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For the next 2 weeks, we are focusing our weekly prayers on the themes of advent and how they relate to the needs of our city and church.  Each week will begin with some Scripture passages to set the context of the advent theme and then will include ways to pray for our city and for Grace Toronto Church in relation to that theme.

Advent Theme:  JOY

Quiet Reflection

—Read thru the following passages and reflect on the joy that is given thru Christ as the joy of His kingdom approaches:

• Psalm 43:3-4
• Zechariah 2:10-11
• Luke 2:10-14
• Matthew 2:10-11
• Hebrews 12:2

Requests

-For the city of Toronto to experience the Joy of Christ this season:

• Pray that God would use the words of Christmas songs, the ‘spirit of giving,’ and other seasonal traditions for openness to the Gospel in Toronto.
• Pray for the eyes of our city to be opened and softened to hear of Christ and the purpose of His birth this Advent season.
• Pray for those who find this time of year particularly painful to be shown some way to find joy in the midst of this season, both spiritually in their hearts through Christ and tangibly through the love of those around them.
• Pray for all the Christmas Eve services that will be happening in Toronto to be bold and gracious in presenting the true Reason for the season.

-For Grace Toronto to become a more joyful community:

• Praise God for something He has done in your life recently that has brought you joy…if you can’t think of anything, pray that He would make you more aware of His goodness in your life.
• Pray that God would be the source of our joy during this Christmas season and not presents/vacations/relationships, etc.
• Pray that the opportunities we’ve had to share the joy of Christ to others thru our service projects (Squads, Christmas in Canada, etc) would inspire us to continue serving in the future and bless those we reach out to.
• Prayer for the Faith & Work ministry, that they would help us be equipped to effectively live out our faith in the work place and share this news of the joy Christ brings to all those around us.
• Pray for the Grace Centre for the Arts, that God would continue to be the inspiration of this ministry and their involvement in the arts.  Pray that just as creation reflects God’s glory, that their art would also reflect His glory.
• Pray for our church’s leadership, that they would find their joy in the Lord and would steward their positions wisely and with integrity before the Lord.

-For the world to join the celebration of the Joy found in Christ:

‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing…

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy….

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove

the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love…’

• Thank the Lord that He reigns over ALL the earth and that there are people everywhere around the world this season finding their Joy in Him!

‘Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with GREAT JOY, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.’