When the pursuit of happiness is a driving force in your day, these prayers for happiness and true joy can help reconnect you to the true source of eternal joy!
We all want to “feel” happy and escape the intense feelings of sadness or pain inflicted on us by our struggles. If we are not careful, we can habitually use external “band-aids” to cover up our pain in the form of addictions.
Addictions are on the rise as people seek to numb their pain with anything that will give them the feeling of temporary happiness. While those addictions only temporarily relieve the pain, it will soon return, often more intense than before. Addictions are simply external “band-aids” that do not address the internal battle.
True happiness isn’t found in God giving us whatever we want, whenever we want it. It is not found in an easy life. God has more for you than external, material gifts to put a band-aid on your struggles.
How do we find true happiness and joy in our lives? How do we find happiness that lasts rather than just masking the pain?
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What does it mean to have true happiness and joy?
True happiness and joy last, despite your circumstances. Someone celebrating your birthday can help you feel temporarily happy, or that funny sitcom can fill you with momentary happiness, but those are external circumstances, and once they end, whatever grief or pain you are feeling will return.
Many believe making more money will build lasting happiness, but those who have money do not always feel happy as money and material wealth have become more of an addiction than a solution.
Happiness that lasts can only come from a relationship with God. While we may try other ways to find happiness, none of it is eternal.
Also Read: The Joy of the Lord: 30 Uplifting Bible Verses about Joy
Does God want you to be truly happy?
Nowhere in the Bible does God say that happiness is his number one priority for us. We were created to have a relationship with God, not to find our happiness in external circumstances. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were created for a relationship with God.
When they sinned, that relationship was severed. Jesus came to take the punishment for our sin and to restore our relationship with God. Happiness comes as a result of our restored relationship with Christ.
Finding joy in the resurrection
When Mary Magdalene and the other women met the angel at the empty tomb and were told that Jesus wasn’t there, Matthew 28:8 ESV says,
“So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”
They were fearful but still had great joy. The fear of seeing an angel and the empty tomb (outside circumstances) did not affect their level of internal joy. Your struggles may be very painful, but you can still find joy as you cling to your relationship with the Lord.
Happiness is a result of a relationship with the Lord
It is easy for others to take scripture from the Bible out of context to prove that God wants them to be happy. One such scripture is Psalm 37:4 ESV,
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Taking this verse out of context leads readers to believe that God will give you whatever you want – whatever makes you happy. The verses David writes surrounding verse four give us a deeper look into its meaning. They are about building a relationship with the Lord.
Psalm 37:3-7 ESV states,
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”
When we trust in the Lord, delight in the Lord, commit our ways to the Lord, and be still before the Lord, His desires for us come through our relationship with him, and we only desire what He desires for us. God wants us to be happy, but only through a relationship with him can we be truly happy.
How can we pray for happiness and joy?
Jesus addresses happiness in his Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:3-12, he shares a group of verses called “The Beatitudes.” Each of these verses begins with the word “blessed,” which means a permanent state of great happiness, and follows with what types of internal character produce “a permanent state of great happiness.”
In other words, you will have lasting happiness if you have this character trait. The Good News Translation uses the words “True Happiness” instead of “Beatitudes” and the word “Happy” at the beginning of each of the verses.
In Jesus’ time, the Jews were used to hearing the Pharisees in the synagogues preach about restrictions and laws they were to follow to have a happy life. They believed that by following all of these laws, the promised Messiah would come and they would inherit God’s kingdom.
Jesus’ sermon flipped their thinking. It wasn’t a set of laws they had to follow, but a type of character they had to build. We can use the Beatitudes to form prayers for happiness and joy that is lasting.
8 Daily Prayers for happiness and joy
A restored relationship with God is the pathway to lasting happiness and joy. Praying through the Beatitudes helps build our character and helps us have happiness despite our external circumstances.
“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!” Matthew 5:3 GNT
Father God,
Help me to be aware of my need for you and know that, no matter my circumstances, I can find my greatest happiness in my relationship with you. Thank you for the promise of the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen
“Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!” Matthew 5:4 GNT
Father God,
Help me see my sin and my great need for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Thank you for being my comfort as I recognize my sin. Thank you for the joy of restoring my relationship with you. Amen
“Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised!” Matthew 5:5 GNT
Father God,
Help me lay aside any impulsive nature and give me self-control so that I may have peaceful relationships with others and joy in all areas of my life. Thank you for the promise of all you desire for me. Amen
“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!” Matthew 5:6 GNT
Father God,
Help me set aside my desire for material possessions and hunger and thirst for your will in my life. Thank you for the promise of satisfying me abundantly. Amen
“Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them!” Matthew 5:7 GNT
Father God,
Thank you for your undeserving mercy and for forgiving me of my sin. Help me to extend the same mercy to others when they sin against me. Thank you for the promise of your mercy. Amen
“Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God!” Matthew 5:8 GNT
Father God,
Give me a clean heart, free of pride, discontent, and anger. Help me see temptations that may cause my heart to be unclean and cloud my ability to see you working in my life. Amen
“Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children!” Matthew 5:9 GNT
Father God,
Help me pursue peace as I interact with others, and help me set boundaries with those who do not live in peace. Help me recognize areas of my life or choices I make that do not help me live in peace. Thank you for calling me your child. Help me to live my life as a reflection of that. Amen
“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!” Matthew 5:10 GNT
Father God,
I know that this life will not always be easy. Thank you for helping me stand firm in my faith and continue to do your will. Thank you for the promise of living in your presence in a restored relationship with you. Amen
Restoring the relationship
Lasting happiness and joy are only found in a restored relationship with God. When you acknowledge your sin and put your faith in God, you are working toward that relationship. If you have never professed your faith in God or feel like you need to renew your faith, you can pray this prayer:
Father God,
Forgive me for seeking happiness everywhere except in a relationship with you. I know I am a sinner, and my sin has broken the relationship. I believe you sent your son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins and help me restore my relationship with you. Fill me with your eternal happiness and joy. Amen
If you have prayed this prayer, you have now been restored. God’s mercy is so great that just confessing your faith in him is all it takes to have a relationship with him. Jesus says in John 14:6 ESV “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Welcome home to the Father. Your next step is to tell a Bible believing friend about your new/restored relationship and/or find a Bible-teaching church to help you grow in your relationship with God. You will find more happiness than you ever imagined possible.
Written by: Leah Lively
Leah Lively was born and raised in Virginia. As a mom of four, she has waded through the waters of parenting a child with chronic physical and mental health issues. Leah is passionate about helping others focus on God while walking through the chaos of life. Leah writes to encourage others and grow in their faith. She writes to let other parents know they are not alone. She shares her writing on her blog and social media pages and has also published four Bible studies. In her spare time, Leah enjoys listening to podcasts, hanging out with her kids, settling down with a good book and a cup of coffee, or spending time with friends.