by Edna Lister

"These things have I spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you,
and that your joy may be full."
John 15:11

We have a secret weapon. The Master left us his Joy. All we need to do is apply it.

Joy is the secret of success, the root of enthusiasm, the root of personality and magnetic attraction. It has the power to go before us and unlock all doors in the outer world and unbind every potential that God has above. We do not hide this secret weapon of Joy, but wave it as a banner before the world. It is not enough to just feel happy – that grows old. Joy from above is the happiness of God.

Your face grows old on feeling emotions, even feeling happiness. The face that has Joy from above is youthful.

God’s Joy sets your keynote for the week. It is a slippery gadget, and the slightest deviation tunes it out, like a radio dial if you let it. Do you know where your dial of Joy is set? It is your measuring rod of life. Do you apply Wisdom to your Joy? Do you apply the Love of God and effort to your Joy? How much do you love God?

It is not enough to accept God as all there is. We are of one Mind, no matter what level we are on. We are agreeing on a high level. Keep your dial tuned to Joy. Jesus left his Joy with us that our Joy would be full. Joy is the inner secret of the Fountain of Youth – a youth everlasting and imperishable. Joy is atomic power in action!

In the beginning was a vast spherical Source, vibrant with life, but void of all vibration of form. God breathed into the center of this Source until an explosion sent forth a whirling vibration we call an Emanation. This Emanation filled a vast spherical universe with active Substance for creative purposes, and when its power was spent, it shaped a magnetic wall within which all other creations and micro-universes were formed. This first Emanation was called Wisdom, the Father-God Principle, which contains all of the masculine aspects of creation.

The second Emanation whirled forth after the return of the first Emanation to the Source, and it was called Love, the Mother-God Principle, which contains the whole of the feminine aspects of creation.

After the second Emanation returned to the Source, the third Emanation whirled forth, called the Son, or the Universal Christ Consciousness. We call the Three in action: Mind, the Father-God Principle that thinks and plans, Substance, the Mother-God Principle that nourishes and sustains Power, the Christ Principle that is the Divine Energy needed to send Mind and Substance into creative action, which becomes all secondary Principles and Laws.

Joy is the new energy-name for the Christ Principle in action through us in our daily life. "I AM Joy" is one of the most powerful statements which any individual can ever use, since it releases the full Power of the Source through our body and our affairs.

"I AM Joy" opens us to a vibration of life-giving strength which flows through every cell of our physical body until Joy lifts us up and beyond all weakness and into a place of unbelievable Divine Activity.

Without Joy, everything in our life slows. Since enthusiasm is based upon the vibration of Joy, we can find no happiness in our work or relationships without Joy. Without enthusiasm, "love" for everything either lays dormant or is so weak that we have no "heart" for work or people.

Outer happiness, which depends upon others or possessions for its life is only a pale imitation of the Joy Principle’s action in our life. Joy is a bubbling wellspring within our soul. Joy needs no sound effects to make itself felt, it needs no outer support from anyone to stand erect against all outer winds that blow.

Joy finds all expressions of life effortless and untiring. Joy finds that the more it gives of itself, the greater is its strength and desire to give more. As the quantity of Joy released increases, so does its capacity to expand forever, indefinitely and infinitely. The greater the rejoicing, the richer Joy grows in its quality of giving.

Joy, the Son, the Christ Principle, has no life of its own without the fusing of the Father-Mother Principles to send it forth as their combined quality of expression. There can be no spiritually based, lasting, deep Joy without the balance of Love and Wisdom. They must share equally in their expression as Joy.

Wisdom, the Father-God Principle that is the Mind that does the thinking and planning for all universes, also becomes the Substance of the magnetic wall to hold all universes. It is the Substance which also forms the magnetic wall framework of our own creative prayer molds.

Love, the Mother-God Principle, is the Substance that holds our prayer molds erect and intact which nourishing and sustaining them, and fills our molds of creative Desire full to overflowing.

The Son, the Principle of Joy, is the Energy that moves forth to send Love into action for us and then keeps on condensing itself into our molds until those molds become solid outer form, visible to the physical eyes.

Naturally, then, the quantity and the quality of our Joy determine the time involved for bringing our creations into manifestation. Our steadfastness of expression determines both the quantity and the quality of our Joy.

When we forget who we are, and allow anything from the outer world to cut off our Love-supply, our partly-gestated creations wither or wear too thin to hold Love-Substance. Then what we have worked to gather into our prayer molds oozes away until nothing is left but to begin all over again to plan our molds and refill them under delay.

The countersign of Joy is "I love!" To love our work, to love the world, is the key that opens the magic realm of Joy to us, for the stairway to Joy is Love. This Joy flows forth freely and gives of itself unstintingly and selflessly, sharing itself with all as does the fragrance of a flower.

Joy never thinks of asking about the worthiness or the unworthiness of the object or person upon which it falls. Joy is incapable of asking, "Am I doing too much? Am I giving too much?" Joy is too busy just being joyous to bother measuring itself for either quantity or quality of expression.

Since the Son Emanation is the pure Christ Principle within us, and it is also the "Holy Breath" we breathe with every physical breath, it follows that to be whole in body, we must live as Joy always. Since Joy is the new name of the Christ Principle, we must call this new name upon ourselves.

When we cut the Principle of Joy below a minimum quantity, our life runs very low because the amount of active Joy in our life determines how much strength we enjoy. When we reach the maximum quantity of Joy and we reach up for more, strength brims over because our life vibration increases to a full capacity of Power. When we touch the highest possible point of our present ability to function the Principle of Joy, we have what we know as "healing," and we record another miracle.

Joy sets every cell of the physical body vibrating at a higher and higher rate. Joy increases the action of the glands of the body and every nerve vibrates with the tingling Power direct from the Source of all Power. It actively renews glandular secretions at once and all sluggishness disappears.

Joy automatically increases the depth of physical breathing and the glands and nerve centers in the head set up a higher vibration, the rapidity of which reacts at once upon the thyroid gland, stimulating it into Divine Activity – and we start the return journey to physical youth.

Joy is an ever-constant, ever-flowing vibration that cannot grow old. It absorbs all past signs of aging and does not tolerate anything less than itself. Joy is limitless and ageless and forms the conduit-sheath through which our Unconquerable Faith rides forth to stand steadfast in protection of all our creations.

Joy is the one armor of Light, a robe of invisibility that God has given to us for our protection. Only when we allow our Joy vibration to become diluted by outer obstacles or people — or more often by our own feelings and thinking – do we deliberately remove our cloak of invisibility to stand unprotected and vulnerable before earth’s cross-vibrations.

This cloak of invisibility is our miracle protection both within and without. Joy reminds us of a thousand things we should do, warns us of what we must not do, warns us of what we are forgetting. Joy is the magnetic wall between us and any outer influence that might touch us, the protective wall to catch us, which upholds us so we do not fall. Joy is the only mountain mover.

To move up on the Joy vibration ascends us above the cross-vibrations of earth and we become immovable and untouchable. What people have to say about us no longer disturbs us, nor do we act self-satisfied before the world. Thus, we give no offense. We are no longer dulled to half-efficient living because the Joy that uses us is the true "Joy of the Lord" that "remains within us," which holds us and our affairs open to Divine Activity.

Joy is the permeating, sustaining beauty of my days. My life is beautiful because Joy fills it with divine activity. I am beautiful because I surrender to the vitalizing, quickening thread of a joyous rapture of love.

The beauty of Joy enthralls me, and my heart bursts with the need to express more of the Love of God. Rapturous Joy sends thoughts of loving compassion winging forth toward all men, and breathes the beauty of Unconquerable Faith upon all whom I love.

This divine rapture of Joy lifts my eyes to the stars. It sends my spirit of praise, my sense of devotion and gratitude, soaring upward toward the Source of all Power in words of thanksgiving.

Joyous praise is the Source of all increase. Because Joy is the first immutable Law of Increase, "the same yesterday and forever," it must be a necessary part of my original inheritance as a child of God and "joint heir" to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Without Joy, I am inactive and powerless to create from invisible Substance. Joy, as the first Law of Divine Activity, is the key that starts Substance into action. Without Joy, my Desire molds remain empty. One clear moment of unadulterated Joy opens wide the floodgates at the Source and Power goes into action to fill my life with "added things."

Joy leads me upward from an earthbound consciousness into the beauty of the Christed consciousness. I become perfect in Joy for this one moment. I become perfect in Joy for another moment. And so, step by step and moment by moment, I hold myself steadfastly in this perfect spirit of Joy – just one moment at a time.

Joy has become the eternal Source from which the Spirit of Youth springs forth to dominate my life and all of my affairs. Joy is the firm foundation upon which I build my whole life, and by which I hold conquering Power over self. Joy is the strength of my soul and the Power moving through all of my personal creations.

In Joy, I now accept full responsibility for all of my past and present creations. Today’s creations are the result of my past thoughts about life and me, every imaginative picture I have ever held and every word I have spoken. My present Joy tells me that all I do not like in my life, all the delays, are due to the Divine Activity, which is the Source of my life, being covered by the drab and monotonous way I have made my proclamations of truth, the way I have prayed.

I have "received of the Lord" in exactly the proportion of my use of Joy: A weak Joy brings weak results. Substance cannot flow freely into my molds when my prayers are one degree above zero. I have miracles of expression only when my prayers, founded in Joy, reach the white point of heat.

Only Joy can unleash the high potencies of Power to work for me. Only Joy can set my Power tools operating as miracle after miracle, and only I can set my creative tools (vision, thoughts and words) into perfect joyous motion. What is the present degree of my Desire? Is it weak and wavering? Or does it flame with the rapture that only joyous praise can give it?

I accept that God’s plan for me from the beginning of time has been one of lavish abundance and only my lack of comprehension, my weakness, has caused the delays and partial miracles that have been mine.

My weariness in waiting must have closed the windows of Heaven often, just when they were wide open to pour out my full share of "added things." I know I have cut off my own supply when I have turned away and looked toward the world’s darkness instead of to the Light.

Tears of self pity over delay have put me at the end of the line often, but with lesson-experiences accepted and learned, greater strength has been added. Joy has melted all barriers, all obstacles. Joy has wiped out all tears, all self-blame for my weakness, and my feet become winged on my perfect path of joyous destiny.

The Joy in my heart has made me the "servant of all" – all the Power of God moving through me in its already beautiful state of complete perfection. This one fact I know: God created me for His Power to use perfectly.

I discard forever the old idea that God created me to use His perfect Power or that I desire it for myself. If left alone and allowed to do its perfect work, the Power of God can create only beauty and harmony. Stand still and "know that I AM God."

My Joy is no longer a forced expression I must think about continually, that I must consciously hold fast. My Joy is a flame and a glory of Love, a self-sustaining rapture of fulfillment. I surrender to the idea of every promise telling me that all Divine Power must move into action when I persistently pray with all my heart filled to overflowing with the Joy of God.

I live free and unbound because Joy tells me God has agents everywhere, whom He uses to fulfill His promises to His loving children, to His simple and faithful children who love Him enough just to believe.

Joy has taught me that God must have my full cooperation always. Joy must be an ever evenly flowing current from my heart into the world of my molds if I am to collect my daily dividends from my own share of "inheritance."

I now ask for full comprehension of each Law presented to me for my use. I stand in Joy of continuity of purpose. I am constant in my prayers of praise and rejoicing for each miracle as it comes to me. I surrender to the Power of divine strength to possess me as I joyously accept my share of perfect health, understanding and success.

I lift my eyes and surrender completely in the fullness of Joy to God’s Love, which now possesses me, my soul, mind, heart and body. I am filled with the Joy of living. In Joy, Love goes before me, opening all doors. The glorious Light of Love shines in all dark places of my past dreary days and shines before me, clearing my future way with the Light and Life of God.

In great confidence and Joy, I realize that God has kept my place in His kingdom open to me since the beginning of my life. I know that realizing the greatness of the place God has always had waiting for me makes my past life seem unsatisfactory and dull. I now know why I have been reaching out toward something wondrous.

Best of all, I know the place I have been living in is one I have made for myself with my own mistaken ideas of God, His Power and my relation to the Power and to God. I worked very hard to build my own place when all I needed to do was to step up and into the one waiting for me as part of my inheritance.

As Joy rules my life, dullness gives way to alertness, drabness to beauty, and conquering of that old and troublesome "little me" becomes the Joy of my life. Joy is the key handed to me to open the door to my kingdom. Joy shall keep it open forever. Joy teaches me the glory of conquering each new lesson.

In full surrender to the ruling spirit of Joy through the Love of God, I now hold myself faithful to Law. Joy shall be the "Light upon my path" until I reach my goal to full comprehension of everything I now think I know. In Joy, Law shall adjust my life, Law that is already perfect, unadulterated and undiluted by what I think about it.

In Joy, I arise and reach for the stars. I ascend into higher realms of consciousness of Light and Glory, and the Joy of walking with God both day and night expands my soul. Joy shows me the perfect way to apply what I have learned.

Joy registers the right answer upon my heart and mind, and I am never at a loss for Divine Guidance in times of stress and needs. My true answer is always waiting for me.

The joyous Power of God is using me now as I move in a perfect spirit of confidence through each new earth lesson. I arise, ascend and stand in the Light. I "dwell in the house of the Lord forever" because Joy has opened wide the door to my own special room of Light.

Because I now dwell in my Father’s house, a table is prepared for me in the midst of everything on the outside. In Joy, I now fill the table with a feast of love. It does not say that God will put the feast on the table, just that He will provide the table!

Joy chooses whom I shall ask to my feast. Since Joy cannot dwell in my heart with any "enemy" idea, and since I have surrendered to be possessed of Joy, I choose to prepare my "feast of love" for all my loved ones. Since Joy has set me free, I love all men and invite everyone to feast with me on love and Joy.

In Joy, I listen to everything available to me as truth, reading, studying and praying much. I am not dependent upon either teachers or books, although I appreciate truth everywhere because Joy has opened the way for the Love of God and the perfect Faith of God to possess and rule my life.

I am a free pilgrim on the pathway laid out before me, and Joy puts wings of glory upon my feet to send me dancing onward and upward. I know that no teacher or book can do anything for me except being a guidepost to show me the way they have traveled.

Joy teaches me to do everything for myself. This frees me of disappointments if others’ Laws do not seem to apply to my life. Only my own Law of Joy, ruling my life always, can work for me.

To follow the Love of God in its perfection of action leads to consciousness that is ever higher. To follow Love, joyously praising and rejoicing, blazes a trail of glory for others to follow the Light.

Joy has ascended me unto the Christ-stature consciousness where I know that my inheritance is boundless and limitless, as great as my wisdom can make it. Joy tells me my inheritance shall be "added" to me speedily and in lavish measure, for through Joy I have "sought first the kingdom of heaven."

I find myself in the Golden Silence of Christed illumination. As I stand folded within the Golden Light, Joy gives me a sense of limitless protection for both myself and all my loved ones.

The beauty of the Light fills my soul with an ecstasy of Divine Joy. I see new ways to go forth and serve. I answer each new call upon my time ungrudgingly, even when it interferes with something I have planned to do for myself.

A song pours forth from my lips as Joy flows through me as the Light from above. Joy now wells up from that newly created fountain of joyous Love and Hope awakened within my heart. This Fountain of Joy is my continual Source of Eternal Youth.

As my eyes seek the Light, as I love more deeply, as I ascend higher in consciousness, my ability to enjoy life, to appreciate everything for being Good everywhere increases, thrives and expands. Without thought of having it returned, I love more joyously and steadfastly. It is an unconscious giving that pours out because it must.

In this new Light I find myself wanting to redeem every past moment of my life, all the wasted time, all the things left undone. Joy aids me to begin, to open this new vibration for myself, by doing one thing at a time: Even one small word or deed each day.

I probably cannot catch up with all my past neglect at once, but I know that God will accept every small daily service of sacrifice and prayer as proof of my intention and as payment on my account. To be interrupted without grudging, but with a smile, will cover many old obligations.

The old promise of obedience is now working itself out through me. I find "added riches" in the increased quality and quantity of the Love and compassion I pour into the world as my service.

I find that "added honor" comes with the glory of knowing how great God is and how wonderful the beauty of the Source of all His Power. It is an honor that fills my soul with rejoicing to know such Joy, such glory, which is beyond the world’s ability to bestow.

The "added life" promised comes at night or trial’s end when I have more than enough energy left to meet any new demand. All of this is mine because I "live and move and have my being in Him."

I ascend in Spirit each day in Joy, finishing new tasks set before me, learning new lessons, seeking new ways to serve freely and lovingly, seeing new visions to follow, finding new friends and new ideas to bring forth into outer forms of expression. Above all, I discover new ways of conquering self, of mastering each new lesson.

Each night I ascend close enough to the heights of Glory and Illumination, so that I may stretch forth my arms of Light and touch them. Each night, stars of beauty and brilliance entice me onward and upward into limitless space for new answers to all problems and greater comprehension of Law.

I accept Joy as the Crown of the Christed One. I surrender to be the servant of all the Power of God. I arise to stand in the House of the Lord forever. I ascend to be absorbed into the Heart of the Flame and the Glory because I know that God is Joy and that Joy is "deathless, ageless and abiding."

Joy is my fountain of Eternal Youth.

Joy is the Illumination for all my visions.

Joy is a flame, and the fire under the burning desires of my heart.

Joy is the crowning glory of my life.

"Of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame and a fire.’"
Hebrews 1:7

When you are not ecstatic in Joy, you need the following treatment:

With your hands up, reach for the stars and move up, declaring: "I arise! I ascend! I stand in the Heart of the Flame."

Reach for the stars and say, "Father, take me, lift me, fill me, hold me, use me."

Declare, "I rejoice and am glad" on the rhythm of nine: Swing your arms wide, and declare, "I rejoice and am glad."

Sweep your hands together, as though holding a huge ball, and declare, "I rejoice and am glad," as you raise your hands up for the release of Power.

Reach for the stars, stretching hands up and palms slightly outward, and declare, "I rejoice and am glad." Repeat these actions and declarations in three sets of three.

Take seven deep breaths, saying with each, "Father, move in and possess me as Joy now." Breathe, raise your arms on inhalation and drop them on exhalation.