Two Ways To Recover Your Joy
Have you ever felt as if you have lost your joy?
You are always bombarded with one problem after the other.
It seems as if when one problem knocked you down and as you are tryng to get back on your feet another one hit you back on your knees again.
Your emotions are always on edge constantly expecting another trouble to rise up against you.
Do you find yourself falling back into sinful habits that God had delivered you from?
The battle between the flesh and spirit is raging and most times your flesh dominates.
Eventually, it seems as if you have lost the ability to smile and you are always sad even when you see God working on your behalf.
If you are in this situation then you have lost your joy.
The devil’s main purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.
Before Satan tries to kill you he will steal your joy and before he tries to destroy you, he will kill your spirit.
Thus, the enemy is relentless in his attack against God’s people.
Satan wants to ensure that you always remain destitute and downtrodden.
The enemy enjoys looking at your long gloomy and unhappy face because he knows your spirit will eventually die when you lost your joy.
So how can you regain your joy?
1. Examine the reasons why you lost your joy.
If you lost your joy because of hidden sins in your life read Psalms 51 prayerfully.
David lost his joy due to hidden sins, but when he was confronted with his sins he immediately cry out to God saying:
“Have mercy upon me, Lord…
Blot out my transgressions…
Wash me thouroughly from my iniquities…
Cleanse me from my sins…
Purge me with hyssop…
Hide your face from my sins…
Blot out all my iniguities…
Deliver me from blood guiltyness O’ God…”
Acknowledge your sins and recognize that you have sinned against God and only He can save you.
Then, ask the Lord to make you hear joy and gladness. Did you catch that?
You want the Lord to reveal to you the sounds of rejoicing in heaven so that your spirit will be revived.
After forgiveness and healing you will need restoration.
Therefore, Ask the Lord to:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalms 51:10-12)
Your next step after restoration is to testify of the redemptive power of God in your life to help strengthen those who are going through similar situations.
Sing, shout and praise the Lord for His mercies towards you.
2. If you have lost your joy due to trials and persecutions your first step is to recognize that as a child of God you will always be under attack by the enemy.
The world/Satan hates you because you belong to God.
Secondly, you have to make a concerted effort to count it all joy when you fall into various temptations/trials knowing that the trying of your faith produces patience. (James 1:1-3).
In other words, there is good in the midst of your troubles.
Remain in the presence of God and ask Him for His right Hand.
Finally, when trouble knocks you off your feet, just remain on your knees because God wants you to pray without ceasing.
Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away (Isaiah 51:11)
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)
Share with us your strategy to take back your stolen joy.
Additional references: Psalms 16:11; John 10:10
This is a timely word Beverley. I love walking in His joy, and like the Bible says, “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” Nehemiah 8:10. Joy is such an amazing experience. Looking up instead of looking at my circumstance, brings hope, (confidence in who God is), and then I realize I have so much to be thankful for. Recounting my blessings (the way the Lord has shown up for me in the past) restores my vision and perspective. How great is our God! ♥♥
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I love the fact that you emphasized that we should look up instead of looking at our present circumstances. I find that I have been losing my joy, but I am trying hard to focus on the Word of God instead of my circumstances. Thank you and God bless you.
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Praise the Lord. Greater is He
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Thanks for this encouraging post.
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Thank you for reading and sharing and God bless you.
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Love this! Joy is my word for the year. Very encouraging m, thank you!🤗
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That is great! Joy is a powerful motivation to strive towards on a daily basis. It definitely will make you a better person.
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I really appreciate those last two tips. Joy is a choice, as your beautiful image illustrates, but understanding where we are deviating and that we are going to encounter adversity by nature gives us more control over our response, rather than feeling it is out of our hands. Thank you for sharing ❤️.
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Amen. Joy is definitely within our hands. We can’t place our joy in the hands of humans. If we do we will never be happy. Our joy comes from within with our relationship with God. Thanks for sharing and have a blessed weekend.
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I know what it’s like to carry a smile but carrying a heavy heart.
What we think of affects us the scripture says whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever thing are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–mediate on these things (Philippians 4:8). We all mediate on something, when we mediate on the wrong stuff it robs us of our joy, I tend to replay the incident over and over in my mind. But when I think on things that are good, lovely, of virtue my perceptions changes.
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Thank you, Kim, for reminding me of this powerful scripture. I also tend to replay bad incidents and problems in my mind and that is what the enemy love so that I will lose my joy. But, as you said, when we force our mind to think on the good and pleasant things our joy will return. Blessings to you and have a great weekend.
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Blessings to you as well!
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Thanks Beverley. Usually for me when I feel myself losing my joy, I try and refocus on the Lord and remember His past faithfulness. Remembering how He took care of my needs in the past, gives me hope for my current situation and the future.
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So true. Reflecting on the past goodness of God will definetely give us hope and help to regain our joy. If God did it before, He will certainly do it again. He will never leave nor forsake us. Thank you for your words of encouragement.
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You’re welcome! He always has a plan. I often realize when I’m worrying about something, He ends up working it out and then I discover I was worrying for no reason. But it’s tough sometimes and learning to trust isn’t always easy because we can’t see up the road like He can.
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So true. It is a matter of trust and faith. Blessings
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