Listen:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2 NIV)
Reflect:
In my personal diary and daily prayer of 1st of September 2025 I wrote:
“Dear God, I don’t want to be just ‘good’. I long to be someone who forgives and endures every circumstance with patience, even when it feels difficult.”
He has already answered this prayer by placing me in situations that challenged me. At first, I questioned why I had to deal with people who misunderstand or underestimate me. Obviously, I forgot my prayer, but He lovingly reminded me that these very trials are His way of shaping me. Through them, He has been teaching me the meaning of pure joy, not just a joy but a pure one which has become my greatest strength. When I choose forgiveness and thankfulness for His love and righteousness, He pours out His peace, joy, and love into my heart. That transformation is undeniable. He opened my eyes, turning my worries into joy. I began praying for those very people I mentioned, and then He filled me with words of blessing for them in the mighty name of Jesus.
Challenges produce perseverance, which builds character, and character leads to hope. And hope never disappoints, because His pure joy has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Prayer of Response:
Dear Father, thank you for giving us Your pure joy which gives us strength for any circumstance we might face. May we learn from You, Your word, and Your people to build one another up in the joy of the Lord for Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen!
Breath Prayers:
Join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale(Breathe in): Joy to the world
Exhale(Breathe out): the Lord has come!
Inhale(Breathe in): The Joy of the Lord
Exhale(Breathe out): is my strength.
—Submitted by: Michka Gantulga
My name is Michka, short for Munkhtsetseg Gantulga. A proud graduate of LSM Mongolia, I am an ordinary person with an extraordinary purpose—a chosen one and a daughter of the Almighty Father God.