Our Sr Pastor is doing a series of sermons this month on the Joy of Christ. Yesterday his sermon was "The Joy of His Company" based on the scripture John 4:4-29. This is the prayer I wrote for the Pastoral Prayer for Sunday.
Oh Lord,
We long for your joy in our hearts.
we have come to realize that happiness is fleeting.
We as your children know that your joy
and the joy in our relationship with you always remains.
Often there are things in life like illness, death, and tragedies
that make us think that the joy is gone, but it is still there.
Lord, we ask for those who do not have joy
that they would come to have your joy in their lives.
We ask for those who think the joy is gone, because of whatever is going on,
that they may realize it is still there.
And we ask for those who are ill that they may have health and well being.
We ask for those who grieve for comfort and a time to grieve their loss.
We ask for all those who have had tragedies in their lives; restoration to wholeness.
We especially remember that today there are those still recovering from tornadoes, floods, fires, tsunamis, earthquakes and drought.
Lord may we continue to live our lives in the joy of your company.
May we invite others to live in that joy as well.
Amen.
