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VICKIE PHELPS

ENCOURAGING DEVOTIONS FOR A WOMAN OF GOD

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Scripture quotations marked kjv are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® niv®

Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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In oduction

As daughters of the King, we can experience great joy as we walk with Jesus. Even when our world seems to spin oﬀ-kilter, He is present to keep us filled with His joy. In 1 Peter 1:8, His Word declares that we can rejoice with unspeakable joy. The word unspeakable means “incapable of being expressed in words.” That means we can’t even begin to describe the joy that Jesus brings into our lives. Our vocabulary is seriously lacking when it comes to explaining what we feel when we’re filled with the joy of the Lord. In this book, you will find scripture, devotions, and prayers that will clothe you in joy every day. May you experience unspeakable joy as you read this book.

S ength rough Joy

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord.

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

NeheMiah 8:10 niv

After seventy years of captivity in Babylon, the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt its walls. Then the people asked Ezra, the scribe, to read the law to them. As he read, the people wept, maybe because of the past destruction or their own past. Nehemiah reminded them that this was a holy day—they didn’t have to be downhearted. He challenged the people to stop crying and go about their lives. The joy of the Lord would be their strength.

Don’t allow your past or the present to pull you down. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

LORD, TURN MY EYES AWAY FROM MY PAST. HELP ME FOCUS ON YOU AND YOUR PLANS FOR MY FUTURE. FILL MY HEART WITH JOY SO I MAY RECEIVE STRENGTH TO FACE THE DAY.

Shou of Joy

“Surely God does not reject one who is blameless or strengthen the hands of evildoers. He will yet ﬁll your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tents of the wicked will be no more.”

Job 8:20–22 niv

Job was a man who knew loss and grief on a large scale. He suﬀered both physically and emotionally. But even when his comforters spoke more like enemies than friends and his wife told him to curse God, Job knew where his help came from. He knew who could bring him through the terrible ordeal he suﬀered. Only God could fill his mouth with laughter once again and give him shouts of joy. Whatever the day holds for you, remember God can restore shouts of joy to your lips and fill you with laughter.

LORD, FILL MY LIPS WITH SHOUTS OF JOY TODAY AND GIVE ME LAUGHTER IN THE FACE OF TROUBLE. LET ME FEEL JOYOUS BECAUSE OF YOUR GOODNESS TO ME.

When M ning Comes

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

PsalM 30:5 nlt

If you’ve ever experienced a sleepless night when it seemed like morning would never come, then you can relate to the verse above. Sometimes problems are so heavy that our minds won’t let them go so we can relax and rest. The light of morning is elusive as the night seems to go on forever. We toss and turn, crying, praying, and asking God to fix whatever is disturbing us. We may feel that He is far away, but His Word promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. During those dark hours, God is at work on our behalf. Morning always comes. The dark night we experienced will be over and the joy of the Lord will shine into our hearts once again.

LORD, HELP ME TRUST YOU EVEN IN THE DARK HOURS. HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT. KEEP ME STRONG IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WITH THE MORNING LIGHT, JOY WILL BE WAITING.

W ship Without Reservation

Fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and consumed the burnt oﬀering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.

LevitiCUs 9:24 nlt

When the Israelites witnessed God’s presence and saw fire consume the burnt oﬀering on the altar, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground in worship. They expressed their feelings for what God was doing in their lives and didn’t worry about who saw them. They were excited about what God was doing. What about you? Is God making Himself known to you? When you see His miracles and feel His presence, are you shouting for joy and worshipping Him, or do you hide your emotions until you’re alone? Don’t be afraid to express your joy at seeing God work in your life. He welcomes and delights in your praise.

LORD, HELP ME LAY ASIDE ANY SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS I MAY HAVE ABOUT WORSHIPPING YOU. LET ME PRAISE YOU OPENLY, JOYFULLY, AND WITHOUT RESERVATION.

Burst Out in Song

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

PsalM 28:7 nlt

Ever had one of those days when you went around singing? You had a song in your heart, and you just couldn’t help letting it out. God has given us a reason to sing. When we consider the words of today’s verse, we have plenty to be joyful about. Our God gives us strength. He’s our constant shield and protector. He helps us when we don’t know what the next step will be. He gives us unexpected blessings that fill us with overﬂowing joy and excitement. With all these benefits, how can we not burst out in songs of thanksgiving?

LORD, HELP ME BE GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOU DO AND ALL YOU HAVE PROVIDED. LET ME NEVER TAKE YOUR BLESSINGS FOR GRANTED BUT ALWAYS HAVE A HEART FILLED WITH JOY AND SONGS BURSTING FROM MY LIPS.

A Gift from God

For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.

ECClesiastes 2:26 kjv

Have you ever tried to create your own joy? It’s possible to work up some emotion on your own, but when the winds of life blow disappointment your way, your true feelings usually take over. It’s hard to feel joyful when you’re angry or fighting back tears. At those times, you can rely on God to give you joy even in the middle of distress. He gives His people wisdom, knowledge, and joy. Joy is yours because the Bible says He gives it to those who are good in His sight. We belong to Him, and He has promised us joy.

LORD, HELP ME TO LOOK TO YOU FOR JOY INSTEAD OF THE WORLD AROUND ME. HELP ME SET MY AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE AND NOT THE TEMPORARY PLEASURES THIS LIFE BRINGS.

Joy from the Well

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 12:2–3 kjv Has something happened today that is making you happy? Maybe there’s a new baby in the family, a surprise visit from a dear friend, or a job promotion. These are all reasons to be happy, joyful, and excited. As wonderful as they are, however, these things are all temporary. Tomorrow, something may happen to dampen your mood, causing your happiness to fade. Our true source of joy is God. Because of Him and His salvation, you can experience joy every day, even when your circumstances are far from joyful. He has a well that never runs dry. Let down your bucket today and draw from God’s well. It will bring you joy.

LORD, HELP ME TO DRINK DEEPLY FROM YOUR WELLS OF SALVATION.

QUENCH MY THIRST WITH YOUR JOY.

Dressed by God

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10 nlt

A bride takes special care to look just right for her groom on their wedding day. A wife may go to a salon and get her hair done or buy a new dress for an anniversary dinner with her husband. Whatever the occasion, we want to look our best for those we love. But more important than earthly pampering is the treatment we receive from God. He dresses us with His salvation and drapes a robe of righteousness around us— priceless garments from the master designer. We are adorned like a bride in all her jewels when we are filled with the joy God brings to us.

FATHER, THANK YOU FOR CLOTHING ME IN YOUR SALVATION AND WRAPPING ME IN YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, DRESSING ME IN PREPARATION FOR ETERNITY.

Joy Even on Bad Days

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

HabakkUk 3:18 kjv

In his prayer to the Lord, the prophet Habakkuk recalled bad times when the trees didn’t blossom, the vines didn’t produce fruit, and the stalls didn’t have any livestock in them. Yet even during these diﬃcult times, he rejoiced in the Lord. He took joy in God because he knew where his salvation came from. We often get caught up in the “moments” of our lives, sailing on a cloud of happiness when all seems right in our world. But what about those times when everything isn’t all right? Do we rejoice during those times? Today, remember who makes all things possible, even in the bad times. Rejoice that you know the God of your salvation.

LORD, TODAY I’M GOING TO REJOICE AND TAKE JOY IN YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE MY SOURCE, MY LIFE, AND MY SALVATION. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH YOU. I COMMIT THE GOOD AS WELL AS THE BAD INTO YOUR KEEPING.

God Rejoices over You

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

ZePhaniah 3:17 kjv

Whatever is going on in your life today, God is in the middle of it. He is mighty on your behalf. You may feel unloved and alone. Maybe someone has made you feel small and insignificant. Resist that feeling. The God who created heaven and earth is aware of your feelings and He is with you. He loves you so much that He is rejoicing over you with singing. Can you imagine God singing or telling the angels to sing for you? He is mighty in the center of your life today. Take heart and listen to the sound of God rejoicing over you, because you belong to Him.

LORD, THANK YOU FOR BEING MIGHTY IN THE MIDDLE OF MY WORLD. HELP ME TURN MY EARS TOWARD YOUR VOICE SO I CAN HEAR YOU REJOICING OVER ME.

Exceeding Great Joy

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Matthew 2:10 kjv

When the wise men saw the star indicating where the new king was located, they rejoiced. They didn’t just feel a little thrill of excitement. Their joy exceeded the normal emotion they might have felt. Their joy was great—and for good reason! They had traveled far to find this newborn ruler of the Jews. The one who would deliver His people from their sins. The counselor, the Prince of Peace, the one called Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). No wonder they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. They had found the Messiah.

You can rejoice today too because you know Him. He’s a part of your life. He gives you a reason to rejoice with exceeding great joy.

LORD, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO EARTH, FOR BRINGING ME A REASON TO HAVE JOY, AND FOR SHINING YOUR LIGHT INTO MY LIFE. HELP ME OFFER MORE THAN HALF-HEARTED PRAISE TO YOU. LET MY VOICE RING OUT WITH EXCEEDING GREAT JOY FOR YOUR PRESENCE IN MY LIFE.

God wan us to share our lives with Him, both the good times and the bad.

In His Presence

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

PsalM 16:11 kjv

Don’t you love being in the presence of family or good friends, hearing about what’s happening in their lives, and sharing good times and bad? Family reunions can be a time of joy as members share their lives with each other. It works the same way with God. He wants us to share our lives with Him, both the good times and the bad. There’s nothing like being in His presence and sharing your time with Him. Once you begin to follow the path of life He has shown you, sharing your heart with Him, you will experience the ultimate joy that can only be found in His presence.

FATHER, SHOW ME HOW TO WALK THE PATH OF LIFE YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR ME. LET ME EXPERIENCE THE FULLNESS OF JOY AND THE PLEASURES THAT ONLY YOU CAN PROVIDE.

Lift Up Your Voice

And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

1 ChroniCles 15:16 kjv

The ark of the Lord was displaced. It had been in enemy camps and in people’s homes, but it belonged in Jerusalem. King David prepared a place for it and ordered that it be brought up by the priests. He asked the singers and musicians to lift up their voices and instruments with joy. They had a reason to rejoice. The ark was coming home.

Jesus has given you a reason to celebrate. He will bring back things that have become displaced in your life, those things the enemy has taken away. Lift up your voice in praise to Him. Allow Him to fill you with His joy.

LORD, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A REASON TO REJOICE AND FOR RESTORING THINGS THAT HAVE BECOME DISPLACED IN MY LIFE. I LIFT MY VOICE IN JOYOUS PRAISE TO YOU.

e Company We Keep

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

PsalM 1:1 nlt

The psalmist is cautioning us to watch who we spend our time with, whose advice we take, and whose words we absorb and join in with. The wicked and the mockers are joy stealers. If you spend too much time with them, you will find your joy seeping away and before you know it, you will be like them. Do what is necessary to protect the joy that Christ has given you. Don’t allow it to be walked on by those who don’t follow God or who spend their time mocking and complaining. Spend your time today and every day with people who encourage you, and watch your joy begin to ﬂourish.

FATHER, HELP ME TO AVOID FOLLOWING THE CROWD AND DRINKING IN THEIR NEGATIVE ADVICE. HELP ME TO SPEND TIME WITH THOSE WHO FOLLOW YOUR COMMANDMENTS AND EXPRESS THEIR LOVE FOR YOU AND YOUR WILL.

Joyful Refuge

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

PsalM 5:11 niv

In the aftermath of violent storms and raging fires, many people lose their homes. Within minutes, the home that you love and that keeps you safe can be taken away by wind, water, or fire. Suddenly you find yourself without a place to live, sleep, eat, or keep warm.

We can rest assured knowing that God’s refuge can never be taken from us. No force in the heavens or on earth can destroy the peace and safety we find in Him. He spreads a net of protection over us and gives us a reason to rejoice. When we place our confidence in Him and His power to protect and provide for us, we can rejoice in Him always.

LORD, HELP ME NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THE REFUGE I HAVE IN YOU.

YOU GIVE ME A REASON TO BE THANKFUL AND GLAD FOR YOUR PROVISION.

Accepted W ks

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

ECClesiastes 9:7 kjv

We all need and want to be accepted by the people in our lives, whether they be family, friends, or coworkers. We want to feel like we matter to someone and the things we do are important. Acceptance brings us a measure of contentment, but there is no acceptance as important as what we receive from God. Having His approval is crucial to our success, but it requires eﬀort on our part. We must be willing to sacrifice our will for His will and our plans for His plans in our lives. When we submit all to Him, then we produce works that are accepted by Him. We can celebrate with joy and a merry heart.

LORD, I GIVE YOU MY WILL AND MY PLANS. REPLACE THEM WITH THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE UNTO YOU. HELP ME DESIRE YOUR APPROVAL MORE THAN THE APPROVAL OF PEOPLE.

Speaking Joy

A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Proverbs 15:23 kjv

Solomon shared his wisdom by telling us that we can have joy by the answers we give. When spoken at the right time, our words can be a good thing.

The old adage about having to eat your words contains more truth than we realize. If you’ve ever spoken without thinking about your words first, you’ve probably had to eat a few of them. Sometimes they can taste pretty bitter. But when your words bring a smile to someone’s face, lift their spirits, or give them something they need to hear, it’s a good feeling. The Holy Spirit can give us the right words at the right time. Share some good words with those you come in contact with today, and bring yourself—and them—some joy.

LORD, HELP ME TO THINK BEFORE I SPEAK. GIVE ME WORDS TO SHARE WITH OTHERS THAT BRING JOY TO ALL WHO HEAR THEM.

Sleep in Peace

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.

PsalM 4:8 nlt

When we can’t sleep because of stress, worries, or maybe a guilty conscience, it turns into a long, miserable night. We face the next day tired, without energy, and still carrying the problems and anxiety of the night before. It takes our joy down a notch and aﬀects our peace and our outlook for the day. It is so much better when we give our problems to the Lord, when we allow Him to take our problems on His shoulders and carry them for us. We can then lie down in peace and sleep, knowing the Lord will keep us safe through the night, and awaken the next morning rested and ready to face the day.

LORD, HELP ME TURN MY PROBLEMS OVER TO YOU AND NOT TAKE THEM INTO BED WITH ME. HELP ME GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THAT’S BOTHERING ME SO I CAN HAVE THE PEACEFUL REST YOU INTENDED FOR ME TO HAVE.

Joyful Noise

Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

PsalM 81:1 kjv

David was a musician known as the sweet singer of Israel. He wrote many of the psalms, along with other worship leaders in Israel. God had blessed David with these abilities. While we may not have the talent to sing or make beautiful music like David, God still wants to hear our praise and worship to Him. Even if we don’t have the gift of a beautiful voice, we can still make a joyful noise. Our voices may not always be on key, and they may just sound like a noise, but we can still sing and give God glory for who He is and what He has done. Lift up your voice today wherever you are and make some noise for God.

FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THE VOICE THAT I HAVE EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE ANYONE ELSE’S. HELP ME TO USE IT TO GLORIFY AND WORSHIP YOU.

Joy on Hard Days

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should ﬁnd nothing after him.

ECClesiastes 7:14 kjv

It’s easy to be happy and let joy overtake us when things are going well, but we should not allow circumstances to dictate our emotions. Real joy isn’t just an emotion. It’s a characteristic that comes from the Holy Spirit. All our days come from God, whether they bring prosperity or adversity. We can take the hard days along with the good when we allow Him to be in charge. The Holy Spirit will saturate us in His joy.

Today, let God take charge of whatever you’re facing. Give Him His rightful place in your life. He will see you through.

FATHER, TAKE CHARGE OF MY LIFE TODAY. YOU KNOW WHAT I’M FACING.

HELP ME TO BE JOYFUL EVERY DAY, EVEN ON THE DIFFICULT

ONES.