7 Prayers for a Joyful Life

　　We are living in a loneliness epidemic. More connected to each other than ever, the word ‘self’ has been put in front of everything. Yet, we are our best ‘selves’ when we are not focused on …ourselves! We were never meant to live focused on ourselves. We were built for genuine connection with God and each other through Christ, which brings impermeable joy into our lives! It doesn’t revolve around our ‘happiness’ or ourselves.’

　　When we walk through life with Him, joy is permanent. It sustains us when our hearts break, we are sick, lose someone we love, have been betrayed, or diagnosed. Joy is the steady voice of wisdom reminding us of who and Whose we are. Joy is the ability to see layers in the sunrise we’ve never noticed before, empathize with a friend who has been overlooked, embrace a new season with adventure instead of dread … look deep into the sky, and know wholly that God is good, faithful, and at work.

　　Joy happens when faith becomes a personal relationship with the Savior of the World, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit living in us. It is the opposite of “self.” To truly embrace and honor who we are and our purpose and unique gifts, we need to look beyond ourselves. These seven prayers for self-love help us refocus on God and each other through Jesus.