"Replace sin with Christ. Replace lies with truth. Declare what is true of you in Christ. Declare what is not true. Meditate and pray over key passages of God’s word. Ask God for more faith and more of him!"
And then let the honey set with some sweet words on 'the joy of the Lord' from Marcus at Digital H20, including these great questions for discipleship:
1. What are your Christian disciplines (for want of a better word) like? Are you enjoying the word and praying? If not, what is the block?
2. What is your worship life like? Do you ever diarise regular time to adore God and his Christ?
3. Is the reason for perceived lack of Christian joy spiritual, or is it possibly medical? Or circumstantial? When someone feels they have to "work it up" but their circumstances are difficult or they are struggling with depression it can just feel like a demand to climb an unclimbable mountain
4. Is the person rehearsing to himself what the Lord has done. Ps 103 is a good place to look for an example of someone feeling unjoyful who does that
5. Is the person reflecting on the promises of God to him and the benefits that Christ provides - adoption, forgiveness, new heart, new home in Heaven, the Holy Spirit, etc, etc
6. Is the person sticking at it, or is there a danger of assuming there are quick fixes and that getting to joy shouldn't be a fight? I recommend John Piper's book "When I don't Desire God - How to Fight for Joy"
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