Prepare the Way

Cultivating a Heart for God in Advent

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Throughout Advent we read and sing the words "Prepare the Way" as we make room to welcome the Christ child into our lives once again. We prepare our streets, buildings, workplaces, and homes. But sometimes Advent can slip away from us before we can prepare our hearts. This four-week Advent study offers guided prayer, scripture readings, and reflections to help prepare our hearts. Pamela Hawkins guides us through four weeks of focus on particular words—one word for each week. For each week's word, we're invited to engage in a variety of prayer practices (intercession, lectio divina, sentence completion, imaginative reading of scripture, and reflection) all designed to prepare our hearts for Christ's coming. If your desire is to be attentive to the meaning of this season and to quiet your heart enough to listen for God's words for you and for all of us, then this is the right eCourse for you.

Designed to be a personal retreat experience with space to share your reflections with others, this eCourse offers:

  • All essential content from Pam's book, Prepare the Way.
  • A guided practice for each day of Advent.
  • Weekly videos with Pam.
  • Audio recordings of scripture and prayers.
  • A place for group discussion.

Private eCourse classrooms with group rates are available upon request. If you are interested, email us at [email protected].


To purchase a print version of Prepare the Way, visit The Upper Room online store.

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Your Instructor


Pamela C. Hawkins
Pamela C. Hawkins

Pamela C. Hawkins is an author, artist, and pastor living in Nashville, Tennessee. She has written about the Christian spiritual life through prayers, liturgies, articles, small-group studies, and devotional books. At the heart of Hawkins’s ministry is a love for the gospel, a commitment to make God’s unconditional love extended to all people, and a desire to live a more prayerful life. Hawkins holds a Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University Divinity School, a Doctor of Ministry in Christian Spirituality from Columbia Theological School, and is a regular retreatant at the Benedictine community of St. Meinrad Archabbey.


Course Content


  Introduction
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the eCourse start and finish?
The eCourse is intended to start with Advent and continue for four weeks. But it will remain open indefinitely. It’s self-paced, so you can decide when to start and when to finish.
How long do I have access to the eCourse?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this eCourse for as long as you like—across any and all devices you own. We’ll give you plenty of notice should we need to close the eCourse.
What if I am unhappy with the eCourse?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us within the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
Who sponsors these eCourses?
This eCourse is brought to you by The Upper Room.

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