Need Joy in my Life

It's possible that God is using this season of drought in your life to achieve something. I have struggled with the same issue myself, and even watched a sermon the other day by John Piper help me develop a different perspective on issues like this. Even right now I still lack that joy and presence of God I had when I was first saved. I don't think it's all that uncommon for Christians.

Instead of fighting against your lack of joy, perhaps just trust God's plan in the midst of this and continue doing what you know you should do until the joy returns. He may be addressing something that truly is preventing you from wanting it completely, you never know. Or teaching you a deeper way of having joy.

Just rest in Him, trust His plan and be patient is what I would recommend. Learn to rejoice in your lack of rejoicing; in His sufficiency.

Dave Darling said:

Hi everyone, I would greatly appreciate your prayers. The bible says the joy of the Lord is your strength and I need strength right now. For whatever reason I have never had joy, it came for about 5 minutes after I got saved but then it left and has never been back since. I have asked God numerous times as to why I don't have joy, I believe that He told me that deep down inside I don't want it. Please pray that I want joy and want to rejoice! Thank you

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Your mind will react to what it sees and hears - to what it focuses on. Feeding on God's Word is life. Try to shut out distractions as much as you possibly can.

I am praying for your joy - as it is one of the fruits that the Holy Spirit gives.

I have an easy experiment for you to try for 10 days. Read 10 chapters at the start of this online book - a commentary on the life of Christ --

The link below is for chapter 1. Read ten chapters in 10 days if you can possibly do that with the time you have.

The Desire of Ages

Jesus said "I came that they might have life and that more abundantly" John 10:10 - so take a look at this very insightful commentary on the life of Christ. Let your mind feed on Christ's life and teachings. His Spirit will give "Love, Joy, Peace, Patience ..." Galatians 5.

Read the Psalms and praise God through them. Joy comes from praise and worship. I pray for your heart to be full of love and praise to the Father.

Dave Darling said:

Hi everyone, I would greatly appreciate your prayers. The bible says the joy of the Lord is your strength and I need strength right now. For whatever reason I have never had joy, it came for about 5 minutes after I got saved but then it left and has never been back since. I have asked God numerous times as to why I don't have joy, I believe that He told me that deep down inside I don't want it. Please pray that I want joy and want to rejoice! Thank you

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If you repent of your sin, you might be used by Christ and find joy. It is not all joy. One of the shortest verses of the Bible is “Jesus wept.”

@Dave Darling I would like to share with you some scriptures. Let me just say there is joy found in knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ came and paid for the sins of mankind, that in Christ Jesus by and through faith there is redemption, forgiveness.

Now the Christian walk is not always the easiest. Our carnal nature is actually hostile (hatred) towards God. The only way to combat this is to be born again by God through the Lord Jesus Christ and having faith for without faith it is impossible to please God.

The choice of eternal salvation is your choice of whether or not you decide to openly have communication with God by and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who came, died, was buried and resurrected by God on the third day.

My encouragement would be to ask you to go and read the Gospels slowly for 20 minutes every so often and continue to go back and read that you may be spiritually fed and that is one way to have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life to have peace, and joy, but there are struggles in the Christian walk with high mountain tops, and low valleys which have been true in my own life it. It has been an endurance to continue to stay steadfast in the knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, in faith (trusting in God by his promises).

Romans 5:
Peace and Hope

Colossians 1:

Philippians 4:
Isaiah 41:

Mark 6:
Romans 8:

Galatians 5:
I hope this helps you in your walk brother at least to shed some light in your life by reading these scriptures friend. The Christian walk is not always the easiest it's a small narrow pent up winding turning road filled all kinds of trials that we have to decide for ourselves if we are going to rely on ourselves or rely on God, and the Lord Jesus Christ and their promises.

Perhaps your problem is mental and not religious. You might consider seeing a psychiatrist. There is no shame in that. When our bodies need help we see a doctor. When our minds need help we see a mental health professional.

If you are looking for simple joy then I think you can find it. If you are looking for ecstasy then you should lower your expectations. Sometimes that happens, but very very rare in real life.

I feel joyful volunteering and helping people, accomplishing tasks, my hobbies, working with my hands, restoring old equipment, reading, biking along a path through the woods admiring nature, etc.

May the Lord bless you and grant you some joy today!

Joy cometh from the Lord; by His Holy Spirit! Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22, "But the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance...

We, as Christians, have been sealed, and have received the earnest of the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:21 -22, "Now he which stablished us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."

Ephesians 1:13-14, "In who you also trusted, after that ye heard teh word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."

Try to recognize and believe that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter is with you in your heart, and that you have been sealed. Once you are able to turn your focus on this truth, the Spirit will start to work in your heart to give you joy in your heart, along with the rest of the fruits of the Spirit. Joy does not come from us or the world. There is false joy, that comes from the world, but real joy is given by God and Jesus Christ.

Just know the Holy Spirit is in your heart, and pray that God fill you up with the fruits of the Spirit. He will!

God bless you, and I pray God will comfort your heart, and fill your heart with the fruits of the the Spirit.

Dave Darling said:

Hi everyone, I would greatly appreciate your prayers. The bible says the joy of the Lord is your strength and I need strength right now. For whatever reason I have never had joy, it came for about 5 minutes after I got saved but then it left and has never been back since. I have asked God numerous times as to why I don't have joy, I believe that He told me that deep down inside I don't want it. Please pray that I want joy and want to rejoice! Thank you

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Dear one,
I don’t know how you perceive that God told you that deep down inside you don’t want the joy. While you asked us to pray that you want that joy. Isn’t that contradictory ?
When you consider God said that you don’t want joy but you ask us to pray for joy. Why you would ask something that God considered that you would not want that joy.

I said this, that you may perceive rightly. Would God consider saying that is not of faith ? When He taught us that the just shall live by faith.

For we heard:

• These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. -John 15:11

This is what the Son of God has said. Would God the Son speak contrary to God the Father ? No.

For we heard:

• For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. -John 6:38

Dear one, I don’t say this to annoy you but what you considered God said that you don’t want joy in you, his words does not match what He has said in the Holy Scripture.

Dear one,
I understand your concern that you have asked God many times as to why you don’t have joy because you wanted to have the joy of the Lord, that strengthen you.

How should we understand about the joy of the Lord ? Some said one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. If many have been Christians for many years or all their lives ? When they considered one of the fruits of the Spirit, that is, joy! Wouldn’t they be concerned that they would find themselves not exhibiting that fruit ?

Likewise, we heard:

• Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, -Deuteronomy 28:47
• therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. -Deuteronomy 28:48

Would the Lord our God also concerned about the joyful ness of our heart when we serve Him ? I understand that our Lord has redeemed from the curse of the law. Despite that, wouldn’t we consider God desire that we serve Him with joyful ness and gladness of heart? Yes, God would desire that we serve with joyfulness and gladness of heart.

This is what we have heard:

• Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your JOY, for you stand firm in your faith. -2 Corinthians 1:24

Have we not noticed that holy apostles and faithful ministers of God have worked for our JOY ? Why we could not sense that joy ?

For we heard :

• For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." -Romans 1:17

Since the righteous shall live by faith ! Why we not considering, that the apostles worked for our JOY by faith ?

Since in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, that the righteous shall live by faith. Should we consider the joy of the Lord is revealed from the apostles’ faith to our faith ? Yes, we should.

Since our Lord said,”that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” — how is this righteousness of God is revealed to us ?
Is it not from our Lord’s faith to our faith ? Yes, it is.

So dear one,
We have the joy of the Lord, or live with the joy of the Lord by faith.

Didn’t our Lord say:
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. -John 15:5

So we who abides in Christ and Christ in us, we that bears much fruit. Wouldn’t we bear one of the fruit of the Spirit, that is, joy ? Yes, we would bear that the fruit of the Spirit of joy.

So what is apostle Paul with other apostles and faithful ministers of God have worked for our joy ? Have they not preached, warned and taught us to be union with Christ? Yes, they have, that in union with Christ, that we bear that fruit of the Spirit of joy. That is why they said they have worked for our joy and not lording over our faith, that we may stand firm in union with Christ, be found in the joy of the Lord.

How do we may have this joy of the Lord ?
This is what we have heard:

• If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. -John 15:10
• These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. -John 15:11

Have not apostles and faithful ministers of God worked that we may keep the Lord’s commandments? By keeping the Lord’s commandments, we will abide in His love. And having found ourselves in the love of Christ, that joy of the Lord will be in us. That is, we receive the joy of being in love with Him.

For we heard:
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, -2 Timothy 2:1

Is it not the grace of our Lord, that strengthen us ? Yes.
Isn’t the joy of the Lord our strength?

When we are in love ! Are we not joyful ? We are. So the grace or the steadfast love of the Lord that strengthen us, that brings joy to our lives.

So how do we receive this joy of the Lord ?
Have we not heard this again and again what our Lord said :

• 22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."-Mark 11:22-25

So dear one,
Let us have faith in God, that we have the joy of the Lord and we don’t doubt in our hearts, and believes what we say come to pass and we will have what we say, that is the joy of the Lord.

Can we pray for the joy of the Lord? Sure, we can. If we have anything against anyone, we forgive, and our Heavenly Father forgives us our trespasses and He will hear our prayers, and let us continue to believe that we receive what we ask in prayers and that the joy of the Lord will be ours.

SANTOSO said:

Likewise, we heard:

• Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, -Deuteronomy 28:47
• therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. -Deuteronomy 28:48

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Santoso, you offer a scripture of condemnation and judgement in the Old Testament to explain to someone who is struggling with joy whose under the New Testament in Christ. This is what Job friends did to him.

For conscience sake we are not to offend our brother or we sin.

Dave asked for prayer! We are to lift him up and encourage him. Not cause guilt. If we don’t have a heart to offer love, we are to say nothing!

biblelesson said:

Santoso, you offer a scripture of condemnation and judgement in the Old Testament to explain to someone who is struggling with joy whose under the New Testament in Christ. This is what Job friends did to him.

For conscience sake we are not to offend our brother or we sin.

Dave asked for prayer! We are to lift him up and encourage him. Not cause guilt. If we don’t have a heart to offer love, we are to say nothing!

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Dear one,
I did quote to Dave from Deuteronomy 28:47-48. But do I judge Dave, that he didn’t serve God with joyfulness and gladness of heart ? No.

Dear one,
I didn’t judge Dave but why you consider, that I judged Dave like Job’s friends to Job.

Dear one,
I didn’t deny that I offer Dave the verses; I quote the verses, that we would know that God’s intention is for us, to have the joyfulness and gladness of heart when we serve Him.

Dear one, why we have to fear what is written in Deuteronomy 28:47-48; for Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. For we didn’t receive a spirit of slavery, that brings us to fear but we received the Spirit of God, that makes us sons of God through Christ Jesus.

Wouldn’t our Heavenly Father be delighted in us to serve with joyfulness and gladness of heart ? He would.

So what I am saying to Dave and those who hear what I said to Dave, that God’s will is for us to bring delights to Abba with the joy of our dear Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear one,
You must be mistaken, what I have said, and consider it as attempt to offend Dave. With my conscience before all, never in my heart I intend to offend him. Even if Dave perceived that I offend, with open heart I will apologize to him. For I didn’t answer him to dispute with him but to build for his good in edification.

Dear one,
True that you said that Dave asked for prayer. That is why I elaborate much to him and all, how by prayer he and all who heard what I said, may receive the joy of the Lord by faith.

Dear one,
If you read again what I have said, that all along that I lift and encourage Dave with the knowledge of the Lord; what I have said ; I have worked for his joy, that he may have the joy of the Lord by faith.

Dear one,
I didn’t say to Dave to cause him guilt. Earlier words that I have said in my reply to him, you may perceive that I cause Dave guilt.
Dear one, No.

Dear one, I said to Dave, that he may perceive rightly the voice that he perceived as God, that doesn’t coincide with what God has said in the Holy Scripture. I said that, that Dave may be enlightened, that he may test the spirits whether they are from God.

Dear one,
if we don’t have the heart of love! Is it appropriate that we say nothing to those in need ? Can we not ask God who gives us liberally all things in Christ ? Are not what we have, what we have received from God?

Dear one, let us not say nothing but let us ask God, that He may strengthen us to give us words of encouragement to our brethren, that we may all grow in love toward one another.

Dear one,
Did I charge you ? No. Though you may still charge, that I offend Dave as you perceived, that I offend him like Job’s friends.
For I labor this, not to hate Dave or you, but to love you, as God has taught me in union with Christ. For I believe that God stood by me and strengthen me, that is, the joy of the Lord, brought me to love you, Dave and all in Christ Jesus.

The Bible says the joy is given to the upright in heart. I pray you will be lead to freedom from whatever is hindering your walk with the Lord.

praying