Nehemiah 8:10b …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Our God is delightful and He wants us to rejoice in Him. When I was first saved, He gave me Nehemiah 8:10 as my life verse. I had suffered a long-term illness and depression for 14 years. But Jesus had a good plan for my life and He has one for your life too. His plans are for a great future, one filled with joy, victory, and the excitement of new mercies every morning.
There was a time when I would drive through a particular city and every time I would get tired. I mean seriously tired, like a heaviness would come over me and my eyelids would start to drop. I would pray around it on every side, using scripture, worship, commanding, declaring, etc. and I would see no breakthrough.
I would say: “Lord my faith is for breakthrough right now; the enemy has to go.” I told God, “this is an attack because it only happens here in this area and I refuse to pull over.”
Another time it happened, I decided I was going to call someone for prayer. I dialed a prayer line, and as soon as the prayer partner answered, I dropped the phone and it fell under my feet. I could not reach it as the intercessor was saying: “Hello, how can I pray for you?” She repeated it over and over. Just then a song came on the radio: “Calling all angels.” In the middle of my desperation, it struck me so funny that I started laughing. Really roaring with laughter, knowing that God was answering my prayer in a real tangible way and that there must be angels present. I laughed all the way to my destination, an hour’s drive. And to my surprise the tiredness was gone and I was totally refreshed.
That’s when I started to prove my scripture. The joy of the Lord is my strength and it wasn’t just for my emotional well-being. No, the joy of the Lord was also for my physical strength, power, and refreshing.
It happened three or four more times as I drove through the same city. Each time the Lord would remind me to start laughing. “Laugh on purpose:” He would say, “until you get really into it, then My joy will take over.” And it worked! I found it worked every time. And it was so fun to be with God and to have Him for my friend.
I have found life with Jesus to be a true Joy. In every way He makes life fresh and exciting. And He is the farthest thing from being a dull and boring God.
In fact, He said I was free to have fun and lighten up because “a merry heart does good like medicine” Proverbs 17:22.
If you aren’t laughing and having fun with Jesus, receive your increase in joy today!
Tune into the She Found Joy Podcast to discover more ways to increase your capacity for joy.
Nancy Ann Johnson is a minister of the gospel and a true worshipper of Christ. She is an outreach pastor, who loves revival, healing, and writing for Jesus. Her heart is to bring God’s passionate love, life, and hope to those searching for salvation, miracles, and healing. Author of “Ask for Your Miracle,” she writes at engagingjesus.com.
Yay Nancy! Beautifully written! Thank yoy for always being a woman of joy!
Hi Angela, Thank you so much! It’s first article so I really appreciate your encouragement. Yes in His Presence is the fullness of joy and I love to spread joy around the planet! God bless you with His joy. Nancy
Excellent Nancy. How many times we have picked up the weapon on joy and put on the garment of joy and saw the breakthrough! Such a good article!
Hi Debbie, yes I love that God sits in heaven and laughs at the enemy’s plans. I declare lots more breakthrough is coming to our world because His joy is being released like never before. God bless you with His joy! Nancy