JOY ALL THE TIME?

 

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

"Rejoice always." ESV 

 

How can we possibly be joyful all the time? This world is so stressful and full of trials and testing. For the natural man, it is impossible. For the spiritual man, joy is a deep, abiding understanding that we live in a temporary world and we wait for eternal life. There we will have perfect fellowship with our Savior. How joyful is that?

 

Lord, so often we let the things of this world rob us of our joy. Help us to remember this world is temporary, You are with us right now, and we will be with You forever. We thank You for this eternal joy we can have right now. In Your name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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TAKE JOY, KEEP TAKING IT

 

Habakkuk 3:18

 

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." ESV 

 

In spite of heartache, in spite of sickness, in spite of financial problems, in spite of injustice, in spite of various trials, we can rejoice that our names are written in the Book of Life. We are free to rejoice in our Lord now, no matter what is happening in our lives.

 

Lord, we rejoice that we are Yours because of Your sacrifice on the cross. Thank You for being in control of all things and giving us a joy this world cannot take from us. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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FOR TRADE: WILL TAKE ANXIETY FOR LOTS OF PEACE AND JOY!

 

 

Psalm 94:19

 

"When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." ESV 

 

We all know what it's like to be anxious. It's a human condition we experience when we face something new and uncertain. There is a sure remedy for this nervous apprehension. It is consciously allowing God to comfort, support, and encourage us. He does this in many ways, often times unique to each of us. God always stands ready with compassion to console us and give us peace. We can reach out to Him anytime and allow Him to take away the anxiety and worry, replacing it with His joy and peace.

 

Heavenly Father, so often we get tangled up in our worries and anxieties, forgetting to just call on You for help. Help us to make it our first plan of action to turn to you in these times of uncertainty and worry. We praise You and give You thanks for the comfort, peace, and joy that You give us when we seek You. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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DON'T GO THE WRONG WAY!

 

Matthew 5:1,2

 

"Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them saying...." ESV 

 

We are all looking for contentment. The problem is, few look in the right place. What we seek cannot be found in this world. If we want true contentment, the place to look is at the life and teachings of Jesus. But we have to follow Him and listen.

 

Heavenly Father, we ask you to forgive us for seeking contentment from this world. We know that true contentment comes only from You. We praise You for giving us Your Word and Your Holy Spirit so that we can follow and listen, bringing us joy and peace. In Jesus' name, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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FILL 'ER UP!

 

Psalm 51:12

 

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." ESV 

 

Can we say with all honesty that the joy we experienced at the time of our salvation is as fresh and strong now as it was then? In this battle we wage against our human natures and the trials of this world, we tend to become tired and weary. The good news is, we can ask God to give back to us that first energizing love and joy of our salvation. If we really want it and want to keep it, we can go to the Lord each day, remembering what He did to save us, giving Him praise for who He is.

 

Heavenly Father, we ask You to forgive us for letting the things of this world rob us of the powerful joy You gave us when we became Your children. Please give us the desire to accept back this joy and to keep it through daily thanksgiving and praise for giving Your all for us. In Your precious name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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JOY OVER WHAT?

 

Zephaniah 3:17

 

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." ESV

 

Jesus Christ did not become a man, walk and live among us, become hated and murdered so that He could win a prize. He offered Himself to reconcile fallen man back to God. The Lord's love for us is so great that He involves Himself with us and will never leave us. Christ takes such joy and delight in us, His Church, that He quietly basks in this love, singing with joy over those who love Him too. This is His reward.

 

 

Heavenly Father, help us to remember that we are Christ's joy and reward. Give us hearts to seek Him and continue to be a joy to Him. We pray in His precious name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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HE IS ABLE, ARE WE WILLING

 

 

Jude 24

 

 

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy." ESV

 

Will we stumble in our Christian walk? We will. Will we fall to the ground or will we allow the Lord to hold us up? We do not become Godly robots when we are born again. Our brains and our own desires are not replaced with a Godly remote control, so that we just go along in the world with no care of what happens because God has the controller in His hands. God tells us repeatedly in His Word, if we obey, if we stand firm, if we put on the armor, if we endure, if we stir up our faith, we will win the crown of eternal life Jesus Christ paid for with His own blood. He gives the promise, we choose to accept it by faith. Faith without works is dead.

 

 

Heavenly Father, we do not take Your great and precious promise of eternal life half heartedly. Forgive us for being spiritually lazy and thinking that we can hold on to our own selfish ways. Put increasing hunger in our hearts to fight the good fight, understand we are in a spiritual battle, and need to respond to the call to stand strong and endure by faith in Christ. In His name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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REJOICE REJOICE REJOICE

 

Philippians 4:4

 

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." ESV

 

To rejoice is to celebrate, enjoy, take pleasure, and be full of joy. If we are rejoicing that we belong to the Lord, we are fully equipped to overcome the difficult things of this world.

 

Heavenly Father, how we thank You for Your great gift of joy. Forgive us for letting the things of this world rob us of our joy. Help us to remember that rejoicing in Your majesty and greatness are all we need to overcome the difficulties in this world. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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SOMEBODY TURN ON THE LIGHT!

 

 

Psalm 97:11

 

"Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart." ESV

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and turn from being our own sinful god, He will breathe into us the seeds of light, being able to see with our spiritual eyes. The joy this brings to our souls will overflow into all that we think, say, and do.

 

Heavenly Father, how we thank You for Jesus Christ who took the punishment for all we have done against You. Give us more fervor to open our spiritual eyes to see the light You have given us, and to experience the joy that this brings. We want to live our lives so that others will be drawn to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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I'M HURTING, HOW CAN I HAVE JOY?

 

 

 

 

James 1:2,3

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." ESV

If we ask anyone we see if they have a simple, trouble-free life, we will get a unanimous answer of "no." We are told in the Word that we will have troubles while we are here on earth in enemy territory. Some of our problems we bring on ourselves. Some things happen that we do not understand at all. Regardless, we can have that deep, abiding joy during any difficulty because we know we will be made stronger. Our strengthened faith and endurance will keep us growing spiritually.

Heavenly Father, give us joy in the times of trouble, reminding us that these trials will make us stronger and more spiritually mature. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

         

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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LOVE, OBEDIENCE, AND JOY

John 15: 9-11

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." ESV

The Lord loves us as the Father loves Him. We are to stay abiding in His love. To stay abiding in His love, we will obey what He tells us to do just as He obeyed the Father. If we obey Him, we will be complete and filled with His joy. His joy is what allows us to be able to stand firm in this life.

Heavenly Father, we stand in need of Your grace to be obedient and to walk in Your love as You have commanded us. Give us an unquenchable hunger to love and obey as Christ did so that we will have Your joy that gives us all the strength we need. In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen.

        

©2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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HOPE, PEACE, JOY

 

 

Romans 15:13

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." NIV

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." KJV

According to God's Word, the fullness of our joy and peace is directly dependent on how much we trust in the Lord. If we find ourselves ridden with anxiety and unrest, we can examine our faith. We can only trust the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. So, if we pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit and to exercise the measure of faith given to us by God, we will begin to overflow with hope of a life eternal and perfect with Him.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for not putting our total trust in You. Help us to recognize that You offer us all joy and peace as we put our trust in You. Show us where we get off track in our faith and trust so that we can experience Your wonderful peace and joy with overflowing hope. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

       

©2012

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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NO GREATER JOY

 

 

3 John 1:4

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." NIV

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." KJV

It is a pleasure for our spiritual leaders to see those under their care prosper in the ways of God. Likewise, the greatest joy and peace that Christian parents can experience is knowing their children are serving the Lord and remaining in His truth. God has entrusted us as caretakers of the church body and our own children to make every effort to be Godly examples and teachers of God's truth to them.

Heavenly Father, we need Your help to be Godly examples to our spiritual children and our offspring. Without our hearts being right before You and living a life of holiness and consistency with Your Word, we will cause our children to stumble. Help us to be Godly teachers and parents so that our children will come to the truth, walk in it, and be holy examples to their children. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

       

©2012

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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COME TO HIM WITH SINGING

 

Psalm 100:2

"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." NIV

"Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing." KJV

If we made a list of all the things we have to be upset about and a list of all the blessings we have, there is no doubt the list of blessings would outweigh the other. Why then, do we come to the Lord, heavy with burdens that we should have already given to Him, trusting that He is working them out. Do we have to wait until the answer is complete before we approach our God with joyful hearts and singing? Of course not! We can come to Him in full confidence that He is working out all our problems. All we need to do is come to Him full of joy, singing in our hearts because our God is faithful and will never forsake us.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for not using the faith You have given us, to know we don't have to carry around our burdens and approach You with heavy hearts. Give us hearts of joy and gladness, because we trust in You to take care of all our problems. Let us sing praises to You for the many blessings You give us each and every day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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GOD'S GREAT LOVE

Jesus Christ did not become a man, walk and live among us, become
hated and murdered so that He could win a prize. He offered Himself
to reconcile fallen man back to God. The Lord's love for us is so great
that he involves Himself with us and will never leave us. Christ takes
such joy and delight in us, His Church, that He quietly basks in this love,
singing with joy over those who love Him too. This is His reward.

Heavenly Father, help us to remember that as Christians we are Christ's
joy and reward. Give us hearts to seek Him and continue to be a joy to Him. In Jesus' name.

Read Zephaniah 3:17

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great
delight in you, he will quiet you with His love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (NIV)

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." (KJV)

    
©2010

REJOICE

To rejoice is to celebrate, enjoy, take pleasure, or be full of joy.
If we are rejoicing that we belong to the Lord, we are fully
equipped to overcome the difficult things of this world.

Read Philippians 4:4

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (NIV)

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." (KJV)

LIGHT & JOY

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour and repent of our
sins, the Lord sows seeds of Godly light and happiness into our
souls. We are to cultivate what He has sown within us until the
light shines out into the darkness and the joy brings strength
and joy to the lost.

Psalm 97:11

"Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart."
(NIV)

"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in
heart." (KJV)

DELIGHT & RECEIVE

What does it mean to delight ourselves in the Lord? It is to be
conscious and eager to know Him, to learn His ways, to be close
to Him, to commune with Him. By delighting in Him, He will give
us our heart's desires. If our hearts are truly right with God, our
desires will not be for personal gratification, but will be to love
God, live according to His will, and to please Him.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of
your heart." (NIV)

"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of
thine heart." (KJV)

TRIALS BRING PERSEVERANCE

Ask anyone you see if they have a simple, trouble-free life. The
answer will be a unanimous "no!" We are told in the Word that we
will have trials and tribulations while we are in this world. Some
of our problems we bring on ourselves. Some things happen that
we do not understand at all. Regardless, we can have that deep
and abiding joy during any difficulty because we know that we are
made stronger in our faith and endurance to keep growing spiritually.

Read James 1:2,3

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of
many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perseverance." (NIV)

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." (KJV)


  
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle
drbobbijo@yahoo.com
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LIFE'S UPS AND DOWNS

During our stay on earth there will be times when things in our lives will call for grieving and weeping. There will likewise be times when life will bring us joy and laughter. These times come to all of us.

Read Ecclesiastes 3:4

"A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to
dance." (NIV)

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." (KJV)


  
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle
drbobbijo@yahoo.com
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