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A Prayer about the Beauty, Surprise, and Joy of Jesus

by | Feb 16, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Joy, worship, gratitude

A Prayer about the Beauty, Surprise, and Joy of Jesus

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. Isaiah 25:6

Miracle-working Jesus,

Yesterday, our pastor preached on your first miracle—

turning water into wine!

As he said, 

“Why, of all the signs you could have chosen, 

did you choose to make your first miracle this one?”* 

His answer, so eloquently put, 

is an invitation to adore and worship you: 

“the arc of the universe bends toward joy.” 

You came to bring “beauty, surprise, and joy.” 

Yes, you came to forgive sins through your death on the cross. 

And yes, we should fight against sin. 

But we should never never forget that you 

“drank the bitter wine 

so we could drink the better wine 

of everlasting life.” 

We should never forget that you 

“swallow(ed) up death forever” (Isaiah 25:8). 

We should never forget that one day “soon” 

we will join you as your perfected bride (Revelation 21:2), 

the bride you died for, 

feasting with you 

at the wedding supper of the lamb (Rev. 19:6-10).

In your surprising name we pray.

Amen.

Read John 2:1-11; Isaiah 25:6-8.

*Quotes and concepts in this prayer come from our wonderful Pastor Joel Treick, Pinewoods Church. If you’d like to hear the sermon, go here and search for the episode from February 5, 2023.

A Prayer about Abounding in Hope and Joy

by | Jan 6, 2023 | Daily Prayer, Grief, Joy, Suffering

A Prayer about Abounding in Hope and Joy

May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and hope in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

God of Hope,

Thank you for the good news this verse offers:

You are the God of hope, 

and you are the one who fills us with all joy and hope.

Though first days back at work or school after the holidays 

may have filled us with dread or despair, 

though lonely days of missing friends and family 

who were with us this time last year

may have filled us with grief and sorrow, 

you are pouring joy and hope 

into our hearts as we believe, 

as we trust in the good news 

that Jesus Christ was born to redeem 

all sin, sorrow and suffering. 

We thank you that it’s not up to us 

to fill ourselves with hope, 

but by the immeasurable power 

and endless energy of the Holy Spirit, 

you are continuously pouring your hope 

into our hearts. 

Help us today to see and name 

all the reasons for our hope:

[Name some ways you see God of hope filling you with joy and hope in believing]. 

In Jesus’ hope-giving name. Amen.

Read Romans 15:8-13. 

A Prayer about Hope, Joy, and Peace at Christmas

by | Dec 24, 2022 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Gospel living, Joy, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about Hope, Joy, and Peace at Christmas

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Lord of Hope,

You know one of our children’s favorite seasonal movies 

is The Polar Express,

though they’re long past 

imagining that the North Pole 

is where the main action of Christmas takes place. 

The movie, based on the wonderful book by Chris Van Allsburg, 

is about belief, 

but the belief is in a myth. 

Unlike  “Hero Boy,” 

we need a different kind of believing—

we need to believe that you, 

the true hero of our truest story, 

were born as a baby, 

grew as a child, 

taught in the temple, 

turned water into wine, 

raised people from the dead, 

died on a cross, 

and rose from the dead. 

It is in this belief 

that we find our deepest hope, 

our longed-for joy, 

and our perfect peace. 

By your Holy Spirit, 

grant us this belief 

today and every day.

In Jesus’ trustworthy name. Amen.

Read Romans 15:1-13.

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.

A Prayer about Joy in the Midst of Sadness

by | Dec 21, 2022 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Grief, Joy, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about Joy in the Midst of Sadness

Celebrate joyfully in the Lord, all the time. I’ll say it again: Celebrate! Philippians 4:4

Lord,

I love how theologian Tom Wright translates Philippians 4:4 

and what he teaches us about joy 

in his advent devotional:

Joy goes “hand in hand with hope:

it doesn’t mean 

that everything is already just as it should be,
only that with Jesus now enthroned as Lord 

we know it eventually will get there.”*

He encourages us to feel 

the depth of our emotions, 

including grief, 

because Jesus did. 

Today and every day of this week, 

I pray for my friends and for myself:

May we celebrate the joy Jesus brings,

even if we’re feeling sad or frustrated or lonely, 

knowing this is not the way it will always be, 

because you sent your Son into the world 

to make all things, 

including our emotions—

new.

In Jesus’ hope-bringing name. Amen. 

Read Philippians 4:4-9.

(From N.T. Wright’s Advent for Everyone, A Journey with the Apostles).

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.

A Prayer about Monday Motivation before Christmas

by | Dec 18, 2022 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Joy, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about Monday Motivation before Christmas

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing. Psalm 100:1–2 

 Almighty God,

As the final week of Advent begins, 

may we put making a “joyful noise” to you 

at the top, middle, and bottom 

of our to-do lists. 

Even as we go about preparing 

to celebrate the coming of Christ, 

may we focus first 

on serving you with gladness. 

May we not sing along mindlessly 

with Christmas music, 

but instead notice 

our many reasons for rejoicing,

“Rejoice, rejoice, 

Emmanuel shall come to thee, 

O Israel” (“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”),

“Joy to the world, 

the Lord is come!” (“Joy to the World”)

“O come all ye faithful, 

joyful and triumphant” (“O Come All Ye Faithful”).

Lord, because you have made us in your image, 

and because you have made us anew 

in Christ, 

we ask that you will make us 

joyful, 

believing that your zeal will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:7).

In Jesus’ joyful name. Amen.

Read Psalm 100. 

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.

A Prayer about Jesus’ First and Second Coming

by | Dec 1, 2022 | Advent, Christmas, Christmas, Daily Prayer, Joy, Seasons & Holidays

A Prayer about Jesus’ First and Second Coming

Surely I am coming soon. Revelation 22:20

Lord Jesus,

In this season of celebrating your first arrival, 

our longings are piqued for your second arrival. 

You say, “Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20), 

and we say, “How soon is soon?” 

As we see the glory and healing and hope 

you brought at your first coming, 

as we see the many wonders that await us 

when you return, 

oh how eager we are, 

far more eager than a five-year-old 

on Christmas Eve. 

For we know the gifts you bring on that day 

will never get old or boring: 

the consummate intimacy with you and others, 

the complete healing from sin and sickness, 

the perfect peace with all who love you, 

the lovely diversity and abundant life… 

All gifts whose shine will never fade away—

these are the things we most deeply long for. 

You say, “Surely, I am coming soon.” 

We say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

Read Revelation 21-22.

Get Elizabeth’s Advent devotional for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/34no8c805q.