Practical Christian steps to live in Joy, as God has intended for you.
Recap: In the previous episode 1 (https://duncanwoode.com/2026/08/13/why-you-should-not-worry/), we understand that the Spirit of God gave us power, love and sound mind. That worry is not part of the divine virtues His Spirit gives us. Fear is not of God(2 Tim 1:7)! Most times certain life situations will cause the Christian to worry. But the word of God, constantly draws our attention to the fact that God wants us to cast our cares and worries on Him through His Son. We also understood that, worrying create negative imaginations and negative imaginations breeds Fear. For fear crystallizes the realities of our negative imaginations. We understand that through Gods joy(made possible through fellowship and meditation on His Word) displaces worry in all facets of your walk with Him and in life.
Introduction
According to 2 Tim 1:7, the Word of God makes us to understand that, “God gave us not the spirit of fear”. This draws our attention that FEAR is actually a spirit. To be practical about this, fear comes by means of repeated worries derived from life’s challenges and adversities. Fear is a spirit(2 Tim 1:7) and the food it feeds on, is worrying. In life, it is certain that one way or the other we may be worried because we humans live in an imperfect world but it worrying should not become a norm. But when worry becomes constant, repetitive, and dominant, the Christian must recognize that something needs attention.
But there is another reality available to the believer: the joy of the Lord.
God does not want you and I to constantly worry. He want us to fellowship with Him and by so doing he replenish our Joy. Lets see how Psalm 16:11 puts it,“you make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore“. Notice the expression ? In his presence, there is fullness of Joy. There is a kind of joy that circumstances cannot manufacture. And because circumstances did not create it, circumstances do not have the final authority over it. Let’s dive into the practical steps to re-engineer the mind, reposition the heart and most importantly restore the Joy of the Lord as intended in the promises of His Word for His Children.
Practical Christian steps to restore your Joy and place of completeness in Christ.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life. With all diligence, guard your heart, for from it are the issues of life. – Pro 4:23. I love the seriousness of that instruction. It is almost as though Scripture is saying:
Police your heart. Become like an immigration officer standing at the border of your heart, carefully examining what should be allowed to enter. Or think about the white blood cells of the human body, constantly identifying and fighting things that could harm the body. In the same way, the believer must become intentional about what is continually being permitted to settle in the heart. Because the heart of the Christian matters greatly to God. Not every thought deserves residence in your heart. Not every fear deserves your meditation. Not every negative imagination deserves your agreement. Not every troubling possibility deserves to become your expectation.
Guard your heart.
How do I guard my heart ? Psalm 139:23-24a,”Search me, O God, and know my heart”. This is where the Christian can begin to willingly open up to God and invite the agency of the Spirit of God who is a COMFORTER to take over. The COMFORTER who is dwelling in our heart begins to search the heart and begin to remove all worries and cares. The truth is He does it so quickly, once we invite Him to assist with whatever we are facing. I personally become relieved the moment I begin to repeatedly pronounce this verse. God wants us to invite Him(see 1 Pet 5:7). There is something powerful about refusing to carry everything alone and deliberately surrendering the condition of your heart to God.
So how do we tell him to search our heart ? calmly tell him the things worrying you and even if you are short of words He the Comforter already knows the cares and burdens(see Rom 8:26;Matt 6:8;). God already knows what you need before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8), yet He still invites you into fellowship with Him. Prayer is therefore not informing an ignorant God. Prayer is inviting a knowing God into the burdens you were never designed to carry alone.
A PRACTICAL DAILY PRAYER
First thing you do when you wake up and before you go to bed and also pronounce or declare it throughout the day. Say this, “Search me, O God, and know my heart according to Psalms. Your word says we should cast our burdens on you for you shall lighten us and free us. You have promised me according to your Word, that, ” YOU KNOW the thoughts and plans you have for me, not to harm me but to give me hope and an expected end”. Holy Spirit whose abiding in my heart, search me and relief me, so I can live the joyous life you have promised me through the Son of God. In Jesus name Amen.
Do not merely repeat these words mechanically. Believe them. Meditate upon the Scriptures behind them. Speak honestly to God. Make fellowship with Him a lifestyle. Every time worry returns, return to His presence. Every time fear presents another negative imagination, confront it with God’s Word. Every time your heart becomes heavy, open it before the Comforter again. Over time, you begin training your heart to run toward God instead of toward worry.
And gradually, something begins happening within you. Your circumstances may not have changed yet. The answer may not have arrived yet. The door may not have opened yet. But you are changing and clearly you are sensing the change within. The burden begins losing its control. Your thoughts become quieter. Your confidence in God becomes stronger. And slowly, the joy that cannot be purchased externally begins rising from within, the joy that comes from fellowship with the One who gives it.
Repeat this prayers every single day, every single moment you get and see the working power of the Spirit of God, that will gradually overtake the heart and this unspeakable joy that one cannot explain, that one cannot buy externally but from Him that giveth.
I Will End Here for Now… By the grace of God, I will end here for this episode. I wasn’t expecting this first practical step to become this long! So instead of rushing through the remaining steps, I will break them into separate episodes until we exhaust them. There is much more to discuss. For now, remember this:
Guard your heart.
MAY MY GOOD LORD GIVE YOU JOY AND PEACE THAT TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING. GOD BLESS YOU.