Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and uphold me with a willing spirit. Ps. 51:12
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Prov. 16:11
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11
Lord Jesus, we come to you, on this April Saturday, bringing friends with us; for the Gospel is personal, not private. Each of us needs what you alone can give—new mercies, fresh perspective, and renewed joy.
We all have stories of failure and fear, burdens and weakness, brokenness and stuck-ness, heartache and longings. And we all share in common the ongoing disruption of the C-19 pandemic. Thank you for always welcoming us with kindness, tenderness, and grace upon grace.
In light of today’s Scriptures, we pray with confidence, need, and expectancy. Restore to us the joy of our salvation, Lord Jesus. As happy as we’ll be with the pandemic is a distant memory, in our present circumstance, we crave a Spirit-fueled experience of your joy.
For your joy is our strength, Lord Jesus—strength for being honest and vulnerable before you. Strength for repenting, hoping, and waiting upon you in the coming days and weeks. Above all, strength for adoring you, for only you are worthy of our affection and worship.
Bring us back to the joyful, childlike love we experienced when we first met you (Rev. 2:4). Our joy and love for you were ignited by your intense, unparalleled, sacrificial love for us (1 John 4:19). Pandemic, or no pandemic, show us how we resist your prayers for our joy.
Indeed, may your Spirit renew, refresh, and release our hearts, Lord Jesus. We come to you grateful, humble, and expectant. So very Amen we pray, in your most holy and loving name.