7 Prayers for a Joyful Life

“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” I say with the Lord’s authority: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.” – Ephesians 4:16-18 NLT

Father,
When we struggle to see worth in our lives, please help us remember the truth of these verses. Everyone has a purpose, and as believers, we all have essential roles in Your church, Father. Give us the wisdom to embrace our faith and salvation with the confidence we need to fight the epidemic of loneliness and selfishness in this world, God. We are indeed important, but all of Your children are. No one is loved less by You, God. We are surrounded by the clamor of self-love and doing what we need to do for ourselves …but that isn’t how we are designed to live. To live a full life on this earth, which Jesus died so we can live, our focus must be on Him …a Christ-centered life, not a self-centered life. We aren’t like everyone else, God. Paul reminds us today, as he reminded the Ephesians, we have chosen Jesus. We have chosen light and life, our hearts and minds open to the malleable work of the Holy Spirit in us. The beauty of these verses reminds us of our purpose and place in Your Kingdom, God, here on earth and eternally. Remind us. Mark our lives with reminders of these truths, God!
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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“God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” Psalm 68:6 NLT

There was a time when I thought my joy was produced by my happy family. ‘Five Alive’ we called ourselves. We are still close to this day, but we live split apart by states and thousands of miles. Losing the proximity to my family and their place in my daily life shook me. I had to let God show me that He had already gone before me, purposefully layering a support system into my life. I remember my first Bible Study and how those women poured their wisdom into me as a young mom. But I had to get up and go …and make the connection.

Father,
Our people may not always be who we thought they would be, but You purposefully layer our lives with them. If we feel isolated, the first and best thing to do is reach out to the person closest to us- who texted me last? Who are my neighbors? Did I smile and say hello to the person bringing your pick-up order to the car? “God places the lonely in families,” Scripture promises. Father, when we are lonely, remind us of this truth and guide us to the people you have so carefully and purposefully placed in our lives.

 “He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.” We don’t have to be prisoners to loneliness when life doesn’t veer in a fair direction. You will take care of the rebellious, Scripture warns in this verse. But Your children, who take faithful steps to connect to Him and the people in their lives, will find Joy. Bless our lives with the people who were meant to help us live them to the full.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:10

There’s an old saying in distance running, ‘The hay is in the barn.’ It’s something my coaches used to remind me on race day, to remind me the hard work of training was done, and the race is when we allow our bodies to do what they have been trained to do. When we follow Jesus, He does the heavy lifting. And, although we must be diligent and obedient in all God gives us to do, it’s important to remember that grace, mercy, and joy are free gifts of love from God that flow through us who are in Christ and into the lives of the people He places around us.

Father,
God, Your saving grace allows us to love people on another level. When we openly receive Your love through an active relationship with Christ Jesus, a powerful stream of love flows through our lives. A genuine love, as the verse above highlights. How often can we say we genuinely care for the people in our lives and delight in honoring them? Father, You assure us it’s a natural byproduct of the love of Christ in our lives! Father, we ached to be loved and honored genuinely. Please allow us the wisdom to be a channel of Your love, but in giving and receiving. We want the people in our lives to feel genuinely loved and honored. Father, give us the faithfulness to walk actively in Your love, both giving and receiving, from You and the people in our lives. Remind us of the powerful force of love flowing through us when we walk with Christ Jesus.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, who will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5 NLT

Father,
We want to walk in wisdom, not shoot from the proverbial hip when things fall through and get hard. Every day is a roller coaster of emotions that You understand, God. Creator of us and all things, our antics never catch You off guard. In our humanity, we often follow our emotions down a spiral that leads to despair and panic. But God, we know You meet us there, not in shame and criticism, but with love and grace! The path to a joyful life is the way of wisdom, God. Help us to find our way when our lives throw us curve balls. Let us use the peaceful seasons in our lives to bank wisdom from Your Word. Fill us with the words to say to others in daily conversations. Guide us in the next steps in our careers. Bless our lives with rich connections with the people You have placed in our lives so we are patient to listen and also confident to counsel.

Father, You tell us, when we need wisdom, to ask You, our generous God. And You do not rebuke us, whether we ask before our meltdown or when we’re crying in a heap on the floor. Faithfully, You answer us. You provide for us, and You love us. Give us wisdom when life is hard, and remind us to cry out to You for it! For you meet us with mercy every day, in all our moments. God, there is joy to be found when we confidently let go and let You pick us up. Thank You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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“For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Father,
The hardest part of life on earth is not being able to know what lies in the future. You give us gifts, talents, and purpose, but we don't know exactly when, what, and where Your plans will take us. But God, we want to experience joy to the full in our lives. We want to live life to the full! Teach us and bless us with both humility to listen and confidence to run the race of our lives with all of our hearts. 

The plans You have for us are good. Creator of the universe, nothing catches You by surprise. You promise, You knit us in our mother’s womb and know the number of our days. Father, no one knows us more intimately and fully than You. So, why is it our tendency to run away from You to find and fulfill our purpose in this life? How frustrated we become when our children rebelliously run from the wisdom we have so carefully compiled for them. But not You, Lord. Shame and guilt do not come from You. We find a merciful Father full of grace, compassion, and forgiveness in You. And through Jesus, we come to You for the wisdom to know our next steps in life. Father, our most important decision is to submit our lives to Christ, Jesus. Today, we reaffirm that decision, or perhaps, are making it for the first time. We don’t want to walk through life blind, Father. Instead, we want to trust You with what we cannot see and predict, knowing there is a joy to be basked in each step of the way. Help us embrace Your truth, purpose, and plan over our need for worldly logic.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 NLT

We serve a God who desires a relationship with us, one we cultivate primarily through prayer and Scripture. I truly believe if we ask God to fill our lives with joy, He is faithful to do it. We know if we ask for wisdom, He will give it. Our good Father, who loves us, wants us to understand and embrace pure joy in our lives by connecting to Him and each other through Jesus. 

Father,
We want to live joyful and joy-filled lives that bring glory and honor to You. So often, we find ourselves striving towards and after things. You never meant for us to break our backs to reach. Father, sometimes they are the expectations of other people we seek to meet, and other times it is our faulty comparison to the lives of others that puts a barrier between us and pure joy. Father, we want to live joyful and joy-filled lives. But, we often feel like we are running the race of life alone—no one to cheer us on. No one is training us. No one follows behind. Why do we feel so alone, sometimes, God, when You promise that we are never alone?

Help us to seek peace as we pursue lives that honor You. Help us to slow down so that we can see You clearly in all we do, God. Even things that seem like godly pursuits, if not what You have for us, can wear us out instead of filling us up. Help us find the way, the truth, and the life …in Jesus every day as we come to You, Father. Take us back to the beginning as many times as You need to, and teach us what pure joy is. Through the painful learning curves and devastating losses in life, we celebrate blessings, miracles, and milestones. Pure joy. A full life. Keep us chasing the horizon for Your presence, Father.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1 NLT

Father,
Loneliness is an epidemic, and one of its roots is ungratefulness. You teach us so much about the power of thankfulness in the Bible, God. We read Your heart towards us and love for us. Yet, so often, throughout our days, we allow our minds to drift to an ungrateful default. Ever so slightly, we fall out of step with You but fail to notice Your brushstrokes in our days. Every day on this earth is littered with joy and blessings. Even in the lonely seasons, we are never alone. We are thankful for that, God. We can cry out to You when we are alone, and You remind us of Your presence in our lives and those moments.

Father, You are good. Your faithful love endures forever. We are so thankful, forever grateful, that You are good! Thankful that You are faithful, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, and full of love for us. God, when we feel pressed up against our lives, squeezed and stressed and failing …You remind us we are loved for who we are …right now. Not who we will become but who we are. As we continue to grow, help us to be grateful, in the good and hard, God. Help us to see You in all of it, and know we will be okay because Jesus has paid our ransom. In Him, we embrace eternity beyond our time here on this earth. Joy, on another level!

“Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:4 NLT

Help us to embrace the possibility of miracles in our lives, God, because You are the God of miracles. Joy is a miracle. Make it prominent in our lives, God.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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