A Prayer to Let God’s Joy Lead Your Heart | Your Daily Prayer

Whitney Hopler

Published Aug 27, 2026

Sometimes joy gets buried.

Under the responsibilities.

The worrying.

The bad news.

The things we can't fix.

The things we're still waiting on God to change.

But Scripture gives us this reminder:

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10

God's joy doesn't require us to pretend everything is okay.

It reminds us that even when everything isn't okay, God is still good. God is still present. And God is still faithful.

Maybe today isn't about forcing yourself to feel happier.

Maybe it's simply about turning your heart back toward the One who gives you strength.

Whitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.