For Joy:

God our heavenly Father,
when the thought of you
wakes in our hearts,
let its awakening
not be like a startled bird
that flies about in fear.
Instead, let it be like a child
waking from sleep
with a heavenly smile. (Søren Kierkegaard)

For Live-Dead:

From an Eritrean believer to a missionary: “Ask our brothers and sisters to pray for us; not that we should be free from this persecution, but that we will stand up boldly under it and proclaims Christ as we should.”