SAT, 20TH JUNE, 2026 - JOY AS EMPOWERMENT

𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄
𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋
SAT, 20TH JUNE, 2026

𝕋𝕆ℙ𝕀ℂ:
JOY AS EMPOWERMENT

𝔹𝕀𝔹𝕃𝔼 𝕀ℕ 𝕆ℕ𝔼 𝕐𝔼𝔸ℝ:

Psalms 33 - 35; Romans 14 - 15

𝔽𝕀ℝ𝔼 𝕊ℂℝ𝕀ℙ𝕋𝕌ℝ𝔼:
Nehemiah 8:1-10

[1] Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 
[2] So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 
[3] Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 
[4] So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 
[5] And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 
[6] And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 
[7] Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 
[8] So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. 
[9] And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 
[10] Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

𝕄𝔼𝕄𝕆ℝ𝕐 𝕍𝔼ℝ𝕊𝔼:
Nehemiah 8:10

… the joy of the Lord is your strength.

𝕄𝕆𝕋𝕀𝕍𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ𝔸𝕃 ℚ𝕌𝕆𝕋𝔼𝕊:

Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life!

ℙℝ𝕆ℙℍ𝔼𝕋𝕀ℂ 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝔻 𝔽𝕆ℝ 𝕋𝕆𝔻𝔸𝕐:

Every enemy of your peace of mind shall die, in the name of Jesus.

ℙℝ𝔸𝕀𝕊𝔼 & 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕊ℍ𝕀ℙ

Take praise and worship songs as led by the Holy Spirit.

MFM Daily Devotional Message Saturday, 20th June, 2026.
Joy is not just a feeling; it is the spiritual strength that empowers us to endure life’s challenges. Even when circumstances are hard, God’s joy is a source of inner strength. The people of Israel heard the reading of the law and were convicted of their sin. But Nehemiah encouraged them to celebrate, saying that their joy in the Lord would give them the strength they needed. It is often said that happiness is a choice. Sometimes, we have to actively choose joy.

The Bible emphatically says we should rejoice in the Lord always in Philippians 4: 4. This means remembering the faithfulness of God all the time, focusing on His goodness, and choosing to praise Him even in tough moments. If there is anything in our lives that is sapping our strength or draining our energy, we need to go to God for the strength to face that challenge with perseverance.

The joy of the Lord is the staying power that keeps us afloat until we are fully established. For example, hard times are not palatable, but we must pass through them. To overcome, we need to persevere, and one way we can remain strong and not give up is by ensuring that we are joyful always. Hopelessness and despair, if not quickly addressed, can lead to unholy alternatives, which can lead to death and destruction.

Lack of joy has dire consequences both spiritually and physically. When there is no joy in a person’s life due to unmet expectations or desires, lack of positive results in his or her endeavours, there will be frustrations on which the devil can stand to unleash his terror on such a person but with the joy of the Lord, which does not depend solely on positive outcomes, the devil understands that you don’t have his time, and he is beneath your feet.

MFM Daily Prayer Points 20th June, 2026
𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

1. O Lord, give me the joy to shame the devil, in the name of Jesus.

2. Holy Spirit, make me strong in the Lord, in the name of Jesus.

3. Any power attacking my joy shall go down, in the name of Jesus.

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

4. Any power assigned to trouble me, die, in the name of Jesus.

5. The joy of the Lord, overshadow my life, in the name of Jesus.

6. Peace of God that passes all understanding, fill my heart, in the name of Jesus.

7. Every enemy of my peace, die by fire, in the name of Jesus.

©2026 𝙈𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏𝘼𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙊𝙋 𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘳. 𝘋.𝘒 𝘖𝘭𝘶𝘬𝘰𝘺𝘢 (𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘳, 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦)