So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you…
John 16:22
Ladies,
It’s our final week! We will see you all on Friday.
Please find the address for our venue:
St. Timothy’s Anglican Church
6819 Louetta Road
Spring, Texas 77379
Let us be filled with joy always – even in our tribulations!
Romans 5:3 (ESV) “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance…”
James 1:2-3 (ESV) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
In our humanity we often wonder whether because we are required to heed these words of encouragement from Paul and James, we should always be joyful, even during times of sadness or despair when we are facing difficulties? However, this passage goes deeper than that because even though believing our salvation by Jesus’ sacrifice and our eternal life, does not end our personal trials, sufferings and intermittent hardships here on earth. When we have the faith and inner strength to trust in the Lord, to keep going, to keep praying, to keep trusting that God hears us and will answer us, our endurance increases no matter the outcome. It is about our ability to trust in God through these difficulties so that, our joy is in being drawn into a deeper relationship with Him and enables us to rejoice in the knowledge that He sees our endurance and gives us His grace so that we can be with Him, in His kingdom at the end of time.
Prayer
Our Dear Lord, we thank you so much for these six weeks of reflection, devotion and prayer to you leading up to the women’s retreat. We know that you have heard our prayers, which we have lifted up in one accord in the name of your son, Jesus and that you will answer us according to your will.
We place the venue for the retreat, St. Timothy’s Anglican Church, before you Lord and ask that you sanctify the church and guard and protect it from now on through the duration of the retreat and beyond. We ask that the presence of the Holy Spirit be in attendance throughout the event. We pray that you consecrate all the spaces and rooms we will be using, both inside and outside and in all the environs of the venue. We ask that you prevent any and all evil from entering the premises and that all who will be on the premises either helping with or attending the retreat will be blessed. Thank you, Lord
Solape Delano
Prayer Coordinator for JOY 2020
