Lyrics
Verse 1
I am choosing to walk by faith
Though troubles come like waves
You are the constant even when the clouds are grey
I can be grateful and face whatever comes my way
Pre-Chorus
There’s an old church hymn that we’ll always sing
God, I’m asking You again
Chorus
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising
Give me joy, give me joy
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising
Keep me praising till the break of day
Verse 2
There’s a deeper happiness
There’s a holy confidence
Following Jesus is everything my heart could need
Following Jesus, that’s the only way for me
Pre-Chorus
There’s an old church hymn that we’ll always sing
God, I’m asking You again
Chorus
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising
Give me joy, give me joy
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising
Keep me praising till the break of day
Bridge
Let me seek it, find it, testify it
Joy, joy, joy
Help me choose to say my strength today is
Joy, joy, joy
Come restore to me my true salvation
Joy, joy, joy
Will You grow in me that Spirit fruit of joy?
Release Your joy
Outro
Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy
Keep me praising till the break of day
Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy
Keep me praising till the break of day
Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy
Keep me praising till the break of day
Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy
We will praise You till the break of day
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Give Me Joy" opens with a decision rather than a feeling, choosing faith and gratitude despite acknowledged trouble described as waves, refusing to wait for calm circumstances before responding well. Its pre-chorus names a specific inherited tradition, an old church hymn always sung, tying the song's request directly to a line of shared, repeated prayer across time.
The chorus repeats that inherited request nearly verbatim, asking for joy sustained until "the break of day," language framing praise as something maintained through a long night rather than a brief, easy burst of feeling. A second verse distinguishes that requested joy from surface happiness, describing it instead as holy confidence found specifically in following Jesus.
The bridge names joy explicitly as fruit of the Spirit, asking for it to grow rather than be manufactured, and connecting restored joy to salvation itself. Rooted in a classic gospel chorus updated for contemporary worship, the song functions as an extended, inherited prayer, repeating its request for sustained joy as both personal need and shared tradition.
Related Scripture
- Nehemiah 8:10 States that the joy of the Lord is one's strength, echoed in the song's bridge naming joy as strength.
- Galatians 5:22 Names joy as a fruit of the Spirit, directly echoed in the song's request for the Spirit's fruit of joy to grow.