Three Easy Secrets to a Joyful Heart

Depression, loneliness, and anxiety are at an all-time high.  Yet, we have more possessions, connections, and options than ever.

What’s the problem?

It appears that instead of connecting, we are drifting further apart.  We can’t find our friends.  Our possessions don’t satisfy us and we have to have more.  We try more and more medication to ease the depression and anxiety.

Perhaps these three easy secrets can be “game-changers” for all of us:

1.  “Joy is greater than happiness.”

Joy comes from within.  Happiness comes from without. 

Joy is the presence of God within your heart as a never-ending well of life.  Happiness is conditional upon all your outward circumstances lining up perfectly.

Start to “re-joice.”  Sing a song, a hymn, a psalm you read.  Give God some much deserved praise!  Draw up some “joy” from that deep well within your heart.  Your circumstances will change!

2.  “Prayer is from your spirit, not from your mind.”

We struggle when prayer is mental.  Our thoughts control us.  We are really just trying to solve our own problems while trying to be religious.

Relax, and let the Holy Spirit within you pray.  He is within you.  Sit quietly and listen to His voice within you.  Pray the Scripture, the promises the Holy Spirit wrote.  Keep your prayer down in your heart.

Start by reading Psalm 23, real slow.  Pray each phrase as a promise that you are claiming for your life.  Let “I shall not want” become “Lord, I receive your financial blessing upon my life.”

3.  “Gratitude is the greatest attitude.”

 The third easy secret is to find something to be grateful for in everything.  Paul said it this way:  “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God.”

The Israelites grumbled, complained, and murmured about everything God did for them in the wilderness.    They all ended up dying in the desert.  Ten lepers were completely healed and only ONE came back to say, “Thank you!”

Gratitude is a choice, a decision to be thankful for whatever circumstances you find yourself in.  It is thanking God for every small favor He does to make your life more “liveable”:

        A parking spot…

       An item that went on sale…

       A job to work at…

       A home to get out of the weather….

       A bed to sleep in…

       A closet full of clothes and shoes…

       A refrigerator full of food…

       A cell phone and computer…

       A dishwasher and microwave…

       Friends, relatives, co-workers, and relationships…

And on and on it goes!

Try these three simple secrets. 

Let JOY fill your heart as soon as you wake up by praising God with a simple song from your heart.

Let PRAYER come from your heart as you pray God’s promises back to Him.  Memorize Scripture and pray it throughout your day.

Let GRATITUDE be your dominant attitude.  Find something about everything that you can be thankful for.

It works. 

Goodbye depression, loneliness, and anxiety!