Advent candle readings for 2026: a Scripture reading, a short script and a prayer for each Sunday and Christmas Eve

Advent candle readings are short Scripture passages read aloud while one more candle is lit each Sunday before Christmas. In 2026 the four Sundays fall on November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20, with a center candle often lit on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24. Below you'll find two KJV passages, a two-reader script and a prayer for each one.

Each reading takes about five minutes. It works for a church service, a small group, a family table, or two roommates and a candle on the kitchen counter.

The readings here follow a theme order many churches use (hope, peace, joy, love), and every passage was chosen because it fits the candle itself: a light that grows a little each week until Christmas.

Advent candle readings at a glance

Here's the whole season on one table. Print it or screenshot it for whoever is reading.

If your church uses different names for the candles (some churches use names like prophecy, Bethlehem, shepherds and angels), keep your church's names and use the readings anyway. The passages still fit.

Why light candles during Advent?

Advent means "coming." For four weeks, Christians remember how long God's people waited for the promised Messiah, and they look forward to Jesus' return. Lighting one more candle each week is a simple way to feel that waiting: the room gets a little brighter, but it isn't Christmas yet.

The Bible doesn't command an Advent wreath. It's a church custom, and evangelical churches are free to use it or not. What makes it worth doing is the Scripture read beside the candle. The Bible uses light again and again for God's promises and for Jesus himself, and one verse captures the growing light especially well:

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

So the candles aren't the point. They're a reminder, week by week, of what John says about Jesus: "the light shineth in darkness" (John 1:5).

If you want more than five minutes of Scripture during Advent, our Advent Bible reading plan gives a short reading for every day from November 29 to Christmas. In the app, the reading plan keeps the dates, your streak and a short quiz after each reading.

How to do an Advent candle reading (5 minutes)

The same simple order works every week. Two readers make it feel shared, but one person can read both parts.

1. Relight the candles from past weeks (none on the first Sunday).
2. Reader 1 reads the Old Testament promise.
3. Reader 2 reads the New Testament passage, then lights the new candle.
4. Reader 1 reads the one-line response (everyone can join in on the bold line).
5. Someone prays. A short prayer is below each week, or pray in your own words.

At church, families or small groups often take turns doing the reading each Sunday. At home, give the reading to whoever wants it: a kid who just learned to read, a roommate who's new to church, or the friend who's visiting.

A practical note for apartments and dorms: many dorms don't allow open flames. Battery tea lights work fine, and nobody will think less of your Advent for it.

First Sunday of Advent: the candle of hope (November 29, 2026)

Hope in the Bible isn't wishful thinking. It's confidence that God will do what he has promised. The first candle remembers that God's people waited centuries for the "Branch" he had promised to David's family.

Reader 1 (Old Testament promise):

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.

Reader 2 (New Testament reading), then light the first candle:

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Response: One candle is lit. God keeps his promises. We wait with hope for Jesus, who came and who will come again.

Prayer: Father, thank you that you keep your word. Jeremiah waited for the Branch of righteousness, and you sent Jesus. As we start this season, fill us with joy and peace in believing, so that we abound in hope. In Jesus' name, amen.

To think about this week: Where are you tired of waiting? Jeremiah 33 was spoken while Jeremiah himself was "shut up in the court of the prison" (Jeremiah 33:1). Hope often shows up in hard places first. You can read more about him on the Jeremiah page.

Second Sunday of Advent: the candle of peace (December 6, 2026)

The peace the Bible promises is bigger than a quiet evening. It starts with peace with God, through the forgiveness of sins, and it spreads into how people treat one another. Isaiah pictures a world so changed that wolves and lambs live side by side.

Reader 1 (Old Testament promise):

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Reader 2 (New Testament reading), then light the second candle:

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Response: Two candles are lit. Jesus came to give light to those in darkness. He guides our feet into the way of peace.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Branch from Jesse's roots and the Dayspring from on high. Where our hearts are anxious, keep us in perfect peace. Where our relationships are tense, make us peacemakers. Guide our feet into the way of peace this week. Amen.

To think about this week: Luke 1:76-79 is part of the song Zacharias sang when his son, John the Baptist, was born. John's job was to "prepare his ways." What's one thing you could clear out of your December to make room for Jesus?

Quick quiz: John

What is the first miracle of Jesus recorded by John?

The healing of a blind manWater turned into wineThe multiplication of the loavesThe miraculous catch of fish

Which Pharisee comes to Jesus by night and learns that one must be born again?

GamalielJoseph of ArimatheaNicodemusSimon the Pharisee

How does John the Baptist point out Jesus as he sees him coming to him?

“Behold the Lamb of God”“Behold the King of Israel”“Behold the Son of David”“Behold the prophet who was to come”

Continue the quiz

There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start free, no card needed.

Third Sunday of Advent: the candle of joy (December 13, 2026)

The third week turns from waiting to rejoicing, because the promise is close. Isaiah describes a desert blooming like a rose. Luke shows John the Baptist leaping for joy at Jesus' coming before John was even born.

Reader 1 (Old Testament promise):

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Reader 2 (New Testament reading), then light the third candle:

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Response: Three candles are lit. Sorrow and sighing will flee away. The Lord is near, and we rejoice.

Prayer: God of joy, thank you that you make deserts bloom. When Mary arrived, even the unborn John leaped for joy. Give us that kind of joy in Jesus this week, not because everything is easy, but because he has come. Amen.

To think about this week: Elisabeth's joy came from who Mary was carrying, not from her circumstances. The scene is told in full on Mary visits Elizabeth. If December has been heavy for you, Nehemiah 8:10 is worth writing down: "the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Fourth Sunday of Advent: the candle of love (December 20, 2026)

The last Sunday before Christmas points to the reason Jesus came at all. God's love isn't a feeling about us from a distance. He gave his Son. This week pairs the light promised in Isaiah with one of the best-known verses in the New Testament.

Reader 1 (Old Testament promise):

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Reader 2 (New Testament reading), then light the fourth candle:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Response: Four candles are lit. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. We have seen a great light.

Prayer: Father, thank you for loving us first. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). As Christmas comes, help us receive your love and pass it on to someone who needs it this week. In Jesus' name, amen.

To think about this week: John 3:17 says God "sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world." Who in your life needs to hear that this Christmas? Our guide on how to share your faith at Christmas has simple, low-pressure ideas.

Christmas Eve: the Christ candle (December 24, 2026)

Many churches place a white candle in the center of the wreath and light it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It stands for Jesus himself. Light the four outer candles first, then the center one.

Reader 1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Reader 2, then light the center candle:

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Response: All the candles are lit. The true Light has come into the world. Jesus is the light of the world, and whoever follows him will not walk in darkness.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Word made flesh and the light of the world. Thank you for coming for us. Tonight we worship you, and we ask you to make us lights for others, so they see your goodness and give glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Amen.

If you're leading a longer time on Christmas Eve, our Christmas Eve devotional gives a 15-minute reading from Luke 2 with questions and a prayer, and the birth of Jesus story page tells the whole scene in order.

Make it stick: one verse a week

Five minutes on Sunday goes further if one line stays with you during the week. A simple habit: pick the bold response line or one verse from that week's reading, write it on a sticky note, and say it each time you see the candles.

The app's memory verses feature lets you save these five and review them through the season. For more on how to memorize Scripture in small pieces, see our guide to how to memorize Scripture.

Using these readings in a small group or youth group

If your group meets weekly in December, open each meeting with the candle reading. It takes five minutes and sets the tone better than announcements.

• Small groups: after the reading, move into discussion with our Advent small group questions, a 4-week study that uses different passages for the same four themes, so the two never repeat.
• Youth groups: let a student light the candle and another read. Our Advent youth group lesson has a full 45-minute plan on waiting.
• Families with kids: have a child count the lit candles each week and say how many are left until Christmas. It's a built-in countdown.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Advent candle readings for 2026?

The 2026 readings in this guide are Jeremiah 33:14-16 and Romans 15:13 for hope (November 29), Isaiah 11:1-6 and Luke 1:76-79 for peace (December 6), Isaiah 35 and Luke 1:41-44 for joy (December 13), Isaiah 9:2 and John 3:16-17 for love (December 20), and John 1:1-5 with John 8:12 for the Christ candle on Christmas Eve, December 24.

What do the four Advent candles mean?

Many churches name the four candles hope, peace, joy and love, lighting one more each Sunday before Christmas. Other churches use names like prophecy, Bethlehem, shepherds and angels. The names and order are church custom rather than commands in Scripture, but each theme is rooted in the Bible's promises about the coming of Jesus, and a center candle often stands for Christ himself.

When is the first Sunday of Advent in 2026?

The first Sunday of Advent in 2026 is November 29. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, and since Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday, the four Sundays are November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20. Christmas Eve, when many churches light the center Christ candle, is Thursday, December 24.

Is the Advent wreath in the Bible?

No. The Bible never mentions an Advent wreath or Advent candles. They're a church custom that many Protestant and evangelical churches use as a teaching tool. What is biblical is the theme of light: Isaiah 9:2 promises "a great light," and Jesus says "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). The readings matter more than the wreath.

Can I do Advent candle readings by myself?

Yes. Read both parts yourself, light the candle, pray, and write down one verse to carry through the week. It takes about five minutes. Doing it alone on Sunday evening is a good way to start each week of December with Scripture before the holiday rush takes over.

Do I need special candles?

No. Candle colors vary from church to church, so use what you have: four candles in a row, four tea lights on a plate, or battery candles if your dorm or apartment doesn't allow flames. Add a fifth candle in the middle if you want a Christ candle for Christmas Eve.