“After they were severely beaten, they were thrown into prison and the jailer was commanded to guard them securely. So the jailer placed them in the innermost cell of the prison and had their feet bound and chained.
“Paul and Silas, undaunted, prayed in the middle of the night and sang songs of praise to God, while all the other prisoners listened to their worship.” ~ Acts 16:23-25, TPT
“Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times.” ~ Romans 12:12
How to Dance in the Rain When Life is Hard
Lord, I know that I know You are my source of joy. There is absolutely nothing better than being in Your Presence where joy is unspeakable and cherished. Your joy makes me want to dance in the rain as I rejoice in Your love, but … there’s always a but, isn’t there, Lord?
But life is muddy sometimes and my happy feet slip in the mud and down I go — back into the pit, stuck in the miry clay.
Try as I may, I am unable to be consistent in my joy. My eyes slip away from Your gaze, I lose my footing, and my dance in the rain becomes a muddy mess of tears.
I realize I’m associating joy with happiness, but happiness is based on circumstances, right?
Whereas joy springs from Your well of Living Water.
It is constant, never runs dry. Joy is available at ALL times, not just in the good times!
Oh, forgive me, Lord!
Help me get this in my knower.
Build tenacious faith in me that says no to the Enemy when he comes to steal my joy — the joy that is rightfully mine. Thank You for Your patience with me. Thank You for giving me a hand-up when I get stuck in the mud.
Your Joy Makes My Heart Sing
You are an amazing God, full of grace and glory. Your joy makes my heart sing. Where would I be without Your love?
In the Name of Jesus I pray,
Amen — let it be so
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Please don’t carry your burdens alone. I would be honored to pray for you. You may contact me directly at nan@nanjones.com
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
It is so easy to want to combine joy and happiness as being the same. Joy comes from inside where as happiness comes from the outside. Being happy is great but being joyful no matter what is best.
Absolutely! Joy dwells in the river of Living Water that runs deep within us whose source is the Lord! Thank you for stopping by. You blessed me.