Dear Sisters-in-Christ,
Congratulations! We are past the halfway point of our 21 day prayer challenge! I hope that you are experience a renewal of your strength, a rededication of your commitment to pray, and a revival of your faith in our LORD to answer our heartfelt prayers for our sons.
Today we will focus our prayers on JOY.
A few weeks ago, feeling quite overwhelmed with a long string of trials, I was encouraged by a friend’s words to just “choose joy”, despite how I was feeling. Christ is the constant in my life…my joy is in Him alone. Since He never changes, shouldn’t my joy be constant too? 
The #1 way I can do this is to count the blessings in my life, a habit I continue to practice out of necessity. I look forward to the day my sons realize this for themselves as truth.
The #1 way I can do this is to count the blessings in my life, a habit I continue to practice out of necessity. I look forward to the day my sons realize this for themselves as truth.
What are YOU thankful for today? What brings you JOY?
DAY 11 ACTION STEPS
READ | If you haven’t already, read through “The Fruit of the Spirit” (pg. 27-28) and work through any (or all) of the Study Questions that enhance your time in this challenge!
PRAY | Work through the 10 prayers on Joy (pg. 30) using whatever method works best for you! (See DAY ONE for ideas)
COMMENT | Sometimes it’s refreshing to take a moment, step back, and bask in joy. Today, let’s do that and share – let’s celebrate the blessings in our lives together! Share something you’re thankful for, a “joy” in your life and don’t forget to join in the conversation with the other moms here!
Day Eleven – Joy
Encouragement from Brooke, author of Warrior Prayers~ Praying the Word for Boys in the areas they need it most:
Encouragement from Brooke, author of Warrior Prayers~ Praying the Word for Boys in the areas they need it most:
What is joy really? And if my strength comes from the joy of the Lord (Psalm 28:7), then what does the joy of the Lord really look like?
As I write these words, I'm struggling with a deep desire to be grumpy and complain. Most days I handle my husband's crazy shift-work schedule pretty well. But today? Well, today I feel like complaining. So how do I find joy and strength from the Lord? Enough to make me "burst out in songs of thanksgiving?"
How do you?
Here's the secret: Focus on Christ. Focus on what He did for you (and for your sons) on the cross. I suspect we Christians have a tendency to misunderstand the phrase, "placing our trust in Christ." Placing our trust in Christ isn't something we did once and never do again. Salvation may be a once and forever event, but trusting in Christ is ongoing. Trusting in Christ's work of grace on the cross to be important enough to change my grumpiness to gratefulness. Trusting in Christ's work of grace on the cross to get me through a rough day with my children. Trusting in Christ's work of grace on the cross to be enough when I'm enduring tantrums in the grocery store. Trusting in Christ's work of grace on the cross when my sons choose their own will …
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." ~Psalm 28:7
Joy
May the joy of the Lord be__________'s strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
May__________be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).
May__________go out in joy and be led forth in peace (Isaiah 55:12)
May the God of hope fill__________with all joy and peace as he trusts in him, so that he may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
May__________go to the altar of God, to God, his joy and his delight (Psalm 43:4).
May__________count it all joy when he meets trials of various kinds, as the testing of his faith produces steadfastness. May he let steadfastness have its full effect, that he may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:1-4).
May__________know that while weeping may tarry for the night, joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5).
May__________be imitators of us and of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
May the God of hope fill__________with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit he may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
May__________know that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
May__________be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).
May__________go out in joy and be led forth in peace (Isaiah 55:12)
May the God of hope fill__________with all joy and peace as he trusts in him, so that he may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
May__________go to the altar of God, to God, his joy and his delight (Psalm 43:4).
May__________count it all joy when he meets trials of various kinds, as the testing of his faith produces steadfastness. May he let steadfastness have its full effect, that he may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:1-4).
May__________know that while weeping may tarry for the night, joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5).
May__________be imitators of us and of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
May the God of hope fill__________with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit he may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
May__________know that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
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