Beni Johnson - The Joy of Intercession: A 40-Day Encounter

Joy means a feeling of great happiness or pleasure, especially of an elevated or spiritual kind. There are other words that associate with the word joy: delight, happiness, pleasure, bliss, ecstasy, elation, and thrill. The word ecstasy means a feeling of intense delight. The word bliss means perfect untroubled happiness.

The word joy is in the Bible 182 times. I have picked out several references on joy for you to read. I feel that it is important to include these verses in this book. They are reminders to us of the importance of being a joyful people, of being who we were created to be. Not only that, but it is important that we as believers represent, or re-present, who our heavenly Father is here on earth. He is loving and joyful. He laughs from Heaven. Most of the verses have several translations for your enjoyment.

Psalm 21:6For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence (NASB).

Psalm 68:3But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; yes, let them rejoice with gladness (NASB).

Psalm 100:2Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing (NASB).

Gladness is experiencing joy and pleasure. In these verses, we see that being in Gods presence brings gladness.

Isaiah 55:12For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (NASB).

Isaiah 55:12For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands (WEB).

Isaiah 55:12For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (NRSV).

Isaiah 55:12So youll go out in joy, youll be led into a whole and complete life. The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause (TM).

Jeremiah 15:16Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts (NASB).

Jeremiah 15:16Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts (NKJV).

Jeremiah 15:16When your words showed up, I ate themswallowed them whole. What a feast! What delight I took in being yours, O God, God of-the-Angel-Armies (TM).

Zephaniah 3:17The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy (NASB).

Appendix: A Big Dose of Joy

Zephaniah 3:17The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing (NKJV).

Zephaniah 3:17The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you in His love; He will exult over you with loud singing (NRSV).

Zephaniah 3:17Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, Hell calm you with His love and delight you with His songs (TM).

Zechariah 8:19Thus says the Lord of hosts, The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace (NASB).

John 15:11These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full (NASB).

John 15:11Ive told you these things for a purpose: that My joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature (TM).

John 15:11I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete (NRSV).

John 15:11These things I have spoken to you, that My joy in you may remain, and your joy may be full (YLT).

John 15:11I have spoken these things to you that My joy may be in you, and your joy be full (DRBY).

John 17:13But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves (NKJV).

John 17:13But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves (NASB).

John 17:13Now Im returning to you. Im saying these things in the worlds hearing. So My people can experience My joy completed in them (TM).

Acts 13:52And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit (NASB).

Acts 13:52Brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy disciples (TM).

Acts 13:52The disciples were filled with joy with the Holy Spirit (WEB).

Acts 2:28You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence (NASB).

Acts 15:3Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing Through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren (NASB).

Acts 15:3After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the Gentile outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheeredit was terrific news (TM).

Acts 15:3They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers (WEB).

Romans 14:17For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (NASB).

Romans 14:17For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in [the] Holy Spirit (DRBY).

Romans 14:17Gods kingdom isnt a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness sake. Its what God does with your life as He sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy (TM).

Romans 15:13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (NASB).

Appendix: A Big Dose of Joy

Romans 15:13Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope (TM).

Romans 15:13and the God of the hope shall fill you with all joy and peace in the believing, for your abounding in the hope in power of the Holy Spirit (YLT).

Psalms 51:12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit (NASB).