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⁷ Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
⁹ let them sing before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
~ Psalm 98

Christianity is an exultant religion, full of joy. Not just the shallow, superficial high that can just as easily be obtained by artificial stimulants — but the deep joy that endures and brings strength. A joy that rejoices in the goodness, love and justice of God. Sometimes we forget that joy and have to pray, like the Psalmist, that the Lord would restore our joy. Pray that for yourself and your church today.

“He is the best artist, that can most lively and powerfully display Jesus Christ before the people, evidently setting Him forth as crucified among them; and that is the best sermon, that is most full of Christ, not of art and language.”
~ John Flavel

Petition: Please join with us in praying for:

1. The World — The number of confirmed cases is 146,781,216 (+ 5,772,557 — a 10% increase).
The number of deaths of people with Covid-19 has passed the three million mark 3,103,617 (up 88,892 — +8%). This week has seen the highest number of weekly cases since the start of the pandemic.
India is seeing more than 300,000 cases per day and their hospitals are being overwhelmed.

2. Australia — There have been 29,666 cases in total (up 127, compared with 114 the week before).

The outbreak in WA appears to have come to nothing — although Perth remains locked down.
There are 68 people in hospital (+22), with 1 in ICU (-2).
There were 230,124 tests, with 0.2% positive. There are 234 active cases (+77).

3. Vaccine and Cures — Pray that poorer countries will get adequate supplies for vaccines and that India will be permitted to manufacture its own.

4. Church — Pray for those who have been involved with Easter youth camps. In a challenging world for teenagers, these camps offer a great opportunity to provide the kind of fellowship and teaching which convicts, converts and sustains. May the fruit from this year be great.

5. Personal and Family — Pray for families who continue to be separated by this virus — especially those with children and elderly parents overseas.

A Prayer of Repentance:

O Almighty God,
Who alone can order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men,
Grant unto Your people,
that they may love the thing which You command,
and desire that which You promise;
that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world,
our hearts may surely be fixed where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ The Book of Common Prayer

Song: Here is Shane and Shane’s version of Psalm 98 —

A Prayer of Thanksgiving:

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvellous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him.
² The LORD has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations.
³ He has remembered His love and His faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
⁴ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.
~ Psalm 98