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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Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old.

— Isaiah 43:18 (AMPC)

God offers us a new life, a new nature, and a new beginning. God seems to love new things, and His Word encourages us in many places to let go of the past. Perhaps you didn’t get a good start in life, but you can have a great finish! God has a plan for your future, and it is a good one. Let go of what is behind you and press toward the good things that are ahead.

One of the best ways to let go is to stop thinking about the past and stop talking about it. The more we think and talk about a thing, the more impossible it is to forget it and move on. Whether your past was wonderful or tragic, it is over, and what you have left is today and the rest of your life! Give yourself fully and completely to the life God is offering you now. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, so make it a good day.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for a new beginning. Help me let go of the past and embrace the future with enthusiasm.

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Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old.

— Isaiah 43:18 (AMPC)

God offers us a new life, a new nature, and a new beginning. God seems to love new things, and His Word encourages us in many places to let go of the past. Perhaps you didn’t get a good start in life, but you can have a great finish! God has a plan for your future, and it is a good one. Let go of what is behind you and press toward the good things that are ahead.

One of the best ways to let go is to stop thinking about the past and stop talking about it. The more we think and talk about a thing, the more impossible it is to forget it and move on. Whether your past was wonderful or tragic, it is over, and what you have left is today and the rest of your life! Give yourself fully and completely to the life God is offering you now. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, so make it a good day.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for a new beginning. Help me let go of the past and embrace the future with enthusiasm.

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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)

When we have been deeply wounded in our soul, we can struggle with identity as a result, meaning that we go through life feeling we do not know who we truly are. This can cause us to feel confused, purposeless, or directionless, empty, and unsatisfied no matter how hard we try to find fulfillment. One reason our woundedness has such a negative effect on our identity is that it causes us to want to hide our true feelings and to hesitate to express who we really are.

For example, if someone is afraid to be vulnerable, she may pretend to be tough, confident, and self-sufficient to keep others from viewing her as weak or needy. This type of pretending to be something we are not or presenting a certain image that does not accurately represent us can be a temptation to everyone who has been wounded. Our hunger for acceptance and approval may cause us to try to alter our personalities to try to be what we think people want us to be instead of feeling free to be our true selves.

The chameleon is a lizard-like animal that can change its color so it will blend in with everything around it. Chameleons do this to protect themselves. If their predators can’t distinguish them from a log or a leaf, they can’t hurt them. Although people cannot change colors, we have our own protective mechanisms, one of which is to develop false identities to guard ourselves against rejection or disapproval.

Those who fear rejection often become people pleasers, doing what they think others want them to do instead of becoming their true selves. That is sad, because we are never truly free until we are free to be ourselves.

The world urges us to conform to its image. It tells us what we should wear, how we should style our hair, what kind of car we should drive, how much education we need—and on and on. We sense intuitively that if we do not measure up to the world’s standards, we will not be accepted.

God loves and accepts us unconditionally, and when we receive Jesus as our Savior, He makes us new. All the old pressures we have felt melt away. We no longer have to feel guilty about old mistakes. When God makes us new, we become like fresh lumps of spiritual clay. The world wants to fashion us in its image, but the Holy Spirit wants to mold us into something new, to shape us in such a way that we can fulfill God’s amazing plans for our lives. In Christ, we are finally free to be our true selves, and that’s the best person we can possibly be.

Prayer Starter: Thank You for loving me unconditionally and for making me new. Thank You that I am truly free to be who You made me to be—free to be myself, amen.

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Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it!

— Psalm 34:14 (AMPC)

In our strife-torn world, do you ever long for a few peaceful moments? That is what God wants for you. He instructs you in His Word to live in unity and harmony and to pursue peace.

Why then is it so difficult to get through a day without being invaded by the spirit of strife? Satan works through the weaknesses in your flesh to keep the atmosphere in your life and the attitudes of your heart in continual turmoil. He seeks to draw you away from peace and into strife, which brings devastation and destruction.

But God’s power is greater than the devil’s power, and when you come against strife in the name of Jesus you render it powerless to rob you of the peace and joy that is your divine inheritance. Take a few moments in the quiet of this evening to enjoy the wonderful peace and presence of God.

Prayer Starter: Father, I come against strife in the name of Jesus. Help me walk in the peace and joy that is my inheritance from You, amen.

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Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention.

— Philippians 2:2 (AMPC)

Paul was aware of God’s wonderful plan for His children. He wanted everyone to receive the best God had for them, and he knew that would be impossible if they did not live in harmony. We are repeatedly taught in Scripture to live in peace. In the Bible, Jesus Himself is called the “Prince of Peace” (see Isaiah 9:6).

God has clearly instructed Dave and me that we must keep strife out of our lives and ministry if we want to be successful at what He has called us to do. In order to do so, we must be generous with forgiveness. We must refuse to let bitterness take root in our hearts (see Hebrews 12:15). We cannot allow ourselves to be offended or remain angry. This means we cannot follow our feelings; we must press past feelings and do what God asks us to do.

Sometimes God asks us to let something go and not even mention it; at other times He requires us to confront and communicate openly about situations. Communication often clears up confusion and brings balance to situations that cause conflict. Lack of confrontation opens the door for greater misunderstanding and strife.

Prayer Starter: Lord, help me to be generous with forgiveness and keep strife out of my life. Show me when to be quiet and when to confront, and give me strength for both, amen.

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