Choosing Joy and Embracing Healing Through Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Joy is a Choice and a Key to Drawing from Salvation

Joy is not just an emotion but a spiritual force that believers can activate by choosing to praise and magnify the Lord, even in the midst of heaviness or trouble. When you feel down or under attack, shouting praises and declaring God's goodness stirs up joy within you, enabling you to draw from the full supply of salvation—healing, deliverance, and wholeness—that Christ has already provided. The kingdom of God is within you, and its evidence is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Make Jesus the biggest thing in your life by continually magnifying Him above your problems, and watch as joy rises up and changes your perspective. [23:11]

Psalm 35:27 (ESV)
"Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, 'Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!'"

Reflection: When you feel heaviness or discouragement today, will you choose to praise God out loud and magnify Him above your problems, trusting that joy will begin to rise within you?

Day 2: God’s Word Heals and Delivers from All Destruction

God’s desire is not for you to remain in sickness or distress, but to experience His healing and deliverance. When you turn to the Lord and His Word, especially in times of trouble, He sends His Word to heal and rescue you from destruction. Don’t wait for a crisis to build your faith—stay turned toward God, keeping your heart open to receive from Him at all times. His Word is alive and full of power, and as you meditate on it, faith rises to receive the healing and freedom Jesus has already purchased for you. [34:00]

Psalm 107:19-20 (ESV)
"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need God’s healing or deliverance? Will you intentionally turn to His Word today and speak it over that situation?

Day 3: Jesus Has Already Purchased Your Healing

Jesus bore your sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses on the cross, and by His stripes you are healed—spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Healing is not something you have to strive for or hope to receive someday; it is already accomplished through Christ’s finished work. Just as you would claim something already purchased for you, boldly declare that you are the healed of the Lord, regardless of what symptoms or circumstances say. Your confession and faith in what Jesus has done positions you to receive and walk in the healing He has provided. [47:43]

Isaiah 53:4-5 (ESV)
"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

Reflection: What symptoms, weaknesses, or anxieties have you been carrying? Will you speak out loud today that Jesus has already borne them for you and declare, “I am healed by His stripes”?

Day 4: What You Confess and Focus On Rules Your Life

The words you speak and the thoughts you dwell on shape your inner life and determine what you experience. If you focus more on your symptoms, problems, or negative reports than on God’s Word, you plant seeds of doubt and reap a harvest of fear and defeat. But when you fill your heart and mouth with God’s promises, faith grows, and you take possession of your healing and victory. Make it a habit to speak God’s Word over your body, mind, and circumstances, and let your confession align with what Jesus has already accomplished for you. [55:46]

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

Reflection: What is one negative confession or thought pattern you need to replace with God’s truth today? Will you choose to speak life and healing over yourself instead?

Day 5: Boldly Receive and Declare Your Healing in Christ

Receiving healing is not about passively waiting but about boldly reaching out in faith, declaring that Jesus is your healer and you are the healed. Whether you need healing in your body, mind, or emotions, begin to speak directly to those areas, commanding them to align with God’s Word. Don’t tolerate sickness, weakness, or distress—tell your body, your mind, and your circumstances that Jesus has already purchased your wholeness. As you confess and receive by faith, expect the anointing of the Holy Spirit to work in you, bringing restoration and renewal beyond what you could imagine. [01:09:21]

Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV)
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."

Reflection: What specific area of your life needs to experience God’s healing and renewal? Will you boldly speak God’s promises over it today and thank Him that you are the healed of the Lord?

Sermon Summary

Today, we celebrated the goodness and enduring mercy of the Lord, reminding ourselves that joy is not just an emotion but a spiritual force that draws from the well of salvation. Joy is a choice, a determination of the heart, and it is one of the defining characteristics of the kingdom of God within us—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. When heaviness or trouble comes, we don’t magnify our problems; we magnify Jesus, making Him the biggest thing in our lives. As we do, we draw from the supply of healing, deliverance, and wholeness that Christ has already purchased for us.

We honored Weston’s graduation and reflected on the importance of raising our children in faith, knowing that a day comes when they must stand on their own faith. We then turned our attention to the subject of healing, declaring that it is not God’s plan for us to tolerate sickness or infirmity. When we receive Christ, we enter a new family where righteousness, peace, joy, faith, and victory are our inheritance. The Word tells us that when we cry out to the Lord in trouble, He saves and delivers us, and He sent His Word to heal us and deliver us from destruction.

Healing is not a rare exception but the will of God for every believer. Jesus is the healer, and faith is the hand that reaches out to receive what He has already provided. The story of the woman with the issue of blood shows us that anyone can make a demand on Jesus’ healing power by faith. Just as the Israelites looked to the bronze serpent and were healed, we look to Jesus, who became sin for us so that we could become the righteousness of God and receive healing in every area—spirit, soul, and body.

We must be careful what we magnify and what we confess. Our confession rules us, and what we focus on will dominate our lives. If we fill our hearts and mouths with the Word of God, faith will rise, and we will take possession of our healing. Healing is not something we are trying to get; it is something Jesus has already purchased. We simply receive it by faith, declare it over our lives, and refuse to let symptoms or circumstances dictate our reality. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is present to heal, restore, and renew, and as we lay hands, speak the Word, and give thanks, we walk in the fullness of what Christ has done.

Key Takeaways

1. Joy is a spiritual force that draws from the well of salvation. When heaviness or depression tries to settle in, choosing to shout praises and magnify Jesus causes joy to rise up and changes the atmosphere of your heart. Joy is not just a feeling but a weapon and a supply line for everything Christ has provided. [20:25]
2. The kingdom of God is within us, and its evidence is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. When we make Jesus the biggest thing in our lives, we shift our focus from problems to the One who takes pleasure in our prosperity and wholeness. What we magnify becomes the dominant reality in our lives. [22:14]
3. Healing is not a rare exception or a distant hope; it is the will of God for every believer. Jesus became sin and bore our sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses so that we could be made whole. The finished work of Christ means we are not trying to get healed—we are the healed, and symptoms are the lie, not the truth. [40:45]
4. Our confession and focus determine the harvest we receive. If we fill our hearts and mouths with the Word of God concerning healing, faith will rise and we will take possession of what Christ has already purchased. But if we focus on symptoms, reports, or doubts, we sow seeds of unbelief and reap a harvest of defeat. [54:57]
5. Faith is the hand that receives from God, and it is built by hearing and declaring the Word. We must develop a lifestyle of speaking God’s promises, not just in crisis but every day, so that when challenges come, our hearts are established. Healing is received first in the spirit, then manifested in the body, and we must boldly declare, “Jesus is the healer, I am the healed.” [61:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[20:25] - The Power of Joy and Praise
[22:14] - The Kingdom Within: Righteousness, Peace, and Joy
[23:11] - Continually Magnifying the Lord
[24:15] - Offering and Acknowledging God as Source
[26:13] - Honoring Weston’s Graduation and Testimony
[27:36] - The Importance of Raising Children in Faith
[30:35] - Dismissing Kids and Introducing Healing
[31:44] - God’s Will: Healing and Wholeness
[32:50] - Turning to the Lord in Trouble
[34:00] - He Sent His Word and Healed Them
[35:39] - Jesus the Healer: The Woman with the Issue of Blood
[39:59] - The Bronze Serpent: Christ Became Sin for Us
[42:01] - Whose Report Will You Believe?
[45:01] - Boldness to Speak the Word
[46:13] - Surely He Has Borne Our Griefs
[54:57] - The Power of Confession and Focus
[57:26] - Sowing the Right Seed for Healing
[59:43] - What is Faith?
[61:36] - Receiving Healing: It Is Finished
[64:16] - Testimony of Healing from Cancer
[69:21] - Speaking to Your Body and Refusing to Tolerate Sickness
[70:12] - Bless the Lord, O My Soul: Remembering His Benefits
[74:32] - Receiving Healing by Faith and Laying on of Hands
[78:22] - Ministry Time: Healing and the Anointing
[82:32] - Praying for the Children
[85:24] - Declaring Recovery and Restoration
[88:51] - Final Blessing and Dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 107:19-20 — “Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

- Isaiah 53:4-5
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

- Romans 14:17
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Observation Questions

According to Psalm 107:19-20, what does God do when people cry out to Him in trouble?
In Isaiah 53:4-5, what specific things did Jesus bear for us, and what is the result for us?
The sermon said, “Joy is a spiritual force that draws from the well of salvation.” What does Psalm 35:27 say about joy and what we should do with it? [[20:25]]
What are the three characteristics that Romans 14:17 says are evidence of the kingdom of God within us?

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says, “Healing is not a rare exception but the will of God for every believer.” How does Isaiah 53:4-5 support this claim? [[46:13]]
Why is it important, according to the sermon, to magnify Jesus instead of our problems? What happens when we focus on our problems instead? [[23:11]]
The story of the woman with the issue of blood was used as an example. What does her story teach us about faith and receiving from Jesus? [[35:39]]
The pastor said, “Our confession rules us.” What does this mean, and how does it relate to receiving healing or any promise from God? [[54:57]]

Application Questions

The sermon taught that joy is a choice and a weapon. When you feel heaviness or discouragement, what is one practical way you can choose joy and praise this week? [[20:25]]
The pastor said, “What you magnify becomes the biggest thing in your life.” Is there a problem or worry you’ve been magnifying lately? What would it look like to make Jesus the biggest thing in that area instead? [[23:11]]
The message emphasized that healing is already purchased by Jesus, and we receive it by faith. Is there an area in your life—physical, emotional, or spiritual—where you need to start declaring God’s Word instead of your symptoms or circumstances? What specific scripture could you begin to speak over that area? [[47:43]]
The pastor shared a testimony about someone who kept speaking God’s Word even when symptoms were present. Have you ever experienced a time when you had to keep believing God’s promise despite what you saw or felt? What helped you keep going? [[01:05:15]]
The sermon said, “Faith is the hand that receives from God, and it is built by hearing and declaring the Word.” What is one way you can build a daily habit of speaking God’s promises over your life, not just in crisis but every day? [[01:06:11]]
The pastor encouraged speaking directly to your body or situation (“Tell your kidney about how Jesus is the healer…”). Is there a specific area in your life where you need to start speaking life and healing? What would you say? [[01:08:37]]
The message talked about raising children in faith and the importance of them having their own faith. If you have children or influence over young people, what is one thing you can do this week to help them build their own faith in God? [[27:36]]

Sermon Clips

If you have a joy deficit, you start to shout praises to the Lord. You start to say, praise God, glory, hallelujah. You will not stay depressed. You will not stay sad. But joy will start to rise up on the inside of you. My Bible says, for with joy shall they draw waters out of the wells of salvation, right? And so listen, there is a supply that already exists because of salvation that is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ, which is more than just being born again. But that means totally being healed, delivered, set free, the wholeness of everything Christ has done for us and won for us. [00:20:34]

It's important to have your family in church. It's important to raise your kids in church because there will come a time where the enemy will try to take your kids out, and so you got to have faith. Your kids got to have their own faith because there comes a day where they cannot live by your faith. I'm going to say that again. There comes a day where they cannot live by your faith. They have to live by their own faith, right. [00:29:28]

I want to talk to you this morning about the subject of healing because it is not God's plan for you to stay sick. It is not God's plan for you to tolerate an infirmity. And so, you can walk free of it. Don't care what it is. Don't care if it's ran in your family for 100 years, right? Some people are like, well, you know, the diabetes just runs in my family. You know, Uncle Fred had it. Uncle Fred's hunting dogs had it. It just runs. It just runs in the family. Well, I have good news. When you receive Christ, come on, you come into a new family. [00:31:29]

So when you do experience trouble in life, it's a good time to turn to the Lord. But I mentioned this Wednesday night. We've been doing a series on Wednesday nights talking about the spirit of faith. And if you haven't seen those or heard those, go back and catch those. They'll really help you. But we talked about you do not want to wait until the storm is on to start trying to build your house. Right? You want to start building your house now, preparing yourself now. So don't just turn to the Lord in times of trouble. Stay here. [00:33:03]

He sent his what? His word. And he healed them and delivered them from their destructions. And so when people get in trouble, sometimes they feel like, well, maybe I did this or I did that and I'm in trouble because of what I've done or what's gone on in my life. But listen, you need to turn yourself to the Lord and allow his mercies to work in your life. Keep your faith in him because he is a very present help in the time of trouble, in the time of need. [00:34:24]

One of the greatest hindrances that people seem to have concerning healing and walking in health that comes from the Lord is they feel that God does not want to heal in every situation or in every case. But that is not true. Jesus, say this with me, is, well, say this with me, say Jesus is the healer. Jesus is the healer. [00:35:17]

Everybody in that crowd had the same opportunity to touch Jesus in faith and receive their healing. She did not only get healed because we were dealing with Jesus, and so he performed some deity trick. He didn't even know she was there. She pressed in and reached out with faith, and through reaching out with faith, she made contact with the healing anointing that was present in Jesus. [00:38:38]

He became sin for me. Are you listening to me? The reason sickness is in this world is because sin entered into the garden, entered into humanity, entered into the scene, right, through sin. Again, sickness and disease came into being. So what did Jesus become? Why is it that serpent on that pole? He became, while he was on that cross, he became sin for me so that I could become the righteousness of God in Christ. By his stripes that he shed, what was he doing? He was healing me completely, entirely, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. [00:40:39]

Who hath believed our report? You can stop there and camp a minute. That possessive pronoun, by the way, if you don't remember that possessive pronoun there is the word our. That's the possessive pronoun that indicates that there is a report that belongs to us. But then there are those that do not. So it says, who has believed our report? That's why we sing that, you know, we got that song out there in the Christian world, right? Whose report? Well, you believe we shall believe the report of the Lord. [00:42:36]

You need to get bold about the word of God, and you need to get bold about the declaration of God's word, not only to others, but to the enemy, and also over your own life. You need boldness to speak the word to every situation, to every circumstance, to every symptom that begins to crop up in your life. [00:44:30]

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes, we are what? Healed. We are. We are. Praise the Lord. [00:46:36]

If I were, then I is. And if I is, then I am. I'm not trying to be healed. I'm not trying to get healed. Jesus has already purchased it. Jesus has already won it. Jesus has already shed his blood. He does not have to shed it again. He does not have to die again. My health, my healing is—He sent his word. [00:47:53]

Why are you trying to carry that sickness? Why are you trying to keep hold of that weakness? Well, you need to be like the apostle Paul when he was shipwrecked on an island and that viper jumped out to fire he said I ain't got time for that and shook it off. Well, you need to begin to shake that sickness off, you need to begin to shake that disease off, you need to begin to shake that depression, that stress, that anxiety off because Jesus has already born that. Why are you trying to carry it? [00:50:48]

You need to start telling your body, come on, you need to start telling that sickness, you need to start telling that disease, come on, you need to start telling that stress, that anxiety, that depression that tries to come against your mind, you need to start telling it Jesus already purchased my redemption from you, Jesus already purchased my deliverance from you, come on, Jesus has already purchased my healing for me, I'm gonna put it in the trunk right now. [00:54:11]

A spiritual law that few recognize is that our confession rules us. It is what we confess with our lips that really dominates our inner being. Why is that important? Because that's where you're going to receive your healing first. You're going to take possession in the Spirit. You're going to take ownership in the Spirit. And out of there, all the issues of life flow. All the issues of life spring up from there. [00:55:27]

When your eyes are upon your symptoms and your mind is occupied with them more than with God's Word, then you have in the ground the wrong kind of seed for the harvest that you desire. That's kind of what I was talking about earlier. You can't be studying WebMD more than you are His Word concerning healing. You can't spend your time looking at the symptom and all their information about the symptoms more than you are studying how He's healed you. [00:56:25]

So what do we got to do concerning health, concerning healing? Get over into the Word. What does the Word say? Well, the Word says that He sent His Word, and He healed me, and He delivered me from all my destruction. The Word says that He has shed His blood. He has taken my place. Come on. By His stripes, I am healed. That He has surely already borne my sicknesses, my weaknesses, and my distresses. He has carried them in His own body. Therefore, I do not have to carry them in my own body, in my own mind, or in my own life. [00:58:50]

Faith is the opposite of doubt. Faith is the opposite of unbelief. Are you listening to me? And we know that faith, according to Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1, is the substantial evidence, come on, that we have the title deed to what God has said in his word, even before we see it in our life. [01:00:36]

I'm not trying to get healed. If he already purchased it, if he already got it for me, then it's done. Then it's done. I'm not trying to get healed. I am healed. Come on, I'm not trying to get healed. I am healed. The symptoms are the lie. God's word is the truth. [01:01:48]

Bless the Lord, oh, my soul. So what's the psalmist doing? He's talking to himself. Where does doubt and unbelief try to register? In your own mind. In your own soul. So what are you going to have to do? You're going to have to cast that out of your own mind. You're going to have to uproot that, pull that out of your own mind. [01:10:12]

Bless the Lord, oh, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. You know that sometimes your soul tries to forget. He tries to forget all of his benefits. We're going to pray for people here in just a second. Bless the Lord, oh, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Go to the next one. What are the benefits? He forgives all thine iniquities. Thank you, Jesus. He healeth all, A-double-L, all thy diseases. He doesn't leave one of them out. Who healeth all thy diseases. [01:11:45]

So now, you can start. So now, what's happened? The Word has come, right? Your faith has rose. Your attention has turned back to the Lord Jesus Christ. Turned his piano down. Your faith and your attention has come back to the Lord Jesus Christ. What do you do and do now? I can receive my healing. [01:14:12]

Jesus is the author. Jesus is the finisher of your faith. Jesus is the healer. I'm not the healer. Jesus is the healer. I'm not the miracle worker. Jesus is the miracle worker. So begin to open your mouth now and begin to declare, come on, I believe that when the man of God, open your mouth, begin to speak now. I believe that when the man of God lays his hands on me, health and healing is coming into my body. Health and healing is coming into my mind. Begin to open your mouth now and say, because I'm coming by in a second. I'm not calling you to me. I'm coming to you right now. Come on. Jesus is the healer. I receive my healing. [01:15:23]

You're not trying to get it. You're not hoping to get it. You just got it. You've already got it. Jesus already did it. Hallelujah. Thank you sir. I want to begin to offer up. Offerings of thanksgiving right now. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. You are the healer. I am. I am the healed, you are the healer, I am the healed, hallelujah, you are the healer, I am the healed, I am the healed of the Lord, hallelujah, hallelujah, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. He is the healer. I am the healed. Jesus is the healer. I am the healed. [01:22:12]

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