This Blog article is taken from a teaching and prophetic word Graham gave called “A Lifestyle of Joy Keeps Our Heart Fresh” on Brilliant TV.
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The important issue to focus on each day as we are learning to walk with Father, Son and Holy Spirit is…
What is God really, really like?
When we know His nature, then we know Him in that way eternally.
Here on earth we are learning how to walk in the Kingdom.
Just as Jesus did in His role as the Son of Man; a man in right relationship with God and utterly dependent on God’s nature at all times.
I love God’s self revelation where He shows us who He is and therefore who He will always be.
For me that is where I root my sense and experience of Him. There are go-to places in scripture that empower us to relax, be still and practice smiling with God as He keeps us safe by His nature.
Key #1 – Always start your day with a big truth about God.
There are two aspects of God’s nature that I have built my relationship and fellowship upon.
- The first is that He is unchanging.
- The second is that He is unfailing.
Malachi 3:6
“For I the Lord, do not change, therefore you, O sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday and today and forever.”
This is a huge, magnificent truth for me that is an anchor for my soul. It provides a lovely place of delight in Him.
The security it gives me is massive. I live between these two verses every day. My heart is fixed on God being His unchanging self towards me.
Regardless of whether I am doing well or doing badly, He remains the same towards me. I always know where I am in Him because He does not change His heart towards me.
He is unfailing love! He wants our love to not fail also, therefore He is our example.
My other daily go-to scripture is:
Lamentations 3:21-24
“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease.
For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore I have hope in Him.”
The implications for God here makes me want to rejoice and give thanks.
He binds me to His nature with these statements about Himself that now become His promise to me:
“This is who I will be for you, everyday. Live here with Me!!”
Graham, always start your day with My sure and certain love for you.
My love does not fail. If you trust My heart, you will have an encounter and an experience of Me that produces rest and peace in you!
Start your day with the confidence that My nature will give you. Build each day on the unchanging, unfailing presence of God.”
I never carry a negative over from the previous day. At the end of each day, I talk through that day with Him.
I put right anything I need to do with Him so that when I wake the next day everything is new and fresh.
- I love rejoicing in His nature at the beginning of each new day.
- I do not allow stress or negativity to accumulate.
- I start every day new, clean and confident in Him
As we contemplate living a lifestyle of constant joy that keeps us fresh in Him, we realize that it is His nature that acts as our guarantee of relationship and fellowship with the THREE+ME!
The will of God is always linked to His nature.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
All our life experiences, good or bad…are always connected to our enjoyment in Him. Joy and rejoicing are the best way to live life.
Obviously, we don’t rejoice when something bad happens!
We also don’t fall apart and become anxious, stressed or fearful either!
We do however, rejoice in the Lord that He is with us for our good, and that He has a purpose to fulfill.
This passage teaches us that when we rejoice, our ability to pray increases dramatically.
- Prayer is always part of a celebration sandwich.
- Rejoicing is the launch pad for praying in faith.
- Rejoicing is our main means of remaining spiritually hydrated.
- Rejoicing, joy and giving thanks empowers us to remain constantly and consistently refreshed.
Without rejoicing, we dry up; growth is hard; we are overcome by events and circumstances as our focus becomes depleted.
Rejoicing allows us to absorb the presence of the Holy Spirit so that we live in the flow of His outpouring.
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Check in for our next Blog article, which will be a continuation of this teaching, “Refreshing Joy as a Lifestyle – Part 2.”
