Mourning Into Dancing – by Apostle Paul Oduneye

Mourning into Dancing
Psalm 30:11, “Thou hast turn for me my mourning into dancing.”
God is a good God. He is a caring Father. God will give you a garment of joy as you read this book, I declare that, in the name of Jesus, Amen!
“From mourning into dancing” means coming from the state of sorrow and affliction into the mode of joy and comfort, from the angst of pain into a joyful season. God is so much into the specialization of turning around situations of His people and those who trust in Him, there is no impossible business with and for Him. God loves you. Your standing at the moment may not be much of the happiness you desire. The fact that we Christians are following faithfully doesn’t mean it’s without the experience of the season of mourning. The season of crying, the time of weeping and the period of challenges can happen, too, to many people all over the world. It is a universal and a general fact. Even in the Bible, the greatest names who had great testimonies to share at the end of their race in life, also passed through the same thing.
Probably at present, you are experiencing challenges that cause you to cry. Either openly or secretly. The people around you may not know what you’re up against for they don’t see you crying. Maybe you are walking the road and but deep inside you, you are in tears about your situation. You are trying everything you can to do something about the circumstances around you. In the end, you find yourself crying and saying desperately, “Will God still answer my prayers?”
I have good news for you!
The good news is the unchangeable Changer, God! He Himself never changes and is able to change your every situation. I am elated to announce to you that God is going to change your life for good. He will take away the trials and challenges in your life and replace you with bliss and happiness. As human being, there’s no way you can be here on earth without experiencing these things. As a matter of fact, almost everyone in the Lord Jesus Christ goes through rough times that make them cry, one way or the other. Along the way, you might have some challenges that will cause you to be sorrowful, maybe about your health, job, children, family, finances or whatever it is that isn’t at par with your expectations. As the saying goes: No Pain, No Gain. When you feel the pain, it’s just preparing you for a greater reward. God is going to give you what you hope for in a few, by and by. That is why this message of transition is very important for you to hear. God has made a decision in heaven to change your situation, to turn your sorrow into joy. God will turn your mourning into dancing. When you observe in the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:4, “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Everything under heaven, there is time, a purpose and a season.
I don’t know what kind of time you may be in presently, God is just detailed doing and working out something for your joy to manifest very soon.
Somehow, you may be thinking ‘How come I’m the one going through all these things, am I the only one on earth, am I the only Christian? I am doing what is required of me, I live a holy life, I pray, I fast and yet nothing happens. I keep on feeling sad and tired of thinking if God is there to answer my prayer!’ There is something I would like you to understand and it is this: “The greater your tomorrow is, the greater your challenge will be!” Times also have you wondering, “ What’s going on, why are you the only one going through a lot of these? Worse, you begin to question many people who are not Christians, not living for the Lord, leading a kind of life that doesn’t please God, don’t experience what you are facing now. Why? You ask. Why is it like this? How come sickness is still there? You ask the perennial question, “Why?” To answer that, I have good news for you! You are carrying “a baby of greatness” inside you. Like a pregnant woman, you are carrying a great destiny. For a pregnant woman to deliver a baby, you won’t see her grinning while writhing in pain. You cannot see any pregnant woman on her delivery day, in the labor room smiling and beaming. Not possible! It’s impossible! Time will come the baby of success shall manifest. Kind of great destiny you are carrying is about to be delivered. You will deliver a baby of greatness, of breakthrough, of abundance in life, explosion of the doings of the Lord. With this awesome transition unfolding, the devil is not happy. As he foresees the great you will become, how great God is able to do in your life, he will try to cause you a seemingly unbearable pain you think it’s too much. You must understand that it’s not the end of your story, the pain won’t last forever. It is temporary. The pain is limited, it is short-lived and very soon, you will deliver that baby.
Let me show you in John 16:21-22, “(v.21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” Our Master Jesus revealed about the woman who travail so much, no matter how good and kind she was, when it’s time for her to deliver the baby, it is coupled with pain.
No matter how prayerful the pregnant woman is or how anointed the pastor or apostle is, there will be times of pain in the lives of some people -the best bishop, the most loyal servant of God, the most holy man or even me. You cannot relinquish your own pain. When it’s time for delivery, there will be hours of laborious pain, but they will end surely.
You’re crying in pain now, you’re sorrowful yesterday, family or friends caused you pain and made you cry, people talked about you wrongly, you heard many things about you to the extent you sulk and cry. You feel so disgraceful as a Christian, worry no more, the good news is, this is the beginning of your joy. This day is a remarkable day, the onset of your testimony, in the name of Jesus! For the hour has come to deliver the baby, sorrow will be come to an end. Same with you readers, from the throne of Almighty God, by the authority of the Almighty God, He will put an end to your sorrow. “(v.22) And ye now therefore have sorrow: but will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” Somehow, when you’re pressed by some degree of mourning, you weep because it seems Jesus is nowhere in sight, you don’t see any signs that God is with you. Take heart, Jesus will manifest His power to you anew. He will reveal Himself to you again, to release His goodness to you again with the kind of joy you will enjoy. No power can snap it away from you, not even the demons.
God is changing your situation. Ezekiel 21:27 says, “I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be on more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it to him.” God is on unchangeable Changer. He has made the decision in heaven to change your life for good. This day, week, month and year is your inception of joy. It doesn’t matter how this year began, do not think that this year will end without fireworks, never recollect times that were wasted, do not cry over spilled milk saying this year is no good at all. Think that this year is the best year for you. Why? It is because God is able to turn your mourning into dancing. Time is coming very soon, even without the choir singing nor an orchestra accompanying, you will just discover that God has done something worth-celebrating.
I want to show you some case study in the Bible that our God is able to change the scene. He is able to change you from “ashes to beauty”. He’s able to remove the garments of reproach and will clothe you with the garments of glory. He’s able to pour out His love and guidance upon your life and your home. He’s going to do that favor for you. Our great mother in the Bible is Sarah, the great woman. God fulfilled that which He promised to Sarah: to have a baby. She had been looking for a way to having a baby for 25 years. Both she and her husband experienced tests and troubles at home. Then the day arrived when God’s Word came to pass in their lives.
When God makes a decision to switch your mourning into dancing, a day is enough. And this is your day. And back in the days, God changed the couple’s situation. Sarah delivered Isaac which means “laughter”.
Sarah said God has made her to laugh, and she said “Those who will hear me laugh shall laugh with me.”
Hallelujah!
Where you’ve been crying and no one understands your situation, soon shall you laugh and rejoice! People will see you with God’s joy in your life.
Why?
For you will not see that sickness anymore as it cannot kill you and you will rejoice over it. It doesn’t count how long you have been through vicissitudes in life, there is a special day God has appointed that you deliver the “baby of laughter”. Your business endeavor shall deliver a baby of laughter, your ministry as well, and every day of your life.
As God Almighty liveth, very soon, everyday of your life, the season of joy will never cease, in Jesus name, Amen! You are about to dance in celebration, as God has set your feet to dancing and see the goodness of God’s doing. Nobody will ask you to or make you dance, but spontaneously you will just dance. Rejoice, praise as God turned it around for you.
Hannah in the Bible, in 1Samuel 1:7, “And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she went, and did not eat.” She used to be in God’s temple. Regularly, she went to the house of God though she was not a believer, she used to be in the presence of God. The mere fact that you are a Christian doesn’t mean you cannot experience crying. God is faithful to change the situation and give you the testimony. Back to Hannah, she was there in the presence of God. She had been mourning all her life, because her husband had another wife that time, who mocked her for being barren. While everyone was eating and rejoicing, she couldn’t help but cry while the husband was staring at her frowning and crying. Maybe people around you don’t understand what you are going through, but God understands and He has made a decision to change that situation of yours, to turn your mourning into dancing. That’s why He sent me to announce this message to you, not to miss out on His blessings in Jesus name, Amen!
In the book of 1Samuel 2:1, “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord. Mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.” Hannah prayed like a drunkard, and Prophet Eli was astonished at that, of how Hannah prayed like a drunkard. but she was changed by her constant coming to Shilo. Her prayer has changed. You are reading this book, the prophecy has come into your life, your prayer shall be a prayer of thanksgiving, needless of many of words, just give thanks. The more miracle will happen, the more peace and blessings will flow when you continually give thanks celebrating from glory to glory, so shall it be in the name of Jesus!
Hannah suffered harassment and persecution when she couldn’t bear a baby. The Lord gave Hannah not only a baby, but a baby that was excellent among the children. In that land of Israel, Samuel, her baby, became the greatest prophet in the land. Samuel had no equal, no president or king can be put in line with Samuel’s anointing, can you imagine? Hannah experienced crying because inside her was a destiny of the whole land of Israel where many Kings were ordained.
Sometimes when God is cooking up something great inside you, you will experience the pain that others won’t. You will experience sorrow that is different from others.
Ever wondered calling yourself a pastor, a christian, why are you passing through these ordeals? Maybe because of a secret sin that they condemn and judge you with. They cannot understand what you are passing through and why.
Or it could be because of that certain baby inside you, the great destiny you carry, people who are attached to your destiny, a destiny of a whole country, nation or continent.
God has deposited something great in you that is about to come forth. So, when you carry such destiny, you would cry, weep and be filled with sorrow, but that’s not the end of you. You may emerge even higher than others. As what is true, the higher the pain, the greater the glory. If you are feeling the pain now, I’m glad to announce to you, you are about to deliver THE baby, you are soon to rejoice!
The woman after she delivered the baby, smiled, and people went to the woman. But when she was laboring in pain, nobody was there, only the doctors, nurses and people working in the hospital. Even the husband couldn’t stand to see her. But when the baby came, the family came and friends, too. They came to see her and the baby. And congratulated her.
I am glad to announce, people will congratulate you, people will see the glory of God in your life. They will celebrate the goodness of God in your life.
Look up the life of Naomi in the book of Ruth. Her name means “sweetness”. But she lost many things as she passed through one problem after the other, she couldn’t bear them anymore, so she changed her name. She told the people that her name was Marah, no longer Naomi. Marah means “bitterness”, “sorrow”. Don’t allow the situation to change your name, whatever God has destined you to be, you shall surely be. Never mind whatever that situation is. God has given you a glorious name and glorious shall you be. Just because of the situation, she has experienced many things but when you read the Bible, in Ruth 1:17, it says, “Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” A baby is about to come, born to her. She carried the baby, delivered not just anvordinary baby named Obed, the father of Jesse, who is David’s father, the generation of Jesus Christ. So, there is no way we can talk about Jesus without Naomi. When great things are about to come upon your life, there will be some experience of challenges and trials that can cause crying along the way, because the devil has also seen great things to happen in your life. The devil has seen those. You might be destined to be greatly rich, a person with millions and be a blessing to thousands of people. But suddenly, you find yourself in a lot of debt and somehow unable to pay. But that won’t be your name, a debtor. So shall it be: to be great and rich! What you’re passing through right now is temporary. God will take you to your fulfillment and you won’t miss it. If you believe this word that God is the unchangeable Changer, Who is able to change your situation then you have to understand how to turn your mourning into dancing. For God to do that to you – He can do it as He is a good God – know your own role along the way. Your role matters if you are already tired of crying and mourning and you want to rejoice, celebrate and change the situation. You need to know your role in God’s kingdom principles to be revealed in this message.
1.Look Beyond Your Reason of Crying. Let your mind see greater joy beyond the reason why you are crying. Many people have been defeated in their season of crying because they didn’t see the other side. Their inability to see beyond the reason of their trying makes the enemy take advantage of them. You will never be a victim of sorrow. You need to see beyond that. Set your mind to your joy coming. Understand that the end has not yet come, it’s just part of life experience, just part of the journey. There’s going to be a time to cross it over, for rejoicing and dancing before the Lord. In Psalm 30:5, “For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” You may have cried last month, last hour but joy cometh in the morning. Maybe you were crying last night, nobody stood beside you, understood you. No one heard you as you were sruggling with pain. Maybe as you woke up in the morning, you started thinking about the situation that you are sad. No matter how you weep today, joy will come concerning your health, and finances, joy cometh concerning your christian living and there’s joy concerning your children. God is bringing joy to you, weeping may tarry for a night but joy cometh. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Blessed are they that weep now for they shall rejoice. You might be crying now, it’s not the end of you, see beyond the reason of your crying now. Perhaps you are crying now because you were embarrassed by somebody; because you were not able to pay your account, saying you need to pay all these bills but you don’t have enough then you end up crying. It’s not the end of you, as long as God lives, your time of joy will arrive soon, you will become a giver and be the one changing the lives of people, transforming them for good. Maybe you are crying now because of the hopeless doctor’s report. I want to tell you, it’s not yet your end, you just need to see beyond that reason of your crying. Don’t be knocked down because of that. Don’t let the weeping close your eyes for your tomorrow. Move on to the next level for there is something that God wants to do in your life. Hallelujah!
Never be intimidated because of your sorrow and trial now, God has a better plan for you, He has a better tomorrow for you, and you won’t miss it in the name of Jesus, Amen!
Let’s take a look at the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:4, “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” A time to meet means a time to cry or morning and they time to laugh. You are going to laugh very soon. I see you moving out from the season of crying, the era of crying is coming to an end of your life. You will dance for joy and the Lord will turn it for you. Time is coming very soon, you are going to love what God has done in your life, I tell you. You are going to look at the goodness of the Lord. Nobody will be beating the drum to make you dance but you will just be dancing, giving praise, singing for joy, shouting Hallelujah! It’s going to be your time of dancing, it’s getting near! You will be surprised soon. God will do it as He is preparing the stage for you to dance on. Very soon you will be lifted and many will congratulate you.
Look beyond the reason of your crying. Maybe you’re lost your job. Look beyond your unemployment! Time will come, you will be employing people. Just look beyond, maybe you have been affected by a broken relationship, look beyond that. Those who rejected and condemned you, they are like bumps in the road to mess up your every plan as they don’t have the final say about you. Look beyond their derision, for there is still joy for you coming. A day of celebration, dancing with happiness. If you want your mourning to turn into dancing, see beyond.

2.Remember God Allows your Plan to Grow your Faith. Sometimes, as a Christian, you may be wondering why God is not answering your prayer. Maybe He is unfair considering your situation. Despite the fact that you have given your life to Jesus, served him faithfully. Yes, God will never allow it if not for a purpose. He allows things for a purpose, for faith to grow and make you strong. Your faith will become great after it has been stretched and stretched further. When God stretches your face through tests, it will result in a testimony in the end. Just allow God to do His work, so you will be dancing your tomorrow with success. Now, you are daydreaming how you wish to see God face tovface, you want to question him. Somehow, you have talked to your pastor and asked a lot of questions. Why not others, why are you the only one passing through all these? My unbeliever colleagues are not facing the problems I am struggling with. Why only me? God is just stretching your faith because the destiny you carry is greater than your colleagues’. God allowed it for your faith to grow strong. You have graduated to the next level of trusting Him. Put your trust in Him, your absolute faith that no matter what your situation, you’ll just say, “I trust my God Who is Almighty, sovereign in my life, Who is in control and not the devil.” For the devil doesn’t have the final say about you. They might be laughing because you are crying, never mind them. Remember, God is building your faith in the preparation of greater tomorrow. God is preparing you for greater things so that many people who will pass through same challenges, you can be of rescue to them. Just build up your faith. Don’t quickly give up. Don’t allow the mourning time to make you misbehave. In 1John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” The only way for you to overcome and enjoy life joyfully, is to strengthen faith, make it stronger. So, when a situation happens and you are crying, you will get your victory after you allowed your faith to grow. Your faith may be under fire now, don’t give up, don’t misbehave because of that. And never mock God. He allowed your faith to be tested for testimony purposes. You will not miss your blessing in the name of Jesus. You will not be in a sorrowful position forever.

3.Sow in Tears. Many may not like this principle, but it is true in the Kingdom of God. In Psalm 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Apply this passage in your situation and trust God for a miracle. Whenever God changes somebody’s sorrow into joy, He will step in for your guidance. If you respond to His instruction, you will never have regrets. If you want God to turn things around (sorrow to dancing) take advantage of your present situation: sow a kind of seed that will touch the heart of God.

I encountered this unforgettable experience during a big crusade. In mounting the event, the pastors, coordinators and the people involved in the Lord’s ministry, depended on me to come up with the budget. I needed the amount of 70k for that crusade.(I have shared this testimony of mine to all of my staff and members many times.)
In submission to God, I knelt down praying for the need of 70000, for His provision. God’s voice spoke to me asking how much do I need and told God He knows everything I needed. I only had 1500 cash in my pocket. The Lord told me to have the money enveloped and hand it to a certain pastor. I was wondering if God was adding to my sorrow. He wasn’t, but He just wanted to test my obedience amidst the challenge I was faced with. So, I obeyed God as I trust him, He accepted my seeds. I made a sacrifice and expected aanswern from God. Then one particular day came, God used a certain person, to my surprise, who took me to the bank and withdrew an amount which the Lord told her to give me. I couldn’t imagine how miraculously that day went for I was in dire need of 70k, and with the help of God, the woman released 100k for the crusade. I was able to use and spend the miracle money for God’s glory. All workers were so happy that day with me. No one understood the test of God I had to be in, to get the answer from Him. Some people when time comes they encounter problems or challenges or when they are in sorrow, it’s also the time they disobey God, rationalizing that “If I don’t have money, I cannot eat.” In other instances, if God wants to change the course, He will give instructions to do and follow. As God told the widow in Zarepath through the man called Elijah. Elijah knew about the last food serving of the widow. Yet he asked for it though the widow confessed that after the last meal, they are going to die in starvation. Elijah said that they wouldn’t die, she just needed to bring the serving to him. The woman obeyed despite their famine. She sowed her last food, and the Lord sealed her obedience with His word (that starting that day), they will never experience lack of food again. God is about opening heaven and pouring His glory and blessings upon you, just be willing to sow in your time of tears.
You as well, when God wants to alter your situation for good, He will allow a certain test of obedience in the midst of your challenge and pain. God can tell you to sow. You must have observed, I have not mentioned about money. I want to tell you, it’s a spiritual principle that can never be hidden. I don’t know whom God is talking to now, but I believe that you reading this book, is whom God has sent me to. Believe that there is something God will decide to do to effect change in your life. He may lead you to allocate seed to your pastor. He may lead you to go and help somebody. I remember the first time, God gave me my first car in the ministry before. I was in a meeting I told the congregation to “Give to the Lord”. We started giving our offering and as I was praying, the Lord spoke to me saying the offering gathered wouldn’t be for me nor for the church. I wondered why and asked God. He told me to give the money instead to the widow seated at the back. The woman had four children and had no one to come to their aid. God told me that back home, they didn’t have food to eat, they had nothing. They were in the church hoping for God to do something for them. I gave the whole offering as God instructed me to, to be a blessing to her life. I told my team not to touch the offering as it will be given to the widow. The woman was surprised, expressed her gratitude and left. That’s all what happened. After a week, God surprised me with my first car in the ministry. God can do what you think is impossible. He can get you out of the situation if you will obey His words that even in the time of your mourning and crying, any of your good acts or decisions will touch the heart of God and God will say, “Even in your situation, you can do this?” Therefore, be blessed!

That’s what you need. If you can follow those three things, you’ll never regret complying. God has a plan for you. May the Lord bless you as you read this book. I believe that you will receive a word from the Lord, Amen!