Joy of the Lord is My Strength:
Nehemiah 8:10 ….for the joy of the LORD is your strength. KJV
The joy of the Lord is my strength every day.
I will never again believe I am to have joy once in a while, because my faith in what the Lord is to me, has for me, does in and through me, all aspects of my Christian faith, is centered around the major spiritual force of joy.
The joy of the Lord is more than a “Holy Ghost giggle”, it is one of the most powerful spiritual forces I have in my spirit.
Joy and strength are interchangeable so when I read scriptures with “joy”, it is talking about my strength.
My whole being craves the joy of the Lord for it is the daily strength I need to live in this negative world.
Father God cares about me living in these difficult times and that is why He has given me His joy to be my daily strength.
The joy of the Lord is the spiritual force inside of me that produces peace, long-suffering and patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and temperance or self-control in my life.
Joy Is a Fruit of My Recreated Spirit:
The fruit of the Spirit resides in my recreated spirit along with the God kind of faith and the God kind of love.
Galatians 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. KJV
The fruit of my new spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, temperance are spiritual forces to aid me in my every day living on this earth.
Each fruit of the spirit aids the other. Joy comes as a result of love, peace comes as a result of joy, long-suffering comes as a result of peace, gentleness comes by long-suffering and patience, goodness is a result of gentleness, faithfulness is a result of goodness and faithfulness aids self-control; all enabling me to completely walk in the Spirit with their power at work in me.
I yield to the fruit of the spirit that is inside of me today.
I keep energized with joy by drawing on the supply of the Holy Spirit Who lives in me.
God’s joy keeps my attitude right, keeps my long-suffering working in every situation and keeps me looking to God and flowing in His mighty power.
Joy Effectively Works in Me Because I know My Father God Intimately:
Joy is able to work effectively in me because I intimately know my heavenly Father.
The real love I long for and the real joy and peace I need come from the love of my heavenly Father God.
I remain joyful as I learn more and more about my loving, caring heavenly Father; what He has promised to me and what He has given to me through Jesus.
The joy of knowing my heavenly Father is my strength and this supernatural force of joy is the secret to my success and the assured defeat of my enemies.
Joy continually comes to me as I spend time with Father God and as I hear and hear the Word of God, the truth about Him.
With the revelation and understanding of the unconditional love of my heavenly Father for me, I am strengthened with all might in my inner man.
Colossians 1:9-11 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; KJV
The Holy Spirit & The Word of God Reveal Father God to Me, Producing Joy:
The Holy Spirit and the Word of God are continually revealing Father God to me in order for the joy of the Lord to be my strength.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. KJV
Prayer: I ask that Father be fully revealed to me, in Jesus’ name.
The Holy Spirit is my Helper to show me the Father, Father’s joy given to me and also all the Father has given to me.
John 16:23,24 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. KJV
The Holy Spirit and the Word of God show me whatever I need to know about the Father, healing, wisdom, finances, marriage, family, ministry, job, business when I ask Him.
Holy Spirit is leading me into all truth, giving me joy and words of wisdom to save me time, money, energy, and effort.
The Word of God speaks to me as I meditate and draws pictures on the inside of me of hope, resulting in living in a state of the Father’s joy.
Prayer: “Jesus I want to thank you for the promise of the Holy Spirit coming into my life. I ask in your name that the Holy Spirit would reveal my loving heavenly Father to me in this situation I am encountering. Reveal how much Daddy loves me and what He has provided and given to me. I stop worrying now and turn it over to you.”
Jesus Revealed the Father To Me To Produce Joy In My Life:
I see the Father and His love for me when I read and study the life of Christ in the earth for they are one, they are just alike. (John 14:9,10,11; 1 John 4:8)
I am reminded of my heavenly Father when I see the gifts of the Spirit in operation through Jesus’ ministry, through other ministries and my ministry.
Joy Abounds in Me Through Thanksgiving:
Rooted in faith, joy and the love of God, I continually give thanks to the Father and the joy of the Lord keeps rising up again and again and that means strength keeps rising up again and again to bring swift defeat to the challenges coming against my faith and joy.
Colossians 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. KJV
The Power of Joy is Released Into My Life Through Prayer, Praise, Worship & Dance:
My joy is fed and energized by the Word of God and I release it into the atmosphere by my praise and worship.
Psalms 16:11 You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. AMP
Psalms 42:4 I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, KJV
The power of joy is released into my life as I speak the Word of God and faith filled words and dance before the Lord with praise and worship.
Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. KJV
I keep the right attitude in all situations as I rejoice in the Lord.
Joy is released and strengthens my life as I pray the Word of God.
Philippians 1:4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, KJV
Praying the Word of God and offering up thanks and praise, the joy of the Lord stirs up on the inside of me and the answers to the problems gets bigger on the inside of me than the problems on the outside and my enemy and the negative circumstances fall back at the very presence of the Lord!
Jesus Spoke of Joy Being Given to Me:
I not only have the fruit of joy to be my strength but I also share in Jesus’ own joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength!
Jesus speaking to His disciples in His last hours was also speaking about joy being released to me.
John 15:9-11 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. KJV
John 16:22-24 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. KJV
Jesus came and gave me joy, strength, to remain strong in the Lord so I would see the defeat of my enemy and total elimination from my life of sickness and disease, bad economy, poverty, lack, and debt. Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus!
How Joy Affects My Life:
The spiritual force of joy affects my mind and makes it receptive to the truth of God’s Word, that all negative circumstances are being turned around right now for good by another spiritual force, the force of faith.
Joy also has an affect on my will, making it vibrant and desirous to do the will of God no matter the situation.
Joy causes me to have a merry heart that acts as medicine to my body.
Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. KJV
Joy not only produces strength in my inner man but it also produces strength for my body as well.
The joy of the Lord brings stability to my life so that I go beyond feelings that fluctuate constantly because of circumstances, leaving me totally in control of my circumstances.
The joy of the Lord is my strength in weak moments when discouragement tries to get a hold of me, turns all weariness into strength and all confusion into confidence.
The Difference Between Happiness & Joy in My Circumstances:
The big difference between being happy and joyful is that, joy unlike happiness doesn’t come from outside circumstances but rather joy comes from inside my spirit to the outside of me.
I may not be happy at times in circumstances, it may not be any fun; but I will remain joyful in the Lord.
The joy of the Lord is not dependent on my emotions that fluctuate depending on my circumstances.
Use The Force of Joy in Difficult Times:
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy (strength) when ye fall into divers temptations; KJV
I realize the difference between joy and happiness and there is no way possible for me to be happy in difficult circumstances; I need something more powerful than happiness and it is the joy of the Lord.
I am not frustrated and worried of the devil and his plans to defeat me because I know Jesus defeated the devil and his plans to defeat me at Calvary; that’s the way Father God sees me and now I am as joyful as He is.
Though the world’s economy does not look favorable, I am assured and confident Father God desires me to profit and causes me to profit out there in that dark world so that I can be a light for Him.
I am assured and confident in this time that the place for me to start to profit and be blessed beyond measure is to know intimately my heavenly Father.
Life demands a lot of strength but when it does I make sure I am equipped with the joy of the Lord.
With the joy of the Lord being my strength, I can and will rise above every past, present and future negative circumstances.
Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. KJV
With each battle for my family, job, income, finances, health, etc., I will lay aside every weight and the care of it all over on the Lord, center my heart on Father God; and like my Lord Jesus, I will count it all joy so that I DO NOT BECOME WEARY AND FAINT IN MY MIND, BUT INSTEAD REMAIN STRONG IN THE JOY OF THE LORD TILL I SEE THE VICTORY.
Living a Joy Filled Life Means Going in the Opposite Direction the World is Going:
In order to live the abundant life Christ came and gave to me, I live my joy filled life going in the opposite direction from which the world is headed, which is toward darkness and death.
With the joy of the Lord being my strength, I go against the continual flow of this world into fear, poverty, lack, debt, failure and spiritual and physical death and I resist its efforts to suck me into its counterfeit strength from drugs, alcohol, food, sex, and money.
I am well aware of the counterfeits of the fruit of the spirit the world has to offer me of drugs, sex, alcohol, and money that would only leave me dissatisfied and longing for something more.
The joy of the Lord is not a state of mind but it is real force that makes me powerful inside and out and gives me control of my life in spite of living in a world that is out of control.
My Enemies Have Nothing to Use Against the Spiritual Force of Joy:
The devil does not have anything that can stand up against these spiritual forces of faith, joy, love, peace, longsuffering, goodness and temperance that are on the inside of me and affect everything on the outside of me.
Fear has to yield to the spiritual force of faith the same way discouragement has to yield to the spiritual force of joy.
Joy is a weapon I use against my enemy as an act of my faith in Jesus’ words instead of being moved by feelings I have at that time.
Discouragement, rooted in self-pity and self-preservation are my worst enemies and the joy of the Lord is my way to keep free from them.
The Sweet Power of Joy in My Life:
By the power of joy, I will no longer live in self-pity but I will operate in the joy of the Lord the rest of my life and live in continual vibrant strength.
Through the power of joy I will stay joyful so that God’s revelation knowledge continually flows to me and I continually have the answers humanly speaking I could not know for health issues, family issues, work issues, and all other issues of life.
The power of joy enables me to remain joyful, not worry about myself and how things are going to turn out, and stay strong in the Lord and His power that always guarantees all things are turning out for my good.
Empowered by the supernatural power of joy I remain joyful, not allowing self-pity and discouragement to steal from me the spiritual power of joy working in my situations and turning them out for my good.
Empowered by the joy of the Lord, I will not back down from counteracting self-pity and discouragement.
Enabled by the power of joy, I will not become a bitter person driven by the despair of circumstances; but I will live a long and joy filled life and rejoice instead.
“I will rejoice!” And again I say, “I will rejoice!”
To encourage you further to stay in the “joy of the Lord”, I have also written an article on my website, www.godswordalive.com, “Joy Filled Living”. So check it out and be empowered with the joy of the Lord for it is your strength!