A Prayer for Joy
O God of Infinite Joy, Our Shield and Portion, fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in you so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and be empowered to serve your church and the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Reader: Sing to him, sing praise to him;
People: Tell of all his wonderful acts.
Reader: Glory in his holy name;
People: Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice
Reader: Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
People: Let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
Response: Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
People: Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
Reader: The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him;
People: All the upright in heart will glory in him!
Reader: Light shines on the righteous
People: And joy on the upright in heart.
Reader: Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
People: And praise his holy name.
Reader: Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
People: Let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Reader: Let them praise his name with dancing
People: And make music to him with timbrel and harp.
Reader: Rejoice in the Lord always.
People: I will say it again: Rejoice!
Reader: Though you have not seen him,
People: You love him;
Reader: And even though you do not see him now,
People: you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.
Reader: Jesus said to His Father, “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world,
People: So that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
Reader: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,
People: But of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Reader: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him
People: So that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Confessional References
Heidelberg Catechism
Q & A 1 – Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Q & A 2, Q. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?
A. Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance.
Q&A 90, Q. What is the rising-to-life of the new self? A. Wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a love and delight to live according to the will of God by doing every kind of good work.
Westminster Standards
WLC 1 What is the chief and highest end of man?
A. Man’s Chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.
WCF 18.3 And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: so far is it from inclining men to looseness.
WSC 36 What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification? A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.
Outline of Discussion
1. Introduction – joy in the midst of hard and difficult experiences. Introduction to the idea of moving forward.
2. Scripture Reading
3. What are we saved for?
4. How I learned to look for joy
5. The Scriptures on joy
6. The Confessions on joy
7. Developing joy
- Do we make it a goal?
- Do we see it as a process?
- Are we re-thinking all of life from God’s perspective?
- Do we look at suffering as an unmitigated evil or also as an opportunity for growth?
- Do we get other people involved?
8. Lacie Shingleton on joy
9. Common objections/questions to the pursuit and priority of joy
- My life is and has been rough, how can I have joy?
- How can I add developing joy to my already very busy schedule?
- I don’t have a bubbly personality.
Note: this lesson will be interactive. You can feel free to ask questions at any time. Read a thorough discussion of this subject here.
Overview of the Moving Forward Series
1. The Goal — What We Were Created for
2. What Keeps Us from It — The complexity of sin
3. What God Does to Restore Us — God’s Work of Redemption and Restoration
4. Accepting God’s Redemption and Applying it to Our Lives
5. Means of Growth in Grace
6. Maximizing Our Service
7. Hope: Prospects for Moving Forward
See a more extensive outline here.