Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. Acts 16:25–26 (MSG) You need to make a decision today. Over the past few days, we’ve been discussing the fact that joy is in you because of your relationship with Jesus. Today, you can decide that you will live a life of incredible joy. I know that sometimes joy seems far from reach because of the situations you face in life, but joy is so much deeper than your circumstances. When Paul and Silas were beaten, whipped and then held in the deplorable conditions of a Roman prison, they had joy. Their circumstances couldn’t have been much worse; the Romans were nailing …

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 (NKJV) God wants you to live a joy-filled life; it’s one of the rewards Jesus gained for you. It’s one of the perks of being in God’s family—the family you became a member of when you began a relationship with Jesus. That being said, I can think of many Christians who don’t cultivate the joy He provides for their lives. They aren’t living it, and part of the reason is because they’re waiting for it to drop from heaven. Meanwhile, joy is within them! Joy is in you because Holy Spirit is in you. However, you have to choose it. Of course, we …

Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) Joy is something that’s often forgotten, but it’s powerful. It’s not just nice to have. It’s a necessity. Our verse today makes it very clear that joy brings you the strength you need in life. Without it, you can’t be strong against the stuff life throws your way. It’s interesting that the Bible calls joy your strength, not prayer or God’s Word. We know that prayer is vital and we absolutely need to meditate on God’s Word, so why is joy so important when it comes to staying strong? Think of it this way. When you don’t have joy in your heart, it’s the symptom of a bigger …

What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. Job 3:25 (NLT) You don’t have to live a stressed-out life. Being overwhelmed by stress is not normal and it’s not something you have to put up with as a Christian. Accepting this stressed-out existence has to stop because it’s killing us. It causes sickness, mental breakdown, divorce, and it can even influence people to take their own lives. We need to get equipped to properly handle stress and realize that the Bible has the answer. You see, being stressed-out is the same thing as living in fear and the Bible has a lot to say about fear. Fear comes from imagining the worst-case scenario and it’s a big problem because …

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:2–3 (NLT) Many people blame their stress levels on the pressure they face in life. They feel stressed out because of the pressure of school, work or family, and they begin to believe that the only way they will lower their stress is by lowering the amount of responsibility they have in life. A lot of the pressure you face in life is healthy and shouldn’t be avoided. Of course, I’m not talking about the stress of tragic situations such as the death of a loved one, a divorce …