Prepare Him Room: A Daily Advent Devotional and Christmas Bible Study – Thoughtful Christian Gift for the Holiday Season

by Susie Larson

What Matters Most This Christmas Season?

Christmas should be a time of joy and celebration. But in the hurriedness of December, sometimes we find ourselves sacrificing a sacred pace for hustle, leaving us feeling more stressed than blessed.

What if you approached this Advent more open to the things of God? What if you decided to be expectant that God would move in your midst? What if you made room for the true joy found in the coming of our King?

Prepare Him Room invites you to give God sacred space in your holiday season as you ponder the miracle of Christ within you and respond to His work in your life. As you begin your Christmas preparations this year, journey through Luke's account of Jesus' birth, life, death, and ultimate resurrection. God invites you to be still and let Jesus radically transform you this holy season. Let earth receive her King!

Genres: Christmas, Devotional, Faith, Nonfiction, Christian Non Fiction, Christian, Christian Living

192 pages, Hardcover

Published September 14, 2021

About the author

Susie Larson is a popular radio talk show host, national speaker, and bestselling author. The author of twenty-two books, Susie is also a veteran in the fitness field and has twice been voted a top-ten finalist for the John C. Maxwell Transformational Leadership Award. Susie and her husband live near Minneapolis with their three sons, three daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren. Susie’s passion is to see people everywhere awakened to the value of their soul, the depth of God’s love, and the height of their calling in Christ Jesus.

Reviews

[Denise Wetterlind · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great devotional for anyone who wants to draw closer to the Christ of Christmas and experience a meaningful Advent season. On so many days I felt like God was speaking directly to me. Each day gives you scripture to ponder, a prayer guide and an action step. All are beautifully written and spoke personally to me.

[Kristin Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year I think I should do an Advent devotional and every year the time comes and I am too rushed and too busy to stop and cherish the season. Having an opportunity to read Susie's new book early was a gift and it will truly be a gift this Christmas/Advent season. It can be so hard to slow down our busy but Susie uses this book to remind us who we are preparing our hearts for and why it is so important. Such a beautiful read and will be one that I can come back to year after year!

[Rea Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susie Larson is a powerful writer who simply, yet profoundly portrays the heart of God through her words. This advent study is perfect to read and savor every day of advent, leading up to the Christmas season. Susie will challenge you, encourage you and always, always, always point you to Jesus. I love the “prepare Him room” and “look up” portions of each day’s reading. So powerful!!!

[Jett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world has become filled with distractions big and small, and I succumb to them all too often. Susie Larson’s new book, “Prepare Him Room,” reminds me through a 24-day devotional through the Gospel of Luke to become full aware of what it means to make Jesus the focus of my life. This book, like all of Susie’s books that I’ve read, deals with the realities of life, inspiring me to live as the heir I am through scripture, reflection, and prayer. For advent 2021, this book will be a daily inspiration as I Prepare Him Room for my Christmas celebration year after year.

[Dorothy Nordgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Christmas devotional is long awaited good news. A bright message of hope after a year of dark news. Susie’s devotional takes you to a place of peace, encouragement, and expectation. She helped me renew my hope of celebrating the Christmas season in a way that actually honors Jesus Christ. Susie also reminded me, “It’s such a gift to sense God’s presence and receive insight from his word.” Prepare Him Room is just what I needed to purposefully prepare for this coming Christmas season. I now feel challenged to fast from things that have distracted me from feasting on his presence.

Now when I prepare, I will have a clear sense of purpose and expectation to celebrate Christ in Christmas.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

My holidays had become a time to survive and get through versus celebrating. I was looking forward to reading this Advent book and hoping to gain back some wonder of the season. I was not disappointed by Prepare Him Room. I saw the same stories I had read countless times with fresh eyes and different perspectives. Through the author’s wonderfully descriptive writing, I could picture the stories coming alive in my mind. I wept a few times at the reminders of all that Jesus has done. I found the prayers and fasting focuses at the end of each chapter deep and meaningful.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly the book I've been looking for. I always find myself lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and every year I try to think of a way to slow down. I have been looking for a devotional or a tool to help keep me rooted in the word and I've finally found it! This devotional is so well written and it brings a daily reminder to set the posture of my heart in the right place. I found it carries me beyond the Christmas season and is so relevant to my daily life as a busy mom.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This devotional has all the elements you would want for the Advent season. First it turns our focus to Jesus by reminding us of how He wants us to live. Secondly it reminds us of how to serve and love others during this busy season. Lastly it challenges us to grow His Spirit in our life through daily fasting suggestions. It is both profound and practical because Susie's words are always bathed in prayer. My 3rd book that I've read by Susie Larson and she continues to be one of my favorite authors.

[Linda Aman · Rating 5 out of 5]

We desperately need to turn from the things of this world to Jesus. We need an anchor to hold us tight in place. Let your anchor be Jesus. This devotional will help you do that. Really see the miracle that is the birth of our Savior. Through scripture, prayers and these compelling devotions; you will go deeper in your faith. You will find your anchor.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Susie brings scripture to life in an applicable way through her newest devotional, "Prepare Him Room." The joy of knowing our Savior brings about a heart of expectancy through this Advent study. I found my heart yearning for more of Jesus as I read through these pages, and my heart treasuring the gift that is our relationship with Jesus. I am so looking forward to reading this again as the holidays approach as a way to quiet my mind and my heart to focus on what really matters.

[Connie Schepers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A devotional about being more present with Jesus and others. A gentle but moving reminder to slow my pace, not just at Christmas time, but all the time.
Each day includes a reading, other passages to ponder, a way to prepare him a room and a message to look up.
Full of Truth, wisdom, honesty, insight.
A reminder of what Christmas is really about. The author, Susie Larson, reminds us of the importance of a relationship with Jesus. We are encouraged to live a life of expectancy. She reminds us that we are called to live a life that goes way beyond our skill set, our passions and our experience. I love that she encourages us to look for a fresh perspective this Christmas season. So worth taking the time to read & ponder before and during the Christmas season. I’ll be reading this again! I’ll be sharing with friends too!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

PREPARE HIM ROOM, A Daily Advent Devotional by Susie Larson has been given to me for an honest review, and it is so moving. Susie's insights, scripture choices, quotes, examples, and prayer offerings were totally the right way to spend my time. Susie's transparency and heart for the Lord have drawn me closer to His heart. I'm so grateful for the privilege to review and spend time with this encouraging advent, which has changed my mind about how I want to spend this Christmas season. With more of Him and less of the busy. ;) I highly recommend this advent and I'll be so happy for you if you chose to read it too. It can be preordered now, but is actually published on September 14! God's rich blessings on Susie Larson who is already rich in spirit. I'm grateful for what she shares about God and how to enjoy a faithful journey with Him.

[Ddberinti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and how it helped me focus on Christ with each of the daily devotionals. I think it will help me separate what matters from what doesn’t this holiday season. I plan to read it again during the advent season.

[Linda Avery-Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

God used Susie Larson’s words to speak my heart, to put into words what my heart knew but had never heard spoken before. It flooded my mind with God’s goodness to me and brought tears to my eyes. It changed my focus and mindset. Her words were so good I reread passages multiple times. The creative fast suggestions at the end of each day helped me to slow down and take a new look at the overindulgence the holiday season brings into my life. I will reread this book in December knowing it will help me to declutter the busy holiday season.

[Brenda Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love how Susie takes the book of Luke and has shown me so many lessons and truths about God‘s great love for me. Through this beautifully written devotional, Susie is reminding me of my worth in Christ!

She also, more to the point of this book, is encouraging me to celebrate Jesus in a closer more intimate way this Christmas, reminding me of what it’s really all about!

This is a very special book that I will use each Advent season in the coming years!

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scripture and encouragement are woven through this Advent devotional. Each day has a section of Scripture to focus on and then others to consider. Susie Larson has a way of simply helping the reader focus on Jesus and then encourages the reader to walk it out. Each day includes a prayer and a challenge. It is easy to read a seasonal devotional and not apply that truth found there. This devotional has a challenge at the end of each day, "Look Up" to help the reader to lay something down to make room for Jesus to enter that space more fully.

I am always looking for Advent and Lent devotionals to help me stay focused and get ready to fully celebrate the season. This little devotional is a good addition. Very readable, very Scripture laden, and very practical. This devotional will help the reader saturate themselves in truth and walk it out in a meaningful way.

I was given an advance copy from Baker Publishing to review. All opinions are mine.

[Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this devotional because it helped me to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of my Lord and Savior. I found it to be an insightful look into the book of Luke and how Christ can miraculous change me from the inside out. This book helped me to really ponder how much God loves me that he sent his son to be my Savior.

[Cherene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susie Larson's book Prepare Him Room is a beautiful timely devotional, thick in meaning and content and yet each day's reading is short enough to be easily digested and applied to everyday life - especially during the hustle of the Christmas season. She takes the book of Luke and creatively leads us through chapter by chapter. Her trademark prayers accompany each daily reading. And then... drum roll please... comes the "fasts". That's all I'm going to say about that unique contribution concluding each section. Don't knock it till you try it. This book is a keeper!

[Judy Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book to usher in the Christmas season! Author Susie Larson has a way of writing that makes me want to cherish and savor every word - her words are precious gifts to nourish the soul, bringing rest and refreshment. Reading each day's devotional makes each day of Advent feel like a gift to savor, leading up to Christmas. Its a perfect way to step away from the rush of the season, sit with this book each day and savor its beauty, and lean into the heart of Jesus and His amazing love. 

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be forewarned! This is not a normal 24 days-to-read-through-Luke-before-Christmas devotional!
In “Prepare Him Room” I was given specially wrapped gifts that I never knew I needed nor expected. Page after page, I found words that led me to take a focused inward look that challenged my outward preparation for this yearly celebration. “Prepare Him Room” gently guided me outside the walls of a ‘typical’ Christmas season into something bigger, something deeper, something more …. and for that I am so thankful.

[Connie Debner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare Him Room is a true offering of peace in a season of hurry, indulgence and sometimes loneliness and fear. As I read and ponder, I am struck by the masterful treatment of the tightrope we walk to grasp living a grace filled life while maturing in holiness. The author addresses this beautifully and in a way that makes living it out not only possible, but a joy. Her writing expresses beautifully the personal impact a life lived with Emmanuel has had for her and that it is available to all.

The layout of each day’s reading is just what I need….a thoughtful reflection on the chapter of Luke for the day, a prayer personalizing integration of the day's reading and a challenge to implement it in a tangible way.

[Tracy Fixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how gently and delicately Susie puts together these words for a more meaningful Advent season. I really enjoy the action of "lookup" at the end of each day to give me a task to further complete for the Lord.

[Sheila Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read other books by Susie Larson and each one has deeply impacted my life, so when I found out she was writing one for the Advent season, I couldn’t WAIT to get my hands on her new book!

I read this a few days ago and I believe this is so incredibly timely for us right now! “God’s chosen people were painfully oppressed by the Romans, and they longed for and looked for the prophesied King who would finally deliver them… yet it would be years before they understood Jesus came to set their very souls free, not just their nation…”

With all the turmoil in America and around the world, the chaos can at times feel overwhelming! It’s good to remember, God has everything under control and is working all things together for the good of His children and for His glory! This Christmas, it will be good to take time to ||pause|| and really reflect on the meaning for the season… Immanuel, God with us!! Matthew 1:22-23 — Go purchase Prepare Him Room, today!!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susie Larson’s Prepare Him Room, advent devotional, is a lyrical invitation to set aside the stress and business often associated with Christmas for a closeness with Jesus. Susie’s simple but profound writing invites you to make space within yourself for Jesus, as each devotion ends with a suggestion of a mindset, emotion or action etc. to fast from. Through daily reading a chapter from the book of Luke, other scripture passages and prayer prompts the sacrifice and love of Christ is experienced in new ways. Susie is an artist when it comes to words, her poignant one liners and visual word pictures wrap readers into a warm embrace encouraging them to slow down, settle one’s hearts on things above and live a life of expectancy.

[Diane Broberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this devotional! I loved how the author takes you through the Book of Luke and gives insight to each chapter relating it to the Christmas season! Christmas can be such a busy chaotic time and reading through this can help to slow down and reflect on what is truly important! I especially loved the prayers at the end of each day along with the "look up", or fasting suggestions. It helped me to put into practice what I learned in that day's reading! This will for sure be a new Christmas tradition to read in December to "Prepare Him Room"!

[Colleen Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare Him Room, by Susie Larson, is a beautiful way to begin the season of Advent! I really enjoyed the way the author walked me through the Advent season. Her words gave me a place for my soul to rest and reminded me to look up and be astonished at the birth of our Savior! The words on these pages have touched my heart and motivated me to simplify my Christmas season. As we close in on Christmas, may this book draw you closer to God.

[Sharon Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christmas season has been difficult, for the last few years because of loneliness and disappointment. I've wanted devotional to walk me through this season, that I used to enjoy and now just endure. I've found it.

Susie Larson's "Prepare Him Room " helps me take the focus off the worldly view of Christmas and points me to the true direction of this sacred season.

I love how she relates each daily devotional a chapter from of the Book of Luke, with a Christmas perspective. She also encourages with additional Bible passages, insightful quotes, a daily inspirational message, one of her powerful prayers and provides ideas on how to refocus my thoughts and life.

Susie never disappoints.

[Patrise · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Debbie Mcdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful, compact, easily readable and relatable book of readings for Advent. It is different from others I have read - it is an invitation to be free from the over-indulgent, expectation-driven, image-conscious Christmas season that we so easily fall into. Instead of feeling the tug to “do it right this time by doing less,” I felt a freedom to let go of a weighty Christmas tradition that has picked up more and more expectation every year, and instead embrace the truth that opens me up to a sense of expectancy. I am excited for December to come. I will re-read this book and bask in the call to let go. I received an advanced reader copy of the book from the publisher.

[Diana Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare Him Room- A Daily Advent Devotional, is a 24 day journey through the book of Luke, as we ready ourselves in this season, to honor the birth of our Savior Christ Jesus. Advent means arrival. This book provides a time to ponder, reflect on the greatest gift ever given to the world.
Christmas is about waiting and hoping in God. ‭‭James‬ ‭4:8‬a NLT‬‬ says,
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you...”
Each day Susie provides scripture reading, time to reflect and worship.
I came close to God, His presence was felt as I soaked in every word.
I love the way Susie beautifully expresses her heart, and thoughts.
Every day ends with a prayer, “Prepare Him Room”.
I believe this book is so needed for “such a time as this”.
I purchased several copies to give as the perfect gift, to encourage my family and friends in this season.