(Prayed at our Wednesday Koinonia group – more on Joy here:  http://jmm.org.au/articles/29906.htm )

Dear Lord  ¢â‚¬“ Father, Son and Spirit,

We come before you in awe and reverence. May we worship you not only when we gather together, but at all times, in all places, and may we always relish your holy name. O God of power and compassion, your greatness astounds us. May we seek to discern ways to continually bless you as we go about our day to day activities. We stand amazed as we consider your incomprehensible grace, which continually rescues us, saves us, often from ourselves. For we realize that every day we are being saved, and for that we are incredibly grateful. Thank you for your continual longing to free us from all that holds us, calling us out of our imprisonments, leading us to freedom. For freedom beckons to us, and we sense the deep joy which is found in that freedom.

Joy is a challenge to us Lord. We so frequently confuse happiness and joy, and consequently we chase after things, and people and places which may offer us happy feelings. Yet, Lord, we recognize that true joy is a lasting presence, it is a fruit of your Spirit, which you grow in us as we become increasingly like Jesus. This true joy is a divine gift, not something we can strive to achieve or manipulate into being. We observe that even in pain, grief, obscurity, abandonment, and suffering of the most terrible kind, it is still possible to be truly joyful. Yet we struggle with it dear Lord  ¢â‚¬“ it is so easy to talk about yet so hard to live.

We recognize that true joy can only be reflected in our lives to the extent that we are obedient to you  ¢â‚¬“ willing to be shaped and created anew by your Spirit. Yet it is hard at times to discern what you are asking of us, for we are so often unaware of your presence. If God, you were trying to tell us something, would we know? If you Lord, were reassuring us, or challenging us, would we notice? We ask for the grace to be free of our own preoccupations and open to what you may be saying to us.

If we truly grasped how much you love us, Lord, how much you cherish us and what you accomplished for us through Jesus ¢â‚¬â„¢ dying, that we may live  ¢â‚¬“ O Lord, we would be different people. We would be truly joyful  ¢â‚¬“ truly joyful. Yet we so often shy away from the brilliance and clarity of your love, and of our Beloved-ness to you. We feel unworthy to receive this free flowing love, or we feel overwhelmed and even frightened by it. Help us to accept, to own and to live as we really are  ¢â‚¬“ loved by God to our very core and centre. Then we would understand: we would be truly joyful.

We remember on this Anzac Day the pain and anguish of war. We bring to mind those who, right throughout the world who are suffering as a result of fighting or terror threats, along with every kind of violence. Especially today we ask that you guard the psychological effects of war upon all who are impacted – innocent families and children, the elderly, soldiers following orders, and their families at home. We long for peace in our world  ¢â‚¬“ we pray for peace  ¢â‚¬“ let us become peace in our own corner of our world.

We pray today for our needs. We ask that you will take us as a group, and create us to be what you desire. Mould us into a group which is meaningful, respectful, loving and helpful one to the other  ¢â‚¬“ one which encourages the personal growth of each member  ¢â‚¬“ a group where your welcoming light embraces us all. We ask that you would surround those who are lonely, feeling marginalized, depressed, in grief, poor or ill, including those of us who may be aching for your healing touch. We ask specifically for Rosie and Ian, that they will be submerged in your healing and guiding love and light. Nourish them in every possible way, dear Lord, and provide for their every need  ¢â‚¬“ emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual.

 ¢â‚¬ËœGiver of life,

Giver of the nights and days,

Giver of this moment now, open our lips that we may speak truthfully,

Open our hearts that we may love courageously,

Open our minds that we may think clearly,

Open our whole selves that we may create passionately,

Open our whole being that we may love wholeheartedly,

This moment now,

Through this and all our days, and at the last.

Amen ¢â‚¬â„¢. (Jim Cotter and Paul Payton  ¢â‚¬“ from  ¢â‚¬ËœOut of the Silence ¢â‚¬â„¢)

Christine M. Jones.