What has happened to all your joy?

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. … Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! … Giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his people in the kingdom of light.

Ga 4:15; Pi 1:4-6; 1Th 1:6, 1Th 5:16-19; Ep 5:18-20; Pi 2:1-2; Pi 4:4, Co 1:12

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV.®             Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®                                                            Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.