Do you experience joy when you pray? The Bible says to rejoice in the Lord and pray. Philippians 4:4-7 is the classic passage on this. That passage and others tell us that prayer and joy go together in at least three ways.

Philippians 4 says you are to “rejoice in the Lord,” and then it goes on to say that you should also “let your requests be made known to God.” In other words, you should pray with joy in your heart. If you do that, then God says He will give you His peace. Peace is what we all need in such a troubled world today. Have you ever noticed that almost each and every day something or someone is trying to steal your peace and joy either inwardly or outwardly. They are trying to steal your peace and joy inwardly because of what you might see, hear or think and they are trying to steal your peace and joy outwardly as well by what you see, who you talk to, what you read or what you watch or listen to daily. You’ll find that you have more joy and peace if you are more careful about what you see, who you listen to, what you think and what you watch.

How does prayer and joy work together you might wonder?

1. The Apostle Paul prayed a lot and he had a lot of joy. He planted a lot of churches. Paul prayed fervently for those people, and he had a lot of joy knowing that God saved them. Paul’s joy came from his prayers, and his prayers produced more joy.

2. Therefore, true joy leads to prayer. In terms of our human relationships, if the relationship is good, you long to spend time with that person and talk to them. It is the same with your relationship with God. If you love and worship Him, you long to spend time talking to Him. Talking to God is what prayer is all about. It also involves listening to Him in His Word. This relationship gives you joy that can never be taken away.

3. Also, Hebrews 4:16 says prayer is coming into the presence of a king. You approach the throne of your Heavenly Father through Jesus His Son. You boldly ask Him to help you. He not only cares about you and your needs, He also has the power and wisdom to help you. When the King hears your prayer and answers you, it gives you great joy. You then realize you are a child of the King, and He cares about you.

As you pray,  keep these wonderful truths in mind. Praise and thank our God and Savior. Remember, the joy of the Lord is (your) strength -Nehemiah 8:10