Topic: Joy in Prayer [David Jeremiah Devotional August 1 2019 | Turning Point Ministries]

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AUGUST 1, 2019

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

 Recommended Reading: Philippians 4:6-7

A common mistake some new Christians make is to assume that people like Jesus and Paul never had burdens or concerns. Surely, we aren’t like them; we have anxieties and struggles. But so did Jesus and Paul!

On the night of His arrest, Jesus was tremendously burdened by the experience of suffering, which He knew lay ahead. So He learned to take those struggles to God (Hebrews 5:7-8). And He did that through prayer (Matthew 26:36-44). And what about Paul, who wrote “the epistle of joy” (Philippians) while in jail? Was he naturally joyful all the time, and are we expected to be? Paul learned—and we must learn—what Jesus knew: The secret to maintaining joy in this world is prayer to the Father. Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord” and then wrote, “Be anxious for nothing,” turning over every anxious thought to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). We can’t be joyful and anxious at the same time. Committing our anxieties to God makes way for the fruit of joy in our life (Galatians 5:22).

If you have anxious thoughts today, commit them to God in prayer so that you can enjoy His joy and peace.

Only to sit and think of God—oh what a joy it is!
Frederick W. Faber