Lyfe
Star
- Joined
- May 11, 2020
- Messages
- 3,639
"The Joy Of The Lord Is Our Strength"
The word of God reminds us that there is strength to be had in the joy of the lord(Nehemiah 8:10). I am starting to be fully convinced that allot of the time depression in the life of the saint is acctually the work of the enemy(satanic oppression). If we have been ransomed by the blood of Christ and received the spirit of adoption then joy and gladness in the holy ghost is our portion(Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22-23). In fact the Bible plainly teaches that this "joy" is our natural and default state of being in the spirit.
Now I realize that sentiment probably wont resonate with many, because of what they may be feeling and going through at the moment, but we have to understand that there are a handful of obstacles keeping us from experiencing the joy of the lord.
1) Sin in our lives that quench the holy spirit
2) Not setting enough time apart for seeking the presence of God in prayer
3) Weak prayer covering(nobody praying for you and no fellowship)
4) Satanic oppression(possibly objects in your home that give demon spirits a legal right to be there)
5) We are not drawing "water from the wells of salvation(Isaiah 12:3)" to replenish our souls by Gods word. We are not eating from the bread of life, which is the word of God.
David said that the nearness of God was his good(Pslam 73:28) and that in his presence there is fullness of joy(Psalm 16:11, Psalm 4:7). If we have unconfessed sin in our life then our iniquties will create a separation from God that will not allow us to receive the fullness of joy that accompanies his presence. The scripture tells us to cleanse our hands and draw near to God and as a result God will draw near to us(James 4:8). If we are living in sin then we quench the spirit and as a result we also quench the joy of the spirit. There are many days that I wake up and dont even feel like getting out of bed, but God has shown me over the course of time that we need to pray and ought to pray UNTIL we feel this heaviness(weight of oppression) is lifted. This is also consistent with what scripture says.
"do not be anxious about anything, but IN EVERYTHING by PRAYER and SUPPLICATION with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. """AND""" the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS and your minds in Christ Jesus(Phillipians 4:6-7)."
We will know and feel when the cloud of oppression dissipates. There are many times when after persisting in prayer I will just start "singing and making melody to the Lord(Ephesians 5:19)." I really believe this is the holy spirit welling up within me and indication that the oppression has been lifted. The holy spirit is always praising God! Look at the book of psalms! We often credit David for writing them, but ALL scripture is penned by the spirit!
Its also very important to set aside THE RIGHT KIND of time for God. Time that is undivided and without the distraction of your smart phone and social media. One reason why we may fail to arrive at the peace of God and joy of the lord is, because we allow ourselves to be distracted. God TELLS US that we will FIND HIM when we seek him WITH OUR WHOLE HEART(Jeremiah 29:13)! How will we find God if we are checking our phones every few minutes and seeking him half heartedly? I am very much so preaching to myself here as well!
All in all the purpose of this post is to remind you that joy and gladness are already yours. These things are your portion and made available to you by the blood of Christ. The problem is when we dont realize this or havent done our part to receive what is rightfully and already ours. God has been showing me just how important this joy will be in the days ahead. ""The joy of the Lord IS YOUR STRENGTH" (Nehemiah 8:10). We need the joy of the lord, we NEED this strength, because "a crushed spirit who can bear(Proverbs 18:14?)" The truth is that its hard to do anything when despairing life. We simply wont be able to function properly without this joy of the lord. We cant thrive when we arent "whole" ourselves.
It is my sincere hope that this word of exhortation is able to help someone who is currently going through a hard time right now. I pray that God would give whoever is reading this an even greater revelation of the immense love that he has for you. May your hearts be filled, kept, and sustained with an even greater measure of the fruit of the spirit! In Jesus name, amen.
The word of God reminds us that there is strength to be had in the joy of the lord(Nehemiah 8:10). I am starting to be fully convinced that allot of the time depression in the life of the saint is acctually the work of the enemy(satanic oppression). If we have been ransomed by the blood of Christ and received the spirit of adoption then joy and gladness in the holy ghost is our portion(Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22-23). In fact the Bible plainly teaches that this "joy" is our natural and default state of being in the spirit.
Now I realize that sentiment probably wont resonate with many, because of what they may be feeling and going through at the moment, but we have to understand that there are a handful of obstacles keeping us from experiencing the joy of the lord.
1) Sin in our lives that quench the holy spirit
2) Not setting enough time apart for seeking the presence of God in prayer
3) Weak prayer covering(nobody praying for you and no fellowship)
4) Satanic oppression(possibly objects in your home that give demon spirits a legal right to be there)
5) We are not drawing "water from the wells of salvation(Isaiah 12:3)" to replenish our souls by Gods word. We are not eating from the bread of life, which is the word of God.
David said that the nearness of God was his good(Pslam 73:28) and that in his presence there is fullness of joy(Psalm 16:11, Psalm 4:7). If we have unconfessed sin in our life then our iniquties will create a separation from God that will not allow us to receive the fullness of joy that accompanies his presence. The scripture tells us to cleanse our hands and draw near to God and as a result God will draw near to us(James 4:8). If we are living in sin then we quench the spirit and as a result we also quench the joy of the spirit. There are many days that I wake up and dont even feel like getting out of bed, but God has shown me over the course of time that we need to pray and ought to pray UNTIL we feel this heaviness(weight of oppression) is lifted. This is also consistent with what scripture says.
"do not be anxious about anything, but IN EVERYTHING by PRAYER and SUPPLICATION with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. """AND""" the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS and your minds in Christ Jesus(Phillipians 4:6-7)."
We will know and feel when the cloud of oppression dissipates. There are many times when after persisting in prayer I will just start "singing and making melody to the Lord(Ephesians 5:19)." I really believe this is the holy spirit welling up within me and indication that the oppression has been lifted. The holy spirit is always praising God! Look at the book of psalms! We often credit David for writing them, but ALL scripture is penned by the spirit!
Its also very important to set aside THE RIGHT KIND of time for God. Time that is undivided and without the distraction of your smart phone and social media. One reason why we may fail to arrive at the peace of God and joy of the lord is, because we allow ourselves to be distracted. God TELLS US that we will FIND HIM when we seek him WITH OUR WHOLE HEART(Jeremiah 29:13)! How will we find God if we are checking our phones every few minutes and seeking him half heartedly? I am very much so preaching to myself here as well!
All in all the purpose of this post is to remind you that joy and gladness are already yours. These things are your portion and made available to you by the blood of Christ. The problem is when we dont realize this or havent done our part to receive what is rightfully and already ours. God has been showing me just how important this joy will be in the days ahead. ""The joy of the Lord IS YOUR STRENGTH" (Nehemiah 8:10). We need the joy of the lord, we NEED this strength, because "a crushed spirit who can bear(Proverbs 18:14?)" The truth is that its hard to do anything when despairing life. We simply wont be able to function properly without this joy of the lord. We cant thrive when we arent "whole" ourselves.
It is my sincere hope that this word of exhortation is able to help someone who is currently going through a hard time right now. I pray that God would give whoever is reading this an even greater revelation of the immense love that he has for you. May your hearts be filled, kept, and sustained with an even greater measure of the fruit of the spirit! In Jesus name, amen.