Prayers: December 12, 2021

Prayers

Always be joyful. Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

• Thank God that He doesn’t forget us believers, for our names are written on His palms. Isaiah 49:16
• Thank God that when we delight in Him, He gives us the desires of our heart. Psalm 37:4
• Thank God that we are able to share hugs again.
• Thank God for this season of Advent when sounds and sights remind us of God with us. Help us to push aside anything that does not point to Jesus, our Savior.
• Thank God for His joy to the world! Ask the Holy Spirit to reflect that joy found in our hearts to others.
• Pray for those struggling with illness and difficult circumstances.
• Pray for those whose family members are ill.
• Pray for patience and gentleness in us especially when others don’t respond to us as we think they should.
• Pray that when we are afraid, we will remember to put our trust in God.
• Pray for those who mourn.
• Pray that we may concentrate on how to work out our salvation – use the gifts God has given us for His glory! Philippians 2:12
• Pray for God to calm our frustrations with what is happening in our world
• Pray that we may recognize all the good we can and should be doing as individuals and as a church to share God’s love. Pray that we are always giving our best to the Master.
• Pray that we may strive for wisdom and understanding which gives us joy. Proverbs 3:13
• Pray for our missionaries, especially those who have had to move and redirect their everyday lives to do the work to which God has called them. Pray for protection, strength and wisdom.

To Think about: Third Sunday of Advent

During the church season of Advent, we focus on the birth of Jesus and the four things which God gives us through his Son’s birth: hope, peace, love and joy.  We light candles signifying that God has found a way to bring us out of the darkness which we deserve as sinful people.

Joy is not defined by feelings of happiness which come and go, nor by one’s circumstances, people or gifts.  Rather, it is the heart feeling that comes when we accept Jesus as our Savior because our eternity is secured. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.  These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.  The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 The baby Jesus brings us the same joy that flooded the hearts of the shepherds, the angels, the wise men, the hosts of heaven, and Mary and Joseph – joy that still has the power to overwhelm our hearts with rejoicing.

禱告事項

要常常喜樂，不住地禱告，凡事謝恩，因為這是神在基督耶穌裡向你們所定的旨意。

帖撒羅尼迦前書 5:16-18

• 感謝神沒有忘記我們這些相信他的人，因為我們的名字都寫在他的生命冊上。（以賽亞書 49:16）
• 感謝神，當我們以耶和華為樂，他就將你心裡所求的賜給你。（詩篇 37:4）
• 感謝神讓我們能夠再次相互擁抱。
• 感謝神在這個將臨節期，從聲音和景象兩方面提醒我們神與我們同在。幫助我們抛開任何帶領偏離救主耶穌的事物。
• 感謝神給世界帶來的喜樂！祈求聖靈將我們心中的喜樂傳遞給他人。
• 為與疾病和困境抗爭的人禱告。
• 為生病的家人禱告。
• 當其他人沒有回應我們期望的回應時，求神使我們特別地心存耐心和溫柔。
• 當我們害怕時，我們能記得信靠神。
• 為那些哀慟的人祈禱。
• 讓我們立志行事，將神賜給我們的救恩，照著他的美意得以在我們身上完善——使用神賜給我們的恩賜來榮耀祂！（腓立比書 2:12）
• 求神使我們不要對世界上正在發生的事情感到沮喪。
• 無論作為個人和教會，願我們能識別任何可以和應該做的美善的事情，藉此向他人分享神的愛；願我們始終把最好的獻給主。
• 求神幫助我們要努力得從他而來的智慧和聰明，因爲得智慧，得聰明的，這人便為有福！（箴言 3:13）
• 為我們的宣教士禱告，特別為那些回應神的呼召而必須改變日常生活的傳教士，祈求他們得著從神而來的保護、力量和智慧。

思考：將臨期的第三個星期日

在教會的將臨期期間，我們專注於耶穌的誕生以及神通過他兒子的誕生賜給我們的四樣事物：希望、和平、愛和喜樂。我們點燃蠟燭，象徵神已經找到了方法將我們帶出我們罪人原本應當落在的黑暗。

喜樂不是由來去不定的快樂感作定義的，也不是由一個人的環境、人或禮物來定義的。喜樂的定義是當我們接受耶穌為我們的救主時，我們的永恆得了保障而內心得到的一種感受。因此，你們是大有喜樂；但如今在百般的試煉中暫時憂愁，叫你們的信心既被試驗，就比那被火試驗仍然能壞的金子更顯寶貴，可以在耶穌基督顯現的時候得著稱讚、榮耀、尊貴。你們雖然沒有見過他，卻是愛他；如今雖不得看見，卻因信他就有說不出來、滿有榮光的大喜樂，並且得著你們信心的果效，就是靈魂的救恩（彼得前書 1:6-9）。嬰孩耶穌帶給我們同樣的喜樂，這喜樂曾經如洪水般湧入了牧羊人、天使、智者、天兵以及瑪利亞和約瑟的心——喜樂仍然帶著歡喜的能力占據我們的心。