Do you pursue happy? If you are anything like other Americans, you ponder and crave merriment more than success or true love. Happiness has been deemed our life passion as a culture. Tragically, studies show we are the most unhappy we have been in over 50 years.

The past few years have taken more than an emotional toll on most–the effects of which have been astounding. It’s left more than the melancholy lacking in the joy department. Lately, a handful of precious souls confided they had no joy. And they didn’t know what to do to get it.

What about you? Do you find joy elusive?

How important is being happy or finding joy to the Christian, anyway?

The longtime pastor and prolific writer, John Pipe, has written volumes on it, concluding that joy in God for the believer is an optional add-on for the Super Devoted, but an essential aspect of the Christian’s faith.

“The pursuit of joy in God is not optional. It is not an “extra” that a person might grow into after he comes to faith. It is not simply a way to “enhance” your walk with the Lord. Until your heart has hit upon this pursuit, your “faith” cannot please God. It is not saving faith. Saving faith is the confidence that if you sell all you have and forsake all sinful pleasures, the hidden treasure of holy joy will satisfy your deepest desires. Saving faith is the heartfelt conviction not only that Christ is reliable, but also that He is desirable. It is the confidence that He will come through with His promises and that what He promises is more to be desired than all the world.”― John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist

I can almost hear you cry, “YEEESSSS! THAT’S WHAT I WANT!”

Getting there is the more challenging phenomenon, isn’t it?

When you find your happy has gone missing, don’t feel all is lost. There is a proven way forward, but it will be a fight. There is nothing the enemy would like better than for you to question God’s promises, His reliability, His ableness, and His desirability – living dissatisfied and unhappy.

The First Step Back to Happiness

A first step in the right direction is to follow the lead of those who have gone before us. The Psalmist writes,

Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Psalm 86:1-5

Notice the fourth verse:

4Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

I especially like it from the Amplified Version:

Make me, your servant, to rejoice, O Lord; for to you do I lift myself up.

When you find yourself unhappy or joyless, do what the Psalmist does. Pray. Ask God for what you don’t have. As you do, turn your eyes upward toward who He is. It may not seem possible today, but if you make this your own regular prayer – you will grow in finding Him desirable. It’s the very thing He wants for you.

For more on desiring God and joy – find a book by John Piper. He has dedicated his life to helping us in this glorious pursuit.

Today, allow me to pray this Scripture over you.

A Prayer Back to Joy and Happiness

Heavenly Father,

You know the heart represented here. Only You know what she has experienced. But I petition You on her behalf that she will find You the most desirable thing in all of life. I ask You to gladden her soul and make her rejoice because she belongs to You. Transform her heart. Lighten the load. Help her find happiness in You so much so that it cannot be contained.

For all of this I ask in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Have you received my FREE gift to you? Get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters.

DOWNLOAD NOW

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion?

She has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from. Just click on the images below to check it out:

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this: