Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any
merry? let him sing psalms (James 5:13).

Imagine that someone got the news that a kind
person left him an estate worth a hundred million
dollars; how do you think he’d receive the news? I’m
most certain he won’t receive it with a listless “Thank
you.” He’ll express much joy for what he received.
Likewise, when you pray about a situation, maybe a
health condition, and you believe God answered you,
act like it. Express joy!
One day many years ago, I was leading the church
service and had invited everyone to come forward for
prayer. They all came around the altar and prayed.
After the prayer, they returned to their seats as though
they had just been whipped, and the Lord said to
me, “They didn’t receive answers to their prayer.”
He didn’t say, “I didn’t answer them,” because He
always answers when we pray. But they didn’t receive
because they didn’t act like people who had received
answers to what they prayed about.
There have been people who received healing or
other miracles in a meeting, and just as they turned
to leave the venue, everything returned to what it
was before. They lost the healing. Their healing was
a sign; God had given them attention, and got their
attention, but expected them to further act their faith.
He wanted them to rejoice, testify, and be glad about
what already happened, and thus keep their miracle,
but they didn’t.
Many people don’t know that their expressions
are a message. Faith is expressed in words and in
actions. If your words and actions don’t demonstrate
your faith, then there’s no faith. Every time people
received something from the Lord in the Bible, they
demonstrated it in their joy, and their blessing was
sustained. Some actually received more as a result of
their joyful testimonies and gratitude; an example is
the leper in Luke 17:11-19.
The Bible says faith without works—corresponding
action—is dead. If you accept what God has said about
you, you’ve got to act like it. 
Prayer
I thank you Precious Father, for
making my life a bundle of joy
and happiness, and a testimony of
your goodness. I go forth in your
glory today, in righteousness,
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,
in Jesus’ Name. Amen.