Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

— Psalm 5:3 (NLT)

Many times, the way your day starts is the way it is going to go all day. This is why the devil tries so hard to get us in a bad frame of mind early in the day. Have you found the enemy trying to make you mad, using something—anything—to get your mind full of sour thoughts before the day has really started? He tries to get you upset about traffic or the possibility of a long line at the bank or the doctor’s office before you have even left your house!

But you can make your mind up early in the morning to enjoy each aspect of your day, whether everything goes the way you planned or not. The mind is the battlefield. Start choosing right thoughts early in the morning, and you will begin to walk in victory.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I want to hear your voice first thing every morning. I trust You to guide me with right thoughts and I expect to enjoy my day, amen.

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The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.

— John 10:27 (AMP)

Prayer is meant to be a conversation. When you’re praying, make sure to listen to what God tells you either through His Word or as a direct revelation to your heart (which will always line up with the Word of God).

Communication is a two-way street. It doesn’t consist of one person doing all the talking while the other does all the listening. You may have to develop an ability to listen, but God has some very awesome things to say if we learn to hear Him.

God has invited us into a relationship of fellowship with Him. It is to be an intimate relationship in which we share absolutely everything. God is not someone we visit for one hour on Sunday morning and ignore the rest of the week unless we have an emergency. He is someone we live with. He is our home, and we can be comfortable with Him.

Prayer Starter: Thank You, Father, for speaking to me and listening when I pray. I want to recognize Your voice and to hear You speak all throughout the day, amen.

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You shall walk after the Lord your God and [reverently] fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice…

— Deuteronomy 13:4 (AMPC)

Once we begin listening to and hearing from God, it is important to obey whatever we hear Him say. Obedience increases our quality of fellowship with Him and strengthens our faith. We might say, “Practice makes perfect” when it comes to hearing and obeying Him. In other words, we become more and more confident as we gain experience. It takes a lot of practice to reach the point of complete submission to God’s leading. Even knowing that God’s ways are perfect and that His plans always work, we still feign ignorance sometimes when He asks us to do something that requires personal sacrifice, or we might even be afraid that we are not hearing clearly and therefore too cautious to take action.

Don’t be fearful of sacrifice or of making a mistake. There are many things in life that are worse than being wrong. Jesus said, “Follow Me.” I firmly believe that when we have done our best to hear from God, then we must “step out and find out,” if we truly are hearing His voice or not. Shrinking back in fear all our lives will never allow us to make progress in our ability to hear from God.

He did not say, “You take the lead, and I will follow you.” I have learned that we may as well do quickly whatever God says, because if we don’t, I can guarantee that we will be miserable.

When our children are learning how to walk, we don’t get angry when they fall down. We realize they are learning, and we work with them. God is the same way, and He will teach you how to hear from Him if you walk in faith and not fear.

Prayer Starter: Father, I want to hear Your voice and follow your lead. Please help me to not get out ahead of You, amen.

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And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait? My hope [my confident expectation] is in You.

— Psalm 39:7 (AMP)

It’s easy to look at your struggles in life and get discouraged. If you look only at your obstacles, it’s easy to lose hope. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a serious illness and feel you won’t recover. You might look at your bank account and feel hopeless. You may drive to work and think, There’s no hope for a promotion. And that is exactly what the devil wants you to do. He knows that if he can keep you hopeless, you cannot move on with bold faith, and you’ll miss God’s great plan for your life.

Resist the temptation to look at what you have lost or don’t have—choose to look at all that God has done, is doing, and will do. When you do, hope will come alive, joy will increase, and your faith will grow. When you live in the garden of hope, something is always blooming. Instead of believing the lie that things are hopeless, choose to declare, “With God, there is always hope!”

Prayer Starter: Lord, help me to resist the temptation to look at what I’ve lost or don’t have but instead, keep focused on what You have already done in my life, amen.

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Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

— Romans 12:2 (AMPC)

Renewing your mind is not like renewing your driver’s license or library card, which can be done quickly and doesn’t have to be repeated for months or years. Renewing your mind is more like undertaking the job of renewing and refurbishing an old house. It doesn’t happen quickly; it takes time, energy, and effort, and there is always something that needs attention.

Don’t fall into the trap of believing you can renew your mind by thinking right thoughts one time. To get the mind renewed, you will have to think right thoughts over and over again, until they become rooted in your thinking—until right thoughts come to you more easily and naturally than wrong thoughts.

You will have to discipline yourself to think properly, and you will have to guard against falling into old thought patterns, which can happen very easily. When it does, don’t feel bad—just start thinking rightly again. You will eventually come to the place where wrong thoughts make you uncomfortable and they just don’t fit right into your thinking processes any longer.

Let me be quick to say that you should not feel condemned if you are struggling with your thought life right now or if you face struggles in the days to come. Condemnation only weakens you; it never helps you make progress. Anytime we recognize that we are allowing wrong thoughts into our minds, we should ask God to forgive us and continue pressing on toward our goal.

Celebrate every victory because it helps you to not feel overwhelmed by what still remains to be conquered and remember that God is very patient and long-suffering. He is understanding and will never give up on you.

Prayer Starter: Father, I want to renew and transform my mind. I trust that You will be patient with me and guide me as you practice right thinking, amen.

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…But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

— 1 Corinthians 2:16 (AMPC)

One of my favorite things to say is, “Where the mind goes, the man follows,” because the way you think determines the way you live.

If you think you’re going to be defeated, then you’re going to have an attitude that leads to defeat. But if you choose to think about God’s promises, you’re going to have a faith-filled, expectant attitude.

Yesterday, you may have let your mind focus on the negative— what you can’t do, how badly you’ve messed up, all the things that could go wrong—but today you can submit your mind to the Word of God. You can actually choose the thoughts you are going to dwell on.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can change your thoughts today. You can choose a better, more positive, more fulfilling life.

Prayer Starter: Thank You, Father, for helping me think positive thoughts. I am grateful that I am not a prisoner to negative thinking and that I can choose happy, and joy-filled thoughts, which will lead to a more fulfilling life, amen.

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Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).

— Galatians 1:10 (AMPC)

Have you ever felt that you could not be everything that everybody wanted you to be? Have you ever known deep down inside that you really needed to say “no” to a lot of people—but the fear of displeasing them had your mouth saying, “I’ll try,” while your heart was screaming, “I can’t do it!”?

Sometimes, insecure people say “yes,” when they really mean “no.” Those who succeed at being themselves don’t allow others to control them. They are led by a bold heart that knows God loves them, not by the fear of displeasing others or being rejected by them.

We should not get angry at people because they place demands on us, because in reality it is our responsibility to order our lives. Thankfully, we can be secure in Christ and bold enough to say “no” to people when we know it is the right thing to do.

Prayer Starter: When I am in a situation, Father, where I am tempted to overcommit to something or someone even though I don’t have a peace about it, help me to be secure enough to say “no.” I thank You that my security is found in You, not in pleasing others.

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 For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water. What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.

— Job 3:24–26 (NIV)

How many times have you said something like this: “Oh, I just dread having to work in the yard this weekend,” or “I’m really dreading the Friday afternoon meeting with my boss”? Most of us have made remarks such as these when we know we must do something we do not enjoy. What we really mean is that we do not look forward to the task ahead of us and would rather not do it. But when we dread things, we drain ourselves of strength, perhaps without realizing that’s what we’re doing.

Dread is a symptom of a negative attitude, not the fruit of a positive attitude, and it affects our joy in a negative way. Dread is also a close relative of fear.

We can’t feel dread and joy at the same time. We all enjoy doing some things more than others, but we can choose to remain joyful and upbeat even while we do things we don’t particularly like. When we stay happy and positive, we usually do things faster and better, and we can then move on to other activities.

Whatever you need to do today, even if you are not looking forward to it, decide right now that you will not dread it. Instead, ask God to help you do it with a positive attitude. Don’t let an item on your to-do list decrease your joy, because “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (see Nehemiah 8:10).

Prayer Starter: Father, help me not to dread anything, but to have a positive attitude toward everything I need to do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Come close to God and He will come close to you….

— James 4:8 (AMPC)

Not everyone is willing to pay the price required to be close to God. Not willing to simply take the time required or make the investments needed for spiritual growth. God doesn’t ask for all our time. He certainly wants us to do things we don’t consider “spiritual.” He designed us with bodies, souls (minds, wills, and emotions), and spirits, and He expects us to take care of all these areas. Exercising our bodies and caring for our souls takes time and effort. Our emotions need to be ministered to; we need to have fun and be entertained, and we need to enjoy being with other people. Our minds need to grow and be renewed daily. In addition, we have a spiritual nature that needs attention. To stay balanced and healthy, we must take time to take care of our entire being.

I believe the whole issue of intimacy with God is a matter of time. We say we don’t have time to seek God, but the truth is that we take time to do the things that are most important to us. Even though we all have to fight distractions every day, if knowing God and hearing from Him is important to us then we will find time to do it. Don’t try to work God into your schedule, but instead work your schedule around time with Him.

Getting to know God is a long-term investment, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t get instant results. Be determined to honor Him with your time and you will reap the benefits.

Prayer Starter: Father, I want to get more intimate with You. Help me to keep the distractions to a minimum and help me to make spending time with You my first priority. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

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…We speak, not as [if we were trying] to please people [to gain power and popularity], but to please God who examines our hearts [expecting our best].

— 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (AMP)

Have you ever noticed that some of the most difficult resistance can come from the people closest to you? Longtime friends, trusted colleagues, and even family members can be the first people to discourage you when you begin to tell them about the decisions you’re making for God.

These people aren’t necessarily bad, but they can be a bad influence in your life if you allow them to hold you back from God’s best. Sadly, if people aren’t ready to move forward themselves, they often try to hold us back in order to feel better about their own lack of initiative.

Don’t let others keep you from receiving the new things God has for you. Don’t let their accusation or rejection determine your decisions. Pray for them, love them, but don’t let them hold you back from God’s best.

Prayer Starter: Lord, whatever You have for me—a new plan for better health, a new mindset, a new attitude, a new relationship, a new boldness, a new career—please help me to move ahead with perseverance and determination. Help me keep going forward, no matter what, amen.

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…We speak, not as [if we were trying] to please people [to gain power and popularity], but to please God who examines our hearts [expecting our best].

— 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (AMP)

Have you ever noticed that some of the most difficult resistance can come from the people closest to you? Longtime friends, trusted colleagues, and even family members can be the first people to discourage you when you begin to tell them about the decisions you’re making for God.

These people aren’t necessarily bad, but they can be a bad influence in your life if you allow them to hold you back from God’s best. Sadly, if people aren’t ready to move forward themselves, they often try to hold us back in order to feel better about their own lack of initiative.

Don’t let others keep you from receiving the new things God has for you. Don’t let their accusation or rejection determine your decisions. Pray for them, love them, but don’t let them hold you back from God’s best.

Prayer Starter: Lord, whatever You have for me—a new plan for better health, a new mindset, a new attitude, a new relationship, a new boldness, a new career—please help me to move ahead with perseverance and determination. Help me keep going forward, no matter what, amen.

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Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

— Psalm 37:5 (NKJV)

I see more clearly than ever before how simple and beautiful faith is and how self-effort complicates life and steals peace and joy. Man’s mind plans his own way (see Proverbs 16:9), but God’s ways are much higher than ours and they always work better (see Isaiah 55:9). I have finally learned that whenever I feel frustrated, it almost always indicates that I have trusted myself to do what only God can do. It is my signal to return to full faith in God and once again enjoy His peace.

Apart from faith we cannot please God (see Hebrews 11:6), and apart from Him, we can do nothing (see John 15:5). If you are worried or feel burdened by anything, I urge you to let it go and return to simple faith in God without delay. “Commit your way to the Lord” and “He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5). God already has a perfect plan for your situation, and as you rest in Him, He will work!

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You that You are working in my life while I rest in You. I trust You to do the right thing at the right time. Help me walk in faith at all times, amen.

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If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.

— John 14:15 (AMPC)

In the verse for today, Jesus says we demonstrate our love for Him by obedience to what He says. Whenever I think about hearing from God, I keep coming back to the fact that we won’t hear Him clearly if we are not obeying Him in what we already know to do. Without obedience we have a guilty conscience. As long as we have that guilty conscience, we cannot have faith and confidence (see 1 John 3:20–24).

The goals of a Christian should be quite different from the goals of a nonbeliever. Those who are not serving God want money, position, power, and things, but as Christians our primary goal should be to obey and glorify God. I went to church for many years without giving a great deal of thought to obeying God. I was following a religious formula hoping that would make me acceptable to God, but I had not made a full commitment to be guided daily by His principles. Open your entire life to God and invite the Holy Spirit as your Teacher in life. Do your best to obey His directions, and when you fail, ask for forgiveness, and begin again. Don’t waste time and energy feeling guilty, because in Christ we can always have a new beginning. Pray about obedience, study it, and actively pursue it every day. In this way, we demonstrate our love for God.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I love You and want to show that love through obedience to You. I cannot accomplish this goal without Your direction and guidance. Forgive me for my disobedience and I invite you to be my Teacher in life so that I can begin again, amen.

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And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their children and their wives.

— 2 Chronicles 20:13 (AMPC)

I especially like the verse for today and the fact that an entire nation stood still before God. You see, in God’s economy, standing still in faith is action. It isn’t physical action, of course; it is spiritual action. Often in our lives, we take action naturally and do little or nothing spiritually. But when we discipline ourselves to be still and wait on the Lord, we are engaging in powerful spiritual activity. Our willingness to be still says to the Lord, “I am going to wait on You until You do something about this situation. In the meantime, I am going to be peaceful and enjoy my life while I wait on You.”

The people of Judah, who stood still before God, had every reason to try to do something— anything other than standing still. Faced with an overwhelming force descending on them and threatening to destroy their land and enslave them, they must have been tempted to revolt or at least defend themselves. But they didn’t. They simply stood still, waiting on God and He miraculously delivered them. Waiting on God brings strength (see Isaiah 40:31). We may need the strength we gain while waiting in order to do what God will instruct us to do when He gives us direction. Those who wait on the Lord hear His voice, receive answers, get direction, and gain strength to obey what He speaks to them.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to stand firm in faith, that in Your perfect timing, You will move my mountain, give me answers and direction, and the strength to obey You as you speak to my heart, amen.

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…Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

— Esther 4:14 (NKJV)

I doubt that Queen Esther, as a young orphan girl, had any idea that she would eventually become the wife of a king and that God would use her to save an entire nation. She probably never dreamed she would one day be considered one of the strongest women in biblical history. What was the source of Esther’s strength? Her faith in God.

When an evil man threatened to annihilate the Jewish people, Esther intervened, asking her husband, the king, to spare them. Approaching the king without an invitation was very brave of Esther, and it went against the custom of her day. Her risk came with a great reward, as the king received her warmly and granted her request.

We see from today’s scripture that Esther understood that saving her people was part of the reason she had become the king’s wife. When you find yourself in an unlikely or challenging situation, remember Esther and realize that being there may be part of God’s plan for your life. The source of your strength, like Esther’s, is in your faith in God.

Prayer Starter: Father, I am available to You, and I want to serve You with all my heart. Use me today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

— James 2:23 (NIV)

Believing God is very important. I am not talking about simply believing that God exists but believing everything He says and being obedient to what He asks you to do. Abraham was even obedient when God asked him to sacrifice his son (see Genesis 22:2). Later, the Bible refers to him as God’s friend. In addition, the writer of Hebrews understood that believing is the key to entering the type of rest God offers us (see Hebrews 4:2–3, 9).

Jesus went to visit Mary and Martha because their brother, Lazarus, had died (see John 11:1–44). He had already been dead and in his tomb for four days, but Jesus commanded them to roll away the stone anyway. Martha expressed her unbelief by saying it was too late to do anything, and Jesus told her if she would only believe she would see the glory of God (see John 11:40).

God asks us to believe, and as we do, we will see His glory, enter His rest, and be called His friend. Abraham’s belief was credited to him as righteousness, and our belief in Jesus makes us the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for calling me Your friend. Help me to move beyond simply believing in You, to believing everything You say and do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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…I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

— John 10:10 (AMPC)

I think some people have a perception of Christianity as a stern, severe, and joyless lifestyle. That’s because many who call themselves Christians have sour attitudes and sad faces. They can be critical of others and quick to judge. Those of us who love and serve God and His Son, Jesus Christ, should be the happiest people on Earth. We should be able to enjoy everything we do, simply because we know God is present. God sent Jesus to ensure we would enjoy life. Our joy makes God happy!

Happiness is an emotion that fosters well-being, and it is contagious. One of the best ways to witness to others about Jesus is to be happy and enjoy all you do. Since everyone simply wants to be happy, if they see truly happy Christians, they will be open to learning about and receiving Jesus themselves.

Power Thought: I enjoy every moment of my life.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I want to be happy and to show others the joy only found in You. Thank You for helping me find my joy, amen.

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For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence.

— Psalm 71:5 (AMPC)

Trusting God allows us to enter His rest, and rest is a place of peace where we are able to enjoy our lives while being confident God is fighting our battles.

God cares for us; He will solve our problems and meet our needs, and thankfully, we can stop thinking and worrying about them. I realize this is easier said than done, but there is no time like the present to begin learning a new way to live—a way of living that is without worry, anxiety, and fear.

This is the time to begin believing and saying, “I trust God completely; there is no need to worry! I will not give in to fear or anxiety. God is the source of my confidence.” The more you think about this truth, the more you will find yourself choosing trust over worry.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You that I don’t have to worry! I trust You to take care of me and to always be with me, amen.

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The night is far gone and the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light.

— Romans 13:12 (AMPC)

Before your feet touch the floor in the morning, put on the full armor of God with which you can quench all the fiery darts of the enemy (See Ephesians 6:13–17). Put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the readiness of the gospel of peace.

Don’t let the devil steal your peace in the morning. Start talking to God before you even get out of bed. Tell Him, “I love You, Lord, and I need Your help today. Please strengthen me to walk in the fruit of the Spirit. Help me walk in love all day long. Help me to keep my thoughts on You, Lord.”

Prayer Starter: Thank You, Father, for loving me and for helping me love others. Thank You for the way You guide and direct me as I go through my day and for the wonderful plan You have for my life.

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Whoever says he is in the Light and [yet] hates his brother [Christian, born-again child of God his Father] is in darkness even until now. Whoever loves his brother [believer] abides (lives) in the Light, and in It or in him there is no occasion for stumbling or cause for error or sin. But he who hates (detests, despises) his brother [in Christ] is in darkness and walking (living) in the dark; he is straying and does not perceive or know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

— 1 John 2:9–11 (AMPC)

Hate is an extremely strong and harsh word. Any discussion among believers about hating other Christians would lead most of them to say, “I don’t believe I have ever hated anyone.” If we think about these words of John, however, perhaps he didn’t mean hate as we think of it—feeling great hostility or animosity toward someone. Perhaps our form of hatred today is more like indifference. We don’t really dislike people, but we don’t care enough to help them when they have troubles and problems.

“Most of the loving I see today in the church is based on convenience,” someone told me recently. He went on to say that we will reach out to others as long as it’s convenient or doesn’t demand too much time or effort.

This opens a wide door of opportunity for Satan to separate us from those who most need our love. Jesus commanded us to love each other. In John 13:34–35, He said that people would recognize us as His disciples by our expressions of love toward one another. Perhaps one reason they don’t say that about many of today’s Christians is because too often we’re unwilling to go out of our way to meet the needs of others.

Love is an action verb. If you love others, you do things for them. To hate (in the biblical sense) is to do nothing or to turn away. To make it worse, you judge and criticize others and think, If they really loved God, they wouldn’t be in such a predicament.

You need to see that if you practice God’s “love walk,” you not only grow yourself, but you enable others to grow. The devil can’t do you much harm if you truly walk in loving relationship with others.

In my book Battlefield of the Mind, I shared the story of how I was extremely sick during my fourth pregnancy. When I prayed for healing, God reminded me that I had criticized another woman in our church who was always tired and sick during her pregnancy. Now, here I was in the same circumstances. I realized how wrong I had been and repented. But it took more than repenting—it also became a time of learning for me. God forced me to realize how often I had judged or criticized others because they didn’t measure up to the standards I thought they ought to live by.

All of us make mistakes. All of us have weaknesses. God didn’t call us to point out those weaknesses to the person (or worse, to someone else), but He did call us to care—to show Christ’s love in any way we can. The Bible tells us to be tenderhearted, understanding, and forgiving. That’s how we can win over satanic attacks. Paul says it this way: 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 (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:30–32 AMPC).

God used these verses to help me see that being Jesus’ disciple means being kind to others, tenderhearted, and forgiving. I also realized it meant overlooking their weaknesses and shortcomings. If we truly love others as Christ loves us, it isn’t difficult at all.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, I want to love others, and I want to be kind and caring. I also know that I fail at times. In Your name, I ask You to forgive me, and enable me to forgive others who hurt me or don’t live up to my standards, amen.

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