YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT BEING A PRISONER OF HOPE
RELEASES YOU FROM OTHER PRISONS.
THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS A PRISON OF RELIGION.
AND IF YOU READ THE NEW TESTAMENT, PAUL NOW, SAYS,
"I, A PRISONER OF THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST."
WELL, I USED TO BE A PRISONER OF NEGATIVITY AND DOUBT.
I WAS A PRISON OF MY PAST.
I WAS A PRISON OF ALL THE YEARS OF ABUSE THAT I HAD GONE
THROUGH AND I THOUGHT, "NOTHING GOOD CAN EVER HAPPEN
TO ME AND YOU'RE JUST MAKING A MISTAKE IF YOU EXPECT IT
TO BECAUSE ALL YOU'RE GONNA GET IS DISAPPOINTED."
AND NOW, I AM SO FULL OF HOPE AND JUST EXPECT GOD TO DO AMA--
EVERY DAY I BELIEVE GOD FOR FAVOR IN MY LIFE, AND I JUST
WAIT TO SEE HOW GOD SHOWS UP AND SHOWS OUT.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: "WELL, WELL, I WISH I FELT LIKE THAT."
DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE AND GET YOU.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "WELL, I JUST-- YEAH, IT'D BE NICE IF WE ALL
HAD YOUR LIFE." OH, YOU DON'T KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT MY LIFE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "IT'D JUST BE NICE." CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?
I DIDN'T GET FROM WHERE I WAS TO WHERE I AM BY WISHING.
WHAT HAVE YOU LOST DURING ALL THE YEARS THAT YOU DIDN'T
KNOW THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD?
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU WASTED?
HAVE YOU LOST YOUR IDENTITY?
DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST?
DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME FEELING GUILTY, AND CONDEMNED,
AND DEPRESSED, AND DISCOURAGED, AND DOWNTRODDEN?
HAVE YOU LOST YOUR CONFIDENCE?
DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST?
HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR JOB, YOUR CHILDHOOD,
YOUR MIND?
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: MY CHILDHOOD WAS STOLEN FROM ME.
I NEVER GOT TO BE A KID.
THAT'S TOUGH WHEN YOU DON'T EVER GET TO BE A KID.
I DON'T REMEMBER EVER JUST BEING A HAPPY, CAREFREE--
I NEVER FELT SAFE, EVER.
NEVER.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: LOVE YOU JOYCE.
JOYCE: THANK YOU.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
I'M JUST HAVING SO MUCH FUN NOW THAT I CAN HARDLY STAND MYSELF.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: WHOOHOO!
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT?
JUST ABOUT THE TIME YOU START TO THINK, "WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT?
WHAT SHE'S SAYING MAKES SENSE." YOU START TO FEEL JUST A LITTLE
BIT OF HOPE STARTING TO BUBBLE IN THERE, THEN YOU
MIGHT AS WELL EXPECT IT, THE DEVIL IS GOING TO ATTACK.
AND HE COMES IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN HE DID BEFORE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I GOTTA FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH AND I GOTTA
GET MY HOPE BACK BECAUSE IF I HAVE MY HOPE BACK...
HA HA HA HA HA HAA!
♪ NANA, NANA, NANA. ♪ THBBPTHPT...
GO AWAY.
[JOYCE LAUGHING] I WANT YOU TO GO HOME
WITH ONE OF THESE.
AMEN?
IF YOU NEED TO, MAKE IT YOUR BATHROOM.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND WHEN EVERYTHING THAT YOU LOOK AT LOOKS
LIKE DESTRUCTION, YOU JUST GO GET IN THAT BATHROOM,
RUN THE WATER, FLUSH THE TOILET, SO YOU CAN'T HEAR THE KIDS
AND SAY, "I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING
AMAZING IN MY LIFE!"
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY-- THE GIRLS WHO COME TO THE HOME
AND THEY START TO LEARN, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE
SOME OF THE TOP THINGS THAT THEY REALLY--
THAT IT'S HARDER FOR THEM TO GET THROUGH THAN MAYBE SOME
OTHER THINGS.
NANCY: I WOULD SAY, DEFINITELY, FORGIVENESS.
ESPECIALLY, THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN VIOLATED IN WAYS LIKE
YOU EXPERIENCED AS A CHILD.
BUT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IS WE HAVE TO HELP THE GIRLS
UNDERSTAND WHAT FORGIVENESS IS, AND WHAT IT ISN'T.
IT'S NOT AT-- FIRST OF ALL,
FORGIVENESS IS NOT A FEELING.
IF WE WAIT, YOU KNOW, TILL WE FEEL LIKE "FORGIVING"
WE'LL NEVER FORGIVE.
BUT WE HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S AN ACT
OF OBEDIENCE THAT GOD SAID, "BECAUSE I HAVE FORGIVEN YOU,
I WANT YOU TO FORGIVE OTHERS." FORGIVENESS DOESN'T MEAN THAT
YOU'RE SAYING THAT WHAT THAT PERSON DID TO YOU WAS OKAY,
BECAUSE IT WASN'T OKAY.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO GO BE RECONCILED OR PUT
YOURSELF IN THE SAME SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN BE ABUSED AGAIN,
BUT WHAT IT DOES MEAN IS THAT GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH THAT
HE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO LIVE IN A PRISON OF BITTERNESS, AND
RESENTMENT, AND UNFORGIVENESS.
AND WE MAKE SURE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT EVERY GIRL
THAT WALKS THROUGH ALL THE DOORS OF MERCY AROUND THE WORLD
THAT THEY HEAR YOUR TESTIMONY, AND WE ALWAYS HAVE COUNSELORS
IN THE ROOM.
AND THEN, WE FOLLOW IT WITH YOUR TEACHING ON FORGIVENESS.
BECAUSE WHAT THE GIRLS HAVE TOLD US OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
IF SHE CAN FORGIVE THAT THEN WHY--
WHO AM I TO SAY THAT I CAN'T FORGIVE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME.
JOYCE: RIGHT.
NANCY: AND A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW THAT--
FORGIVE THEM SELF, THEY'RE MAD AT GOD, THEY HAVE TO FORGIVE
GOD 'CAUSE THEY BLAMED HIM BECAUSE IT HAPPENED.
BUT TO REALIZE THAT GOD ACTUALLY, LOVES YOU SO MUCH
THAT HE SENT JESUS TO DIE FOR ALL OF THIS SO THAT
YOU CAN BE FREE.
AND ONCE THEY GET A REVELATION OF THAT--
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS IS JUST
TO WORK THROUGH THAT FORGIVENESS AND GET
TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU REALIZE THAT I'M DOING THIS BY FAITH
NOT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT, BUT BY FAITH.
AND WE TELL THE GIRLS, "IF YOU HAVE TO GRIT YOUR TEETH
AND CLENCH YOUR FISTS AND SAY, 'I CHOOSE TO FORGIVE
SO-AND-SO,' THAT'S OKAY." AND I REMEMBER WHEN I--
AS A YOUNG GIRL WHEN I WAS FIRST LEARNING ABOUT FORGIVENESS,
THAT WAS MY FIRST FORGIVENESS PRAYER WAS WITH CLENCHED FISTS
AND GRITTED TEETH.
AND THE PERSON THAT WAS COACHING ME SAID,
"START PRAYING FOR THAT PERSON NOW THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN
BY FAITH TO FORGIVE." JOYCE: THAT'S THE KEY.
NANCY: AND AS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, WITHIN A WEEK'S TIME
WHEN I PRAYED, I STARTED HAVING, INSTEAD OF BEING MAD,
I STARTED HAVING FEELINGS OF COMPASSION TOWARDS
THAT INDIVIDUAL.
AND IT JUST ABSOLUTELY BLEW ME AWAY.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE KEY TO PRAY FOR THAT PERSON.
JOYCE: THE LORD REALLY TAUGHT ME THAT TOO, LIKE,
I KEPT NOTICING THAT THE SAME PEOPLE WOULD COME UP FOR
PRAYER ALL THE TIME AT THE END OF SERVICES FOR FORGIVENESS.
YOU KNOW, WANTING TO BE ABLE TO FORGIVE PEOPLE.
AND I THOUGHT, "I KNOW THEY WANT TO, SO WHAT'S THE DEAL?"
AND THE LORD JUST SPOKE TO MY HEART AND SAID, "THEY'RE NOT
DOING WHAT I TELL 'EM TO.
THEY'RE NOT-- THEY'RE TRYING TO PRAY
THIS PRAYER OF FORGIVENESS, BUT THEY'RE NOT PRAYING
FOR THE PERSON WHO HURT THEM." AND NOT ONLY THAT,
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BLESS THEM
YOU NEED TO DO THAT, TOO.
AND BOY, THAT'S A REAL FIST CLENCHER, TO GO BE GOOD
TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS MISTREATED YOU.
BUT I KNOW IT WORKS BECAUSE GOD GAVE ME THE GRACE TO DO IT
WITH MY DAD AND I BELIEVE THAT HE'S IN HEAVEN TODAY
BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER THAT HURTING PEOPLE, HURT PEOPLE,
I DON'T--MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT HURT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
WATCHING TODAY OR THE GIRLS THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH YOUR
HOME, THEY HAD SOMETHING WRONG IN THEIR LIFE.
THAT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THE CASE, BUT IT ALMOST ALWAYS IS THE CASE
THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THEM THAT CAUSED THEM
TO BE THAT WAY.
AND SO, IT'S MUCH EASIER IF YOU REMEMBER THOSE THINGS.
NANCY: RIGHT, IT SURE IS.
AND JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID, "HURT PEOPLE,
HURT PEOPLE." AND WHAT WE LIKE TO SAY
AT MERCY IS, "FREE PEOPLE, FREE PEOPLE."
AND BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE CONDUITS OF FREEDOM,
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT SO THAT
WE CAN SHARE THAT SAME FREEDOM WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
JOYCE: I LOVE ROMANS 12:21, "WE OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD,"
TO ME, THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SCRIPTURES
IN THE BIBLE.
HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THE EVIL THAT'S BEEN DONE TO YOU?
YOU DO IT BY BEING GOOD TO OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE WHEN
THE ENEMY HURTS US, HE WANTS US TO BE FULL OF HATRED,
AND BITTERNESS, AND RESENTMENT, FULL OF SELF-PITY, FEEL LIKE
EVERYBODY OWES US SOMETHING.
AND ALL OF THOSE ARE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT GOD
OFFERS US.
AND PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY CAN'T DO THE RIGHT THING IF THEY
DON'T FEEL RIGHT ABOUT IT.
BUT I'VE LEARNED THAT WHEN I DO WHAT'S RIGHT WHEN IT
DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, THAT'S WHEN I'M GROWING SPIRITUALLY.
AND SO, YOU CAN DO WHAT GOD TELLS YOU TO WHETHER YOU FEEL
LIKE IT OR NOT.
JOYCE: ISAIAH 61:7, OH, MY GOSH, THIS KEPT ME GOING FOR
YEARS WHEN I JUST HAD SO MUCH PAIN IN MY SOUL TRYING TO GET
OVER THE ABUSE THAT I WENT THROUGH, TRYING TO LEARN HOW
TO BE A SUBMISSIVE WIFE, TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO BE NICE.
OH, MY GOSH, AND I'D GO BACK TO ISAIAH 61:7, "INSTEAD OF YOUR
[FORMER] SHAME YOU SHALL HAVE A TWOFOLD RECOMPENSE;"
THAT MEANS REWARD.
"INSTEAD OF DISHONOR AND REPROACH [YOUR PEOPLE] SHALL
REJOICE IN THEIR PORTION." NOW, WATCH THIS.
IT DOESN'T SAY, "AND WHEN THEY FINALLY GO TO HEAVEN, THEY'LL
BE BLESSED." "THEREFORE, IN THEIR LAND THEY
SHALL POSSESS DOUBLE..."
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: "[WHAT THEY FORFEITED];
AND EVERLASTING JOY." I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE
BEEN SAD.
SOME OF YOU CAME TO THIS CONFERENCE SAYING, "GOD,
I GOTTA HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH.
YOU GOTTA SPEAK SOMETHIN' TO ME.
I NEED A WORD." THIS IS YOUR WORD.
I'M TELLING YOU THAT EVERY PERSON CAN TAKE THIS.
THIS IS YOUR WORD FROM GOD.
AND ANYBODY ELSE THAT EVER COMES TO YOU THAT NEEDS HELP,
THIS CAN BE THEIR WORD FROM GOD.
THERE IS NOTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT OUR GOD.
EVERYTHING HE SAYS IS HOPEFUL, IT'S FULL OF FAITH.
IT'S FULL OF CONFIDENCE.
YOU ARE NO-- YOU ARE NOT THE TAIL END
OF ANYTHING.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU.
GOD'S GOT A GOOD PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE, AND IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
TO BEGIN AGAIN.