Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father…

James 1:17 (AMPC)

You were created to have a deep, intimate, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the very best life He came to offer.

Acts 10:34 (AMPC) says, …God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons. This means His promises apply equally to everyone who follows Him. Yes, you can have the very best God offers, but you can’t give up when times get tough. If you’ll trust God and follow Him wholeheartedly, you will discover your best life in Him.

God has a great purpose for you, and I urge you not to settle for anything less. He wants to bless you and give you a life that will not only thrill you, fulfill you, and bring you deep joy and sweet satisfaction but also challenge you, stretch you and help you discover that, in Christ, you’re stronger than you think.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me trust Your purpose for my life. Strengthen my faith to follow You wholeheartedly, even in challenges, and lead me into the fullness of the life You have for me, amen.

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How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

Proverbs 6:9 (AMPC)

Too much activity and no rest definitely is the culprit behind most stress, but no activity is also a problem. I am sure you have heard that exercise is a great stress reliever, and it is very true. I would rather be physically tired from exercise and movement than tired in my soul from doing nothing and being bored.

Work is good for all of us. As a matter of fact, God said we should work six days and rest one. That shows how important work and activity are in God’s eyes. God has created us to work, not to sit idly by and do nothing. There are several good stories in the Bible about people who had serious problems and when they asked Jesus for help He told them to “Get up!”

In the fifth chapter of John we see one example. A man was crippled, and he lay by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years waiting for his miracle. When Jesus came to the man and asked him how long he had been in that condition, the man gave the length of time and then continued to tell Jesus how he had nobody to put him into the pool at the right time and how others always got ahead of him. Jesus told the man to Get up! Pick up your bed…and walk! (John 5:8 AMPC).

Get up and start doing whatever you can do to clean up the messes in your life. If they are marriage messes, then do your part. Don’t worry about what your spouse is not doing; just do your part and God will reward you. If you have a financial mess, then stop spending and start paying off your debts. Get an extra job for a period of time if you need to. If you are not able to do that, then ask God to show you what you can do. Remember, “If you do what you can do, then God will do what you cannot do.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, calm my heart in life’s storms. Help me quiet my emotions, wait for Your wisdom, and trust You to guide my decisions at the right time, amen.

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If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:1 (AMPC)

Most of the things we devote our time and energy to are things that are currently passing away, things that will not last. We strive to make money, build businesses, achieve great accomplishments, be popular, own buildings, cars, and jewelry. We want to expand our minds and see the world, yet all of these things are temporal. They will all come to an end. Only love never comes to an end. An act of love goes on and endures forever.

Thankfully, God allows us to have a lasting impact when He asks us to love others. Henry Drummond says that “to love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.” In order to “love abundantly” and “love forever,” I encourage you to first receive God’s love for you…then you can walk in love toward everyone else.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am grateful that I can live my life in such a way as to have a lasting impact. Thank You for the power of love. Help me exercise that power and make an eternal impact by showing love to those around me today. Help me to always know what is truly important.

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When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

Psalm 56:3–4 (NIV)

Psalm 56 begins with David crying out to God because his enemies are “in hot pursuit” of him and all day long they press their attack (v. 1). In the midst of such pressure, David declares to God: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Notice that he says “when I am afraid,” not “if I am afraid.” This tells me that David accepts the fact that fear is a human emotion; we all experience fear to some degree at some time. But he adds, “I put my trust in you.” He did not trust himself or other people; he trusted God alone. David lived boldly and courageously because he knew God was always with him. We can live this same way. We can choose not to live according to the fear we feel, but according to God’s Word.

Years ago, God taught me to use what I call the “power twins” to help me defeat fear in my life. They are “I pray” and “I say.” When I feel fear, I begin to pray and ask for God’s help; then I say, “I will not fear!” I encourage you to also use these power twins as soon as you feel fear about anything. This will help you manage the emotion of fear instead of allowing it to control you.

Prayer of the Day: When I am afraid, Lord, I will trust in You. I will pray for Your help and declare, “I will not fear!”

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Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

Proverbs 14:29 (ESV)

Most of us could find a reason each day to be angry with someone or about something. Life is filled with imperfections and injustices, but anger doesn’t solve them. It only makes us miserable. The Word of God instructs us not to let the sun go down on our anger, because if we do, we give the devil a foothold in our lives (Ephesians 4:26–27).

Anger is an emotion that can and should be controlled. Love is not touchy or easily offended, but it is long-suffering and generous in mercy. One of the best ways to stay happy is to avoid anger. According to the writer of today’s scripture, the person who is hasty to become angry is foolish, but the one who is slow to anger is wise and has great understanding.

If you are angry with anyone, I urge you to completely forgive that person. By doing so, you will set yourself free to enjoy the day. Remember that anger doesn’t make any situation better; it only makes you miserable.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to be slow to get angry and always quick to forgive. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

Philippians 4:6 (AMPC)

Prayer is not a religious obligation that we do out of duty, but a tremendous privilege. We are invited to come boldly to God and ask specifically for what we need and want, not only for ourselves, but we can intercede for others and their needs. I recommend putting some thought into what you want God to do for you and go to Him in faith with your requests.

I think sometimes we are afraid to be really specific in our requests, but God invites us to bring definite requests. If we ask amiss, God will not give us our request (James 4:3, NKJV), but we don’t need to be so afraid that we might be wrong in what we want that we don’t even ask. You need not have fear in your relationship with God. He loves you, He understands you even better than you understand yourself, and He wants you to be completely confident and comfortable with Him.

My children are not shy about asking me for what they want, and they usually get it unless I feel it would not be good for them. We can trust God to be the same way with us. Knowing we are loved sets us free to be bold. Ask and receive that your joy may be full (John 16:24).

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for the amazing privilege of prayer. Teach me to pray confidently and boldly, knowing that You love me and want me to be blessed, amen.

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The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

Psalm 118:6 (NIV)

When the psalmist David wrote in today’s scripture I will not be afraid, I don’t think he meant he didn’t feel fear. I think he is declaring that when he did feel afraid, he did not let fear control him. Each of us should have that same attitude. In fact, it’s the best possible attitude for a person to have. Fear is not from God, and we should resist it firmly in the power of the Holy Spirit. We may be aware of it, but we should not let it affect our decisions.

In Matthew 28:20 (NIV), Jesus tells His disciples, And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. This is not only a promise Jesus made to His disciples centuries ago; it is a vitally important promise from God for you and me today. There’s no place you have ever been where God was not, and no place you’ll ever be that God won’t be there too. He is omnipresent, which means He is everywhere all the time. He sees everything, knows everything, and has all power. He is our Father, and we are His beloved children.

God wants us to know that we don’t have to be afraid of anything or anyone, because He is with us. He is good and will take care of us. As David wrote, “What can mere mortals do to me?” People may try to intimidate you or frighten you, but they are mere mortals. God is all-powerful, and people are powerless compared to Him.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, Lord, to remember always that because You are with me, I don’t have to be afraid of anyone or anything, amen.

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Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.

James 1:2–3 (AMPC)

One of the mistakes many Christians make is that, when trials come, they pray for their troubles to stop. I believe that, instead, we need to pray for strength and endurance; we need to ask God to make us steadfast. If the enemy is aiming his best guns at us—doing everything he can to upset our lives, ruin our businesses, tear apart our families, or otherwise steal our peace—and we stay steadfast and patient, he will be exceedingly frustrated, and ultimately defeated, because we are not cooperating with him.

Philippians 1:28 (AMPC) says: And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God.

This verse encourages us not to be frightened or intimidated when the devil comes against us, but to remain steadfast. As we do, we not only show the devil that he cannot handle us, we also demonstrate to the Lord that we have faith in Him. The fact that our actions affirm our trust in Him is God’s signal to release His power into our situations and deliver us. I believe God wants you to hear Him telling you to stand firm and not be afraid.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me remain steadfast in every trial. Give me strength, patience, and courage to stand firm, trusting You to bring victory and deliverance in every situation, amen.

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For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?

1 Corinthians 3:3 (AMPC)

Paul teaches in today’s scripture that we are unspiritual if we are controlled by ordinary human impulses, such as emotions and feelings. Are you in control of your emotions, or do they control you? Feelings are fickle and ever-changing, and thus unreliable. I believe the number one way the enemy harasses and tries to hinder Christians is through our emotions.

We cannot always control how we feel, but we can control what we do. Mature Christians don’t walk by feelings; they order their conduct according to God’s Word. Emotions are fueled by our thoughts and words, so it is necessary to pay attention to what we think and say if we hope to walk by the Spirit instead of our emotions. What is right doesn’t change just because we don’t feel like doing it. People who are spiritually mature live beyond their feelings and do God’s will no matter how they feel.

Paul specifically mentions jealousy and factions (dissension or strife) as indicators of a lack of spiritual maturity. Ask God to help you in these areas. Be content with what you have, not jealous of others, knowing that God will give you more when the time is right. Do your best to live in peace with all people.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me not be ruled by my emotions. Teach me to follow Your Word, control my actions, and live by truth instead of feelings, amen.

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And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

Romans 5:4 (AMPC)

The journey toward our goals is just as important as the destination itself. The journey builds our patience, faith, endurance, and self-discipline. It prepares us for the destination.

Romans says that we can rejoice in trials because they bear the fruit of godly character (5:3–4). If the destination you are working toward still seems a long way off, think of it as character building. Maintaining a good attitude and keeping your trust in God while you wait is training you to be able to handle all the blessings and the challenges that come your way.

God has equipped us to achieve the dreams He’s put inside us. He wants to prepare us by building godly character in us so that we are able to handle future challenges with grace and future victories with humility. If we don’t have strong godly character, we will set ourselves up for failure, and we won’t be able to sustain our vision once it comes to pass.

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul concludes by charging them to grow to maturity (2 Corinthians 13:11 NLT). The Amplified Bible says it like this: Be made complete [be what you should be]. The journey is where we become what we should be, where we are made complete.

Prayer of the Day: God, thank You for all of the opportunities You have given me to grow. Give me a positive attitude as I learn to rejoice even when challenges come. Help me remember that it is through these trials that I will become what I should be—what You created me to be, amen.

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So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

1 John 4:16 (ESV)

The greatest happiness and peace in people’s lives comes from knowing they are loved unconditionally, for exactly who they are, with all their strengths and weaknesses, good points and not-so-good points. I don’t think any human being alive, no matter how wonderful or godly he or she might be, is fully capable of loving us unconditionally all the time. Only God can love us that way.

God loves us unconditionally in spite of ourselves, no matter what we do. But He does even more than that; He also calls us His beloved (Romans 9:25). This is a term of endearment reserved for someone who is very special to someone else, someone who holds a unique place in another person’s heart. It means to long for, to respect, and to hold in affectionate regard. When I think of the word beloved, I sense that it means to be loved in every way at every moment in time. Because you are God’s beloved, there has never been and never will be even a split-second when you are not perfectly loved.

The enemy will use many different things that will challenge your belief that you are beloved. He may use words other people have spoken against you, situations in which you have been victimized, mistakes, failures, disappointments, and anything else that would damage the way you see yourself or cause you to doubt the truth of what God’s Word says about you. A well-known minister and author Henri Nouwen wrote: “Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the ‘Beloved.’ ”

To fight self-rejection and all the other things that try to contradict the “sacred voice that calls us the ‘Beloved,’” we need to do as the apostle John encourages us in today’s Scripture verse: We receive God’s love totally by faith, coming to know and believe He loves us. The more we meditate on that and persist in believing, the more established it becomes in our hearts.

When we have been deeply wounded, receiving this love is not always easy. Don’t get discouraged if you find yourself struggling to accept it. Just let the desire of your heart be to embrace it more and more. If there are times when you feel like you’ve failed, just begin again. With God, you can always make a fresh start. Eventually, God’s unconditional love for you and your place as His beloved will be deeply rooted in your heart and no one will be able to convince you otherwise, but it takes time.

When we are secure in our place as God’s beloved, we are strong and confident. We can step into our destiny and into the great future He has planned for us. I encourage you to say out loud today, “I am God’s beloved,” as often as you can. The more you say it, the more you will believe it.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me receive Your unconditional love. Teach me to believe I am Your beloved, secure in Your care, and confident in the purpose You have for my life, amen.

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Adapted from Battlefield of the Mind

But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (AMPC)

Many non-Christians don’t really understand the Gospel. This isn’t a new thing that is unique to our day. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he pointed out that the Greeks thought it was foolish. And to the natural mind, it is. God sent Jesus, the sinless One, to earth for the express purpose of dying for wicked, sinful people. To unbelievers that is foolish. The natural man cannot understand the power of the Gospel—it can only be “spiritually discerned.”

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Obey God Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense →

But if anyone has this world’s goods…and sees his brother…in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?…Let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:17-18 (AMPC)

What is confidence? It has been defined as the quality of assurance that leads one to undertake something; the belief that one is able and acceptable; the certainty that causes one to be bold, open, and plain.

The devil begins his assault on personal confidence wherever he can find an opening, especially during the vulnerable years of childhood. His goal is to undermine the person because an individual without confidence will never fulfill the plan of God for his life.

Christ is in you, ready to help with everything you do for Him. Jesus can restore your confidence and give you the strength, power, and boldness to do what you could never do on your own. Be confident—it is part of your spiritual inheritance!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me love people the way You do. Open my heart with compassion and teach me to give generously, trusting You to provide all I need, amen.

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We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 (AMPC)

You will never reach your destiny by thinking negative thoughts. When you first wake up in the morning, start saying, “I love my life. It is wonderful. I thank God for everything He has given me.”

You will do yourself a favor if you start thinking right thoughts so that you will also choose right actions. Sowing the right actions into your day will form new habits. As you begin to operate in those new habits, you will change in your character. And as your character changes, you will move into the destiny that God has for you. By God’s power you can live in newness of life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me choose positive, faith-filled thoughts each day. Renew my mind, shape my actions, and guide me into the life and destiny You have prepared for me.

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Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you.

Isaiah 43:4–5 (AMPC)

Take a minute and look into your heart. How do you feel about yourself? If your answer does not agree with God’s Word, I encourage you to begin today renewing your mind about yourself.

See yourself as God sees you. Study God’s Word and you will find out that you are precious, created in your mother’s womb by God’s own hand. You are not an accident. Even if your parents told you they never really wanted you, I can assure you that God wanted you. You are valuable, you have worth, you are gifted, you are talented, and you have a purpose on this earth.

Not only must we ask God for things He has promised us, but we must receive them (John 16:24). If you feel unworthy, you probably won’t ask, and even if you do, you won’t receive by faith. Don’t let feelings rule you anymore. Take a step of faith and start improving your quality of life today. Believe that you make good decisions, that you are a valuable person with a great future, and something good is going to happen to you today!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I ask You to imprint Your love into the depths of my heart. I believe that You have a great future for me and that I can walk in Your purpose for my life, amen.

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Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11 (AMP)

You have been equipped and empowered to overcome any attack of the enemy. You have been given the armor of God! But the Bible says that you must put on that armor—this is a conscious decision on your part.

I suggest you take a few minutes in your quiet time with God each morning and pray, Lord, today I put on the armor You have provided for me through Jesus. I thank You that I am righteous today in Christ. I choose to wear the breastplate of righteousness. And I thank You that I have the shield of faith. Today I will choose to live by faith, not by sight, trusting the promises in Your Word. Also, I thank You that You have armed me with the sword of the Spirit.

Then go through the list of armor found in Ephesians 6:13–17, piece by piece. Declaring these promises out loud helps renew your mind, helps release the blessings of God that are yours, and helps you stand against any attack of the enemy.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, today I choose to put on Your armor. Strengthen my faith, renew my mind, and help me stand firm against every attack as I trust in Your Word, amen.

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So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (AMPC)

One time while I was reading about a famous minister and his great faith, I was deeply impressed by all the wonderful things he did in his ministry. I thought, Lord, I know I’m called, but I could never do anything like that. Just that quickly, I sensed the Lord speak to my heart, “Why not? Aren’t you as big a mess as anybody else?”

You see, we often have it backward. We think God is looking for people who “have it all together.” But that is not true. The Word of God says that God in His grace and favor chooses the weak and foolish things of the world in order to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). He is looking for those who will humble themselves and allow Him to work His will through them.

If you will be careful not to get prideful, the Lord can use you just as mightily as any of the other great men and women of God. He doesn’t choose us because we are able, but simply because we are available. That too is part of God’s grace and favor that He pours out upon us when He chooses us to be Christ’s personal ambassadors.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for choosing me despite my weaknesses. Keep me humble, available, and willing so You can work through my life for Your glory, amen.

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The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward.

Genesis 13:14 (AMPC)

In Genesis 13, we see that Abram (whom God later renamed Abraham) had a good attitude—a generous and giving attitude—toward his nephew, Lot. Abram had a right to the land, but he told Lot to choose his portion, and Lot chose the best land for himself. God then told Abram to look from the place where he was. God didn’t say to look at where he was; He said to look from it—beyond it—to all God had in store for him. God had a plan for Abram, even though he had just experienced great loss.

Anytime you need encouragement, you can turn to Jeremiah 29:11 and get it: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV). God wants you to have hope. He’s got a good plan for your life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me trust Your plan even when I experience loss. Give me a generous heart, lift my eyes beyond today, and fill me with hope for the future You promised, amen.

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Whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

For many people, their security, peace, and joy are connected to their circumstances. If things are going well, they feel loved, but if they are not going well, then they think God doesn’t love them or that they are being punished for some sin they committed.

We are called to be led by the Word of God and the Spirit, especially concerning our thought life. We are not to be led by our soul (mind, will, and emotions). We may not be able to control what thoughts pop into our minds or what feelings arise in our hearts, but we can control what we do with those thoughts or feelings. We can be led by the Holy Spirit.

We don’t have to let negative, destructive feelings rule our lives; instead, we can take authority over our emotions, submit them to God, and choose to stand on the Word of God.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me not be ruled by emotions or circumstances. Teach me to submit my thoughts and feelings to You and follow Your Word and Spirit, amen.

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Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.

Psalm 57:1 (AMPC)

Life isn’t one big, long sunny day. At some point, we all face storms—whether they come in the form of unexpected illness, job loss, financial crisis, marital difficulties, problems with children, or any number of other scenarios that are stressful, intense, and important. I have faced many storms in my life—some like the quick afternoon storms that are common in summertime and some that seemed like category four hurricanes. If I have learned anything about weathering the storms of life, I have learned that they don’t last forever, and that if at all possible, I do not need to make major decisions in the midst of them.

When the storms of life arise, it’s best to keep your mind and emotions as still as possible. Thoughts and feelings often run wild in the midst of crises, but those are exactly the times we need to be careful about making decisions. We must remain calm and discipline ourselves to focus on doing what we can do and trusting God to do what we cannot do.

Next time you face a storm or crisis in your life, I hope you’ll remember these words, which I often say: “Let your emotions subside before you decide.” Do your best to let things settle down before you make major decisions. You may not always have that choice, but as much as possible, put significant decisions on hold until your storm passes. Just as the wind blows about wildly during a storm, our thoughts can become quite wild and frantic, and that is not the best time to make major decisions.

Making this commitment will protect you from making quick, unwise decisions that could take you off the course God has for you.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, calm my heart in life’s storms. Help me quiet my emotions, wait for Your wisdom, and trust You to guide my decisions at the right time, amen.

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