J O Y F U L …
J – JESUS FIRST
O – OTHERS SERVED
Y – YOU FILLED WITH JOY
F – FAITHFULLY FOLLOWING
U – UNDER GOD’S COVERING
L – LOVING GOD and LOVING PEOPLE IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING
P R A Y E R …
P – Praise and Pray, Pray Continually, and Pray in Faith
R – Remember, Repent, and Reflect
A – ASK, ASK, ASK – Ask for All, Ask according to God’s Word and His Will, and Ask for The Amazing!
Y – You ask, Yeshua the Savior Delivers answers, and Yahweh Provides!
E – EXPECT, EXPECT, EXPECT – Expect to Encounter More, Experience More, and Expect God to Do More!
R – Receive Restoration and Return All the Glory to God!
P R A Y E R – let’s break it down more…
P – PRAISE and PRAY, PRAY CONTINUALLY and PRAY IN FAITH
P – PRAISE and PRAY
Praise and pray and worship too – even better! Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). Prayer is entering into the courts of the Lord – the Mighty King, Judge and Ruler with all authority.
P – PRAY CONTINUALLY
This is God’s will for all of us who are believers in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is communicating with God. We can pray anywhere, anytime and, as we practice just talking to God about everything, prayer becomes a part of our lifestyle. Whoever we are in close fellowship with, we talk to on a regular basis. As we draw closer in fellowship with God, we know He is present with us in every moment of every day. The more we pray and talk with God, the closer our relationship grows. Praying continually is an overflow of an intimate relationship with God.
P – PRAY IN FAITH
How do I pray in faith?
Pray the promises, not the problems. God is already aware of the problems. There is no need for us to come to God in prayer and turn it into a time where our prayers sound more like we believe God needs us to tell Him what is going on and what is all wrong. The God who sees all does not need us to recite all our problems to Him. As new believers, our prayers may begin this way, but as we grow in Christ, our praying in faith will too. Praising, thanking, bringing specific requests, pouring out our hearts, communing and conversing, reciting and believing God’s promises over every situation – these are all parts of faithful prayer.
Praying in faith is believing that the God who is faithful and all powerful will honor His Word above all. Praying in faith involves believing who God is in His Word and praying the promises in His Word in faith. We never base our faith on circumstances, what has happened or not happened to other people, or experiences. Our faith is in Jesus Christ, The Word incarnate.
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:16-17
We not only hear and know the Word of God to have faith and grow in faith, but we are to live by, obey and follow the Word of God if we desire to pray, believe and receive in faith.
Faith defined in God’s Word:
Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval. By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3 The Amplified Bible
But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 The Amplified Bible
Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly]. 23 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you. 25 Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him [drop the issue, let it go], so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions and wrongdoings [against Him and others]. 26 [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]
Mark 11:22-26 The Amplified Bible
R – REMEMBER, REPENT and RELFECT
R – REMEMBER
Remember who GOD IS – GREAT, ALMIGHTY, AWESOME, CREATOR, WAYMAKER, MIRACLE WORKER – THE GREAT I AM.
“Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time [for His favor], saying, ‘O Lord God, You have only begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth that can do such works and mighty acts (miracles) as Yours?
Deuteronomy 3:23-24 The Amplified Bible
You are the [awesome] God who works [powerful] wonders; You have demonstrated Your power among the people.
Psalm 77:14 The Amplified Bible
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Acts 10:38
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8
R – REPENT
Repentance, like worship, prayer and discipleship are life practices for followers in Christ. Repenting is not a one time event for the covenant daughters and sons. We repent to begin our relationship with God and we repent because we are in an intimate love relationship with God. When you love someone, you never desire to break their hearts. A repentant heart is a lifestyle for the true lovers of God. Grace is not an excuse to live an unrepentant lifestyle. Grace empowers us to live free from sin mastering our lives. (See Psalm 51; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.
1 John 1:8-10 NLT
So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; and that He may send [to you] Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you, whom heaven must keep until the time for the [complete] restoration of all things about which God promised through the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
Acts 3:19-21 The Amplified Bible
R – REFLECT
Reflect on all God’s blessings. The enemy wants us to forget these. The enemy speaks lies to our minds and will constantly remind us of all our present problems, trials, or circumstances that have not yet been resolved. Reflecting on God and His Word, His loving character and His sovereign good will for us who belong to Him will bring a shift in our focus. As we praise and worship, we reflect on who God is. We magnify Him and our blessings over every problem. Reflecting and ruminating in God’s Word will bring a revelation of the Promise Keeper.
The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those whose trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7
Even if all is not answered or appears to be going wrong, yet, I still dare to hope when I reflect on God’s goodness and faithfulness.
But this I call to mind, Therefore I have hope. It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-25 The Amplified Bible
“The Lord is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul; “Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him, To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word].
Magnify God over all the problems. Whatever is magnified becomes larger in our lives. God is already greater than all, but our focusing on How great and mighty He is helps us to keep our focus in the right place and helps us to pray in faith. God is magnified as we reflect on who He is and worship Him. Spend more time in worship over magnifying your problems and constantly focusing on all that is wrong.
Oh magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:3 ESV
A – ASK, ASK, ASK
A – ASK FOR ALL, ASK ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD and ASK FOR THE AMAZING!
A – ASK FOR ALL
Pray for all people and all things. Cast all your cares upon the Lord, remembering that He cares for you. (See 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6)
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
A – ASK ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD AND GOD’S WILL – GOD’S WORD IS HIS WILL!
God’s Word is His will. Jesus, who is the Word in the flesh came to do only the will of the Father. Whatever Jesus did as He walked the earth and as recorded in the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John is God’s will. We know it is God’s will for all people to be saved and to know and live by the truth that will set them free. Praying for forgiveness, freedom from lies and legalism, faith over fear, peace in the midst of every storm, healing of minds and bodies, and knowing and living in the truth are all prayers we should pray because Jesus demonstrated obeying the Father’s will perfectly. (John 1:14; John 5:30; 6:38; 8:31-32; 10:10)
This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us. And if we know [for a fact, as indeed we do] that He hears and listens to us in whatever we ask, we [also] know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted to us] the requests which we have asked from Him.
1 John 5:14-15 The Amplified Bible
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
John 15:5-8
Sometimes, we must remember that we think we know what is best, but our Father God always knows and does what is best in the end. Our part is living by faith, obeying by faith, trusting by faith and always praying by faith in His Word. (See Isaiah 55:8-13)
And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
James 4:3 NLT
A – ASK FOR THE AMAZING
Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
‘Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too difficult or too wonderful for You—
Jeremiah 32:17 The Amplified Bible
Y – YOU PRAY, YESHUA THE SAVIOR DELIVERS, and YAHWEH PROVIDES
Y – YOU PRAY and PRAY FOR YOURSELF
Pray prayers and promises straight from God’s Word not only for others but especially over yourself. Prayer first changes us before anything is changed. Prayer is about the surrender and transformation of our hearts and minds to God and His Word as image bearers of Christ, even before we see or expect to see any answers to our prayers or mountains moved or removed.
Y – YESHUA THE SAVIOR DELIVERS
Y – Yeshua – The Deliverer and Savior will do the delivering and saving. Yeshua, the Hebrew meaning of Jesus is to deliver, save or rescue.
Y – YAHWEH PROVIDES
Yahweh, Yireh, The Lord, who sees all, hears all, and is the Great I AM will provide. (Yahweh-Yireh – meaning the Lord will provide – see Genesis 22:13-14*) The Lord will provide as we pray. We are praying to the God who sees the situation beforehand and is able to provide for our needs.
And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 The Amplified Bible
E – EXPECT, EXPECT, EXPECT
E – EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER MORE, EXPERIENCE MORE & EXPECT GOD TO DO MORE
E – EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER MORE
E – Expect to encounter more of God’s presence.
As we begin our prayer with praise and worship, singing about who God is, and speaking about who He is as we enter prayer, we will encounter God’s presence. This is modeled in The Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus taught us to begin in hallowing and worshiping God and His name above every other name. God inhabits our praises (Psalm 22:3). We will encounter God’s presence in a tangible way as we obey the command to enter into His gates with praise (Psalm 100:4).
E – EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE MORE
E – Expect to experience more of God. God is love. God is peace. There is joy in His presence (Psalm 16:11). Expect to experience more of the attributes of God as you spend time with Him in prayer.
E – Expect to experience more of God’s extravagant love and healing personally. This is the power of intimacy in prayer.
E – EXPECT GOD TO DO MORE
E – Expect God to do exceedingly above and beyond all we are asking, expecting, including amazing miracle answers and gifts of grace too! Faith is hopeful and expectant. We should not pray and walk away doubting. We should pray, believing and expecting God to answer in ways that exceed our expectations and ultimately bring God glory.
R – RECEIVE RESTORATION and RETURN ALL THE GLORY TO GOD!
R – RECEIVE
R – Receiving and believing are both a part of prayer. Many believers struggle with receiving by faith. When we receive by faith. We say, “Thank You, God.” When you have received something by faith, being thankful to God is the appropriate response. We believe by faith first and then we receive.
R – Receive supernatural peace. This is a promise from prayer with thanksgiving and praying continually and over all (See Philippians 4:6).
R – RESTORATION
R – Restoration answers release and retell.
Let me proclaim Your power to this new generation, Your mighty miracles to all who come after me.
Psalm 71:18b
Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies.
Psalm 107:2
R – RETURN ALL THE GLORY TO GOD!
R – Return all the glory to God for all the amazing answers and restoration stories we see and are yet to be seen by faith. May we give God glory and tell these restoration stories joyfully. May we never discount or down play the answers we receive and the restoration stories we see. May we never give others credit for what our awesome God has done. Always say thank You, God, and give Him all the praise and the glory. It is not pleasing or glorifying to God when we spend so much time complaining and discussing all the problems, but so little time praising Him for all the answers to prayer we receive each and every day.
Yes, The Lord has done amazing things for us. What joy!
Psalm 126:3
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name goes all the glory for Your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1
*From Ann Spangler’s book, Praying the Names of God:
The Hebrew word raah (from which YIREH is derived) means “to see.” In this case, it is translated as “provide.” Since God sees the future as well as the past and present, He is able to anticipate and provide for what is needed. Interestingly the English word “provision” is made up of two Latin words that mean “to see beforehand.” In Genesis 22:13-14, Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son, Isaac. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Ponder It 
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