With Heart and Soul and Voice: Advent Devotions on the First Christmas Songs

by Tim Chester

Feel your heart sing during advent with these devotions on the first Christmas songs.

Witness the worship of Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon as you dwell daily on their songs of wonder at the Savior’s birth this Advent.

Designed to bring joy during the Christmas season, this 24-day Advent devotional will help you pause and ponder the marvel of Jesus’ birth. The short daily reflections will guide you through each song of praise poured out around the time of the incarnation.

Written by Tim Chester, each devotion is clear and compelling, inviting your heart and soul and voice to sing in response. Through quotes included at the end of each devotion, Chester also joins his voice with Christians from the past, like Charles Wesley, whose Christmas hymns we still sing.

You’ll be stirred to join in the praise as you reflect on the extraordinary truth of Christ’s birth.

Genres: Christian

144 pages

Published September 15, 2025

About the author

Dr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.

Reviews

[Renee Masterson Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never pass up a Tim Chester devotional—I have just constantly been edified and encouraged by his pastoral heart and teaching. Once again, Tim Chester delivers thought-provoking meditations for Advent. This book features 4 unique songs with 4 unique perspectives from 4 unique, biblical stalwarts: Mary, Zechariah, the heralding Angels, and Simeon. In typical Chester fashion, every word in this book is saturated with scripture and points to the fulfillment of the long-awaited Messiah in Jesus Christ.

This devotional is unique because Tim Chester marries a traditional church song with biblical text, and he not only shows how Christ fulfills Old Testament prophecy but he also provides exhortation for practical living for the reader’s life today.

There are 24 chapters in this book which makes it easy to stay on track for a daily reading during the month of December. At the end of every chapter there is a quote, hymn, or prayer for reflection. For the reader who desires to make this Christmas season meaningful, who would like more traditional elements within Advent, and who needs encouragement to keep their eyes on Christ, Tim Chester has written this book for you.

*Thank you to The Good Book Company for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. #readRENEEread

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

My wife sometimes is gifted a religious advent book and we will read it aloud to each other in the month of December. We’ve done this at least once before.

The one this year - I had a lot of problems with the format. It purported to focus on religious Christmas music, and it started with the “reflection” at the end of each chapter being lyrics of a song, but within the first week apparently it ran out of songs and started quoting religious scholars. When I was reading aloud I would look down at the end of the reflection and call out when it wasn’t actually a song.

The book was divided into three “songs” overall and then do a deep dive for a week or so into each song. The problem was each day it would start with a quote from the song, immediately followed by the scripture which was most of the time the exact repeat of what I just read. I worked on my auctioneer skills (of which I don’t have any) to try to read the repeated section again as quickly as I can to push through it.

The main content of each one - overall was a positive message and did invite the reader to think about the nativity and what it means from a religious standpoint. The best part was the author made frequent connections to the Old Testament and then showing in the story of Jesus’ birth (usually drawing from Luke) exactly how the Old Testament was correctly predicting the coming Christ.

I found myself comparing this to the last advent book I read and found this one had enough flaws to give it just two stars. I’d recommend it only to the devout. Casual readers can find better religious inspiration elsewhere.

[Matt Gurtler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great set of Advent devotions, easy to read and heart-warming. Tim Chester shows how the songs of the Nativity develop the story of God's people in the Old Testament, and how the news proclaimed by Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon is good news for us today.

[Janna Lo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad that I read this book during advent. It helps me prepare Jesus‘s arrival to the world through the songs of Mary, Zechariah, the angels and Simeon. Short passage a day with some reflections.

[Rachel Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas “should take our breath away, and then, when we recover our breath, it should make us sing!” Tim Chester goes through the four songs used by Luke to recount the Nativity in With Heart and Soul and Voice: Advent Devotions on the First Christmas Songs. These are the songs of Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon. “These songs provide the soundtrack to the first Christmas… he (Luke) curates the first Christmas carol concert.”

Chester says that Luke makes your heart sing, he makes you want to worship, and that is exactly the response you will have to this Advent devotional. Each day you’ll read a piece of the song, Chester’s thoughts on it (about 2-3 pages), and a reflection, which are hymns or quotes from prominent theologians. This is the perfect daily formula to set your mind on the right things during the busy Christmas season.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about Chester’s writing were his analogies. With familiar stories, like Cinderella, we might see Mary in a new light. Or reminding us that this part of the movie may be difficult but wait until the end credits where your name will roll! Are you waiting as expectantly for Jesus’ return as you for that item you just ordered online? I love simplicity like this that helps you understand difficult truths in today’s world.

There are many takeaways from this book, including:

1. God sees you. God notices you even when no one else does. “God takes the lowly and works through the weak to magnify his own grace and glory.”
2. Nothing is impossible with God. God fulfills all his promises. He is the God of great reversals.
3. Humble yourself. Repent. “God delights to forgive his children.”
4. Recognize that “the story isn’t over yet!” Don’t feel discouraged in today’s world. All will be made right in the final chapter. It can be difficult, but the “righteous and devout” must be good at waiting.
5. What did the angels mean by peace and goodwill?

Every year I look forward to reading a new Advent Devotional. They remind your heart and mind to stay focused on the reason for the season- a baby who saved the world. And “God is able to save you when you call on him because he’s mighty, and God is willing to save you because he’s merciful.” This devotional could be read any time of year. It’s call to love, honor, praise, and obey Christ is a reminder we constantly need.

“We need to stir our hearts, and that means pausing, reflecting, and gazing afresh at the God-man in the manger.” Chester’s, With Heart and Soul and Voice, will help you reflect on how you respond to Immanuel this Christmas.

*I was sent a copy of this book by The Good Book Company in exchange for my honest review.*

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to my lovely neighbor, who is a Lutheran minister’s widow, I was invited once again to attend the candlelight advent at her church…which is an amazing pre-Thanksgiving all women event before all the holiday craziness. It’s tea, dessert and a speaker all to candlelight and music and the theme this year was Christmas Carols. There is always a take away and this was this year’s advent book and only the second I have read…but the first written by a British gentleman.

I’d say the book loosely fit the Christmas Carol theme and my one complaint was about all of the repetition in the book. The author was very focused on interpretations and therefore gave multiple interpretations in every chapter…leading to a lot of repetition. I also couldn’t help but think that some of his writing was lost in the British to American translation by me the reader.

Barring that, I really liked the layout of choosing three songs and then delving deeper each day. I also liked the reflection portion at the end of each chapter, which was really a relatable quote usually from a song itself…although my husband pointed out not always.

[Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

'With Heart and Soul and Voice: Advent Devotions on the First Christmas Songs' by Tim Chester was the 2025 Christmas devotional recommended in our church.

Consisting of 24 devotions on the 4 songs included in the Advent narratives of the Gospel of Luke, Mary's song, the Magnificat; Zechariah's song, the Benedictus; the Angel's song, the Gloria; and Simeon's song, the Nunc Dimitis, the author offers various insights and reflections on the wonder of Jesus' birth from these four perspectives. He also weaves Old Testament prophecy and fulfilment into his narrative, to show that the birth of Jesus was prophetic, expected and the promise of a consummation to come. In addition, Chester also follows the text of the daily liturgy used by the Anglican church to supplement the Scripture readings. I did not think that this added anything to his devotions.

I am not a big fan of devotional books, but I am happy to read both Advent and Easter ones, although, like CS Lewis, I tend to get better devotional material from challenging theological books than from devotional ones!

A 3-star read at best.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

In With Heart & Soul & Voice, Tim Chester takes us through Advent devotions on the first Christmas songs. We see the rags-to-riches story of Mary, feel the relief of promises fulfilled with Zechariah, experience the joy of peace with the angels, and share in the excitement of anticipation with Simeon. With awe and wonder, Chester shows that these songs are grounded in Scripture and speak profound truths about God’s character.

Adoration and Worship

The book is also gently challenging. Chester calls us to welcome the lost and broken into our churches, and to open our homes to the lonely and needy. He shows that our response to Christ is not only one of celebration but also of service to the King. Encouraging and compelling, this book will help you spend the season—and the new year—giving your all in adoration and worship of Christ.

I received a media copy of With Heart and Soul and Voice and this is my honest review. @diveindigdeep

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading these devotions each day during Advent. They all revolve around the “songs” in the Bible about Christ’s birth. Each devotion included scripture passages. All of them were a couple of pages long that held enough meaning for daily reflection.

[Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worshipful with a great redemptive-historical emphasis on the two Advents.

[Paige Rigby · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable advent book which paired with the sermons at church this month of advent.