He fashions their hearts individually.

— Psalm 33:15 (NKJV)

Psalm 33:15 speaks about us as individuals. Because God has fashioned our hearts individually, our prayers need to flow out of our hearts and be consistent with the way He has designed us. As we develop our individual styles of communication with God, we can learn from people who may be more experienced than we are, but we need to be careful not to imitate them or allow them to set standards for us. I hope to be an example to many, but I want Jesus to be their standard. There is nothing at all wrong with incorporating something someone else is doing into your own prayer life if you truly feel God’s Spirit is leading you to do so, but it is wrong to force yourself to do what others do if you are not comfortable with it in your spirit.

I encourage you to develop your own style of talking to God and listening to His voice. Don’t try to keep up with others or copy their prayer styles—and don’t feel compelled to work every “prayer principle” you have ever learned every time you pray. Just be who you are, remembering that God has fashioned you just the way He wants you to be, that He takes pleasure in who you are, and that He wants to speak to you in unique and personal ways.

Prayer Starter: Thank You, God for making me unique and for being my standard! I love you! In Jesus’ name, amen!

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[So] they summoned them and imperatively instructed them not to converse in any way or teach at all in or about the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must decide (judge). But we [ourselves] cannot help telling what we have seen and heard.

— Acts 4:18–20 (AMPC)

What is your boat? Is it a boat of passivity and indecision? Is there something crying out in you, “I wish I had a life . . . had some friends . . . could lose some weight . . . could have some fun . . could get out of debt. I want to be free!” Well, get up and get out of the boat. Get going. Stop whining and moaning about it. You are the only one who can do anything about it. Take responsibility for your life.

You can pray until you’re blue in the face for God to make it happen miraculously, but what if God is saying you have to confront it yourself and deal with it yourself? Are you too afraid to do it? Perhaps you feel that if you make no decisions, you can’t be wrong. And if you make no decisions, you think you have no responsibility. But you have to stay in the boat and take the consequences.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I hate being lulled into passivity and staying trapped when You are calling me to action. With Your help, I will take responsibility for my life today and start turning my wishes into reality, amen.

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…The LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.

— Isaiah 30:18 (NKJV)

The world’s way of dealing with people who have hurt us is to try to get revenge. We don’t have to look farther than the daily news to hear about someone who has tried to take revenge on another person for some reason. Many times, the person taking revenge is determined not simply to hurt the person who hurt them, but to do something worse.

One of the facts of life is that people will hurt each other. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 NIV). This means we will be hurt at times and even suffer injustice. But we are not to try to avenge ourselves. Bringing justice is God’s job. The apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:19 (ESV): Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the LORD.”

I have studied the character of God thoroughly, and one aspect of His character that gives me great comfort is the fact that He is just. The simplest way I know to explain this is to say that God will always make wrong things right. I have personally experienced God’s justice in many situations. When I am going through something I feel is unjust or unfair to me, I have learned to trust God to make it right in His own way and in His timing. As long as we are trying to get revenge, the person who hurt us is still controlling us, but when we give it to God, we are set free.

Life is not always fair. Sometimes people hurt us in ways that are terribly unjust. If you have ever been completely innocent in a situation and suffered in those circumstances anyway, you know what I mean. If anyone has ever treated you in a way you did not deserve—such as a friend or a family member who hurt you deeply when you had been nothing but good to that person— you also know what I mean. But thank God, He is always fair. He understands justice and injustice better than we do, and He sees every wrong thing that happens to us. And He makes it right.

I encourage you today to trust God to bring justice to every injustice that has happened to you. Trusting Him in this way will relieve you completely of feeling you have to somehow take revenge on people who have hurt you. Trusting Him to bring justice means never again wondering how you can get back at someone or trying to figure out how you can make the person pay for what he or she did to you. Remind yourself often that God is just and that He will bring justice to you. It may not happen the way you envision or as soon as you would like, but He will do it.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I trust You to bring justice to my life, making every wrong situation right. Amen.

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So then, let us [apostles] be looked upon as ministering servants of Christ and stewards (trustees) of the mysteries (the secret purposes) of God. Moreover, it is [essentially] required of stewards that a man should be found faithful [proving himself worthy of trust].

— 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (AMPC)

A faithful person knows what God has put in their heart, and even though they may feel like quitting, they don’t give up. They don’t get out of a relationship because it isn’t easy anymore. They don’t leave a church because there is some “new” thing across town, or a job because it gets too challenging.

One of the most important lessons you can learn is to be faithful with something until God lets you know you are finished with it. Sometimes God will call you out of one place and put you into another one—but God doesn’t change the plan very frequently. A faithful person is committed to doing whatever God tells them to do—no matter what!

Prayer Starter: Lord, help me to stay faithful to what You have called me to do. Help me to break free of anything that is holding me back from doing Your will, amen.

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Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

— Proverbs 16:3 (AMPC)

View Previous DevoSEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Our ultimate success and value in life is not found in climbing what the world calls the ladder of success. Our success is not in a job promotion, a bigger house, a better-looking car, or elite social circles.

True success is knowing God and the power of His resurrection. It’s knowing that He loves you unconditionally and that you are made acceptable in Jesus, the Beloved Son of God, Who died for you, to pay for your sins.

Real success is allowing God to help you be the best you can be, but never having to be better than someone else to prove that you are valuable.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, I know you more and the power of Your resurrection! Thank You for loving me unconditionally. In Your name I pray, amen.

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I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.

— Deuteronomy 30:19 (AMPC)

We all want to succeed in life. No one sets out to fail or wants to fail. But I do believe failure can be an important steppingstone on the way to success. Failure certainly teaches us what not to do, which is often as important as knowing what we are to do! So called failure is all about how we look at it.

I have often pondered why some people do great things with their lives while others do little or nothing at all. I know that the outcome of our lives is dependent not only upon God but also upon something in us. Each of us must decide if we will reach down deep inside and find the courage to press past fear, mistakes, mistreatment at the hands of others, seeming injustices, and all the challenges life presents. This is not something anyone else can do for us; we must do it ourselves.

I want to encourage you to take responsibility for your life and its outcome. What will you do with what God has given you? I truly believe God gives everyone equal opportunity. He said, “I have set before you life and death . . . choose life.” Fear is in the category of death; faith and progress fill us with life. It is your choice, and I believe you will make the right one!

What have you succeeded at that took many steps to get to victory? There is no such thing as failure if you simply refuse to quit. Trust God to teach you through each steppingstone on your way to success.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank you for each and every success I have experienced. Help me to see the steppingstones as a means to the positive end result. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Do to others as you would have them do to you.

— Luke 6:31 (NIV)

I wonder how many millions of people think, I just don’t feel the way I once did about my spouse. I wish I still felt excited about our marriage—that the romantic feelings would come back. This is when we need to remember: wishing does not do any good; only action changes things.

If you don’t feel you are getting anything out of your marriage, perhaps you are not putting enough into it. We usually give our spouses the unfair and unrealistic responsibility of making us happy rather than being grateful for them and choosing to make them happy. In the process, selfishness causes both of you to be unhappy. But you can change that! If you want your marriage or any other relationship to improve, just start being grateful for that person and try to bless them every chance you get.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for my spouse and for their unique gifts and abilities. Help me to appreciate them and focus on their strengths. Today, I choose to be a blessing and let You take care of everything else, amen.

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May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts!

— Ephesians 3:17 (AMPC)

If you want victory over something, prepare yourself to work at it and for it. But it is not a matter of depending on yourself or winning at life through your own determination. God gives us grace to do good works. But grace doesn’t mean that our human flesh gets a free ride while we just lie down and go to sleep.

You are made for good works, to be a servant of righteousness. You are built to take responsibility, and God will help you accomplish all He gives you to do. He set you free from the bondage of sin so that you can conform to His divine will in thought, purpose, and action (see Romans 6:18).

Victory in life—and winning your unique battles—is achieved through God’s grace, but you have to choose to trust Him every step of the way.

Prayer Starter: Father, I choose to trust You in everything I do…but I will need Your help in this, just like everything in life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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…What I have forgiven…has been for your sakes…to keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.

— 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (AMPC)

Suppose we receive a package from an overnight carrier. After we open it, we stare at a beautiful, oversized envelope, with our name written on it in exquisite calligraphy. Inside, the invitation starts with these words: You are invited to enjoy a life filled with misery, worry and, confusion. 

Which one of us would say yes to such an outrageous invitation? Don’t we seek the kind of life that keeps us free from such pain and distractions? Yet many of us choose such a life. Not that we blatantly make that choice, but we sometimes surrender even temporarily to Satan’s invitation. His attack is ongoing and relentless—the devil is persistent! Our enemy bombards our minds with every weapon at his disposal every day of our lives. 

We are engaged in a warfare that rages and never stops. We can put on the whole armor of God, halt the evil one’s advances, and stand fast on the Word of God, but we won’t put a complete end to the war. As long as we are alive, our minds remain Satan’s battlefield. Most of our problems are rooted in thinking patterns that produce the problems we experience. This is where Satan triumphs—he offers wrong thinking to all of us. This isn’t a new trick devised for our generation; he began his deceptive ways in the Garden of Eden. The serpent asked the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? (Genesis 3:la). That was the first attack on the human mind. Eve could have rebuked the tempter; instead, she told him God would let them eat from the trees, but not from one particular tree. They couldn’t even touch that tree, because if they did, they would die.

But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity (vs. 4-5). This was the first attack, and it resulted in Satan’s first victory What we often miss about temptation and the battle our enemy levels against us is that it comes to us deceptively. Suppose he had said to the woman, “Eat of the fruit. You’ll bring misery, anger, hatred, bloodshed, poverty, and injustice into the world.”

Eve would have recoiled and run away He tricked her because he lied and told her what would appeal to her. 

Satan promised, You will be like God. You’ll know good and evil. What a marvelous appeal to the woman. He wasn’t tempting Eve to do something bad—or at least he phrased it in such a way that what she heard sounded good.

That’s always the appeal of sin or satanic enticement. The temptation is not to do evil or to cause harm or bring injustice. The lure is that we will gain something.

Satan’s temptation worked on Eve. And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate (3:6). 

Eve lost the first battle for the mind, and we have continued to fight for it since that time. But because we have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can win our battle for the mind—and our battles in life—and we can keep on winning. 

Prayer Starter: Victorious God, help me resist the onslaughts of Satan, who attacks my mind and makes evil seem good. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.

— Jeremiah 17:7 (AMPC)

One attitude that welcomes the presence of God into our lives is the attitude that honors Him above everyone and everything else. Our attitudes need to say, “God, no matter what anyone else tells me, no matter what I think myself, no matter what my own plan is, if I clearly hear you say something and I know it’s you, I will honor you—and honor what you say—above everything else.” Sometimes we give more consideration to what people tell us than to what God says. If we pray diligently and hear from God, and then start asking people around us what they think, we honor their human opinions above God’s. Such an attitude will prevent our being able to consistently hear God’s voice. If we are ever going to develop an ability to hear from God and be led by His Spirit as a way of life, we have to stop listening to so many opinions from so many people and begin trusting the wisdom God deposits in our hearts. 

There is a time to receive good counsel but needing the approval of people will keep us out of the will of God. The devil wants us to think we are not capable of hearing from God, but God’s Word says that is not true. The Holy Spirit dwells inside of us because God wants us to be led by the Spirit in a personal way and to hear His voice for ourselves as He leads and guides us. In the verse for today, God says we will be blessed when we look to Him. According to Jeremiah 17:6, severe consequences come to those who trust in the frailty of mere men and women but blessed are those who trust in and honor the Lord. 

Good things happen if we listen to God. He wants to be our strength and we must honor His Word above all else.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me have the right attitude and one that honors You. Help me to not need the approval of people – only You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

— Ephesians 4:15 (AMPC)

People-pleasing behavior often leads people to tell lies because they fear people won’t accept the truth. They say “yes” with their mouth while their heart is screaming “no.” They may not want to do something, but they act as if they do for fear of displeasing someone. If they ever do say no, they usually make an excuse rather than tell the truth that they just don’t want to do what they are being asked to do. They may not feel it is the right thing for them to do. 

We don’t want to be rude, but neither do we want to be liars. Most people pleasers are not honest about their desires, feelings, and thoughts. They tell people what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. A healthy relationship demands honesty. We should be able to say to people, “I don’t have peace about making that commitment right now,” and they should graciously receive that answer, but it rarely happens. Some people may not want to hear the truth, but that does not relieve us of the responsibility to speak the truth.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, help me to speak and live the truth in all that I do. I don’t want to be rude, but I refuse to be dishonest or to resort to half-truths to avoid the real truth, amen. 

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The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.

— Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)

It is wrong for anyone to try to control us, but it is equally wrong for us to allow it. We must stand up for ourselves and be determined to please God rather than other people. My mother allowed my father to control her out of fear, and everyone in the family paid the price for her refusal to stand up for herself and us. Fear is a real thing, but it has no power over us except what we give it. Author and psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud says that we get what we tolerate.

The best thing is never to start a relationship by letting yourself be controlled and manipulated. But if you are already in that situation, it is not too late to stand up for yourself. It will be more difficult to do than it would have been had you established boundaries from the beginning of the relationship, but it can still be done. Let the person who is controlling you know that you realize you have been allowing them to control you and that you will no longer let it continue. They may react in an angry and even a violent manner, but in the end, they will respect you for it.

It is God’s will for us to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and in order to do that, we will find that we must often say no to the demands of people. People who will only stay in relationship with you if they are allowed to control you don’t really love you. They are simply using you to help them get what they want. You deserve better than that and are far too valuable to let anyone abuse or misuse you.

If you have a history of not speaking up or just “going along to get along,” taking the first step toward freedom will be the most difficult. Satan is delighted to rob you of your God-ordained destiny, and he can easily do it through the fear of other people. The apostle Paul said that had he been trying to be popular with people, he would not have become an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ (see Gal. 1:10). Think seriously about that for a moment, and then take a look at your own life and make sure you are not missing God’s will by being overly concerned about keeping people happy.

We should want to please and make people happy, but not if the price of doing so is disobeying God. The Word of God tells us to follow peace and I want to strongly recommend that you begin doing that. Anyone who truly cares about you will want you to follow God even if it means you can’t give them what they want. God is always with you to help you do what you need to do.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me live to please You, rather than the people in my life, amen.

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[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

— Philippians 2:13 (AMPC)

Most of us desire the good life God has planned for us, but sometimes we fail to recognize the areas our lives that need to be changed. Many times, you set out to make those changes, yet in spite of your best efforts, you seem powerless to make those changes happen.

Trying to bring about change through your own strength and plans will always result in frustration. God is waiting for you to stop trying to change and start trusting Him to change you.

If you need to make changes in your thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, understand that you can’t do it by yourself. Spend time with God and ask for His help—after all, if He can’t do it, it can’t be done. But He can…and He will!

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You for helping me to change. I know I can’t do it without You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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When Pharaoh let the people go, God led them not by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God said, Lest the people change their purpose when they see war and return to Egypt.

— Exodus 13:17 (AMPC)

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God led the Children of Israel on a longer, harder route in the wilderness because He knew they were not ready for the battles they would face in order to possess the Promised Land. He needed to do a work in their lives first, teaching them Who He was and that they could not depend on themselves.

You can be assured that anywhere God leads you, He is able to keep you. He never allows more to come against us than we can bear. We do not have to live in a constant struggle if we learn to lean on Him continually for the strength we need.

If you know God has asked you to do something, don’t back down because it gets hard. When things get hard, spend more time with Him, lean more on Him, and receive more grace from Him (see Hebrews 4:16). Grace is the power of God coming to you at no cost, to do through you what you cannot do by yourself.

God knows that the easy way is not always the best way for us. That’s why it is so important that we don’t lose heart, grow weary, and faint.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank you in advance for revealing your plan (for my life) to me and then giving me time to trust You to work the change in me to see it through. In Jesus’ name, amen!

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…When they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely.

— 2 Corinthians 10:12 (AMPC)

Advertising is often geared to make people strive to look the best, be the best, and own the most. If you buy “this” car, you will really be number one! If you buy “this” particular brand of clothes, you will be just like “this” famous celebrity and people will really admire you. The world constantly gives us the impression that we need to be something other than what we are.

Confidence begins with self-acceptance—which is made possible through a strong faith in God’s love and plan for our lives. I believe it is insulting to God when we compare ourselves with others and desire to be what they are. Make a decision to be grateful for the person God made you to be, and then you will never again compare yourself with someone else. Appreciate others for who they are and enjoy the wonderful person you are.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to love and appreciate the person You created me to be. I thank You that I don’t have to compare myself to others in order to be accepted. You created me with a unique and wonderful purpose. I’m thankful that to You, I am special and beyond compare.

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My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery].

— Psalm 139:15 (AMPC)

Have you ever asked God, “Why did You make me this way?” Sometimes the things that we think are our worst faults, God will use to His greatest glory: But who are you, a mere man, to criticize and contradict and answer back to God? Will what is formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus (Romans 9:20 AMPC).

Jesus died so that we might enjoy our life in abundance and to the fullest until it overflows. You are not going to enjoy your life if you don’t enjoy yourself. Be satisfied with yourself and celebrate the unique way God made you.

Prayer Starter: Lord God, I know that with Your help, I can exchange my negatives for positive, and I can love the ME that You created, In Jesus’ name, amen.

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But when He was in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, many believed in His name [identified themselves with His party] after seeing His signs (wonders, miracles) which He was doing. But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men] and He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men’s hearts].

— John 2:23-25 (AMPC)

How deeply can we trust others? How much of ourselves—our real, authentic selves— do we give to others, and how vulnerable are we to them? Do you let other people really know the true, flawed you? I suppose the answers to these questions are as varied as all the different situations. But considering the questions is definitely food for thought. Those of us who have been hurt by trusting too much tend to pull back when we get into certain situations.

I was once involved with a group of women whom I dearly loved, but eventually I realized our relationship wasn’t healthy for them or for me. I had become too dependent on them, even placing a trust in them that belongs only to God. 

All of us know we’re supposed to place our ultimate trust only in the Lord. But sometimes we encounter individuals or groups who mean so much to us that we give too much of ourselves, or we allow them authority in our lives that belongs only to the Lord. When this happens, our lives are out of balance. And when we get out of balance, we open a door for the devil. 

The words from John’s gospel serve as an appropriate warning to us. He was speaking of the relationship Jesus had with His own beloved disciples. Jesus knew how much and how little He could trust even those who were closest to Him. He understood human nature—something all of us have. 

Jesus knew that we, too, would need discernment about trusting others, so He sent His Holy Spirit to guide us and to let us know who we could trust. In 1 Corinthians 12:10, the apostle Paul referred to the spiritual gift called the discerning of spirits, and in verse 31, he urged us to earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts… One of these “great gifts” is discernment, and it helps us distinguish between good and bad, not just bad. 

True spiritual discernment motivates us to pray when a problem is identified. A genuine problem being discerned by a genuine gift will follow the scriptural plan for dealing with it, not fleshly ways that only exaggerate the problem. As we walk closely with God and ask for His guidance, the Spirit will provide it. 

Some people seem to have the “gift” of suspicion, and it comes out of an unrenewed mind. Discernment, on the other hand, is the fruit of a renewed spirit.

The book of Acts provides a good example of the discernment and trust issue. The Scriptures describe a couple named Ananias and Sapphira, who were members of the first church in Jerusalem. In those days, believers sold their possessions and shared them with others. This couple sold some land, kept part of the money, and brought the remainder to Peter. That was alright because it was their money. But only giving part of the money and then leading Peter to believe it was all they had earned from the sale of their property was not alright. 

But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit and should [in violation of your promise] withdraw secretly and appropriate to your own use part of the price from the sale of the land (Acts 5:3). Peter pointed out that it was their land and their money. Their sin was in giving only part of the money and claiming it was everything. You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to God (v. 4b). 

Both the husband and wife died for that deception. As terrible as that story is, it shows us clearly that the Holy Spirit knows our hearts. And it also shows us that the Spirit can show the intent of our hearts to faithful, committed servants such as Peter through discernment. God wants us to love and trust others, but we need discernment to guide us. There is a line where our trust and commitment must be reserved only for the Lord. When we give that trust to others, not only will we be disappointed for no human can live up to our expectations, but we disappoint God.

So don’t make that mistake. It is wise to use discernment in loving and trusting others. God places the right people in our lives who can be trusted. But we are never to put our trust in people or things over that which we put in Jesus! You will never go wrong by loving and trusting God completely.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I trust You, but I want to trust You even more. When I’m tempted to give the trust to others that only You deserve, please help me to be true to You. Help me, through Jesus Christ, to be sensitive to the leading of Your Holy Spirit, amen.

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In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

— John 16:33 (AMPC)

If you get the idea in your head that everything concerning your life should always be perfect, you are setting yourself up for a fall. This is not to suggest you should be negative. But you do need to be realistic enough to realize ahead of time that very few things in life are ever perfect.

You should not plan for failure, but you do need to remember Jesus said you will have to deal with tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. These things are part of life on this earth—for the believer as well as the unbeliever. But all the mishaps in the world cannot harm you if you will remain in the love of God.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, help me to trust You to bring about the complete change I need. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

— John 16:33 (AMPC)

If you get the idea in your head that everything concerning your life should always be perfect, you are setting yourself up for a fall. This is not to suggest you should be negative. But you do need to be realistic enough to realize ahead of time that very few things in life are ever perfect.

You should not plan for failure, but you do need to remember Jesus said you will have to deal with tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. These things are part of life on this earth—for the believer as well as the unbeliever. But all the mishaps in the world cannot harm you if you will remain in the love of God.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, help me to trust You to bring about the complete change I need. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

— John 16:33 (AMPC)

If you get the idea in your head that everything concerning your life should always be perfect, you are setting yourself up for a fall. This is not to suggest you should be negative. But you do need to be realistic enough to realize ahead of time that very few things in life are ever perfect.

You should not plan for failure, but you do need to remember Jesus said you will have to deal with tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. These things are part of life on this earth—for the believer as well as the unbeliever. But all the mishaps in the world cannot harm you if you will remain in the love of God.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, help me to trust You to bring about the complete change I need. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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