The King of Love – Joy
Prayers
1. Powers working against my joy, be scattered in the name of Jesus.
2. I move from weeping, sighing and sorrows to joy in Jesus name.
Text: Romans 14:17-18
17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. (KJV)
17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. (NASB)
We have already gone over the concepts of King and Love (refer to January 2021 messages), today we will be examining The King of Love and Joy, with an emphasis on joy. Even though it is the last to be mentioned in the verse, it’s foundational and fundamental place in the scheme of the kingdom makes it vital to consider joy first.
What is Joy?
Joy has been defined as:
· the emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires
· a state of happiness or felicity
· a source or cause of delight
· to experience great pleasure or delight
Synonyms include delight, exult, glory, jubilate, rejoice, triumph, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, gladness, happiness and warm fuzzies.
By the special grace of joy, you and yours will have sound health, good physical and mental well being in the name of Jesus.
Good fortune will be yours in Jesus name.
You will possess the good things you desire in line with God’s will in Jesus name.
In place of weeping, sorrow, being downcast and tears, God will bring you to a place of happiness and felicity in Jesus name.
In place of hardship and suffering, move into great pleasure and delight by the power in the blood of Jesus.
Remember that this is your year of bliss.
God’s love constrains Him to make a provision for your joy.
His love for us constrains God/places a demand on God to make a way to grant us joy.
Without joy it is difficult to be positively impactful over the medium to long term.
So many lack joy. Without joy people feel empty and unfulfilled. They know that they are lacking something vitally required for a fulfilling existence. They exist without living, flowing with the tide.
They are sometimes unable to identify what the problem is or what is actually lacking. However, it is not something that is lacking, it is someone. Without joy, the propensity to do something harmful to self or others increases. Joy is found in Jesus Christ because in His presence is fullness of joy.
The Bible states in Psalm 16:11 that:
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (KJV)
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (NKJV)
Joy…fullness of joy is only obtainable in the presence of God…by being in His presence by His presence being with you.
Unfortunately, over times and in these times suicide rates as reported have been on the increase. Man’s inhumanity to fellow man; willingness aided by the capacity to kill, maim or destroy others is also being engaged on a daily basis, yet it does not bring about fulfillment.
Some try several approaches to find joy, but it becomes ever elusive to them. They try music, clubbing, position, money, more power, drinking, smoking, hard drugs, women, men, etc.; all to no avail.
Your joy comes when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior. The Bible states in Romans 5:5 that the love of the King of Love comes into our heart through the Holy Spirit.
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, He comes with joy. Joy is a component part of the fruit of the Spirit as stated in Galatians 5:22 - 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
When the love of God is poured out into your life you begin to experience indescribable joy - the joy of your salvation. This joy is made up of the combined effects of, among others:
1. Forgiveness of sins - your table of records of sins has been wiped clean (1 John 1:7, Hebrews 10:17.
2. Deliverance from the penalty of sin eternal separation from God - deliverance from the penalty of spending eternity in hell in the lake of fire that burns with brimstone and sulphur (Isaiah 1:18, Acts 3:19, Romans 5:9) .
3. Joy that you now belong to the family of God. You are royalty (1 Peter 2:9).
4. Joy that God will take care of you and you are secure in God in all circumstances. The Bible states in
1 Peter 5:7 - casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. And in
Matthew 6:25, 33 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
5. Joy that your tomorrow will be alright. You are assured that your future will be glorious. The Bible states in Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
Antecedents of Joy
1. Forsake your sins. (Proverbs 28:13)
2. Accept Jesus as Lord and savior (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10).
3. Remain in obedience - Isaiah 1:19 - If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
4. Be friends with Jesus and Holy Spirit through Bible reading; Bible study and prayers (2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Timothy 2:1-5)
5. Believe God with unwavering trust, be positively hopeful to be filled with joy by the God of Hope - Romans 15:13 - Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joy and hope work hand in hand.
6. Fellowship with believers. The Bible declares in Hebrews 10:25 (AMP) not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.
Prayers
1. Give thanks
2. Born again?
3. Father let your joy always be upon my life in Jesus name.
4. Lord, help me not to grieve the Holy Spirit in Jesus name.
5. Father help me to be obedient to you always.
6. I move out of depression and anxiety in Jesus name.
7. Father help me to abide in your presence and in fullness of joy always.
8. Let every power working against my joy die in the name of Jesus.
9. I bind every power scheduling affliction into my life and future in Jesus name.
10. I fire back arrows sent against my joy and life in Jesus name.
11. I will not die will live by the power in the blood of Jesus.
12. Father help me to abide in your presence at all times in Jesus name.
13. I receive the anointing of ease in my endeavors in Jesus name.
14. Lord, let fullness of joy always be my portion in Jesus mighty name.
15. Personal prayer points.
16. Give thanks
