Dave and I reached that point in the area of prosperity. We had come from the point of having practically nothing to entering into a realm of at least not being concerned about how we were going to pay our bills. God was beginning to bless us. But I knew that God had so much more for us.
God wants to bless us so much. He wants us to live in nice homes, drive nice cars and be able to wear nice clothes. We are His children and He wants to take good care of us. Unbelievers should not have all the nice things while believers live on "barely-get-along" street.
There are certain things we do that bring prosperity because they set Bible principles into operation. When we give because we love the Lord and we want the gospel to go forth, we will receive (Luke 6:38).
When we tithe, God rebukes the devourer for our sake (Malachi 3:10-11).
Dave and I were experiencing the kind of prosperity that results from giving and tithing, but because I sensed in my spirit it was time to go on into another level, I asked the Lord to show me what was blocking it.
One of the things the Lord ministered to me was that joy is part of our receptacle to receive things from Him. Not showing outward joy in our life blocks prosperity from coming to us.
If the joy of the Lord is inside, but you don't smile and show forth the brightness of it, you'll look like a sourpuss. From a natural standpoint, how people see you has a great deal to do with their willingness toward you in many areas.
People don't usually want to bless or help someone do something who looks like he might bite their head off because he looks so serious!
Every one of us knows how to smile. It's one of the greatest gifts God has given us. A smile makes people feel good, and people look so beautiful when they smile.
I would never have thought smiling was such a serious matter, but God spent several months trying to get this point across to me. Many times when God tries to tell us something and we don't heed it, we get ourselves in a mess before we realize how serious it is.
Expressing joy through the calm delight of smiling will bring good things into your life besides showing forth the light of Jesus to others.
In the Bible the Lord told His people to rejoice when they faced their enemies. He told them to rejoice when they went into battle or when it looked as though they were going to die.
He told them to rejoice no matter what—to sing, to praise with a loud voice (2 Chron. 20).
When we are going through difficult times, we are to consider them wholly joyful. The King James Version says that we are to "count it all joy" (See James 1:1-5).
God spoke to my heart, most people really, truly do not understand how expressing joy will change their circumstances. Operating in the joy of the Lord will chase off circumstances that are not godly because they are full of the devil.
The devil can't stand God's joy, so if we operate in that joy, the devil and the circumstances will move out of the way.
Releasing the spirit of joy in the morning stops the circumstances Satan is setting up before they ever get started that day.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers