3 Ways to Focus on the Joy of Easter All Year

Joy. It’s a word featured throughout Easter Sunday. Pastors preach on it. Worship leaders sing about it. Even the bright colors we wear express it. Yet, sometimes, when Monday after Easter rolls around and we begin trudging through the weeks (and months) ahead, we lose sight of Him. But guess what? The joy felt on Easter Sunday isn’t reserved for Easter Sunday. The grave is still empty.

No matter what day your calendar says it is, the stone is still rolled away. The grave is still empty. Jesus is still risen. God doesn’t limit the joy found in the resurrection to one day. It’s meant for our everyday living. However, some days, connecting with the joy found in this truth can be more challenging than others. If you’re struggling today, try shifting your focus in these 3 ways.

1. Focus on who God is.

John 10:10 warns us, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” And, as Christians, he sometimes does this by distracting our thoughts away from God and getting us to feel overwhelmed by the storms around us. When that happens, we can start to sink, just like Peter did when he took his eyes off Jesus.

If you want to stop living your life from a place of stress and start walking in the joy of the empty tomb, try focusing on who the Lord is. God’s names reveal His character and can help you recenter your thoughts on Him. Look at some of the names of God from the Old Testament. Say them out loud. Don’t worry about mispronouncing them. It’s okay.

• El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)
• El Elyon (The Most High God)
• Adonai (Lord, Master)
• Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)
• Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)
• Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)
• Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
• Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
• Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)
• Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)
• El Olam (The Everlasting God)
• Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)
• Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)
• Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

2. Focus on what He says about you.

God sent Jesus to die on the cross because He loves us. It wasn’t because of anything that we did. However, because of His sacrifice, we are at peace with God. Jesus fully restored our relationship with the Father. When you feel your joy waver, focus on what God says about you. Your identity is found in Him, not in the world.

• God loves you. – John 3:16
• He knows you inside and out. – Psalm 139:1-4
• He cares about you. – 1 Peter 5:7
• He thinks about you. – Psalm 139:17
• God is always with you. – Psalm 118:6
• He knows your name. – Isaiah 43:1
• He will never leave you. – Deuteronomy 31:6
• God will hold your hand when you’re afraid. – Isaiah 41:13
• He is your safe space. – Psalm 119:114
• He chooses you. – Ephesians 1:4
• He forgives you. – Ephesians 1:7
• He reconciles with you through Christ. – Colossians 1:21-22
• He calls you His child. – 1 John 3:1

3. Focus your mind by praying with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayers don’t need to be complicated or use big words. They can be simple. Honest. Raw. In the moment and of the moment. Somehow, some of us carry a false notion that only certain people are prayer warriors. Or the prayers of one person carry more weight than another with God. But the truth is we are all warriors because the power of the Holy Spirit lives within us. Before His arrest, Jesus told His disciples in John 14:16 that He would ask the Father to “give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” He was talking about the Holy Spirit, who lives inside every believer.

When you pray, you pray with the power of the Holy Spirit. After we put on the armor of God that Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10-17, verse 18 reads: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

So, take one of these today. Be the warrior that you already are. And remember: If God powered David’s small stone to slay a giant in battle, imagine what He can do to the mountain you face with a small prayer you sling towards heaven. He will give you the words when you don’t know what to say. Be the warrior that you already are. Pick one of these (or all of these) and sling them up towards heaven.

• Thank You.
• I love You.
• I need You.
• I’m lost.
• I have doubts.
• I’m confused.
• I can’t do this without You.
• I messed up.
• I messed up again.
• I’m sorry.
• The sunset is beautiful.
• You amaze me.
• Help me.
• Hold me.
• What do I do?
• What now?
• Heal her.
• Stop this.
• Help us.
• Change this.
• Show me.
• Teach me.
• I don’t understand.
• I trust You.
• I’m struggling to trust You.
• I’m scared.
• Why?
• Why me?
• Why not me?
• Lead me.
• Quiet me.
• Free me.
• I don’t know what to say.
• I’m hurting.
• I’m angry.
• I’m thankful.
• I’m Yours.
• You are mine.
• I receive Your joy!