Your husband or wife may be persecuting you. Your children may be calling you a religious fanatic. Your pastor may be persecuting you because you speak in tongues or because you believe in divine healing.

Instead of saying, "Oh, no! This is terrible!" You should say, "Glory to God! Hallelujah! I rejoice!" Then leap for joy as you praise God!

Do you want to be scriptural? Do you want to release joy and overcome? Then start jumping! In leaping, you are actually acting in faith as if you were joyful. Once you start leaping in faith, joy will come!

Do you know what will happen? Something inside you will break loose! Joy will rise up in you, and the devil will flee!

The next time persecution comes against you, remember what the Bible says, Jesus told us how to overcome persecution and paranoia: Rejoice and leap for joy!

You might not want to leap in front of your church congregation and it may not be wisdom to leap in front of your persecutors.

Maybe you should just go into your bedroom, or private place, and jump before the Lord! But wherever you go, I believe with all my heart that we should be scriptural, don't you?

Jesus said to rejoice and be glad, so jump and leap for joy!

If you have been persecuted by relatives, friends, or enemies, pray this prayer with me:

Father, in Jesus' name, I thank You for the love of God that has be shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost.

Because I'm born of love, I forgive those who have hurt me and bless those who have persecuted me. I will let no corrupt communication proceed out of my mouth concerning them, but I will only bless and do good to them.

Source: Understanding Persecution by Annette Capps
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers