“Thank you, Lord that you hear our prayers.”
- Let God give you a hug before you finish.
- Let God give you a hug before you finish.
“Thank you, Lord that you hear our prayers.”
- Let God give you a hug before you finish.
- Let God give you a hug before you finish.
Amen
Read your Bible (if you haven’t already).
Spend a minute or two simply finding ways to praise God because He is our God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We start by keeping a minute or two of silence, inviting God to be in our thoughts and prayers
Start here for daily prayers and follow the route for the day.
Read the notes on the back cover.
Read the notes on the back cover.
Joy is a curious word. Simple enough to say and yet hard to
understand. We tend to associate it with happiness yet it
has a depth that happiness alone doesn’t have. Joy, for the
Christian at least, is more to do with the sense of peace and
pleasure that we experience when something good happens
to others: the joy of being present when two people, deeply
in love, are married; the joy and wonder of a new born child;
the joy of being able to turn someone’s life around from a
previous unhappiness; the joy of knowing that by your gift
of time, talents or treasure, you have made a real and positive difference in the world, somewhere. These are real joys. They don’t disappear in five minutes. They are joys that God Himself shares with us. The Bible uses the word ‘joy’ some 300 times but ‘sad’ only 20 times. God wants us to experience joy - and the greatest joy comes when we are obedient to Him and are able to experience His gifts and power at work in us.
Imagine a child playing with its toys. The parents call the child but it
ignores the call and continues playing. Does it find joy in doing what it wants? Surely the joy is found in obedience; in running to the parents and being enfolded in their loving embrace, for truly loving parents would never call without good reason.
When we read the record of God’s people in the Bible and learn of the incredible love of Jesus Christ for us, we begin to understand Him better, and as we learn to respond to His call we too discover the joy of His embrace; the new discoveries and purposes of God.
And heaven rejoices too! Try reading Luke chapter 15 verses 4 to 7.
understand. We tend to associate it with happiness yet it
has a depth that happiness alone doesn’t have. Joy, for the
Christian at least, is more to do with the sense of peace and
pleasure that we experience when something good happens
to others: the joy of being present when two people, deeply
in love, are married; the joy and wonder of a new born child;
the joy of being able to turn someone’s life around from a
previous unhappiness; the joy of knowing that by your gift
of time, talents or treasure, you have made a real and positive difference in the world, somewhere. These are real joys. They don’t disappear in five minutes. They are joys that God Himself shares with us. The Bible uses the word ‘joy’ some 300 times but ‘sad’ only 20 times. God wants us to experience joy - and the greatest joy comes when we are obedient to Him and are able to experience His gifts and power at work in us.
Imagine a child playing with its toys. The parents call the child but it
ignores the call and continues playing. Does it find joy in doing what it wants? Surely the joy is found in obedience; in running to the parents and being enfolded in their loving embrace, for truly loving parents would never call without good reason.
When we read the record of God’s people in the Bible and learn of the incredible love of Jesus Christ for us, we begin to understand Him better, and as we learn to respond to His call we too discover the joy of His embrace; the new discoveries and purposes of God.
And heaven rejoices too! Try reading Luke chapter 15 verses 4 to 7.
Lord Jesus, you knew hardship, but you also knew the real joy that came from being aware that in full obedience to your Father’s will, you were always in your Father’s care. Everything you did and said showed that God’s love is far greater than our cares and can overcome every obstacle - even death - for those who give themselves to you. We pray that as we learn to obey, your joy may so flood our hearts that we too may know the deepest joy of being loved and led by you. Amen
The joy of life
It might seem obvious that without life we could not experience joy, but, for all our failings, we have an awareness that no other creature on the planet has. Life is meant to be more than mere existence, otherwise there would be no point in being human. The joy of life is in seeking out and finding the things which bring us real peace and a knowledge that others around us are at peace too. Now there’s a thought for prayer!
The joy of God
It is so easy to get distorted ideas about God, but God couldn’t give us joy unless it was part of himself. The Bible tells us that God’s greatest joy is when He is able to do great and wonderful things for His children. And when is that? Simply when we are trying to listen to Him, learn from Him and live in obedience to Him. After all, any loving parent wants their children to be obedient and happy. So, how could I give God joy today?
The joy of work
The first few chapters of Genesis show us why work is a necessary part of human life on earth - but that doesn’t mean it has to be joyless. Even the worst jobs can be done with a spirit of joy. If we think only of ‘poor me’ when we tackle things, however unpleasant, we will never know joy. But if we work in a way that makes life better for someone else, then we please the Lord - and that gives Him joy - and even helps us sing with joy!
The joy of love
God is love. To know that we are loved, in spite of all our faults and failures is the real source of joy. Such joy longs to be shared. And it is through the giving of love that we bring joy to others. There may be pain and anguish in life (they can be the the soil in which love can grow stronger) but joy - the knowledge of God’s undying love for us, even us sinners, seen on the cross of calvary - can never be taken away. Ever.
The joy of friends
We are not intended to be solitary creatures. God created us to live in families; in communities; with families and friends. We don’t deserve the love of God; He loves us because He wants to, and so we find that it is with others that we experience the greatest joys. Helping others, especially the undeserving, can be hard, but can also bring real joy. True friends can be a real source of comfort, strength and support; and joy.
The joy of eternity
There is a tendency in the wealthier nations, to think only of today and what I can get out of it. The Christian, however, knows that we are only passing through - our real destination is the kingdom of heaven. That doesn’t mean that the journey of life should be ignored; God is as much in our journey of discovery as He was at our creation, but the fullness of joy for His children is yet to come - and when it does we shall know!
Give thanks for the many ways God is at work, through:
- evangelists
- parents
- teachers
- counsellors
- scientists
- writers
- evangelists
- parents
- teachers
- counsellors
- scientists
- writers
Remember today, those who carry the burden of:
- sickness
- a lawless past
- fear
- loneliness
- broken families
- obsessions
- not knowing
God
- sickness
- a lawless past
- fear
- loneliness
- broken families
- obsessions
- not knowing
God
