The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

— Habakkuk 3:19 (AMPC)

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk spoke of hard times, calling them “high places,” and stating that God had given him “hinds’ feet” to scale those high places.

A “hind” refers to a certain kind of deer that is an agile mountain climber. It can scale up what looks like a sheer cliff, leaping from ledge to ledge with great ease. This is God’s will for us, that when hardship comes our way, we are not intimidated or frightened.

To be truly victorious, we can grow to the place where we are not afraid of hard times but are actually challenged by them. In Habakkuk 3:19, these “high places” are referred to as “trouble, suffering, or responsibility.” This is because it is during these times that we grow.

If you look back over your life, you will see that most of your spiritual growth didn’t occur during the easy times in life; you grow during difficulty. Then during the easy times that come, you are able to enjoy what you have gained during the hard times. Life is filled with a mixture of abasing and abounding (see Philippians 4:12), and both are valuable and necessary.

Prayer of the Day: Lord Jesus, please help me to recognize the devil’s accusations and lies from the onset and teach me to talk back to him and shut them down, 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: Thank You for using the painful experiences in my life to help me grow. Heal my heart, help me flourish in you with renewed hope and confidence, that I might help others, amen.

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We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death.

— 1 John 3:14 (AMPC)

From start to finish, in all kinds of ways, God’s Word encourages and challenges us to love other people; it is the example Jesus set for us throughout His life and ministry on Earth.

If you truly desire to love others the way God loves you, you must first purpose to fill your mind with kind, loving, unselfish, and generous thoughts. Take a few minutes each morning and ask God to show you what you can do for somebody else that day. You can even choose a specific person. Focus on loving others, and you’ll have a life full of love and happiness and be a great encourager to others.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I understand that my purpose needs to be to love other people, but I’m going to need Your help. Please fill my mind with loving, unselfish, and generous thoughts, amen.

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…God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.

— 1 John 4:16 (AMP)

I remember when I began my ministry. When I was preparing for my first meeting, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to teach, and what came to my heart was, “Tell My people I love them.”

“They know that” I said. “I want to teach them something really powerful, not a Sunday school lesson out of John 3:16.”

The Lord reminded me that if people really knew how much He loved them, they would act differently than they do.

As I began to study the subject of receiving God’s love, I realized I was in desperate need of that message myself. I had a subconscious, vague sort of understanding that God loved me, but I needed deeper revelation. The love of God is meant to be a powerful force in our lives, one that will take us through even the most difficult trials without us ever doubting God’s love.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, for Your never-ending love for me, and I receive that love right now, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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…You do not have, because you do not ask.

— James 4:2 (AMPC)

God loves you very much and wants to help you, but you need to ask Him to. A man told me recently that when he feels overwhelmed, he lifts up one hand toward heaven and says, “Come get me, Jesus.” God hears the faintest cry of your heart, so stop trying to do everything on your own, and ask Him for help.

For example, the next time you are tempted to eat because you’re upset or sad, say “no” out loud. Then go sit quietly for a moment and ask God to help you in your situation. You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference asking makes. More often than not, you’ll find that you suddenly have the strength to resist the temptation. But you have to really ask; you can’t just tell yourself that you’re open to God’s help.

You may not think that God cares about something as simple as your eating habits, but He does. He cares about everything that concerns you—the big as well as the small. He wants you healthy, and He is willing to help, if you’ll just let Him. Don’t pray to Him to simply break your addiction; instead, pray to Him to help you find the spiritual strength to make the lifestyle changes that will set you free from the problem. As we choose to do what is right and lean on Him to give us strength, His power enables us to follow through and experience victory.

Prayer and meditation on God’s Word are excellent practices to nourish your spirit. It is spiritual food. Studying God’s Word and prayer are traditional methods of making contact with God, but other activities can also make you receptive to His nourishing love. Read something that encourages you and gives you hope. Keep a gratitude journal where you list the good things that happened to you that day (and there are good things in every day). Feed your spirit regularly, and you will be healthy and strong inside and out.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank you for hearing my prayers, no matter how big or how small they are. In Jesus’ name, I ask for Your help today, amen.

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And they raised up their voices and called, Jesus, Master, take pity and have mercy on us!

— Luke 17:13 (AMPC)

Whether you are a parent, a schoolteacher, an executive, a mechanic, or a brain surgeon, you are probably busy! You not only have the requirements of your job to fulfill, but you may also have caretaking responsibilities with family or extended family. No matter how busy you are, be encouraged: God hears all prayers—even short ones—and that is something to be thankful for!

Prayer is something you can do throughout the day no matter how much you have on your to-do list. For example, if you are an exhausted stay-at-home parent who cleans up the house and changes diapers all day, then just take one minute to be still and say, “Oh, Jesus, I love You. Strengthen me right now. God, I need some energy. I feel worn out.”

It is okay to talk to God in a very simple way. By praying throughout the day in this simple, meaningful way, we invite God into every area of our lives, and that is exactly what He desires.

Prayer of the Day: I thank You today, Father, that prayer doesn’t have to be long and complicated. You hear even my short, heartfelt prayers. I am grateful that I can have a continuous conversation with You all through the day, and that You hear and answer me.

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For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory.

— Psalm 149:4 (AMPC)

Consider this verse from Ephesians 3:19: That you may be…a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!

If you never face trials, you will never have to exercise your faith. But even when facing hard times, you shouldn’t dread life. Isaiah 8:13 (AMPC) says, 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].

If you dread life and fear people, you are not trusting the Lord to save you. Keep your reverential fear and awe of God; dread displeasing Him, but don’t fear anything else. If God is for you, who can be against you? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NIV).

Prayer of the Day: Lord Jesus, thank You for being with me every day and helping me not to dread or fear. I know You are for me, so who can be against me! That’s a great place to start today, amen.

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But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

— Romans 5:8 (NIV)

God reminded me today of His unconditional love!

It is very important to begin each day knowing that you are loved! God loves you unconditionally, and His love is more valuable and important than anyone else’s. He doesn’t love us because we deserve it, but simply because He wants to. As you receive God’s love freely, it will give you confidence and enable you to live life without fear. God’s perfect love casts out all fear and dread (see 1 John 4:18).

Perhaps you have known the pain of not being chosen. You were not picked for class president or asked to attend the party that everyone was going to. When we are left out it hurts, but the good news for you today is that God has chosen you! You are special to Him and His love for you will never end.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, for loving me. I receive Your love by faith today and ask that it will strengthen me.

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For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is compiled with in this one precept, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.

— Galatians 5:14 (AMPC)

God wants to speak to us about many things, but one of the important things He wants to speak to us about is our relationships with other people. God loves us; and He wants us to love ourselves in a healthy, balanced manner and let His love flow through us to other people. In your quest to hear from God, I urge you to pray that He will speak to you regularly concerning any wisdom He has for you in your relationships. Relationships are a large part of life and if they are not good, the quality of our lives deteriorates.

Just this morning I was praying for my husband and asked God what I might do for him. I had a thought to leave him a note that he would find on the kitchen counter when he came to eat breakfast. The note simply said, “Good morning, Dave…… I LOVE YOU!!!” I put a smiley face at the bottom and signed the note. I believe the idea to leave the note was God speaking to me and my obedience to do that little thing enhanced our relationship.

Start praying about all your relationships. Take them one by one and ask God what you can do to make them better. We usually think about what others need to do for us, but if we follow the law of love, we will be more concerned for them than we are for ourselves.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to show others the great love You show me. I need Your help to truly love others in a helpful way, and ask You for creative ways to show love, amen.

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For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our sins, sending them away, completely letting them go forever and ever]; and abundant in lovingkindness and overflowing in mercy to all those who call upon You.

— Psalm 86:5 (AMP)

In our relationships with our parents or others, we may have had to perform in a certain way in order to earn their love, but God’s love is not like that. His love is freely offered to all who receive it by faith.

Though God does get angry at sin, wickedness, and evil, He is not an angry God. God hates sin, but He loves sinners! He is “good, and ready to forgive.” He is abundant in mercy and filled with loving-kindness.

God will never give up on us, and He will continue to work with us toward positive change in our lives. God never stops loving us for even one second. He meets us right where we are and helps us get to where we need to be.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for Your great love for me and for not abandoning me alone and lost in my sin. Thank You for Your unconditional love and please help me to show Your love to others, amen.

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And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption….

— Ephesians 4:30 (AMPC)

I take a verse such as Ephesians 4:30 very seriously—I certainly do not want to “grieve the Holy Spirit” and I know you don’t either. But how do we avoid doing it? Reading the verses surrounding verse 30 makes it clear that one thing that grieves the Holy Spirit is when people mistreat one another. Consider that:

1. In verse 29 we are encouraged to edify others with the words of our mouth.

2. Verse 31 exhorts us not to be bitter, angry, or contentious and to beware of slander, spite, and ill will.

3. In verse 32 we are told to be kind to one another, forgiving readily and freely.

When we realize it grieves the Holy Spirit when we are sharp or hateful with someone, or when we stay angry with someone, we will look to change.

I encourage you to ask God to help you see others the way He sees them. Ask Him to give you the kindness and patience you need to deal gently and lovingly with the people in your life, especially those who are unkind or difficult to be around. God will be pleased when He sees you have a heart attitude that wants to love and bless others.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me to walk in love with every person I come into contact with today. I want to be a blessing to everyone around me today, and every day, amen.

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As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.

— 2 Chronicles 15:7 (NIV)

Anytime a person is wounded in their soul, that woundedness affects other people. It can have an impact on your social life, especially if your pain has caused you not to trust people or not to want to enter into healthy relationships. If you are a wife or a mother, one of the consequences of the hurt from your past is that it can negatively influence your relationships with your husband and your children, unless you let God heal you. It is sad to think about the fact that the pain one person has suffered can ultimately cause pain to others, but that’s the truth. However, there is a greater truth in these situations: your healing can also affect the people around you, and it will have a positive impact on them.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of our relationships with other people. Every area of our lives includes relationships of some sort, whether they are on-the-surface acquaintances, deep friendships, or family relationships. All we have to offer to the people around us is what’s inside us. If our hearts are filled with pain, anger, fear, rejection, or other negative qualities, that’s what we give the people in our lives. If we are filled with peace, love, joy, hope, and other positive attributes, then we can share those good things with them.

I encourage you today to think about your relationships. Is there a steady stream of good things flowing from you to your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers? Or do people feel they have to be on guard when they are around you because they have learned they will not hear anything from you that will encourage them or lift them up? Do you talk about yourself and your problems excessively, or do you express an interest in how other people are doing? When you hear about something good that has happened for someone else, can you sincerely rejoice with that person, or do you find yourself jealous inside? Every bit of negativity I have mentioned in this paragraph can be eliminated as your soul is healed. God wants to bring you into a great place of healing and wholeness not only for yourself, but so you can be a blessing to the people you care about.

The journey to healing is not always smooth and easy. It will require you to take an honest look at some painful places in your life and allow the Lord to touch and heal them. In those difficult moments, I encourage you to press on and not to give up, remembering that your healing can have a positive impact on lots of people. I did not like to think about how my past woundedness had hurt other people before my soul was healed, but I rejoice now because God is using the healing He has done in my heart to help others. Stay on your healing journey and watch how He will use you!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for healing me from the inside out. I know that my healing not only helps me, it also benefits the people around me, amen.

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Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God….

— Isaiah 41:10 (AMPC)

We must accept the fact that fear is a human emotion—we all experience it to some degree, but we also know we can live boldly and courageously because God has told us He is always with us. And because of that, we can choose to not live according to the fear we feel.

God taught me to use what I call the “power twins” to help me defeat the spirit of fear. 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!” Use these power twins as soon as you feel fearful about anything, and you will be able to keep fear from controlling you. We can learn to manage the emotion of fear and not let it manage us.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I don’t want to live in any form of fear. In Your name, Jesus, I will pray, ask for Your help, and I will not fear, amen.

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So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.

— James 4:7 (AMPC)

Satan wants our joy because it is our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). He attacks with fear in order to steal the joy that Jesus has provided for us. He also uses the same tactic to try to steal our peace.

God’s Word instructs us to “watch and pray” (see Matthew 26:41), and it is good advice. Watch your thoughts, pay attention to what your emotions are doing, how you’re feeling, and what decisions you are making. If you are sensing the beginning of anything that seems the least bit ungodly or that will diminish you in any way, pray immediately and resist the temptation in the power of God.

Satan looks for weaknesses that he can take advantage of, and we should be watching for his attacks, so we can resist at the onset of them and defeat him every time.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, with Your help, I will resist the enemy as soon as anything seems the least bit unlike You or will bring me down, amen.

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My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.

— Psalm 62:5 (AMPC)

James 4:7–8 (AMPC) gives the best advice on how to wage spiritual warfare: Be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you.

When you humble yourself in the presence of the Lord, He will exalt you and lift you and make your life significant (see verses 9–10). God will show you how to resist the devil. Spend time in God’s presence and do whatever He tells you to do!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me to stand strong in every situation, good or bad, knowing You are right there with me through it all, amen.

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He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from troubles.

— Proverbs 21:23 (AMPC)

Words fuel good moods or bad moods; in fact, they fuel our attitudes and have a huge impact on our lives and our relationships. If we speak positive and good things, then we minister life to ourselves. We increase the emotion of joy. However, if we speak negative words, then we minister death and misery to ourselves; we increase our sadness and our moods plummet.

But thankfully, we can control what words we speak and the quality of our lives. Why not help yourself first thing every day? Don’t get up each morning and wait to see how you feel and then talk about every feeling you have to anyone who will listen. If you do that, you are giving your emotions authority over you. Instead, get up praising God for His goodness in your life. Let words of thankfulness fuel a life of peace and joy.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You that I can choose what kind of attitude I am going to have by choosing to speak words of life each day. No matter how I feel or what is going on around me, I’m going to encourage and strengthen my spirit, not my flesh.

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Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

— Proverbs 18:21 (AMPC)

If we ride to work with somebody and gossip about our boss and talk about how we hate our job and what a stupid place it is, we will have a bad day. The Bible says, A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil] (Proverbs 18:20 AMPC).

Clearly, we will have to eat our words, so we need to talk about the right things to be happy. If we murmur and gossip, we will eat the fruit of death. But if we speak life, we will eat the fruit of the Spirit (see Matthew 12:37). Choose to eat good fruit today.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness and help me to quickly forgive others, just as You forgive me, amen.

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To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

— Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)

I want to urge you to enjoy every season of your life, because each one contains something beautiful that you don’t want to miss.

Life, it seems, is always changing, as well as the people around us. We also change as the years go by. Let’s embrace each change and look for the blessing in it, because our times are truly in God’s loving and capable hands.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I know that change can be good and that it keeps life fresh and exciting. Please help me and guide me to a place of accepting life’s changes with grace and gratitude, amen.

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He changes the times and the seasons….

— Daniel 2:21 (AMPC)

Years ago, I enjoyed a good job as part of a church staff. I had a thriving ministry, a regular paycheck, and plenty of opportunities to do what I loved and felt called to do. Then there came a time when God spoke to me about leaving that job and taking my ministry “to the north, south, east, and west.” I heard Him say, “This season in your life is complete; I am finished with you in this place.”

In my heart, I knew God had spoken. Nevertheless, I had a mixture of excitement and fear about starting my own ministry. I wanted to venture beyond what I had known to that point, but I was afraid of making a mistake and losing what I had. I wanted to see what God would do, but I was afraid to take such a big step into unknown territory.

Sometimes God gets finished with something and we keep hanging on to it. My spirit wanted to step out, but my flesh wanted to stay. I had a lot of security in the position God was calling me to leave, and I didn’t want to give it up. But eventually I did obey Him and today I enjoy ministry around the world. Remember that God changes things and when He does, we must be willing to follow His leading.

Prayer of the Day: God, please help me as I listen for Your voice. Please lead me when I need to make changes in my life, amen.

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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

The promise of new beginnings is abundantly clear in Scripture. The good news is not only that this promise provides benefits to new believers in Christ, but that it is available to us as often as we need it. The one requirement for its fulfillment is that we let go of failure and take hold of the new beginning God offers us.

I have needed to apply this promise to my own life recently. I believe God has asked me to do something, and although I agree with Him and get started well, I seem to eventually fail, and then I need to start over again. My two choices are to feel guilty because of my failure or to begin again. I choose to begin again, and if you need a new beginning, I pray that you will do likewise.

No matter how you need a new beginning in some area of your life, Jesus has His arms outstretched and is waiting for you to let Him help you begin again.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for new beginnings. Help me let go of the old and start fresh without feelings of guilt and failure. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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