Prayer, Plain and Simple

Prayer, Plain and Simple

Advent Prayer, Day 16: Sing Unto the Lord

posted by nsymmonds

By Claudia Mair Burney

Monday, the third week of Advent

“The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” Zephaniah 3:17-18
 

This is a season full of song. Before Thanksgiving day some radio stations devote all their airtime to holiday favorites until January. We read of angel choirs singing “glory to God in the highest,” and open the doors of our homes to joyful carolers warbling “o come let us adore him.” But Zephaniah presents a startling contrast: instead of us singing of Jesus’ goodness, we get a picture of him belting out a festive praise song to us. Not only do we rejoice because of his salvation, he rejoices to save us.

Song of my soul,
 
Zephaniah’s prophecy is good news! It’s astonishing to think that you come, not only so that I can delight in you, but also so that you can rejoice over me! What a wondrous thought, that my salvation gives you immense satisfaction, and pleasure. Help me to keep the image of you smiling, rejoicing, and singing a joyous song–for me–ever in my heart and mind. Renew me in your love.
 

“Come, Lord Jesus.”



You Might Also Like...
Previous Posts

Ice Cream: A Prayer of Thanks
“God, thank you for ice cream. Well done! Sure, we humans have been clever enough to combine your goods in a creative way, But you made the milk, the eggs, sugar, the flavors we use to fancy it up and the ice that makes it cold. Thank you, thank you. And please enjoy it with me.  Jesus, you never

posted 8:58:40pm May. 30, 2013 | read full post »

“I Need a Job” - A Prayer
"Lord, you know I need work. I want to do my part and carry my weight. I’m not asking for a handout; but I do need your help landing the right employment. It’s been too long and I’m feeling frustrated. You know exactly the situation that fits my skills, my interests and my experience. You know

posted 2:02:50pm Mar. 28, 2013 | read full post »

Super Bowl Power Outage: Let There Be Light - a Prayer
“God, light matters. We need light and when light goes out, we’re thrown into confusion and even fear. When power fades or goes out, we need to turn to you. God, you are our power source. You are the source of light. As the lights have gone out in the Super Bowl it reminds us that you alone are

posted 8:52:33pm Feb. 03, 2013 | read full post »

SAD: A Prayer for Joy and 'Vitamin G’
“God, I need vitamin D, but even more I need ‘vitamin G.’ Today, I am heavy with sadness. These winter days are gloomy and cold and I crave the light. I was made for light. Even my body knows this. I need the vitamin D that comes from light, and now, in the shadows I feel pushed down and heavy

posted 6:58:33am Jan. 30, 2013 | read full post »

Egypt: A Prayer
“God, today we pray for Egypt, a nation one again in great turmoil. Save Egypt from violence and despair. You love this land, and always have, even when that love demanded your hand of discipline and judgment. Egypt along the Nile is intricately woven into the fabric of our histories together. It

posted 8:15:16am Jan. 29, 2013 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments Post the First Comment »
post a comment

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.





Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.