Fighting for joy

"Fighting for joy" is a truth that I have been so grateful to encounter recently. I was introduced to it by pastor and author John Piper in his book, "When I Don't Desire God." I will not attempt to explain it here as he does a better job of that, but I do want to highlight a particular section in the book that I trust will help us all in our pursuit of the spiritual discipline of having our quiet times.

In my last post, I mentioned that I have found that the "secret" to having quiet times is not a technique but it starts with a sincere desire to spend time with God. Towards the end of Chapter 9, Piper gives an example of how to pray over God's Word as we ask for this desire that only God can give--what he calls "the fight for joy."

Almost every day I pray early in the morning that God would give me desires for him and his Word, because the desires I ought to have are absent or weak...The first thing my soul needs is an inclination toward God and his Word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life. I must want to know God and read his Word and draw near to him. Where does that "want to" come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 119:36 teaches us to pray, "Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!" Very simply we ask God to take our hearts, which are more inclined to breakfast and the newspaper, and change that inclination. We are asking that God create desires that are not there.

John Piper gives more practical application of Scipture in the book and I encourage you to read it. Grab a copy from a bookstore or if you can't, the people at Desiring God has graciously made the electronic version available for free. Enjoy!