don't let anyone steal your joy!

Prayer is the pathway to JOY. ~ Jodie Berndt, Praying the Scriptures for Your Life Being Joy-Full Jodie Berndt, from her brand-new book Praying the Scriptures for Your Life In Your presence is fullness of joy. — Psalm 16:11 NASB   "I need a leaf blower. But for people."   I chuckled when I saw that line on a tea towel — and I think Warren Wiersbe might have laughed too. "People" represent one of four joy stealers the Bible scholar identifies in his commentary on Philippians, a book aptly titled Be Joyful. The other three are: circumstances (a bad day at the office can qualify), things (we think having more stuff will satisfy us, but it's often the reverse that is true), and worry (which, Wiersbe says, is the worst thief of all because it's an "inside job").1 As Christians, we know that God puts a high value on joy. We see Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding, throwing a party when the prodigal son returns home, and talking about joy to His disciples, even as He made His way to the Cross. The thief, Jesus says, comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but He came so that we might have life — life to the full! 2   Joy is a by-product of the Spirit-filled life, and we expect that when we trust Christ, we will experience what David called "the joy of your salvation."3 We expect that... but we don't always live that. Instead of being filled with joy — being joy-full — we are often discouraged, fearful, or anxious.   Not all of us, of course. Wiersbe maintains that some people are thermometers, going up and down with the temperature. Others, however, are thermostats, regulating and changing their surroundings. The apostle Paul, Wiersbe says, was a thermostat.4   Paul knew how to be content "in any and every situation."5 Even after he was severely beaten and thrown into prison, his spirits didn't sag; he spent his time praying and singing. So did his companion, Silas. And all the other prisoners heard them.6 What was their secret?   Their secret was that instead of looking at Jesus through the lens of their circumstances, they regarded their circumstances with the perspective of Jesus. The fact that they were in chains, Paul said, "served to advance the gospel." It piqued the curiosity of Paul's captors and equipped other believers to talk about Jesus with greater confidence.7   Do I, I wondered, know people like that, people who radiate joy, even in the most challenging situations? People who see their circumstances as opportunities to showcase God's power and His love? Can I point to any modern-day Pauls? My friend Heather (not her real name) came to mind.   When a radiologist scheduled an MRI-guided biopsy of her breast, Heather asked God to prepare her heart to receive whatever news the test revealed. Rather than give in to worry or fear, she focused on verses like Zephaniah 3:16-17 (NIV, 1984 ed.):   Do not fear... do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.   A few days later, I saw a message from Heather in my email inbox. "The biopsy came back with good news!" she exclaimed. I started to rejoice — and then I read on. She had breast cancer.   "I'm so thankful," Heather wrote, "that what was hidden was revealed in the biopsy! 'Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.' And when I asked God to equip me to receive this diagnosis, He reminded me of His promise:   'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.'"   Heather was quoting Hebrews 4:13 and 1 Corinthians 2:9, verses I knew and believed, but I can't say I would have called her update "good news." But to Heather's way of thinking, it was — and she purposed to let the joy of the Lord be her strength and to share God's kindness and His power with (as she put it) "all my new medical friends."   And she did.   Like Paul and Silas in prison, Heather continually talked about the goodness of God. Her message to every doctor, nurse, and patient she met was the same: Your heavenly Father is for you. He understands. He watches over you and is with you to strengthen you, guide you, and hold your hand.   I wondered what had equipped Heather to be so upbeat in the face of what most people would consider bad — if not devastating — news.   I found my answer (or part of it anyway) in John 16:24. This passage records some of Jesus' very last words before the crucifixion. He was talking with His disciples, and based on their conversation, it's clear that they didn't grasp what was to come. Jesus said they would weep — but He also promised they would receive joy.   "Until now," He said, "you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."   "Ask," Jesus said, "and your joy will be complete." Prayer, then, is a pathway to joy.   I read that verse, and it hit me. Heather prays more than almost anybody I know. I've never once had a visit, a phone call, or even a texting conversation where she didn't start praying about whatever we were discussing, as if pulling up a chair to the table for God. (It's hard to tell sometimes whether she's talking to Him or to me!) "May the God of hope," she said in one recent exchange, "fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Encouraging words, to be sure — and also a powerful Scripture-based prayer.8 Does Heather always get what she asks for? No. But in casting all her care upon God,9 she receives freedom from worry and fear. As she prays, God's peace guards her heart and her mind.10 The answer may not be evident yet, but in taking her concerns to her heavenly Father — in praying moment by moment — Heather enters His presence, the place where there is fullness of joy.11   And our prayers do the same thing. They establish a connection with God so He can fill our hearts with joy. I don't know what sort of trial you're facing — what circumstances, anxieties, or people you may want to leaf-blow today. I do know, though, that as we take these what-ifs and worries to God, knowing (as Heather says) that He is for us, He is with us, and He understands, we can experience genuine, unshakable joy.   We know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.12   Read   ➢ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4) ➢  Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5 ESV) ➢  For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT)   Reflect ➢ God is a God of joy. He rejoices over us and longs to fill us with joy as we trust in Him. He wants His joy to be our strength. ➢ Where are you not experiencing joy? Are there circumstances, people, worries, or things that are stealing your joy? How can seeing these situations or relationships as opportunities to proclaim God's goodness help change your perspective? What role can prayer play in shaping your outlook? ➢ Take some time to reflect on the joy God offers to those who trust in Him. Ask Him to show you the path of life — to show you your life as He sees it — and allow Him to fill you with joy in His presence. Picture Him rejoicing over you with joyful songs, and let the Holy Spirit fill your heart with His love.   Respond Heavenly Father... ➢ Teach me to pray in Your name, according to Your will, so that You will give that to me and my joy will be a river, overflowing its banks! (John 16:24 MSG) ➢ Let the light of Your face shine on us. Fill my heart with joy. Let me lie down and sleep in peace, for You make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:6-8) ➢ Make known to me the path of life; fill me with joy in Your presence. (Psalm 16:11)     NOTES 1.Warren Wiersbe, Be Joyful: Even When Things Go Wrong, You Can Have Joy (Colorado Springs: Cook, 1974), 20. 2.John 2:9; Luke 15:24; John 15:11; John 10:10. 3.See Galatians 5:22 and Psalm 51:12. 4.See Wiersbe, Be Joyful, 141. 5.Philippians 4:12. 6.Acts 16:22-25. 7.Philippians 1:12-14. 8.Heather's prayer is from Romans 15:13. 9.1 Peter 5:7. 10.Philippians 4:6-7. 11.Psalm 16:11 NASB. 12.Romans 5:5 NLT.   Excerpted with permission from Praying the Scriptures for Your Life by Jodie Berndt, copyright Jodie Berndt.   * * * Your Turn   Joy is not circumstantial. It is possible to be a person who radiates joy, even in the most challenging situations. We can be people who see our circumstances as opportunities to showcase God's power and His love. It's through Jesus that we find our joy, not this life through which we're just visiting. Joy is ours through Him! Come share your thoughts with us! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full   Watch the video with Jodie WATCH NOW   Brand-new from one of our favorite authors on prayer Save 30% off the unique devotional journal PRAYING THE SCRIPTURES FOR YOUR LIFE: 31 Days of Abiding in the Presence, Provision, and Power of God by Jodie Berndt   Read, reflect, and respond Softcover, Regular: $18.99 Sale Price: $13.29 (30% off) SHOP NOW Learn to pray with Scriptures in this 31-day journal and prayer challenge with bestselling author Jodie Berndt.   Jodie is one of the leading authors on prayer, loved by parents for her books: Praying the Scriptures for Your Chidren, Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children, and Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens.   Now in her brand-new book, Praying the Scriptures for Your Life, written for everyone interested in learning how to pray with Scripture, you'll discover the peace that comes from praying God's Word over your life.   What does it mean to abide in Christ in everyday life?   Jodie invites you to experience a deeper intimacy with Jesus as you allow his invitation from John 15 to transform your perspective as well as your prayers.   With short, easy-to-read chapters, the book invites you to read, reflect, and respond as you pray the Scriptures over every area of your life.    Learn more... SHOP NOW Buzz About the Book Jodie Berndt is the mentor and friend we all long to have. In this book, she ushers us into the presence of God and teaches us to stay there as she gives us deep theology in a practical, inspiring, and truly comforting way. Like a counselor, she touches on every part of our hearts as she leads us to God's truth and points us to the way to pray through our deepest needs and longings.  ~ Alyssa Joy Bethke, author of Satisfied and host of The Real Life Podcast   Prayer is such a powerful tool in our lives, but as Jodie Berndt reminds us, it is not a one-way conversation, with most of us doing the talking and asking. Praying the Scriptures for Your Life is a great tool to draw each of us closer to God, especially in these uncertain times. As you pause to pray over the next thirty-one days, you will see God's provision and power work miracles in your life. God's Word is alive and active and sharper than any double-edged sword and is meant to draw us closer to the One who desires an intimate relationship with us. ~ Anne Neilson, artist and author of Angels: Devotions and Art to Encourage, Refresh, and Inspire SHOP THE ENTIRE COLLECTION OF BOOKS BY JODIE BERNDT   Praying the Scriptures for Your Children Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens SHOP ALL OF JODIE'S BOOKS Miss any of our recent articles? You Know You've Drifted When... by Christine Caine Forgiving God with Lysa TerKeurst Strong: Embracing a Woman's Nature by Lisa Bevere *Sale prices valid through 7/31/2021, excluding eBooks. eBooks purchases are fulfilled by our partner, Glose.  You are subscribed to Faith.Full, the women's newsletter at FaithGateway Our mission is to help you grow and share your faith Copyright © 2021 HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All Rights Reserved. 501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214, USA Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions  *Manage Your Email Preferences or *Unsubscribe    Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog  *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally