A Prayer about the Joy Growing in Our Hearts

Light is sown for the righteous,

And joy for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11

Glorious God,

We confess, 

sometimes the evil in our world 

and the darkness in our own hearts 

obscures your righteousness and glory. 

Psalm 97 reorients the eyes of our hearts

to see how magnificent you are, 

and as we see your kingly power 

and eternal beauty, 

we rejoice: 

“The Lord reigns; 

let the earth rejoice; 

let the many coastlands be glad!” (Ps. 97:1). 

May we never doubt for a moment 

that you will defeat all evil 

on this earth 

in your good time: 

“Fire goes before him 

and burns his adversaries all around” (Ps. 97:3). 

Indeed, as we see “The mountains [melting] like wax” 

before you, mighty Lord, 

we “hear and [are] glad.” 

We rejoice! 

Not only are you “[preserving] the lives of your saints; 

[delivering] us from the hand of the wicked,” (Ps. 97:10), 

you are sowing light in our hearts. 

Today and every day, 

may we see the seeds of light 

growing in our hearts, 

and may we know that out of those seeds, 

you will harvest bright blooms of joy and gladness. 

Indeed, as your children made righteous in Christ, 

may we “give thanks to [your] holy name!” (Ps. 97:12).

In Jesus’ joy-full name. Amen.

Read Psalm 97.