Tag Archives: joy

Singing Praises and Prayers with Joy

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Michael Summers

What brings you joy? When does that joy flow into your prayers? How do you celebrate the gifts that God has given you? When I consider what gives me joy, my family, singing, and following baseball come to mind immediately. … Continue reading →

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How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts?

Posted on July 31, 2021 by Michael Summers

How shall the young secure their hearts? Throughout my life I have sung lyrics by Isaac Watts that ask that question. Watts drew his inspiration from Psalm 119:9-16, the second division of that psalm’s 176 verse anthology of prayer. Concern … Continue reading →

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A Prayer to the God of My Life

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Michael Summers

“By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 43:8). In the 2006 movie Last Holiday, the lead character Georgia, played by the singer/actress Queen … Continue reading →

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A Prayer that We Will Shout for Joy

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Michael Summers

King David served God with passion. He badly wanted to build a place for worshipping God that would honor his Lord appropriately. David did not get to see his dream come to fruition. Nathan the prophet conveyed to him a … Continue reading →

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Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Michael Summers

We pray for peace. We rarely pray for war or bloodshed. Some topics surface in prayers more frequently. We pray for the sick, the dying, and their families. We pray for wisdom and maturity to mark the actions and thinking … Continue reading →

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Thanking God for His Wonderful Deeds

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Michael Summers

The Thanksgiving holiday season has arrived in the United States, preceded ironically by shootings in churches as well as a concert venue and numerous accusations of sexual harassment or assault against well-known entertainers or politicians. The possibility of nuclear war … Continue reading →

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Rejoicing in God

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Michael Summers

In the midst of a prayer for deliverance, after expressing fear, a man of faith exclaims in Psalm 70,  “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is … Continue reading →

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A Patient Prophet’s Prayer of Joy

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Michael Summers

Receiving a delayed gift unleashes pent-up joy. When we read a patient elderly prophet’s prayer in Luke 2, we may miss the joy that surely soaked Simeon’s words. He had received a promise that he would not die before he … Continue reading →

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A Prayer for Joy, Peace, and Hope

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Michael Summers

Division, whether in politics, families, or churches, arises often from insecurity. Paul’s prayer of blessing in Romans 15:13 underscores the role of trust (faith) in achieving peace. Disunity disrupts growth; it displaces hope with confusion and anger. Even as Christianity … Continue reading →

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