Seeking God’s forgiveness and joy to bring renewal (Read Ezek. 36: 25-27 and Psalm 85: 1-7)
“I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you.” (Ezek. 36:26)
“You forgave the iniquity of your people; You covered all their sin. Restore us, O God of our salvation... Will you not yourself revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:2,4,6)
It is from God alone, through Christ’s shed blood on the cross and the outpouring of His Spirit, that we receive and experience true forgiveness and joy.
As God gathers us to Himself He longs to cleanse us and forgive. He longs to heal our brokenness and set us free from guilt and shame. He gives us a new heart, a new devotion to do His will, and a new Spirit-enabled strength to resist temptation and sin. God restores to us the joy of salvation.
Through many epochs in the history of God’s people they lost hold of this gift. They fell into disobedience and turned to idols. But God never gave up on them. Again and again he called them into union with Him so that He could revive them and fill them with His joy.
“Come upon us, O God, revealing Your love and the joy You find in our eagerness to love You in return. Sustain us with increasing love for You, that we may live in joy!”
PRAYER
“I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you.” (Ezek. 36:26)
“You forgave the iniquity of your people; You covered all their sin. Restore us, O God of our salvation... Will you not yourself revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:2,4,6)
It is from God alone, through Christ’s shed blood on the cross and the outpouring of His Spirit, that we receive and experience true forgiveness and joy.
As God gathers us to Himself He longs to cleanse us and forgive. He longs to heal our brokenness and set us free from guilt and shame. He gives us a new heart, a new devotion to do His will, and a new Spirit-enabled strength to resist temptation and sin. God restores to us the joy of salvation.
Through many epochs in the history of God’s people they lost hold of this gift. They fell into disobedience and turned to idols. But God never gave up on them. Again and again he called them into union with Him so that He could revive them and fill them with His joy.
“Come upon us, O God, revealing Your love and the joy You find in our eagerness to love You in return. Sustain us with increasing love for You, that we may live in joy!”
PRAYER
- Pray for God to impart within you a deep sense of being forgiven and cleansed.
- Pray that increasingly God's people at First Methodist will be set free from guilt and shame.
- Pray that the joy of the Lord will be our strength (Neh. 8:10)
- Pray that as people who have been forgiven, we will experience and express the joy of the Lord. May our worship together be characterized by joy!
- Pray for revival, in our lives, in our families, in our church, and in our neighbourhood.
- Pray that God will pour out new life in our midst so that the Name of Jesus Christ may be held high