The Oil of Joy: Why Gratitude Unlocks Increase

One thing the sermon made very clear is that joy is not just a mood. In the Bible, joy is spiritual. It carries weight.

That is why the message did not treat joy as something you wait to “feel”. It treated joy as a choice you make because you know who God is.

Psalm 67:5–6 says, “Let the people praise You, O God… then the earth shall yield her increase.”

That word “then” is important. It shows a pattern: praise and joy create an atmosphere where increase can flow.

Why We Struggle With Gratitude

The workers’ prayer hit something very real: as humans, we often remember what is going wrong faster than we remember what God has done.

It’s easy to focus on:

• what is missing
• what has not worked yet
• what someone did wrong
• what you fear could happen

But the prayer reminded us of the everyday mercy we often overlook: life, safety, health, sleep, sound mind, protection, and family.

Not because we are better than anyone else. Simply because God has been merciful.

Joy Is a Requirement for Strength

The sermon made it plain: when you lose joy, you lose strength.

That is not motivational talk. It’s spiritual truth.

Joy strengthens your faith. It keeps you standing when pressure tries to crush your confidence. It stops you from giving the enemy free access to your mind.

The enemy does not always start by attacking your finances or your health. Sometimes he starts by targeting your excitement and your praise.

Why? Because if he can kill your joy, he can reduce your spiritual resistance.

Joy Is Not Pretending Everything Is Fine

This part matters.

Joy does not mean you laugh at serious problems or ignore reality. Joy means you respond to reality with faith.

The sermon explained it well using practical examples:

If there is no food, you are not denying hunger. You are declaring God as provider.
If the situation is hard, you are not pretending it is easy. You are refusing hopelessness.

That is why joy is a weapon. It speaks to trouble and says: “You are real, but you are not final.”

Biblical Proof: Joy Brings Deliverance

The sermon referenced Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3). Their confidence was not passive. It was bold.

They refused to bow. They refused fear. They refused panic. And God showed up.

The result was not just survival. It was public victory. They came out without the smell of smoke.

That is what joy does. Joy keeps you confident enough to stand, so God can step in.

Praise Creates Increase

Psalm 67 connects praise to increase.

This is not only about money. Increase can look like:

• progress in a career
• favour in a difficult environment
• improvement in health
• clarity in decisions
• restoration of lost opportunities
• peace in the middle of pressure

The point is: praise keeps your heart open. Complaining can close your spirit and make you blind to what God is already doing.

How to Practise the “Oil of Joy” Daily

Here are three simple habits that match the message.

1) Count specific blessings
Not vague “God is good” energy. Real, specific gratitude:

“Thank You for breath.”
“Thank You for safety.”
“Thank You my children came back home.”
“Thank You for peace of mind.”

Specific gratitude strengthens faith.

2) Speak joy over your home
The sermon ended with prayer declarations like: “Fill my home with the sound of joy and gladness.” That is powerful because your home should not be a fear factory. Your home should be a place of faith.

3) Refuse the habit of hopeless talk
The message called it out: sitting down to constantly discuss the problem can open the door to negative suggestions. Talk to God first. Talk to trusted people wisely. But do not build a lifestyle of complaining.

Prayer

Father, fill my heart and my home with the sound of joy and gladness. Heal every wound, erase every pain, and restore every joy I have lost. Let praise rise from my life, and let increase follow in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Suggested blog tags: Thanksgiving, Joy, Praise, Faith, Breakthrough
Key passage: Psalm 67:1–7