I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Philippians 3:13-14 (AMPC)

One of the great things about a relationship with God is that He always provides new beginnings. His Word says that His mercy is new every day. Jesus chose disciples who had weaknesses and made mistakes, but He continued working with them and helping them become all that they could be. He will do the same thing for you, if you will let Him.

Recovering from pain or disappointment of any kind is not something that just happens to some people and not to others. It is a decision! You make a decision to let go and go on. You gather up the fragments and give them to Jesus, and He will make sure that nothing is wasted (John 6:12). You refuse to think about what you have lost, but instead you inventory what you have left and begin using it. Not only can you recover, but you can also be used to help other people recover. Be a living example of a confident woman who always recovers from setbacks no matter how difficult or frequent they are.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for every new beginning You are making for my life. Help me to put the past aside and move on with Your help, amen.

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Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4 (AMP)

Deciding to help others is more than a good idea; it is one of the biggest secrets to enjoying every day of your life. We cannot be selfish and happy at the same time.

The Bible teaches us that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and I encourage you to embrace this truth: Following the biblical model of putting others ahead of ourselves is one of the best things we can do to enjoy our own lives. Whether it’s something small, like helping a friend run an errand, or something bigger, like volunteering a day of each week to serve the less fortunate in your community, it’s all important. It’s all lifechanging!

Prayer of the Day: Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus and ask that You help me to focus on others and embrace the joy of giving. Help me to serve with a generous heart and experience true fulfillment through Your love, amen.

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For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

Ephesians 6:12 (AMPC)

A careful study of Ephesians 6 informs us that we are in a war, and that our warfare is not with other human beings but with the wicked one. Our enemy, Satan, attempts to defeat us with lies and deceit, through well-laid plans and deliberate deception.

Jesus called the devil “the father of lies and of all that is false” (John 8:44). He lies to you and me. He tells us things about ourselves, about other people, and about circumstances that are just not true. He usually does not, however, tell us the entire lie all at one time.

He begins by bombarding our mind with a cleverly devised pattern of little nagging thoughts, suspicions, doubts, fears, wonderings, reasonings, and theories. He moves slowly and cautiously. Remember, he has a strategy for his warfare.

Satan has studied us for a long time and knows what we like and what we don’t like. He knows our insecurities, weaknesses, and fears. He knows what bothers us most and is willing to invest any amount of time it takes to defeat us. But we can outlast the enemy through the power of the Holy Spirit and through learning the truth of God’s Word!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me recognize the enemy’s lies and stand firm in Your truth. Empower me through Your Holy Spirit to outlast every attack and live in the victory and the good plan You have for my life, amen.

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Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

How are we transformed? According to this scripture, we are transformed by learning to think in a completely different way. This is a large part of being a successful Christian. You will not be a victorious Christian just because you go to church, own different translations of the Bible, or have a large library of Christian teachings. You will not have victory unless you learn to transform your thoughts.

The word transformed means “to change into another complete form, to totally change the appearance of, to convert.” I love that because when people accept Christ as their Savior, we say they have been “converted.” First God converts us, and then He converts everything else in our lives by helping us convert (renew) our thinking.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me renew my mind with Your Word. Transform my thinking so that I can live a victorious life and reflect Your will in everything I do.

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But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation.

Psalm 13:5 (AMPC)

God is slow to anger and plenteous in mercy (Psalm 103:8). It is impossible to deserve mercy, and that is why it is such a waste of time to try to pay for our mistakes with good works or guilt. We don’t deserve mercy, but God gives it freely. This free gift is something to be thankful for!

Mercy overrides “the rules.” You may have grown up in a home that had lots of rules, and if you broke any of them, you got into trouble. Although God does intend for us to keep His commands, He understands our nature and is ready to extend mercy to anyone who will ask for and receive it.

When we learn to receive mercy, then we will also be able to give it to others—and mercy is something many people seriously need.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, for the way You extend mercy to me each and every day. I desire to please You in everything I do, but I thank You that when I fall short, You never fail to bless me with the free gift of Your love and mercy.

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And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Matthew 21:22 (ESV)

Recently I was talking with the Lord, and I told Him something that I needed Him to do for me. Immediately, I heard in my spirit, “I need your faith!” This was quite an eye-opening statement for me. Through these words, I realized that somehow, I had weakened in faith and was asking God for help out of need and desperation rather than in faith. We can ask God for many things yet fail to attach our faith to our requests.

I encourage you to ask in faith, believing that God hears you and wants to meet your need. If you know a scripture on which you can base your request, you can remind God that you believe it and that you trust Him to keep His promises. Praying the Word or filling your prayers with Scripture is a good thing to do. When we humbly remind God of His Word, it shows we are putting our trust in it and in Him. It also strengthens our faith while we wait for Him to answer us.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am so thankful for the privilege of prayer, and I trust You to answer me when I pray in faith, according to Your will. Thank You for helping me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.

Romans 8:8 (AMPC)

When we follow the ever-changing impulses of our carnal nature, it is not pleasing or acceptable to God, because He has a much better life in mind for us. We all have times when emotions change without warning, and it is important that we learn how to handle ourselves in times like that. If we merely follow our feelings, we will surely end up making decisions and taking actions that we will regret later on.

Last Sunday, Dave and I had several people to our house for a party, and I was energetic and felt great. The next day, for no apparent reason, I woke up feeling dull-headed and a bit down emotionally. Why? What is wrong with me? Those are the first questions I asked myself. I didn’t get an answer, so I had to make a choice. Should I continue to try to figure out my odd mood and get more and more confused, or should I pray, asking God to reveal anything He wants me to see and go on about the business of the day, asking God to help me live beyond my feelings?

I have learned over the years that being a stable, consistent person requires that I own my feelings instead of letting them own me. In other words, I may have them, but I cannot let them control me. Feelings are fickle. They change frequently and often without any notice. Sometimes we understand why, but much of the time we don’t.

Our physical condition can affect emotions. Consider things like: Did I get enough sleep? or Did I eat something that made me feel bad? or Is it allergy season? Our spiritual condition can also cause mood fluctuation: Have I spent enough time with God? Do I have hidden sin that needs to be dealt with? Is God chastising me about something?

I recommend praying first to see if God reveals anything, and if He doesn’t, then remain steady in the storm. Don’t try excessively to figure out your feelings, because it will get you more and more focused on them. Trust God, use extra self-control, and very soon you will feel better.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I desire to be stable emotionally at all times. Help me stay steady when my emotions fluctuate. I want to live a life that is pleasing to You at all times, and I trust You to continue teaching me in this area.

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So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.

Ecclesiastes 2:17-18 (NIV)

Solomon, the writer of today’s scripture passage, was so stressed out that he hated his life and ended up unfulfilled and bitter. These are not emotions anyone would choose.

So what’s the secret to happiness and fulfillment in life? I believe it’s making sure we obey God’s will and give ourselves to what He has called us to do. This is not always easy. We sometimes struggle and grow weary along the way.

Let me encourage you today to think seriously about how you spend your time. As God leads you, cut activities and commitments out of your life until you no longer go through every day at a frantic pace and end up feeling stressed.

First, realize that you can’t do everything. Then decide with God’s help what you can do. This will make you more effective at what you’re supposed to do and greatly increase the peace in your life. Peace equals power; without it, you’ll stay frustrated and weak.

As you evaluate how you’re spending your time, use this simple rule: If you have peace about it, keep doing it. If you don’t have peace about it, stop. Feeling resentful or hearing yourself complain about it frequently indicates the need to make an adjustment.

God doesn’t want you to end up like Solomon, hating your life and being bitter. His great desire is for you to love your life, enjoy being in His will, and be satisfied and at peace as you fulfill His purpose for you.

Prayer of the Day: God, I believe You want me to enjoy my life. Help me make the decisions that will bring peace and fulfillment to me each day.

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But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.

James 1:4 (AMP)

James teaches us that we can rejoice when we find ourselves involved in difficult situations, knowing that God is trying our faith to bring out patience. I have found that trials did eventually bring out patience in me, but first they brought a lot of other junk to the surface—such as pride, anger, rebellion, self-pity, complaining, and many other things. It seems that these ungodly traits, with God’s help, need to be faced and dealt with because they hinder patience as well as other good fruit like kindness, love, humility, and other things.

The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, and sacrifice. These are not popular words; nevertheless, these are things we go through in order to become like Jesus in our character. God’s desire is to make us perfect, lacking in nothing. He wants us to ultimately be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which usually requires us to go through some difficulties that, although are unpleasant, do eventually help us mature.

I struggled with the difficulties in my life for a long time until I finally learned that God would work them out for good and use them to help me in many ways. He simply wants you and me to surrender and say, “I trust You, God. I believe when this difficulty is over, I will be a better person than I was before it began!”

Prayer of the Day: Father, please help me to trust You through difficulties, and teach me to surrender completely, knowing You are always working for my good and will use this to make me more like Jesus, amen.

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In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.

Psalm 4:8 (AMPC)

Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair, rocking back and forth; it’s always in motion and it keeps us busy, but it never gets us anywhere. In fact, if we do it too long, it wears us out!

Trusting God allows us to enter His rest—a place of peace where we are able to enjoy life while we are waiting for Him to solve our problems. He cares for us; He will solve our problems and meet our needs, but we have to stop thinking and worrying about them.

I realize this is easier said than done, but there is no time like the present to begin learning a new way to live without worry, anxiety, and fear.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to be free from worry and reasoning. Help me to rest in You and completely let go of anxiety, amen.

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…Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

We all know about willpower. Willpower is that thing that makes us dismiss the chocolate fudge sundae even though every cell of our bodies screams for us to dig in. Willpower is that thing CEOs and professional athletes tell us they use to trounce the competition.

Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won’t be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going–for a while. But it is never enough to bring you across the finish line.

What would happen if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turned to God? God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Jesus said in John 15:5, …Apart from me you can do nothing. This is one of the most important lessons we can learn if we want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, empower me to rely on Your strength, not just my willpower, to finish strong and accomplish Your purpose for my life, amen.

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Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Ephesians 6:14-15 (NIV)

the Bible says that if we meet our battles with peace and respond to the upsets in life with peace, we will experience victory. It’s a paradox; it doesn’t make any sense. How can we win if we stop fighting?

My husband used to make me mad because he would not fight with me. I was upset and angry, and I wanted him to say just one thing so I could rail on and on. But when Dave saw that I was just looking for an argument, he would be quiet and tell me, “I am not going to fight with you.” Sometimes he would even get in the car and leave for a while, infuriating me even more, but I could not fight with someone who would not fight back.

Moses told the Israelites not to fight when they found the Red Sea facing them on one side and the Egyptian army chasing them on the other. They became frightened, and he told them, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest (Exod. 14:13–14).

Notice that Moses told the Israelites to hold [their] peace and remain at rest. Why? They were at war, and it was necessary for them to respond with peace in order to win the battle. God would fight for them if they would show their confidence in Him by being peaceful. If you hold on to your peace, He will do the same for you.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me face my battles with Your peace, and help me to always trust You to fight for me. Teach me to remain calm and confident in You. I know You are my strength and salvation.

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…Ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.

John 16:24 (AMPC)

I often tell people that one of the things they can do to enjoy their lives is to simplify their lives—that includes their prayer life too. Now when I say “simplify” your prayer life, I don’t mean you should not pray often. The Bible says, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV). We can and should go to God frequently in prayer.

What I mean is that if you try to sound too eloquent, you can complicate your prayer life to the point of it being unbearable. It is good to know that we don’t have to try to impress God with our prayers. Thankfully, we can just talk to Him like a friend; tell Him the way we truly think and feel. With God, you can always be sincere, and you can always be yourself. You don’t have to put on religious airs. You can be real with God and simply enjoy spending time with Him.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I thank You that talking with You is not a complicated process. I am so grateful that I can be myself with You and just pray what is on my heart. Help me to remember that prayer is a conversation and that I can come to you anytime throughout the day.

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Not so shall it be among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant.

Matthew 20:26 (AMPC)

A proud person finds it almost impossible to serve others, especially in small and hidden ways. The main reason Jesus teaches us to serve is not because He is unable to meet the needs of people, but because it is imperative for us that we do so. We benefit more than anyone when we serve. God is the ultimate Servant! Jesus humbled Himself and became a Servant! (See Philippians 2:7.)

Serving is not natural to my nature, so I choose to do it on purpose. I have to think about things I can do for other people, and I pray regularly, asking God to make me aware of ways (large or small) that I can serve—things like turning the light out in Dave’s closet, cleaning up a mess someone else made (with a good attitude), letting someone go before me in line if they are rushed, or providing an item that a family member or friend needs or wants.

Quietly serving others adds much joy and fulfillment to our lives. Focusing on serving others helps us defeat selfishness and self-centeredness. Purpose to look for ways you can serve others, and you’re sure to experience a greater intimacy with God, as well as with those whom you are serving.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I renounce selfishness and pride and desire with all of my heart to serve others according to Your will. Make me aware of needs around me and let me find joy in serving.

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But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth….

John 16:13 (AMPC)

When God sends His Holy Spirit to work in people’s lives, He condemns sin, not sinners. Throughout His Word, we see clear proof of His love for individuals and His desire to nurture people so they can leave their sin behind and move on in His great plans for their lives. We never need to be afraid to let Him show us and speak to us about what we are doing wrong. The Holy Spirit lives within us. His job is lead us, teach us, help us with prayer, comfort us, convict us of sin, and lead us as we fulfill God’s plan for our lives.

We can trust the Holy Spirit because He knows exactly what needs to be done in our lives and the right timing for it. You might say we are broken, and He knows how to “fix” us. I am sure The Holy Spirit is working in and with you on some area of your life just as He is with all of us. I encourage you to submit to Him completely because He knows what He is doing and will do it exactly right. If people try to fix us or we try to fix ourselves we often only make things worse, but the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. We may not always understand or even like what He is doing, but the end result will be glorious. Relax, enjoy the day, and thank God that He is working in you.

Prayer of the Day: Holy Spirit, please help me to trust You to guide me, help me to accept when You convict me, and continue to help me grow. I submit to Your perfect plan, knowing You are working in me for my good, amen.

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And that we may be delivered from perverse (improper, unrighteous) and wicked (actively malicious) men, for not everybody has faith and is held by it. Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one].

1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 (AMPC)

I grow weary of all the evil in the world today, and I would imagine that at times you do too. Yet you and I are living during this season of world history for a purpose. In order to fulfill that purpose, we must stay strong. Paul reminds us that the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen us.

God will set us on a firm foundation—one that is not shaken, no matter how much the world around us shakes. Regardless of how much the world changes, God is always the same (Malachi 3:6). We can totally depend on Him.

I pray that God will deliver and protect you from evil and perverse people, and that He will send across their path those who may lead them to Christ. Always remember that while we wait, God will protect us from the evil one. The enemy may win an occasional battle, but he will not win the war.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for everything You are doing in my life. Please strengthen me, protect me from evil, and use me to bring light to those in darkness. I trust You completely, knowing You are always faithful, amen.

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Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered and, [His completed experience] making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him.

Hebrews 5:8–9 (AMPC)

Have you ever tried to figure out how to make a gadget or an electronic device work properly? That kind of thing comes easily to people who know a lot about technology. But it can be very frustrating to people like me, who aren’t technologically savvy and who just want the device to work! I have learned that if I accidentally hit the wrong button on my phone and start having trouble with it, all I need to do is look for a young person to help me. Though I am older, and I have much more life experience than a sixth grader who can fix my phone, that child has something I do not have: specific experience with today’s technology. I may know a lot in some areas, but I can’t fix my phone; I need help, and the best kind of helper is one with experience.

Jesus has all the experience required to help us along our healing journey. Hebrews 5:8–9 speaks volumes to me not only about Him but also about my life and yours. Jesus needed certain experience in order to truly understand our pain and become our High Priest who can help us heal. My experience with Jesus’ healing power makes me a good person to boldly tell others He will heal their wounded souls just as He has healed mine, and your experience will do the same for you.

Jesus suffered greatly and gained experience as a result. His experience equipped Him to fulfill what God wanted Him to do. Hebrews 4:15 says He is able to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses (AMPC) because He has already gone through the things we suffer. I hope you will think about this verse often and allow it to give you hope and confidence that what you are going through will enable you to help others.

I encourage you today, even at this moment, to offer your experience to God for His use if you have never done that. No matter how confusing, painful, or difficult it may be, He can use it to provide the experience you need to help someone else. I vividly remember praying one day, “God, I am a broken mess, but I’m Yours if You can use me.” He did. He chose to use me in specific ways to help others, and I believe there is a specific way He wants to use you, too. Nothing we give to God is ever wasted, so give Him your pain today and see how He will use your experience.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, use my pain and experiences to help others. Teach me to trust You with my journey, knowing You can turn every hardship into healing for someone else, amen.

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But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol, like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy.

Malachi 4:2 (AMPC)

Around our world, horrible crimes and unspeakable acts happen every day to women and children who are powerless to stop them. Every act affects the life of a precious person, created in God’s image. Many women are hurt, wounded little girls trapped inside adult bodies, afraid to come out for fear of being hurt more.

I understand the feelings of these women. I was sexually abused by my father for many years. I also suffered abuse at the hands of other men throughout the first 25 years of my life. I developed a hardened attitude toward all men and adopted a harsh, hard manner.

But I want everyone to know that, through God’s Word and the help of the Holy Spirit, I was healed in my spirit, emotions, mind, will, and personality. It was a process that unfolded over several years, and I have enough firsthand experience to highly recommend God’s ways of restoration and healing rather than the world’s ways. It is much better to let God heal you than to spend your life being bitter about the past.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I rejoice today that You did not leave me to heal myself. I worship You alone, and I receive from You all the healing and grace that I need for this day, amen.

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But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol, like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy.

Malachi 4:2 (AMPC)

Around our world, horrible crimes and unspeakable acts happen every day to women and children who are powerless to stop them. Every act affects the life of a precious person, created in God’s image. Many women are hurt, wounded little girls trapped inside adult bodies, afraid to come out for fear of being hurt more.

I understand the feelings of these women. I was sexually abused by my father for many years. I also suffered abuse at the hands of other men throughout the first 25 years of my life. I developed a hardened attitude toward all men and adopted a harsh, hard manner.

But I want everyone to know that, through God’s Word and the help of the Holy Spirit, I was healed in my spirit, emotions, mind, will, and personality. It was a process that unfolded over several years, and I have enough firsthand experience to highly recommend God’s ways of restoration and healing rather than the world’s ways. It is much better to let God heal you than to spend your life being bitter about the past.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I rejoice today that You did not leave me to heal myself. I worship You alone, and I receive from You all the healing and grace that I need for this day, amen.

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He will not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting [confidently relying on and believing] in the Lord.

Psalm 112:7 (AMP)

When we find ourselves in the midst of a struggle or adversity, we often ask God, “Why? Why is this happening to me?”

Let’s imagine, for one moment, that God actually answered that question. Would His explanation change anything? The effects of the situation would still be with you. What would you have learned?

When we ask God that question, what we’re really asking is, “God, do You love me? Will You take care of me in my sorrow and pain? You won’t leave me alone, will You?” Is it possible that we ask for explanations because we’re afraid God doesn’t truly care about us?

Instead, we can learn to say, “Lord, I believe. I don’t understand, and I’ll probably never grasp all the reasons bad things happen, but I know for certain that You love me, You are good, and You are with me—always.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I trust in Your love and goodness. Even when I don’t understand, I know You are always with me. Strengthen my faith in You through every struggle. I love You, amen.

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