A Prayer about Shouting for Joy instead of Frustration
A Prayer about Shouting for Joy instead of Frustration
Shout for joy to God, all the earth,
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise! Psalm 66:1-2
Glorious God,
How easily we shout for joy to you
when we wake up after a great night’s sleep
and look out at the sun rising
over calm waters and sugar-white sand.
And yet, you know we more easily shout out of frustration or anger
when we awaken after a terrible night’s sleep
and face all sorts of Monday madness.
In some seasons, when we feel that you are “testing and trying us” (Psalm 66:10),
or when we feel that you have brought us or our loved ones “into the net,”
“laid a crushing burden on our backs,” (Psalm 66:11),
or taken us through “fire and water,”
we more easily shout, “Why is this happening to me?!”
Move in us, by your Spirit, we pray:
jog our memories,
that we might recall the “awesome deeds “
you have done (Ps. 66:2)—
the times you “brought us out into a place of abundance” (Ps. 66:12),
the way you “turned the sea into dry land” (Ps. 66:6).
Where we have amnesia about your mercy and kindness,
remind us of our Savior,
who endured our crushing burden of sin,
who acquainted himself with our grief,
that we might be healed (Is. 53: 3,5).
In Christ, we can surely find our voices
to “Shout for joy” to you.
In the name of our Suffering Savior.
Amen.
Read Psalm 66.
![Have you ever felt forsaken?
He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8
Faithful Father,
In times that we feel forsaken,
whether because of betrayal or abandonment or loss,
may we remember,
“It is the Lord who goes before [us],”
and you will never leave us or forsake us.
You are a God who made a covenant,
a promise of love to your people
that you alone upheld.
Even after Adam and Eve disobeyed you in the garden,
you promised to send your Son to destroy Satan (Gen. 3:15).
You promised Abraham to make him a great nation (Gen. 12:2),
and you continued to love your people, the Israelites,
even though they continued to rebel against you:
“For the mountains may depart,
and the hills may be removed,
but my steadfast love will not depart from you” (Isaiah 54:10).
In your most stunning proof of your commitment
to bring your people back to you,
you allowed your Son to be forsaken on the cross,
to die for our sins,
that we might become your children.
Because you will never leave nor forsake
your children in Christ,
when we feel lonely
or exiled
or forgotten,
we need not “fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
In Jesus’ faith-full name we pray. Amen.
Read Deuteronomy 31:8; Isaiah 54.
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