Day 1 – The Advent Posture
Advent begins with a whisper: “Where are you?”
“Melissa, where are you?”
And I answer, Hineni—Here I am, Lord.
Here I am at my kitchen table.
Here I am in my bed.
Here I am cooking another meal for my family.
Here I am driving—so much driving.
Here I am on my walk.
Here I am crying.
Here I am dancing.
Here I am planning the month of December.
Here I am shopping.
Here I am, Lord—ready and available.
I’m listening. I’m watching. I’m waiting.
My attention is turned toward You.
The posture of Hineni is a posture of openness—willingness to be seen by God and to see Him, willingness to be heard by God and to hear Him, and ultimately, a willingness to obey.
Where are you today on this first day of Advent?
What is the posture of your heart?
Are you weary? Excited? Lonely? At peace?
Whatever joy or sorrow you are carrying into this season, you can answer God’s question honestly: “Where are you?”
Simply tell Him, “Here I am, Lord.”
And know, that He is here for you too.
Day 2 – Abraham and Isaac
Genesis 22:1
“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’”
God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable: to offer up his beloved son. Abraham heard God’s voice and responded with willingness and obedience. In Genesis 22:1–14, Abraham says “Here I am” three times—first to God, then to his son Isaac, and finally to the angel of the Lord.
When Isaac asks about the lamb for the sacrifice, Abraham answers in faith: “God himself will provide.” And God does. He provides a ram caught in the thicket and, in doing so, foreshadows the greater provision to come—Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Before any miracle unfolded, Abraham simply said, “Here I am.”
Our yes is often the beginning.
A little over a year ago, the Lord asked me to surrender my home to Him. He led my husband and me to leave a big house on land, a place filled with years of story, and move into a smaller home by water. It was not an easy yes. I cried many tears and wrestled with deep fear. But like Abraham, I sensed God’s leading and knew I could trust Him to provide what I needed on the other side of obedience.
Is there a yes God is inviting you to this Advent season?
Is there a place of surrender stirring in your heart?
Do you trust Him with the thing He is asking you to release?
Abraham trusted the Lord with his yes. His obedience revealed his faith, and God provided the very thing Abraham feared he would lose.
This Advent season, may you have the courage to say, “Here I am, Lord.”
And may you see His provision in ways you could not have imagined.
Day 3 – Moses at the Bush
Exodus 3:4
“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’”
In Exodus 3, Moses is out and about, doing his job as a shepherd when he notices something unusual: a bush on fire, yet not burning up. He pauses. He turns aside. And from that ordinary desert moment, God calls his name.
“Moses, Moses!”
And Moses responds with Hineni—“Here I am.”
God tells him to remove his sandals, for he is standing on holy ground. Then the Lord reveals Himself as the God of his father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He declares His name—I AM—and calls Moses into his destiny.
God meets us in ordinary places.
A desert.
A burning bush.
A December day.
I love going on walks. Walks help me process my thoughts, release stress, and reconnect with my body and with the beauty around me. I am calmer, kinder, and healthier when I’m walking regularly. God meets with me on my walks. He speaks to me through creation. The Holy Spirit whispers guidance and gives me direction for my future.
What are the ordinary places of your days?
Where might God be waiting to meet you today?
Turn aside. Listen for His voice—who He is, who He says you are, and the plans He has for your life.
Day 4 – Samuel’s Night Call
1 Samuel 3:8–10
“And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’”
Sometimes the call of God sounds like your name spoken softly in the dark.
I often wake in the night—sometime between 3:30 and 5:00 a.m. The house is still and quiet. Everyone else is asleep. My mind turns quickly toward the burdens I’m carrying—for my children, for my family, for friends and acquaintances walking through hard things.
I cry out to the Lord from my bed and ask him for help. Sometimes my cries are fervent and full of anxieties. Sometimes they are gentle prayers.
In today’s passage, Samuel had not yet learned to recognize the voice of God. I love this story. I love how Samuel keeps thinking Eli is calling him and how it takes a few attempts before Eli realizes what’s happening. GOD is speaking, and Eli teaches Samuel to respond with Hineni: “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”
This moment becomes the beginning of Samuel learning to hear God clearly—a skill that would shape him as a prophet for his generation.
God wants to speak to you, too.
In the stillness of the night.
In the darkest hours of the day. You can hear God’s voice.
When you wake in the night, what do you do?
When worries rise, do you turn toward the Lord and listen for His voice?
Speak His name in the night.
Listen for His voice calling yours.
Day 5 – Isaiah’s Surrender
Isaiah 6:8
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us?’
And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
“Send me.”
Two words that open a door for God to do what we cannot.
The week of our move, I was overcome with emotions of grief and fear. I felt like my body was shutting down, and all I wanted to do was to lay down on my couch and disappear. Anxiety held me tightly, and I genuinely didn’t know how I was going to make it through the transition. In my desperation, I cried out to the Lord to send help. And He did.
My friend Melissa Fisher—who runs an orphanage in Belize—sent me an unexpected Facebook message that same week. Out of the blue, she asked how I was doing. I told her the truth: we were moving, and I felt frozen, overwhelmed, barely functioning.
She responded with such love and understanding.
She happened to be in town and offered to come to my home to pray with me and listen to the Lord together. I responded with a humble and grateful “yes.”
She came and sat on my couch.
She witnessed my heart and my tears.
And then we prayed.
We listened for the voice of the Lord, and I heard Him speak peace and truth over me. Then she prayed over my husband and me—blessing us, blessing the move, blessing the unknown we were stepping into.
Eric and I were in awe of God’s goodness—to send Melissa right when we needed her. She is a mother to dozens of children, a woman who has said “Here I am, send me” again and again. Here time is valuable. And that day, she said yes for me. Her sensitivity to the Spirit and her willingness to reach out gave me the courage I needed to get up off of my couch and and move.
Who does God want to send you to today?
As you say, “Here I am,” is there someone He is placing on your heart to text, call, or simply check in on?
Your obedience may be someone else’s answer to prayer.
Take a moment to listen for His whisper today.
Then reach out to the one He brings to mind.
Day 6 – Mary’s Hineni
Luke 1:38
“‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.”
Mary’s “Yes” set into motion God’s divine plan of salvation for humanity. Our own “Yes” can also set into motion God’s purposes in the world.
Mary’s “Here I am” may be the greatest Hineni response of all time. A poor, humble teenage girl with a common name welcomes God Himself into her womb. She opens her whole being to hold and nurture the King of Kings, Maker of the Universe, Savior of the World. The Son of God is born in and through Mary. Her yes was the doorway to the incarnation of Jesus and His entrance into our world.
I can only imagine the fear and wonder she felt at the angel’s words. And yet, God continues to choose the humble and ordinary things of this world to confound the wise and fulfill His purposes.
There are many times I feel like I am not enough—as a wife, a mother, a dance studio director, a friend. As I write these reflections, I sometimes doubt that I have anything of value to say, worried my words will come out awkward or flawed. Yet, God uses me. He uses my messy, not-enough self to carry His presence in this world.
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, bearers of God’s image, carriers of Christ. We are Jesus’ ambassadors here on earth.
Do you see yourself this way? Do you see yourself filled with the Holy Spirit, carrying Jesus’ presence wherever you go?
Who needs to see Jesus shining through you today?
God wants to use you—in your humbleness, in your weakness—to bring about His plans on this earth.
Day 7 – What is God Calling you to this Advent Season?
Is He inviting you to slow down in a season when everything around you speeds up? Is He calling you into grief—a holy space we often avoid? Christmas can surface sorrow, especially when we recognize all that is not yet as it should be. Or maybe, He’s calling you to forgive, to hope again, or to give of yourself in a way you’ve never done before.
One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” What might the Lord want to reveal to you this Advent season?
Simply ask Him, “God, what do You want me to know?” Pay attention to what you sense, what comes to mind, what stirs in your heart. Write it down, and keep returning to that question.
Like Samuel, we can posture ourselves before God with openness and expectancy: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)
*Here you can find a Hineni Advent Spotify playlist I’ve created with songs paired to each devotional for your further reflection and enjoyment.