Recall Happy Memories

From The Joy Challenge by Randy Frazee on YouVersion

Philippians 1:1-8 ESV – Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church at Philippi, he was full of joy—but he was also in chains. Yes, that’s what I said: The number one book on joy in the Bible was written by a guy in prison!

A man in prison has a lot to be unhappy about, yet through his letter to his friends at Philippi, Paul taught us that our joy is not dependent upon our circumstances. Rather, our joy comes from the divine purpose and contentment we discover in our relationship with the Father.

Psalm 105:4-6 ESV – Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

The purpose of my book The Joy Challenge is to look at twenty of the principles of happiness we can learn from Paul’s treatise of joy—several of which we will briefly discuss in this devotional.

Paul started out his letter with some familiar lines: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy” (Philippians 1:2–4). Paul’s word for joy appears sixteen times in the book of Philippians, and his first usage was reserved for the joy he experienced upon thinking of his friends at a church that supported his work. Put another way, the Philippians put a sparkle in Paul’s eye, and it gave a jolt to his joy. Through his writings, he was now doing the same for them.

Psalm 77:11 ESV – I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

When Paul prayed with joy by thanking God for the people in his life, he was recalling happy memories. This is our first joy principle—something I also refer to as “joy conditioning.” As he prayed throughout the day, Paul chose to think upon the people who had made his life better and enriched his divine mission. As he relived the experiences in his mind—the sights, the smells, the sounds—he whispered a word of thanks to God for them. This practice could only increase his joy—a joy that was not dependent upon his comfort or even his freedom.

Reflect: Who are the Philippians in your life? When is the last time you spent time praying with joy by thanking God for them?

Pray: Dear God, thank you for the people who have supported me and loved me. May I be reminded often of how they are blessings to me. Amen.