A Joy Invasion

Last night, I spoke at the Revivalist School of Ministry (RSM) at the Garden Valley Church in Roseburg, Oregon. Randy Rutledge leads this powerful ministry. There is never a shortage of hunger and enthusiasm at RSM. I value the students and the vision of this wonderful ministry.

Yesterday, before I drove up to Roseburg my wife, Jan, shared with me a word the Lord gave her about what would take place later that evening.  Jan heard the Lord say, “Joy spilling out and over.” She went on to tell me when our joy is full we cannot be thrown by our circumstances because there is too much of God’s strength present. Jan deals with many people in her Listening Prayer ministry who have experienced traumatic life events that robbed them of their joy. Their joy center became empty and they had no strength to stand in times of difficulty. Many of them simply gave up on that part of their life. Jan told me when joy is captured once again miraculous emotional and spiritual healing takes place.

Last night, in the middle of an evening of teaching, I felt the Lord ask me to stop teaching and minister the word Jan gave me. I had people stand up who had lost their joy through abandonment or an experience of loss.  Across the room, people began to stand. I had people around them encircle them and begin to pray calling forth a lost joy. I asked those praying to begin to declare the joy of the Lord back into those empty places. Then a shift began to take place in the room. Joy and laughter began to break out as long forgotten joy paid a visit. At times it got really loud and beautifully raucous with laughter and shouts of joy. People were being set free by the presence of joy. It was a beautiful thing to watch.

Last night convinced me that a supernatural invasion of joy is what we need in our world in this moment of history. Many feel empty and disillusioned and weak. The only remedy is the joy that comes when God’s presence invades a life.

Today, stand before the Lord and ask Him to bring His joy to the empty and joyless parts of your life. An invasion of joy has been poised and ready to be released into your life awaiting your invitation. When the joy arrives it will bring with its presence a new strength and hope that will give you the ability to face the challenges ahead with expectation, not dread.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10