…For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matthew 12:34 (AMPC)

The person who is close to God thinks positive, uplifting, edifying thoughts about other people as well as about himself and his own circumstances.

You exhort others with your words only after you have first had kind thoughts about that individual. Remember that whatever is in your heart will come out of your mouth (Matthew 12:34). Thoughts and words are containers or weapons for carrying creative or destructive power (Proverbs 18:21). This is why it is so important to do some “love thinking” on purpose.

I encourage you to send thoughts of love toward other people. Speak words of encouragement. Come alongside others and urge them to press forward in their spiritual life. Speak words that make others feel better and that encourage and strengthen them.

Everyone has enough problems already. We don’t need to add to their troubles by tearing them down. We can build up one another in love (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Love always believes the best of everyone (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me think loving, encouraging thoughts about others. Let my words reflect Your kindness and build people up, bringing light, peace, and joy into every situation I face, amen.

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For the rest, my brethren, delight yourselves in the Lord and continue to rejoice that you are in Him. To keep writing to you [over and over] of the same things is not irksome to me, and it is [a precaution] for your safety.

Philippians 3:1 (AMPC)

We must consistently choose right thinking, right words, and right action. It’s not what you choose to do right one time that’s going to change your life. It’s doing it over and over and over. I frequently tell people, “When you get so tired of doing it you think you can’t stand it, you do it again and again and again and again.” Persistence always pays off, and the Bible says that the diligent person will be successful. Don’t ever give up!

If you’re the kind of person who refuses to give up, I can assure you that you will get your breakthrough and enjoy a lot of victory in your life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, give me strength to stay persistent in doing what’s right, even when I feel tired. Help me trust that my diligence will bring Your blessing and victory, amen.

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The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man…runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong.

Proverbs 18:10 (AMPC)

God has equipped and anointed us to do hard things. He allows us to go through difficulty and to bring glory to Him. He shows Himself strong through us. He told Paul that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We may think we can’t make it through difficulty, but those thoughts are inaccurate according to God’s Word. He has promised to never allow more to come on us than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).

During life’s difficulties, one of the thoughts that is usually persistent is, I can’t do this; it is just too much; it is too hard. Watch out for that type of thinking, and when you recognize it, remember that it is a lie. Then replace it with God-inspired thoughts that are something like this: I can do what I need to do because God is strong in my life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, when life feels too hard, help me remember that You are my strength. Replace my doubts with faith and fill me with courage to keep going, amen.

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External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

James 1:27 (AMPC)

I went to church for 30 years without ever hearing one sermon on my biblical responsibility to care for orphans, widows, the poor, and the oppressed. I was shocked when I finally realized how much of the Bible is about helping other people. I spent most of my Christian life thinking the Bible was about how God could help me. It’s no wonder I was unhappy.

The key to happiness isn’t only in being loved; it is also in having someone to love. If you really want to be happy, find somebody to love. If you want to put a smile on God’s face, then find a person who is hurting and help them.

Be determined to help someone. Be creative! Lead a revolt against living in a religious rut where you go to church and go home and go back to church, but you’re not really helping anybody.

Don’t just sit in church pews and sing hymns. Get involved in helping people who are hurting. Remember the words of Jesus:

“I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” (Matthew 25:42–45 NKJV)

Prayer of the Day: Lord, open my eyes to those in need around me. Teach me to love like You do and to find joy in helping, serving, and blessing others daily, amen.

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God is with you in everything you do.

Genesis 21:22 (AMPC)

How awesome is it to think that God is with you in everything you do? Thinking about what this really means is amazing. We are never alone, never without help, never without someone to talk to, and never without guidance.

Loneliness is a widespread problem in our society. We can even be with people and still feel lonely if we feel misunderstood or unaccepted, but God understands us and accepts us because we are in Christ. Thinking about this makes me feel safe and cared for. Hopefully it makes you feel that way too.

Immanuel is one of Christ’s names, and it means “God with us.” We are God’s home, and He is our home. If we abide in Him, we can ask what we will and He will do it, and when we abide in Him, we will bear much good fruit (John 15:7–8). As you go about your day today, think and whisper to yourself, “God is with me.”

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am amazed to know that You are with me in whatever I do. Help me keep this wonderful truth in mind and enjoy good fellowship with You all throughout this day and night. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony…

Revelation 12:11 (AMPC)

We will never have a testimony without having a test. Our faith must be tested to see if it is truly genuine or merely talk. God never tempts us to sin, but He will test our faith by allowing us to go through difficulty. We can actually become stronger in our faith during these times if we maintain an attitude of trusting God all the way through the challenge.

Trials are not fun for anyone, but we all have our share of them. Let’s pass our tests so we can have an amazing testimony that will glorify God. Stay strong, and remember, “This too will pass.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me trust You through every trial. Strengthen my faith and remind me that every challenge has purpose and will one day become a testimony of Your goodness, amen.

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Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5:12 (NIV)

There are days when we feel great about ourselves and everything around us, confident that we could conquer the world. Then there are days when we feel defeated before we even get out of bed. We must remember that feelings are fickle, but God’s truth is unchanging. One of the truths that will help us find stability when our emotions are up and down is the fact that God has given us favor. This means He blesses us in ways we may not expect, He gives us opportunities we may think we don’t deserve or haven’t earned, and He makes things that should have been difficult for us, easy by His grace.

We know we have God’s favor because today’s scripture says He surrounds the righteous with favor “as with a shield.” You may not always feel righteous, but as a believer in Jesus, you are. He has made you righteous through His death on the cross, where He took your sins (past, present, and future) and provided cleansing and forgiveness.

Even though the Bible says we have God’s favor, often we do not act as though we do. One reason we don’t tap into God’s blessings is that we don’t believe we deserve them. Another reason is that we haven’t been taught that God’s blessings can be ours. Consequently, we haven’t activated our faith in this area. So, we wander through life, taking whatever the devil throws at us without ever resisting him and claiming what is rightfully ours.

Let’s receive by faith the favor with which God has blessed us, expecting it everywhere we go, with everyone we meet.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Jesus, for making me righteous and for the favor of God that rests on my life. Help me believe it and receive it.

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He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver…

Malachi 3:3 (AMPC)

Looking back over the years, I can see that I have been on a fascinating journey with God. He has definitely changed me and is still changing me daily. I had many problems in my soul (my mind, will, and emotions) and in my circumstances at the time I received the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Little did I realize what was about to take place in my life. I was asking God for change, but I was totally unaware that what needed to be changed in my life was me!

God began a process in me—slowly, steadily, and always at a pace I could endure. As a Refiner, He sits over the fires that burn in our lives to make sure they never get too hot and that they never die out. Only when He can look at us and see His own reflection is it safe to turn the fire off, and even then we continue to need a few alterations at times.

When God was dealing with me about patience, I faced many circumstances in which I could either be patient or behave badly. Quite often, I behaved badly, but the Holy Spirit kept convincing me, teaching me, and giving me a desire to live for God’s glory. Gradually, little by little, I changed in one area, then in another. I usually got to rest a bit in between battles and often thought that perhaps I had finally graduated, only to discover something else I needed to learn. This is the way it works as the Holy Spirit changes us. Keep your heart open to His leadership; keep your ears open to His voice; obey what He speaks to you—and soon, you’ll find yourself changing more and more into the person He created you to be.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for patiently refining me. Help me trust the process, knowing every challenge brings me closer to Your image and strengthens my faith. Keep changing me for Your glory, amen.

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Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 (NIV)

No one has to tell us to complain. It is a natural fruit of the flesh, but we frequently need to be reminded to give thanks. God answers prayers, but He doesn’t answer complaints. I believe that all complaining does is quench the Spirit, and to quench means to stop or to extinguish.

We are to do everything without grumbling or arguing, according to Philippians 2:14 (NIV). The next verse, Philippians 2:15, states that if we will eliminate these bad habits from our lives, we will be seen like stars shining out brightly in a warped and crooked generation (NIV). Everywhere I go, I hear people complaining, but when I meet someone who is thankful, I think, That person is probably a Christian.

Can you be inconvenienced without complaining? If any of us could make it through one entire day without complaining about anything at all, it might fall into the category of a miracle. Complaining seems to be our default setting for anything that is even mildly inconvenient.

I strongly believe that gratitude is a form of spiritual warfare. We can defeat Satan if we are thankful to God and say so, but we cannot defeat him with complaining and grumbling.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me replace every complaint with gratitude. Teach me to stay joyful and thankful in all things, knowing You’re working for my good even in inconvenience, amen.

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And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6 (AMPC)

There are many places in the Bible where Jesus, after the Resurrection, is described as being seated. We might think standing would be more powerful. But being seated has special significance.

Under the Law, when a priest entered the Holy of Holies to make sacrifices for the people’s sins, he could not sit. He had to keep moving and working the entire time. If the bells on his robe stopped ringing, that meant that he had done something wrong and had fallen over dead.

That is why it is so awesome that Jesus ascended into heaven and sat down as our high priest. He entered the rest of God. As joint heirs with Christ, we can sit too. We no longer have to work and strive to atone for our sins. Choose to rest in His presence tonight.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You that Jesus finished the work on my behalf. Help me rest in Your grace, trusting that I don’t have to strive to earn Your love, amen.

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[Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good. Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another. Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.

Romans 12:9-11 (AMPC)

If all of us started having a godly attitude, it would catch hold and spread like a virus. Wouldn’t it be great if we could spread a good virus?

Imagine the whispers, “Have you heard? There’s something wonderful going around. Have you caught it? It is running rampant all over the place. Everywhere you look, people have a new attitude!”

Let’s start something today! Let’s decide to think like Christ. Let’s decide to love everyone we meet today and pass the word so that everybody catches on to it.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me carry a Christlike attitude that spreads love and joy to everyone I meet. Let my thoughts, words, and actions reflect Your heart in every moment, amen.

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give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].

John 13:34–35 (AMPC)

You can defeat Satan with a good, strong, healthy love walk. Not enough Christians concentrate on walking in love. We concentrate on prosperity, healing, success, our breakthrough, how to change our family, how to get a loved one saved. But Jesus said we need to concentrate on walking in love.

I am talking about treating people with excellence. I am talking about meeting needs. I am talking about how we talk about one another and how we talk to one another. I am talking about not being rude. Walking in love means being a blessing to somebody else.

It is impossible to keep Satan under our feet while leading a selfish lifestyle that always reverts back to “What about me—me, me, me, me?” One of the first things the Bible says about love is that it is not selfish or self-seeking. Love does not do the right thing to get something; love simply does the right thing because it is the right thing to do. It not only blesses others; it blesses the one doing the loving.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I pray that Your love would be so concentrated in my heart that I might love others as You love me. Make me a source of blessing to others and a victor over the enemy, amen.

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For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:17 (AMP)

Many New Covenant believers still live under the Old Covenant, or they mix the old with the new. They have some grace and some law, but in reality they have neither one. Grace and law can’t be mixed.

The law demands that we work to keep it. It requires sacrifice on our part when we fail. The apostle Paul taught that works of the flesh and grace could not be mixed, or both become useless. Grace is Jesus Christ working, and law is man working. God does not need our help to save us. We can live by faith, through which we receive God’s grace, instead of living by trying to keep the law in order to soothe God’s anger.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You that I am saved by Your grace, not my works. Help me rest in faith, trusting You completely instead of striving to earn Your approval, amen.

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Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body.

Proverbs 16:24 (AMPC)

An important part of learning to really love other people is learning to love them with our words. The strength and encouragement we share with our words make a difference! People everywhere need someone to believe in them. They have been wounded by wrong words, but right words can bring healing in their lives.

It’s easy to point out the flaws, weaknesses, and failures in those around us. This is a natural reaction, one that comes from our flesh. But these words don’t bring life—they magnify all that is wrong with people and situations. But the Bible says in Romans 12:21 that we are to overcome evil with good.

The closer we are to God, the more we will learn to speak positive, encouraging words of life. God is positive, and as we walk with Him, we will learn to be in agreement with Him (Amos 3:3).

It is easy to find something wrong with everyone but love overlooks the faults of others. First Peter 4:8 (AMPC) says it this way: Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].

Prayer of the Day: Lord, teach me to speak words that heal and encourage. Help me build others up with kindness, forgiveness, and love so my words always reflect Your heart, amen.

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As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

2 Corinthians 6:1 (NIV 1984)

One of the spiritual laws of the kingdom of God is, “Use it or lose it.” God expects us to use what He gives us. When we use the grace offered to us, then more and more grace is available.

In Galatians 2:21 Paul stated, I do not frustrate the grace of God… (KJV). What did he mean by that? To find out, let’s look at what he said in the preceding verse in The Amplified Bible: …It is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Then he followed with his statement about not frustrating the grace of God. You see, it would have frustrated the grace of God if Paul had tried to live his life on his own, but he had learned to live by the power of Christ residing in him, which we know is the Holy Spirit.

I am sure most of us know how frustrating it is to try to help someone who keeps pushing us away. Imagine a drowning person who frantically fights and resists the lifeguard who is trying to save him. The best thing that person can possibly do is totally relax and allow the lifeguard to bring him to safety; otherwise, he may drown. You and I are often like the drowning swimmer. The Holy Spirit is in us. As the Spirit of Grace, He tries to aid us in living our lives with much greater ease, but we frantically fight to save ourselves and keep our independence.

Let us be wise enough to take full advantage of all that is offered to us. Let us welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives daily. By doing so, we will be letting Him know that we need Him and that we are very, very glad He has chosen us as His home.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me stop striving in my own strength. I welcome Your Holy Spirit to guide and empower me daily. Thank You for Your grace that never runs out, amen.

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For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38–39 (AMPC)

To fully understand all the different facets of love, we must understand there are two kinds of love: the God-kind of love and man’s love.

• Man’s love fails; it gives up, but God’s love never fails.
• Man’s love is finite; it comes to an end, but God’s love is infinite and eternal.
• Man’s love depends on favorable behavior and circumstances; God’s love is not based on our performance.
• People place conditions on their love, but God’s love is unconditional.

This unfailing, infinite, unconditional love is the love God has for you every day! Be grateful for His love; celebrate His love; and be secure in life because you know you have the unconditional love and acceptance of your heavenly Father.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to celebrate Your perfect, unconditional love for me today. I thank You that Your love is a higher love than man’s love, and I am grateful that You extend that love to me every single day.

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I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble.

Psalm 142:1–2 (NIV)

In today’s scriptures, David cries out for mercy as he tells God his complaints and troubles. Let’s consider Hebrews 4:15–16, which tells us how we can obtain God’s great mercy: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The prophet Jeremiah also writes of God’s mercy, reminding us that without God’s mercy, we would have been consumed (Lamentations 3:22 NKJV). His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and I, for one, am glad.

God wants us to ask for mercy, receive it for ourselves, and then extend it to others. This simply means that even though someone may deserve punishment, we can graciously show them mercy instead, just as God shows us.

Take time to breathe in God’s mercy. Believe that He is giving mercy to you, as you have asked Him to do. He is a merciful God. Receive God’s mercy today and do not waste your time feeling guilty about a past sin. Let God’s mercy flow into you and then let it flow out to others.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You so much for Your mercy. Help me be gracious to others and extend mercy to them as You have extended it to me.

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The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid…

Hebrews 13:6 (NIV)

Dread is a close relative of fear. It anticipates the future with fear and apprehension. We are tempted to dread many things. We may dread simple daily chores such as getting up in the morning, driving to work in traffic, going to the grocery store, or doing the laundry. But we can just as easily believe we can fulfill these responsibilities with a good attitude, trusting God to give us the grace we need for each one.

Dread not only steals joy; it also steals much-needed energy. We hear people say often, “I dread doing this or that,” but this is useless. They must do the task anyway, so why dread it? If we consistently verbalize our dread, our words will defeat us. We will do what we must, but we will be miserable while doing it. If you have given in to the temptation to dread things in the past, now is an opportune time to decide that you will have a happy attitude instead.

We can and should all be thankful that we have something to do, that food is available for us to purchase, and that God gives us the ability and strength to take care of our possessions. Turn the table on the enemy (the devil) by finding the good in everything. Be positive, and think of what you do have, not what you don’t have. Make today a happy day by refusing to dread anything.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me not to dread the tasks I have to do. Thank You that I am able to do them and that I can ask for Your help, knowing that You are with me in everything I do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Make no friendships with a man given to anger, and with a wrathful man do not associate.

Proverbs 22:24 (AMPC)

There are no good benefits to anger, so we should avoid it as much as possible. When we do get angry, we should pray that God helps us quickly get over it. Anger does not promote God’s right way of living. Apparently the power of anger is so devastating that we are instructed not even to associate with angry people, let alone be one.

It is true that there are many unjust things in the world that we can become angry about, but it is also true that anger doesn’t solve them. Trust God to be your Vindicator and get about the business of enjoying your life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me release anger quickly and trust You to make things right. Fill me with peace and strength so I can reflect Your love instead of frustration, amen.

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