Wednesday, Week 9

Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
— Jeremiah 33:3 (BSB)

Prayer is God’s ordained way to bring His miracle power to bear in human need.
— Wesley L. Duewel

May You teach us the lesson of cheerfulness, O God. We are too easily irritated and cast down. We let little troubles and difficulties discourage us. Our joy is too easily overclouded. Our song of gladness, too easily turns into a dirge. We fret ourselves needlessly, and fail to rejoice always. Sorrows come over us like a flood, and bury us away beneath their dark waves. Our gladness is too easily turned to sadness, as life's cares and trials come upon us.

We hear You bidding us be of good cheer, because You have overcome the world — telling us that though we have tribulations we may have peace in You. But the lesson is not easy. It is hard for us to keep the song always in our heart, and the sunshine always in our face — when there are so many cares.

We come to You, pleading that You will teach us how always to be cheerful. Help us to such a strong, quiet, firm faith in Jesus — that no matter what may come into our life, we may ever rejoice. Rescue us from disheartenment, no matter how great its cause may appear to be. Help us to cast every burden on You — sure that You will sustain us in carrying it. Help us to learn to rejoice even in disappointments, knowing that if we could see all as You see — we would find beauty and good in everything which seems to us painful and dark.

We desire to be ministers of cheer to others. Forbid that we should go out with sadness in our faces, which shall cast a shadow on other lives. May we be sunshine to others. May we show to all the world what grace can do in making us messengers of gladness. We ask this in the name of Him who overcame the world and can give us peace. Amen.