October 18________________________________________
If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.
-Psalm 119:82 (NLT)
JOY SUSTAINER
A poem and essay by ILMA
What could bring joy to you?
Could it be money or a change of view?
The truth will set you free and make you glad
There is freedom when you follow God’s commands.
I would have died in my suffering and misery
If God didn’t rescue me and gave me full recovery
I never would have experienced joy overflowing
If not for God’s unfailing love and blessings.
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Many different things can bring happiness to some people. We traverse this life in pursuit of that momentary pleasure to be happy. Sadly, many of us don’t experience it because we try to find it in the wrong things such as material wealth, fame, a relation or a career. I am a testament to this quest. Many decades of my life was wasted on chasing the wrong things that will bring me happiness. In the end, all these things made me feel even more empty than I already was. I kept looking for answers as to what could fill up that void inside me. What I didn’t realize was that I didn’t have to go far. I found it eventually when I heed to God’s call for me to come back to him and follow his commands. When I obeyed, it sustained my joy.________________________________________
PRAYER
Thank you for your commands that bring much joy to us.
REFLECTION
What would happen if you constantly seek God and obey his commands?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
Tag Archives: happiness
PRAYER FOR JOY Poem Devotional
July 7
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Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.
– Psalm 90:15(NLT)
PRAYER FOR JOY
A poem and essay by ILMA
Lord, help us to find happiness and contentment
Give us gladness to replace all the disgruntlement
Make us focus on you so we will be set free
Guide us through life so we can be able to see.
Lord, never let us be corrupted by this world
Help us to constantly seek the truth in your word
Let us rejoice and be glad for you have been faithful
Grant us a heart that is pure and never resentful.
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Joy was a fruit of the Spirit that was absent in many years of my past life. The enemy made sure that I was stuck in misery and discontentment. This was the reason why I was a very complaining person and always found something to criticize about. I didn’t have joy because I was always longing for something I didn’t have. No wonder I had many broken relationships.
When I became born again, the Lord revealed to me how I could experience joy. It was when I started reading the word of God that I became aware of my complaining nature. I was convicted to learn to be content with what I have and be thankful for every little blessing I received. God will replace all your past misery with gladness. Run to him.
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PRAYER
Lord, help me to find joy in obeying and living out your will.
REFLECTION
How can you experience joy amidst suffering?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
JOY TO GOD’S PEOPLE Poem Devotional
February 18________________________________________
What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. – Psalm 33:12(NLT)
JOY TO GOD’S PEOPLE
A poem and essay by ILMA
What joy for those who believe in the Lord
They will be victorious and overcome this world
If you are committed to Christ, you will be his heir
You will experience his joy for he is generous and fair.
He will shower his people with an overflow
They will reap a harvest from the seeds they’ve sown
Rejoice and be glad for you will have an abundance
He will gladly fulfill his promises and hand you an inheritance.
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For so many years, I didn’t know how to enjoy life. I strived and worked so hard at every dream or goal I set. I was so consumed with I, me and myself? I think it’s impossible to experience joy if one is so self-centered and self-driven. There is always that nagging thought that I have to possess more or that I have to perform well in anything I get myself into. I have to aim for perfection. When things do not go well as I envisioned it, I become so frustrated and feel like a failure. Then I beat myself up to reach the maximum effort or performance. What a tiring and stressful life. No wonder, I had so much trouble. The bible says that joy comes only from choosing God.
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PRAYER
Lord, show me how to be faithful to you so I can experience joy always.
REFLECTION
What manifestations of joy have you experienced after choosing Christ?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
HOW TO ENJOY LIFE
August 20
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If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. -1 Peter 3:10(NLT)
HOW TO ENJOY LIFE
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you struggling to enjoy your life?
Do you find it difficult to live in God’s light?
If you want to see happy days ahead of you
You need to keep your mind constantly renewed.
Keep your tongue from speaking evil and lies
It will purify your heart and keep you alive
The enemy wants to steal your peace and joy
Satan wants you to stagnate and never grow.
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I spent many years of my life in strife and bitterness. I didn’t even know that I was angry as a result of the many traumatic experiences in my life. I wallowed in self pity parties for so long. One of the ways the enemy trapped me into loneliness and desperation was swearing and telling lies. I manipulated a lot of circumstances so that I can get what I wanted. Lying became automatic and sometimes I get caught in my own lies too. God delivered me from this stronghold and set me free this past decade. I will never do anything to compromise my joy in the Lord now that have his righteousness. The bible tells us to enjoy life but we must keep our tongue from evil and lies.
PRAYER
Help me daily to watch what comes out of my mouth, Lord.
REFLECTION
How can speaking evil and lies deprive you of enjoying your life?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
JOY COMES FROM KNOWING CHRIST Poem Devotional
November 21 The Power of God’s Word
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice – Philippians 4:4 (NLT)
JOY COMES FROM KNOWING CHRIST
A poem and essay by ILMA
Do you wake up each morning to thank God for another day of life?
Are you passionate about blessing someone regularly and bring God’s light?
The joy of the Lord emanates from those whose hearts are pure
They radiate God’s love and are not tempted or easily lured.
Light shines on the godly; they are thankful for what they receive
Joy is a fruit of the spirit and what you get when you cheerfully give
Godly people rejoice no matter what circumstances they go through
The knowledge Christ living in them makes them overcome any trouble or rue.
The pursuit of happiness is an undertaking that most of us obsess about. It is very different from having joy. Happiness is defined as a “state of well being” or a pleasurable and satisfying experience. Joy, on the other hand means “to feel a great delight”, to welcome” or “be glad.” Happiness is momentary and external while joy is very internal and a result of having an intimate relationship with Christ. The apostle Paul teaches us how to be joyful even in the most adverse or trying circumstance. His joy comes from knowing Christ and no matter how difficult his situation is, Jesus is with him.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to rejoice more each day.
REFLECTION
What are the manifestations of joy in your life?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s Poem Devotionals, or go to www.ilmaarts.com or to receive emails of the poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com