A Prayer For The Joy Of The Advent Season

 

Heavenly Father, as we inch our way closer and closer to the day when we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus, the Christ, we are reminded of the joy of this glorious season of the year.  The prophet declared that it is the joy of the Lord which is our strength.  Our joy is not found in the gifts that we will receive, but in the gift that we have received.  Our joy is not found in the parties we will attend, but in the people whose love we will share.  Our joy is not found in our circumstances but in the birth we celebrate.

 

We thank you this morning for the joy of believing that he who came from heaven to earth, came that we might go from earth to heaven.

 

We thank you for the joy of believing that your righteousness has been satisfied and our sins have been forgiven through Christ’s death on the cross.

 

We thank you for the joy of believing that you are a God of love and mercy, of whom it was said, “You so loved the world that you gave your only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  And that nothing we can do will cause you to love us more, just as nothing we can do will cause you to love us less.

 

We thank you for the joy of believing in your providential care of us; that you are on our side.  We thank you for the providence which weaves our every act and action into a tapestry which brings about your holy, will.

 

We thank you for the joy of believing that your Words are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace purifies seven times.

 

We thank you for the joy of being a part of the El Dorado Park Community Church which you have watched over as the eagle guards her young.

 

We thank you for the joy of seeing you work out your plans for our church, even though you kept them hid from us that we might learn to walk by faith and not by sight.

 

Above all, we thank you for the joy of worshipping  Jesus the Christ, the fulfiller of prophecy, the teacher of eternal truth, the Savior of the world, and the Lord of all creation.

 

May joy truly reign in the hearts of each and every one of us, from the youngest to the oldest, not only in this Christmas season but throughout every day of the coming year.  

 

This we pray in the name of him who is the source of all our joy.  Amen.