“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” (1 Peter 1:8).
I welcome you to the third month of the year of the “Onward Christian Soldier,” our Landmark Year. Three is a significant number in the Bible because it means completion, perfection, resurrection, and renewal. Jesus arose on the third day, and Satan, hell, and the power of the enemy were disgraced. I decree into your life this month that every dead dream, idea, and hope shall be resurrected, in Jesus’ name.
JOY DEFINED
Artificial intelligence (AI) defines joy as: “That feeling you get when something lights you up inside—like when you hear your favorite song, laugh with friends, or see a beautiful sunset. It’s that pure, uplifting emotion that makes you feel alive and connected to the moment. It’s different from just being happy because joy can pop up even in tough times, like finding a little spark of hope or meaning when things aren’t perfect.”
According to the Bible:
- Joy is a facilitator of one’s access to revelation (Isaiah 12:3; Psalm 16:11). It takes joy to access the path of life. Therefore, the more joyful one is, the greater one’s access to revelation (Philippians 1:18).
- Joy aids health and vitality as joyful people do not get weakened (Proverbs 17:22, 18:14; Nehemiah 8:11; Psalms 84:7).
- Joy is the facilitator of supernatural fruitfulness (Psalms 67:4-7).
Most sicknesses and diseases are traceable to a broken heart because the heart is the engine of the body. When the heart is broken, it breaks down the immune system, making one susceptible to diseases. A car with a broken engine cannot run; it will be grounded. The happiest people in the world are supposed to be believers (Christians). I strongly believe, if anyone cannot find joy in Christ, he cannot find it anywhere else (Luke 2:10-11; Psalm 100:1-2).
When one is joyless, one is helpless, downcast, and wonders how others can laugh. Without joy, one cannot keep Christ at the forefront of one’s mind and it is harder to make room for Him in our hearts and lives. Consistently do what it takes to maintain a heart full of joy (Ephesians 5:19; Galatians 5:22).
CATEGORIES OF JOY
As wealth has categories, so does joy:
- Joy (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalms 30:5, Habakuk 3:18, John 15:11)
- Great Joy – (Nehemiah 12:43, Luke 2:10, Philemon 1:7)
- Exceeding Joy – (Psalms 48:4, Matthew 2:10, 1 Peter 4:13)
- Exceedingly great Joy – (Matthew 2:10)
- Joy unspeakable – (1 Peter 1:8)
This year, you will determine what level of joy you want for your life, family, ministry and church (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Classic Examples of Joy:
- Paul: He wanted to go to Rome as a preacher, instead he ended up in Rome as a prisoner. He was illegally arrested in Jerusalem, misrepresented in court, incorrectly identified as an Egyptian renegade, entangled in red tape of political machinery. He encountered a storm on a trip across Mediterranean, was shipwrecked, ended up on the island of Malta, where he was bitten by a venomous snake. Yet, in his writings in Philippians 1:12-14, 4:1-9, it is evident that he has no feelings of frustration or victimization; instead, he is suffused with joy! He said, “…Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!”
- Joseph: A self-encouraged prisoner, full of joy, and encouraged other prisoners. The oppression he experienced did not yield depression or frustration in him. He went from prison to the palace. He surmised that God turned the evil meant for him to good (Genesis 50:20).
- Hannah: She wanted a child from God but got none so long as she identified herself as a woman with a sorrowful heart (1 Samuel 1:15). However, when she made room for joy in her heart, she received the child she had desired for years (1 Samuel 1:18).
SEVEN GUIDELINES TO KEEPING GOD’S JOY
- Abstain from sin – 1 Thessalonians 5:22, 4:3; 1 Peter 2:11.
- Sign a deal with God – Like Rahab (Joshua 2:12-14) and Hannah (1 Samuel 1:11).
- Key into God’s program – Joshua 2:9 (Rahab); Hebrews 10:36.
- Remain/dwell in His Presence – Psalm 16:11, Psalm 91:1-3.
- Have faith in God – Hebrews 11:31 (Rahab).
- Ask until your joy is full – John 16:24; Joshua 14:12-14 (Caleb).
- Be wise in your request – Joshua 2:12-13 (Rahab); Ecclesiastes 5:2.
CONCLUSION
1 Samuel 30:6 says, “And David was greatly distressed, but he encouraged himself in the Lord.” You are perfectly in charge when you give ‘joy’ its rightful place. You must get to a point where Satan knows that ‘your heart cannot be broken.’ Enough of people encouraging you every day. Nothing works better than self-encouragement because your encouragers may be taunting you. So, learn to encourage yourself. Brethren, the season of joy is here; prepare for it, and your joy shall be full, in Jesus’ name.
Run away from joy stealers. Joy stealer number one is Sin. Sin replaces joy with sorrow, replaces boldness with fear, and replaces victory with defeat. In the camp of Israel, although the Ark (the presence of God) was in their midst and there was unspeakable joy, they still lost the battle because there was sin in the camp (1 Samuel 4:10-11). Run away from stress, fear, and anxiety (Philippians 4:6; 2 Timothy 1:6).
PRAYER POINTS
- Bless the LORD (Psalms 18:1-3). He is the Alpha and Omega and He is worthy to be praised.
- Thank Him for the past 2 months, 4,224 hours, 253,440 minutes that God has shown himself faithful. He deserves all the praise, honor, and adoration (Psalm 34:1-3).
- Lord, consecrate me for Your service; let me find joy and fulfillment in serving You.
- This month, I will encounter and experience full-scale laughter on all fronts, in Jesus’ name!
- In Jesus’ name, I clear all my joy, promotions, and blessings from any satanic storehouse where they might have been locked.
- Father, fill my cup with provision. Let my cup run over, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, in this month of Joy Unspeakable, give me victory over the battles of the mind that serve to minimize my potential, in Jesus’ name.
