Fresh Joy. Heidi McLaughlin

Jesus, the one who drank the cup of suffering of God’s wrath so that you and I can have access to joy. Before Jesus went to the cross, he said, “You have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy” (John 16:22 NLT). Jesus could endure this suffering because he knew that his daddy had eternal joy waiting for him in heaven. You and I also have that joy waiting for us, but because of Christ, we don’t have to wait. We can actually have it now.

      3. Declare victory. Our words have the power to unfold a future filled with blessings. We always have the choice of defeat or victory. In Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) God gives us this choice: “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life.” Joy emerges and grows when we choose to move forward and declare victory.

      4. Seek a heavenly perspective. History’s biggest unanswered prayer unleashed the greatest miracles and victory. The night before Jesus went to the cross, he bowed his head and talked to his father with this deeply personal prayer: “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matt. 26:39 NLT). God’s answer was “no.” Jesus had to endure the suffering for you and me.

      Like a lamb led to the slaughter, Jesus humbly went to the cross, and he experienced the excruciating pain of nails driven into his hands. He accepted all the sin in the world, past, present, and future, upon himself. He endured this suffering so that the curtain separating us from our heavenly Father would be torn in half, connecting us to the reservoir of heaven and enabling us to enjoy a life of freedom and joy, which includes

      • Redemption of our sin

      • The fruit of the Holy Spirit

      • The mind of Christ

      • The privilege to come fearlessly into God’s presence through prayer

      • The opportunity to ask God for wisdom, which he loves to give

      • The guarantee of having the Holy Spirit to guide us into God’s truth

      • The undeserved blessing of being adopted as God’s children into his eternal family

      • The joy of being lavished with God’s love

      • The assurance that we will spend eternity in God’s glorious presence

      • Unending pleasure of joy

      5. Grow good fruit. While we’re still sitting here on earth with our unanswered prayers, we can only imagine what our “upper story” looks like. With all my heart I believe that one day we will clearly see the beauty and majesty of all God planned before the foundations of the earth were formed. Today I may not fully understand, but I pray along with the British author John Baillie:

      Teach me, O God, to use all the circumstances of my life today to nurture the fruits of the Spirit rather than the fruits of sin.

      Let me use disappointment as material for patience;

      Let me use success as material for thankfulness;

      Let me use anxiety as material for perseverance;

      Let me use danger as material for courage;

      Let me use criticism as material for learning;

      Let me use praise as material for humility;

      Let me use pleasures as material for self-control;

      Let me use pain as material for endurance.11

      So I cling to my unanswered prayer as an opportunity for God to intertwine his hope and my sorrow to unleash beauty and joy. “Not my will but yours, Lord.” Through this unwanted painful journey God has been at my side helping me endure my new reality. I experience his presence as he heals me through his gracious nature, loving family, and faithful friends. His promises of hope point me toward a place where I will be perfect and complete, needing nothing, face to face with the giver of our fresh joy.

      Stop

      and Ask God to Make You Joyful

      Ask God, What do you want me to learn about unanswered prayer?

      S—Scripture: “Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:14 NLT).

      T—Thanksgiving: Thank you, God, that you want me to know and experience your extravagant, generous, and endless love. Thank you that I can talk to you 24-7, that you hear the cries of my heart and you care enough to listen.

      O—Observation: God tells me in the Bible that I can ask him for anything and he will do it. I am human, and I need tangible evidence of answers, and it is hurtful and frustrating when I don’t see results. The only way to console myself is by remembering there is another story that I don’t understand—an “upper story” that is grander than the one I am living. I know God loves me and wants the best for my life, so I have to trust that his answer is somewhere else.

      P—Prayer: Heavenly Father, you know my pain and anguish over unanswered prayer. When I cry out in desperation, I need to know you have an answer. I need a tangible response that I can see and understand. I can’t understand how heaven can stay so quiet when thousands of people pray. Help me to trust you when I can’t sense or hear you. Bind up my hurt and help me to move forward and know that one day I will understand and see. I declare my love for you, even when I feel lost and alone. Please draw close to me and sustain me with your love until I can move forward with new understanding, courage, and joy. Thank you. Amen.