50 Inspiring Bible Verses on Joy to Feed Your Soul
Everyone wants to experience joy, but many don’t know where to find it. Fortunately, scripture provides countless verses that can help you find joy regardless of your circumstances. Here are 50 of the most encouraging and uplifting Bible verses about joy—reading them will encourage you no matter how difficult your circumstances are!
Joy in the Lord
One of the most powerful ways to find joy in the Lord is through prayer and worship. The Bible instructs us to "Rejoice in the Lord." As we praise God in worship our hearts are filled with joy. As you worship God, ask God to fill you with His Spirit.
Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
John 16:24
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.
Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Psalm 94:19
When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
Psalm 30:11
You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.
Psalm 33:21
For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.
Psalm 16:8-9
I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.
God’s Joy
1 Chronicles 16:27
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Luke 15:10
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
Matthew 25:21
His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Joy of Obedience
As we obey God's commandments, we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit. We experience God's pleasure rising in us. If you find yourself stuck in despair, try obeying the Bible's instruction to love God and others. When we obey His commandment to love one another, we are striving to live according to His Word. And what a wonderful experience it is as He fulfills his promise to give us joy through obedience.
John 15:10-11
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 16:24
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Philippians 2:1-2
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
The Joy of Salvation
Luke 1:47
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
Psalm 71:23
My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.
Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
1 Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Luke 2:10
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
Acts 13:47-48
For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
Romans 5:11
More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Rejoice in the Lord
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
Psalm 32:11
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Psalm 47:1
Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
Joy in Trials
James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Romans 5:3-5
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
John 16:22
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Hebrews 12:2
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:6
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 7:4
I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
2 Corinthians 8:1-2
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
The Wisdom of Joy
Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 10:28
The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Psalm 126:5
Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
Proverbs 15:23
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Quotes about Joy
Joy is prayer. Joy is strength. Joy is love. Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. - Mother Teresa
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. - Karl Barth
Joy is the serious business of heaven. - C. S. Lewis
Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God. - Sam Storms
Joy can only be real if people look upon their life as a service and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness. - Leo Tolstoy
A Prayer for Joy
Rejoice, rejoice, again I say rejoice. Lift up your countenance to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercies endure forever.
My Lord and my God, you are tender and merciful. Your kindness is like a cold fresh breeze that awakens me from discouragement and despair.
You tend to my soul. You know my weakness and my frailty. You love me despite my failures, and you long for me to be filled with Your joy.
Lord, I confess that I get distracted by the cares of life, and regularly loose sight of your goodness. I have a tendency to get discouraged easily. I confess that I focus too much on myself and my problems instead of focusing my attention on You.
Lord if there is any unconfessed sin in my life, if there is any barrier I have placed between us that is hindering the flow of joy in my life, please reveal it to me so I can surrender it to you.
Thank you for my life, and the capacity you have given to me to experience Your joy. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my home. Thank you for friends who care about me and who share my interests. Thank you for my work. I pray that you would fill it with meaning and purpose, and that you would give me opportunities to honor you with it.
Lord I ask that you would fill my heart with joy. Your Spirit is full of joy. Fill me with your Spirit. Lord I surrender to your Spirit. I surrender to your leading. Help me experience the joy of the Lord. Help me to find my happiness and contentment in You.
Amen.
Additional Resources
If these Bible verses have lifted your spirit, please pass them on to others who might benefit from them as well. Now more than ever, our world needs the joy of the Lord.
In addition to the Bible, the following books have helped me to become a more joyful person, by helping me to take the focus off of myself and learning to live more fully in the presence of God.
Born and raised under the oppression of Communist Bulgaria, author Georgian Banov escaped to the United States where he was embraced by the warmth and love of the "Jesus people." Encountering God led Georgian to a life of freedom and joy.
In this book, Georgian will help you:
· Know God as an affectionate Father
· Discover performance-free grace
· Put an end to religious striving and self-effort
· Find victory over the power of sin
· Be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
The profound peace and joy evident in Lawrence’s life attracted many people who sought to learn the secret of his unique spiritual practice.
Originally published shortly after his death, this book consists of Lawrence’s personal conversations and letters, which communicate how one can experience the joy of the Lord.
The Joy of Listening to God by Joyce Huggett
Joyce shares her journey of discovery, learning to experience joy by listening to God in prayer.
After reading this book, prayer became less of a discipline and more of a time to be with God.
As I learned to hear God’s voice, I grew in contentment and joy. I hope you will too.
These recommended resources are for sale on Amazon. Clicking on the link will take you to the Amazon store. As an Amazon associate I earn a percentage of the sale from qualifying purchases. The revenue I earn from Amazon helps to support the maintenance of this site.
