Memory verse:   

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” 

“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”

• Php. 4:4-5.

Joy is the scriptural instruction to every believer, which will make him to enjoy divine presence and manifestation at all times Php. 4:4-5; Psa. 16:11. In essence, the believer may not be able to choose what happens, but he has the absolute power on how he responds to every event and happening in his life. The instruction of the scripture is that no matter what the situation is in the believer’s life; his response must be joyfulness and rejoicing Hab. 3:17-18. From scriptures, we understand that joy don’t happen automatically, each person must take up the task of making it to happen. This we understand from the scriptural word ‘I WILL rejoice’ Hab. 3:18. The word ‘will’ is an indication of the individual engaging his will-power.

Scriptural understanding that empowers the believer for joy and rejoicing.

1. One cannot be joyful and not be praiseful.

The scriptures make us to understand that joy will always trigger praise Jms. 5:13. And God dwells in praise, this means that a praise-full believer is one who will experience God’s manifest presence at all times Psa. 22:3. In essence, joy will birth praise; praise will birth divine presence, which in turn will birth testimonies.  

• Joy and rejoicing is our covenant way out of every valley of life.

We understand from the scripture that going through the valley is normal in kingdom life Psa. 23:4; Isa. 43:2. But the believer is to go through and not dwell it. Joy and rejoicing is the pathway out of every valley; when the believer chooses to rejoice in the valley, he is on his way out Hab. 3:17-19; Psa. 67:1-7.

• Murmuring only destroys, it never builds.

The natural thing that men tend to do, especially when things are unpleasant, is murmur, complain or grumble. We need to understand these will only make things to become worse, which is not what we want 1Cor. 10:10; Psa. 28:5. The solution is to learn to rejoice and be joyful in every situation.

Jesus is Lord!

Prayer.                                                

Father, in the name of Jesus, I cast off everything that make for a downcast spirit in my life, and I receive the help of the Holy Spirit for joyfulness and rejoicing Php. 4:4.

Action.

Identify the things that want to make you despair, and rejoice over them

Priestly Blessings.                                    

As you rejoice, every negative situation is turning to your celebration!

This last week of the year shall deliver the best of the year to you!