And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Matthew 17:8 (AMPC)

Our own flaws can distract us from keeping our eyes on Jesus. If we think too much about what is wrong with us, we will forget what God can do through us. If we look too much at what we lack, we will forget to be thankful for what we have.

The Bible says to look away from all that will distract us from focusing on Jesus. (See Hebrews 12:2). If your faith begins to waver, quickly get your eyes on Jesus, Who is the Source of your faith and the incentive for your belief. Remember how He endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame of it, for the joy of winning you to Himself. He promises to bring your faith to maturity and perfection.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, please help me to focus on You today and forget about what I see as my flaws, shortcomings, and the other things that are worrying me. I give it all to You, amen.

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For as he thinks in his heart, so is he….

Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

Years ago, I learned an invaluable lesson: Whatever we focus on, we become. That simple statement taught me a great deal. Wherever we put our energies or our attention, those things will develop. Another way I like to say it is, “Where the mind goes, the man follows!”

If I begin to think about ice cream, I will soon find myself in my car pursuing ice cream. My thought will stir my desires and emotions, and I will make the decision to follow them.

If we focus only on the negative things in our lives, we become negative people. Everything, including our conversation, becomes negative. We soon lose our joy and live miserable lives—and it all started with our own thinking.

You might be experiencing some problems in life—not realizing that you are creating them yourself by what you’re choosing to think about. I challenge you to think about what you’re thinking about!

You might be discouraged and even depressed and wonder what caused it. Yet if you will examine your thought life, you will find that you are feeding the negative emotions you are feeling. Negative thoughts are fuel for discouragement, depression, and many other unpleasant emotions.

We should choose our thoughts carefully. We can think about what is wrong with our lives or about what is right with them. We can think about what is wrong with all the people we are in relationship with, or we can see the good and meditate on that. The Bible teaches us to always believe the best. When we do that, it makes our own lives happier and more peaceful.

I have a great life—and a loving husband and children. And I am privileged to be used by God to bless millions of people around the world through the wonderful ministry He has given me. But life isn’t perfect, and if I had allowed the devil to fill my mind with negative thoughts—as he once did long ago—I would have been defeated.

I want to focus on God’s grace and give thanks for all the good things in my life. I don’t want to focus on what I don’t have.

An old friend used to quote this saying: “As you wander on through life, brother, whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the donut and not upon the hole.” Too many people focus on what’s not there and what’s not right.

All of this is to say that our thoughts largely determine our destiny. Our thoughts also determine our happiness. Proverbs 23:7 is one of my favorite verses. Thoughts are powerful. They aren’t just words that flow through our minds. So it is very important for us to decide what we will allow to rest inside our minds.

We must not forget that the mind is a battlefield. We must always remember that our adversary will use it in any way he possibly can to trap us.

I’m reminded of a man who came to one of our meetings. He wanted deliverance from viewing pornography. He said that one time he had seen something on the Internet after accidentally logging on to a site that was filled with explicitly sexual pictures. The next day he laughed about it to one of his coworkers. “Who wants to watch that stuff?” he asked.

The next night he was back at the site again. And many nights after that. He purchased sexual material and had it sent to his office. He kept his stash of pornography hidden from his family. “What’s a little thing like that going to hurt?” he reasoned.

He confessed that the more he saw the images, the more he thought of women as objects—objects for his pleasure. One day his wife said, “I don’t know what’s happened to you, but you can either deal with your attitude or I’m leaving.”

His life was rapidly going downhill before he asked for prayer. “I never thought just watching a couple of porno sites like that could be so addictive,” he said.

To put it another way, we can’t have a positive life and a negative mind. Our thoughts—our focus—is what determines where we end up.

Jesus, our friend and Savior, wants our minds to be filled with positive, beautiful, and healthy thoughts. The more we focus on those things, the more readily we defeat Satan’s attacks.

Prayer of the Day: Loving God, I ask You to forgive me for focusing my thoughts on things that are not pleasing to You. I pray that You will help me fill my mind with thoughts that are clean and pure and uplifting. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you.

Proverbs 4:25 (AMPC)

We probably experience more distractions in our lives today than at any other time in history. The world is indeed a busy and a noisy place. All the electronics that we own are enough by themselves to do a thorough job of distracting us; however, to get anything accomplished, we need to focus on our purpose.

I am simply reminding you today to be persistent in not letting people and things distract you from the will of God for your life. Today matters, so be sure you don’t waste it on nonessential things.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me to stay focused on my goals, and help me to be

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When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable, but he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise.

Proverbs 10:19 (AMP)

People tend to talk a lot about how they feel. Some talk about their feelings more than almost anything else. They feel good or bad, happy or sad, excited or discouraged, fearful or bold, stressed or at ease, loved or unloved, angry or peaceful, jealous or happy when others succeed or are blessed. The list of adjectives that describe emotions is almost endless.

Feelings are ever changing, usually without notice, doing as they please for no specific reason. We have all experienced going to bed feeling fine physically and emotionally only to wake up the next morning feeling tired and irritable. We often tell anyone who will listen how we feel and say much more about our negative feelings than we do our positive ones. If I wake up feeling energetic and excited about the day, I rarely announce it. But if I feel tired and discouraged, I want to tell everyone. It has taken me years to learn that talking about how I feel increases the intensity of those feelings, so it seems to me that we should talk about our positive ones and keep quiet about the negative feelings.

We can always tell God how we feel and ask for His help and strength, but talking about negative feelings just to be talking does no good. If negative feelings persist, asking for prayer or seeking advice can be helpful, but again I want to stress that talking just to be talking is useless. Even if you say, “I feel tired,” you can follow it with “but I believe God will energize me.” When you talk about how you feel, speak positively.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, today I want to use wisdom as I speak about my emotions. Help me to talk about my positive feelings so they will grow, and to keep quiet about my negative feelings as I trust You to help me with them.

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But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you….

Acts 1:8 (AMPC)

The Spirit of God gives power to those who want to hear His voice and serve Him. A person may desire to do something and not have the power to do it, but that power can come through receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

You may remember that Jesus was baptized by immersion in water, but He was also baptized in the Holy Spirit. In other words, He was immersed in power, which enabled Him to do the task His Father sent Him to do. Acts 10:38 says, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,” and that He “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (NKJV ). Before Jesus’ public ministry began, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are able to hear God’s voice more clearly and we are equipped for service in the kingdom of God because we are able to draw on the power (ability, efficiency, and might) of the Holy Spirit we received when He came upon us to be His witnesses. This power enables us to do what God wants us to do.

It is important to see that Jesus did not do any miracles or other mighty acts until after He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus needed the power of the Spirit, we certainly do, too. Ask Him to fill you with the power of His Spirit today and every day.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for forgiving me, leading me, strengthening me, and guiding me through the peace only found in You. Fine tune my heart to always receive and follow peace, amen.

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For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

Esther 4:14 (AMPC)

One of the most confident women we find in the Bible is Esther, who rescued her people from certain death at the hands of an evil and hateful man. Though her beauty didn’t hurt, it was her character and quiet confidence that helped her find favor with the king, Xerxes. She took a great risk when she made her way to Xerxes’ inner court uninvited. But God honored her and the prayers that the other Jews were praying, and Xerxes received her warmly. In the end, Esther saved her people from perishing.

Confidence is holding on to a strong faith in God, a faith that is backed up with a complete knowledge and understanding that with God’s help you can do anything. Fear brings a lack of confidence in God and in you. It is a destructive, debilitating belief that “you can’t.” As a woman, you can do amazing things, but you will have to become confident. Replace your fears with confidence and watch what God can do. God always does His part, making seemingly impossible things possible!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, with Your help, Esther saved her people, and with Your help, I can do the impossible. I look forward to the great things You are going to do in my life, amen.

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…You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.

Matthew 22:39 (AMPC)

Listening to ourselves can be quite an education. Do you say negative and unkind things about yourself? If you do, it is because deep in your heart, you have a bad attitude about yourself, and it will affect all of your relationships. God doesn’t want you to say bad things about yourself; He wants you to love and respect yourself so you can love and respect others. You cannot give away what you don’t have in you already.

God loves us unconditionally, and since God, Who is perfect, loves us, then surely we can love ourselves. We all make mistakes and want to change, and we should work with the Holy Spirit toward those changes, but through Christ we can love and value ourselves even while we are imperfect. The better you get along with yourself, the better you will get along with others.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for helping me receive Your love for me. Help me to see myself through Your eyes. Teach me to love and respect myself, so that ultimately, I can love and respect others, amen.

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The Lord will sustain, refresh, and strengthen him on his bed of languishing; all his bed You [O Lord] will turn, change, and transform in his illness. I said, Lord, be merciful and gracious to me; heal my inner self, for I have sinned against You.

Psalm 41:3-4 (AMPC)

Don’t obsess over your faults, or you will never enjoy the life that Jesus died to give you. Only God can change you, so talk to Him about your desires. The Word says that those who wait on the Lord will change (See Isaiah 40:31).

Meanwhile, quit taking your flaws so seriously. Don’t let discouragement or depression rob you of your energy and make you angry. If you do, you may take that anger out on other people and miss the blessings God has in store for you today. Enjoy yourself and lighten up! Take the right steps today toward the change you want to make by asking God to help you all day long.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I come to You in the name of Jesus, and I thank You for my many blessings. I want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give me and not dwell too much on my faults. I surrender my them to You and ask that You change me as I wait on you to move, amen.

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So Jesus said…If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

John 8:31-32 (AMPC)

In my book Battlefield of the Mind, I also write about Mary’s husband, John, a low-key type of person. He was a man who had been verbally abused by his mother and taunted by playmates in childhood. He hated confrontation and couldn’t stand up to Mary’s strong will. In his own way, John was as much a prisoner as his wife. He blamed her; she blamed him—and here we see Satan’s deceptive ways again.

John was convinced that it didn’t do any good to stand up to anyone; he was going to lose anyway. He thought the only way to get along was to be quiet and accept whatever happened. John also believed another lie of the devil—that he wasn’t truly loved by God. How could he be? He wasn’t worth loving. Because he felt that way, he had believed the devil’s lies. “I felt as if God said to the world, ‘Believe in Jesus and you’ll be saved.’ I got in on some kind of package deal—but I never felt I was worth loving.”

That is one of Satan’s biggest lies: “You are nobody. You are not worth anything.” If the enemy of your mind can convince you that you’re too bad or too worthless, he has set up a stronghold in your mind.

Although John was a Christian, his mind had been imprisoned by his enemy. John has had to learn that he is important to God. For a long time, he did not know the truth. His mother had not told him that he was good, worthwhile, and a child of God. His friends didn’t encourage him, and in the first years of marriage to Mary, her criticism convinced him even further that he was a hopeless failure.

John needs to know that he is loved, and that he is as valuable to the kingdom of God as Paul, Moses, or anybody else. Jesus cares for him, and He is with him. For John to win his battle and cast down the mental strongholds the devil has built, he needs to know the truth. Jesus said, If you . . . [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free (John 8:31b–32 AMPC). John learns truth as he reads God’s Word, prays, and meditates on what it says to him. He also learns as he applies God’s Word in his daily life and has the experience of watching it work as Jesus said it would. Experience is often the best teacher. I have learned from the Word of God and life’s experiences that God’s Word is filled with power and will tear down the strongholds Satan has built in our minds.

You cannot be free unless you know that the weapons of warfare are available to you and that you can learn to use them. As you learn to resist Satan and call him a liar, your life will change dramatically for the better.

Prayer of the Day: Lord God, remind me that I am important to You and that I am loved by You, even if I don’t feel loved. Help me to learn that I am as important to You as any other Christian and that You love me as much as You love them. I thank You in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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…You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us; you have been angry—now restore us!!

Psalm 60:1 (NIV)

God can become angry, but He is not an angry God. God is love, and although our sin can anger Him, He never stops loving us and always plans to restore us. Isaiah 12:1 says, I will give thanks to You, O Lord; for though You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You comfort me (AMP).

There are times when things our children do cause us to become angry, but we always love them, and our anger does not last forever. Surely, we can believe God is the same way. Don’t live your life thinking God is always angry with you because of your weaknesses and sins. Be quick to repent, and you’ll find that He is quick to forgive.

Don’t hesitate to pray for God’s restoration or for His help and comfort. You may think you don’t deserve these blessings, but that is what makes them so good. In God’s great mercy, He restores, heals, and comforts us if we ask Him to, no matter what we have done.

Prayer of the Day: Father, Your mercy is amazing. Thank You that You don’t stay angry, but You restore and heal me even when I don’t deserve it.

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It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.

Matthew 15:11 (ESV)

Since God gave us one mouth and two ears, I guess that means we should listen more than we talk. It is easy to blurt out whatever pops into your head, but that often causes problems, especially in relationships.

Old Testament Jewish law included many requirements about foods the Jews could not eat because they were considered to be unclean. But when Jesus came to earth, He said that what comes out of the mouth (words) defiles, not what goes into the mouth (food).

Many people don’t realize the power of their words. Because of that they do not use caution regarding what they say about themselves, their future, their finances, their children, other people, and probably hundreds of other topics. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, according to Proverbs 18:21 (AMPC). Since that is true, we should certainly train ourselves to not speak without thinking. Our words may be one of our biggest problems. Start paying more attention to what you say and ask God to help you speak only what is pleasing to Him. I think you will find that doing this will benefit you greatly.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am sorry for all the words I have spoken that were not according to Your will. Please help me be more cautious moving forward, beginning right now. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].

Isaiah 8:13 (AMPC)

Dread is a powerful, gripping fear. People dread many things, and most of them don’t even realize what dread does to them. It sucks the joy right out of the present moment. But Jesus set you free from the power of dread. The life God has provided for us through Jesus Christ is a precious gift, and we should enjoy every moment of it.

Pray and ask God to show you every time you begin to dread any task or something lurking in your future that you’re not quite sure of. Merely eliminating dread from your life will release more of your God-given confidence and help you experience more joy.

How often do you find yourself putting things off that you dread doing? Maybe it’s that uncomfortable conversation you know you need to have, or those bills that need to be paid, or worse, maybe it’s your annual taxes! Train yourself not to dread anything but to actually tackle it first. The sooner in the day you do the things you don’t prefer doing, the more energy you have to do them. If you wait until the end of the day when most of your energy is gone and then try to do something you really don’t like doing, it will be worse than doing it earlier. Dread causes us to procrastinate, but if you’re ever going to do something, now is the best time!

Putting something off does not make it go away; it only allows more time to torment you. You can dread or you can confidently take action. As Christians with the power of the Holy Spirit inside us, surely, we can manage to do an unpleasant task without dreading it and with a good attitude. God’s power is not available just to make unpleasant things in our lives go away; it is frequently available to walk us through them courageously.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, there are times that dread takes hold and keeps me from do the things I know I should do. Help me to do whatever I need to do today and get it over with. In the name of Jesus, I will do all things with joy and strength, trusting You more than my fear, amen.

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Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.

Romans 8:37 (AMPC)

Are you living a victorious life in Christ? If you aren’t, maybe today is the day for you to begin seeing yourself differently than you have in the past, to see yourself as one who overcomes adversities, not as someone who shrinks back in fear or feels overwhelmed every time a trial comes along.

You see, adversities are not optional, they are part of life, and it takes a conqueror to overcome them. Jesus Himself said that we would face trouble in this world (see John 16:33). Paul understood that obstacles were unavoidable and wrote in Romans 8:37 that we are “more than conquerors” and that we would “gain a surpassing victory.”

To be more than a conqueror means that before you ever face adversity, before the battle against you even begins, you already know you will win as long as you trust God and don’t give up. That’s a promise to be grateful for—you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus!

Prayer of the Day: Father, when I am in a situation that threatens to overwhelm or intimidate me, I will stand on Your Word that says I am more than a conqueror in You. Thank You that I will not be defeated because You are with me, and You are protecting me.

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The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 2:11 (AMPC)

None of us are where we need to be, but thank God, we are not where we used to be. Don’t look at what you are going through right now; look at the person you are becoming. We are always in the process of becoming like Christ (See 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Brokenness hurts, but the alternative is much worse. The Word says, “Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor” (Proverbs 18:12). Pray to be bendable, pliable, and moldable so that you will be more like Christ in all that you do today. Pray to be broken so that the Lord may be exalted in your life.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I come to You in the name of Jesus and ask that You mold me to reflect Christ, and ask that through my brokenness, that I grow into the person You want me to me, amen.

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So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:34 (AMPC)

How do you approach life? Do you look at all the things coming in the future and start to panic or worry? Or do you live life one day at a time, refusing to borrow trouble from tomorrow?

Right now, I have about six very important projects that I need to finish, and as I thought about them, I started to feel pressured. Then I realized that the projects were not pressuring me, but thinking about all of them at once instead of the one that needed to get done today was pressuring me. I have to remind myself often to take life one day at a time, and I thought you might also need that reminder today!

God will give you the grace you need for tomorrow when tomorrow comes, so enjoy today.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me live my life one day at a time and to never waste today worrying about tomorrow. Thank You!

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I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Romans 7:15 (NIV)

Have you ever said or done something in a moment of intense emotion and then said, “I can’t believe that I just behaved that way”? Have you ever felt shocked or perhaps embarrassed about your words or actions? We’ve all had this experience. Even the apostle Paul, who wrote today’s scripture, struggled to do the things he knew he should do and not do the things he shouldn’t.

Without God’s help we have difficulty doing things in moderation. We may eat too much, spend too much, entertain ourselves too much, or say too much. When we give in to excess, we feel like doing something, so we do it, giving no thought to the consequences. Later, we regret it.

We don’t have to live in regret. The Holy Spirit enables us to make wise choices. He urges us, guides us, and leads us, but we still have to cast the deciding vote. If you have been casting an unhealthy or foolish vote, all you need to do is change it. Make a decision not to do what you feel like doing unless it agrees with God’s will.

Wise choices have nothing to do with feelings. You do not have to feel a certain way to choose to make good decisions. Making wise choices isn’t always easy, but it is much better than suffering the consequences of a foolish decision. Even when something is not easy, through Christ we can choose to have a positive attitude because we know we are using wisdom in our lives.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, God, to follow Your Holy Spirit and make wise choices.

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Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you.

1 Peter 4:12 (AMP)

No one who does anything worthwhile for God has traveled an easy road. Doing great things for God requires character, and character is developed by passing life’s tests and staying faithful to Him through trials.

One reason God allows us to go through tests and trials is to show us weak areas in our lives. Until they are exposed, we cannot do anything about them. But once we see them, we can begin to face them and ask God to help us. God allows us to walk through difficult times so we will recognize our need for Him. Never be afraid of the truth, because it is the truth that makes us free (see John 8:32).

The next time you encounter some sort of test or trial, determine to believe it will work out for your good. Say to God, “I believe this is going to work out well for me. I don’t understand it all right now, but I believe You will use it for my ultimate good.”

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I know You care about everything that concerns me, and You are always working for my good. Use the tests in my life to strengthen my character. Help me stay faithful, grow closer to You, and guide me to trust Your plan, amen.

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But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God). Thus David congratulates the man and pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does.

Romans 4:5-6 (AMPC)

If you spend years on the performance treadmill of the world, it is hard to get off. When you are addicted to feeling good about yourself only when you perform well, you are in for a life of misery. It is a cycle of trying and failing, trying harder and failing again, and feeling guilty and rejected.

God does not want you on the performance treadmill. He wants you to feel good about yourself whether you perform perfectly or not. He doesn’t want you to be filled with pride, but He certainly did not create you to reject yourself. If you are trapped on the performance treadmill, ask God to break the cycle in your life. Let your confidence be based on who you are in Christ.

Prayer of the Day: Father, free me from the performance treadmill, once and for all. Help me find my worth and value in You and You alone and help me to break free from the cycle of trying and failing. My confidence is in You, Lord, amen.

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I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 (AMPC)

Once, I found myself worried about what I would do if my husband, Dave, died. How could I run the ministry on my own? After several days of this mental attack the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “If Dave died, you would keep doing exactly what you are doing because I am the One holding you up, not Dave.”

I obviously need Dave and depend on him for many things, but God wanted to reestablish in my heart what was true from the beginning of our ministry: with or without Dave, or anyone else for that matter, I could do what God had asked me to do as long as I had Him.

When Peter, Judas, and others disappointed Jesus, He was not devastated, because His confidence was not misplaced. He was dependent and yet independent at the same time. I depend on many people in my ministry to help me accomplish what I am called to do. However, I see constant change. People leave who I thought would be with me forever, and God sends new people who have amazing gifts. I need people, but I know it is God working through people to help me. If He decides to change who He works through, that should be no concern of mine.

I appreciate all the wonderful people God has placed in my life. My husband and children are amazing. My ministry staff is top-notch, and the wonderful ministry partners God has given me are awesome. I need all of them, but if for any reason God ever decided to remove any of them from my life, I want to be a confident woman who knows that with God alone all things are possible. My confidence must be in Him more than it is in anything or anyone else.

Prayer of the Day: Father, please show me if I am overly dependent upon a family member, coworker, friend, job, or anything else, to the point of worrying about what I would do without them. Help me to always put my trust in You. You’re the only one I really need, amen.

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