A Prayer for Joy This Winter - Your Daily Prayer - January 13

A Prayer for Joy This Winter
By: Emma Danzey

Bible Reading: “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” - Psalm 3:3

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It is tempting to feel discouraged, isolated, and sad in the wintertime. When it is cold and dark for longer periods of time, it can become easy to believe the lies that the enemy sends our way. It is easy to put our heads down and live in the “winter blues.” However, Psalm 3:3 reminds us that the Lord is a shield around us, our glory, and the One who lifts our heads high.

When I picture Jesus lifting my head up, I think about all the reasons a head can be down- because of shame, discouragement, or depression. When Jesus lifts our heads, we see His face. When our eyes are fixed upon Jesus, our identity and perspective are secure and confident in Him. The temptation to stay in a pit of despair or defeat melts away because we are reminded of our victory and confidence in Him. When we feel defeated and ashamed that we cannot seem to get out of this sadness and loneliness, He lifts our eyes to Him, the one whom our help comes from, as He helps us to find our way again.

Maybe you need prayer for joy this winter. It might be a season that reminds you of losses and grief. It may be due to unforeseen circumstances this year. It might just be the time of year when you are not getting enough Vitamin D and you are weary and saddened in the frigid winter. Whatever is getting you down and causing you to believe that you cannot find joy in this season, we are going to fight back today with prayer by the Spirit, with the Word of God as our anchor. Christ has given us His Holy Spirit and although we may not feel happy, we can always have joy because His Spirit gives us the fruit of joy.

Let's Pray:

Dear Lord,

Thank You for being present with us this winter. Thank you that winter blues, isolation, and sadness do not surprise you and scare you away from ministering to us. We pray by Your Spirit and call upon Your name, Yahweh, to lift our heads up. We have discouragement and have bought into the lies of the enemy. Clear our thoughts and help us to be still and know that You are God.

Open our eyes to the beauty that can be found in winter. Give us hearts gratitude that find thankfulness in the unexpected places. Give us laughter where there have been tears, and help us to smile again. When we do cry, help us remember You catch our tears in a bottle and that You care for us. Remind us to cast our cares upon you and lean on You. When we struggle, may we have our heads lifted by You so that we can fix our eyes on You. You are the author and perfecter of our faith. Right now, our faith is tested, our emotions are wearing us down, and the winter is hard. However, You have not changed and Your Holy Spirit still gives us joy as a result. We are asking for You to multiply our joys in this wintertime. Do the work that only Your Spirit can. Lead us and give us a desire for Your scriptures each day to uplift our heads. Remind us of all of the things that we are blessed with and can be grateful for in our lives.

Thank You for salvation in Christ. We have everything in You. Thank You for shelter and warmth to survive in cold temperatures. Thank You for cozy fires and warm food on the table. Thank You for running water to drink and hot baths. Thank You for the stunning snowflakes that are each hand-designed by You. Thank You for modern technologies like four-wheel drive and communities equipped for winter weather. Thank You for jackets and gloves. Thank You for holidays throughout the time of year when it is cold to bring people together. Thank You for Your love that never fails. Thank You for our lives and that we are never stuck forever because You, Jesus, have already and will get us out of our pits in life again because You hold the victory forever. Amen.

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Jakob Owen

Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey.

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