light the candle for that week, read two or three verses from its section and pray the short prayer. Our Advent prayers for each week have longer prayers for each candle.
- One verse a day. Read one verse each morning from November 29 through Christmas Eve. Write it on a card and put it on the fridge.
- At the dinner table. Let a different family member read the verse each night. Ask one question: what does this tell us about God?
- A simple reading plan. If you want the full story, read Isaiah 9, Luke 1, Luke 2, Matthew 1 to 2 and John 1 across the four weeks.
- On your phone. Save one verse as your lock screen each week so you see it every time you check the time.
Want short truths like this every day? Try Live Him Scroll, a quick feed of verses and reminders you can read in a minute.
For a calmer season, get 7 Nights of Peace, a free bedtime prayer sent each night for a week. If this Christmas is your first without someone you love, our guide to the first Christmas without a loved one is here for you.
Frequently asked questions
What Bible verses are read during Advent?
Common Advent readings include Isaiah 9:2-7 and Isaiah 7:14 (the promised child), Isaiah 11:1 (the shoot of Jesse), Luke 1 and 2 (the birth of Jesus), Matthew 1:23 (Immanuel) and John 1 (the light coming into the world).
What are the four themes of Advent?
Many churches and families use hope, peace, joy and love for the four Sundays, with a fifth Christ candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Some traditions use different names, but the idea is the same: preparing your heart for Jesus.
When does Advent start in 2026?
Advent starts on Sunday, November 29, 2026, the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and runs through Christmas Eve.
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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.