Hear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things. — Proverbs 8:6 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Power Thoughts – by Joyce Meyer

In today’s scripture, Solomon made a decision about how he would talk, and we should do the same thing. Just like we can direct our thoughts, we can also direct our words with God’s help; we can choose to speak excellent, positive things.

Our words affect us, the people around us, and even what God is able to do for us. You can’t have a negative mouth and a positive life; it just won’t work. In 1 Peter 3:10, the apostle Peter teaches us that if we want to enjoy life and see good days—even in the middle of trials—we have to keep our words free of evil. That means we need to choose to speak God-honoring, life-giving words that push us in the direction we want to go.

What kind of life do you want? Do you want an excellent life? If so, then you need to be speaking excellent words. As you’re intentional to change your words, you will change your life!

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to choose life-giving words today. Thank You for giving me such a great example to follow in Your Word! In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. — Psalm 51:10 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Wake Up to the Word – by Joyce Meyer

God’s Word says that His eyes are always roaming around the earth, looking for someone whose heart is pure before Him (see 2 Chronicles 16:9). A pure heart is much more important to the Lord than a perfect record of good works (see Matthew 5:8).

Although it’s not possible to reach perfection in all our behavior, it is totally possible to have a perfect heart toward God! A person with a perfect heart is someone who deeply desires to please God in everything they do, and is always open to the Holy Spirit’s leading to grow and change.

Don’t live in fear that you haven’t done enough, or that God is mad at you, or that the door to His presence is closed to you. Ask Him to help you develop a pure heart as you trust and believe that the work Jesus did on your behalf was enough. He loves you more than you know, and He wants to be there for you.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You that I don’t have to have perfect behavior to have a perfect heart toward You. Please help me cultivate a pure heart—I want to grow closer to You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.— Psalm 16:11 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Trusting God Day by Day – by Joyce Meyer

As we’re walking with Jesus, one thing we need to learn is how to wait for God’s plans to develop. He perfects everything that concerns us, so we’re always better off when we follow His plan and timing instead of ours.

During the three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry, many people thought He was crazy. His own brothers were embarrassed by Him, and in an effort to save their reputation, they told Him He needed to either go do His works somewhere else, or to start acting publicly and stop doing His works in secret. They tried to convince Him that it was time to show Himself and His works to the world. In other words, they wanted Jesus to impress the people with what He could do. He responded to them by saying, My time (opportunity) has not come yet . . . (John 7:6 AMPC).

How many of us could show that type of self-control? If you could do the miracles He could do and were being made fun of and challenged to show your stuff, what would you do? Would you wait until you absolutely knew it was the right time, or would you take action that was not backed by God?

It’s good to have plans, and I believe we should plan boldly and aggressively, but we must be wise enough to know that our plans will ultimately fail without God. God’s Word says, “Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it . . .” (Psalm 127:1). We can build without God as our foundation and watch our plans collapse, or we can choose to let Him call the shots and reap the benefits of His perfect timing and blessings.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me trust You enough to wait for Your timing. Thank You for giving me the grace I need to follow Your plan instead of mine, and for the blessings You have waiting for me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. — Hebrews 13:15 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource The Power of Being Thankful – by Joyce Meyer

Ever heard the statement, “There’s power in praise!”? It’s actually true! When we praise God from our hearts, we release power in the spiritual realm, because God Himself lives in the praises of His people (see Psalm 22:3).

Praise is remembering and expressing our joy and thanks for all God has done, is doing, and will do for us. It invites His presence and redirects our hearts and words to focus on Him.

We do this because we love God, and also because praise and gratefulness are attitudes that God delights in. Choosing to praise Him in the middle of hard circumstances—and to thank Him for the ways He’s been faithful before—open the door for His presence to come, and for His power to begin working on our behalf.

Prayer Starter: Jesus, I praise You because You deserve it. Thank You for all the ways You’ve taken care of me, are watching out for me, and will continue to in the future. I love You, and I want to honor You with everything I am and everything I have. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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And the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say. — Exodus 4:11-12 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Starting Your Day Right – by Joyce Meyer

If you are, you’re in good company! The Bible is full of the stories of people God called to serve Him who didn’t know what they were doing, and who were certainly less-than-qualified for a mission from God.

God’s tool chest is full of weak, imperfect individuals who just can’t seem to get things right, those the world sees as basically worthless (see 1 Corinthi­ans 1:28). But He knows something the world doesn’t: that these people will look to Him for strength. And because they depend on Him, He can show Himself strong in their lives “so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:29 AMPC).

You can qualify yourself for God’s tool chest today by authentically sharing with others about your struggles and how He’s worked in and through your life.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to keep a humble attitude and look to You for my strength. Thank You for being willing to work through me in amazing ways, even in spite of my weaknesses and mistakes. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. … — Proverbs 23:7 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Battlefield of the Mind – by Joyce Meyer

Years ago, I learned a priceless lesson: Whatever we focus on, we become. That simple statement taught me a great deal. Wherever we put our energy or attention, those things will develop. Another way I like to say it is, “Where the mind goes, the man follows!”

If I begin to think about ice cream, I will soon find myself in my car pursuing ice cream. My thought will stir my desires and emotions, and I’ll make the decision to follow them.

As another example, if we focus only on the negative things in our lives, we become negative people. Everything, including our conversation, becomes negative. Before long, we lose our joy and end up living miserable lives—and it all started with our own thinking.

You might be experiencing some problems in life, not realizing that you’re creating some of them by what you’re choosing to think about. That’s why I want to challenge you to think about what you’re thinking about!

You might be discouraged, or even depressed without knowing why. One thing that can help is taking an inventory of your thoughts. If you’ll examine your thought life, you’ll find that you are feeding the negative emotions you are feeling by focusing on negative things. Negative thoughts are fuel for discouragement, depression, and many other unpleasant emotions.

We should choose our thoughts carefully. We can think about what’s wrong with our lives or about what’s right with them. We can think about what is wrong with all the people we’re in relationship with, or we can choose to focus on the good in them. The Bible teaches us to always believe the best. When we do that, it makes our own lives happier and more peaceful.

I have a great life, with a loving husband and children, and I am privileged to be used by God to bless millions of people around the world through the wonderful ministry He has given me. But even now, life isn’t perfect, and if I’d allowed the devil to fill my mind with negative thoughts—as he did years ago—I would have been defeated.

That’s why I want to focus on God’s grace and give thanks for all the good things in my life. I don’t want to focus on what I don’t have.

An old friend used to quote this saying: “As you wander on through life, brother, whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the donut and not upon the hole.” Too many people focus on what’s not there and what’s not right (the hole) instead of the blessings that they do have (the donut). Let’s be the kind of people who keep our eyes on the donut!

All of this is to say that our thoughts largely determine our destiny, and our happiness. Proverbs 23:7 (today’s verse) is one of my favorites, because it reminds us that thoughts are powerful. They’re not just words that flow through our heads, so it’s very important for us to decide on purpose what we’ll allow to rest inside our minds. We have to remember that the mind is a battlefield, and our enemy will use it in any way he possibly can to trap us.

I’m reminded of a man who came to one of our meetings several years ago—we’ll call him John. John wanted to be free from pornography. He said that one time he had seen something online after accidentally logging on to a site that was filled with explicitly sexual pictures. The next day he laughed about it to one of his coworkers. “Who wants to watch that stuff?” he asked.

The next night John was back on the site again. And many nights after that. He started purchasing more pornographic material, and always had it sent to his office, keeping the stash hidden from his family. “What’s a little thing like that going to hurt?” he reasoned.

John confessed that the more he saw the images, the more he thought of women as objects—objects for his pleasure. One day his wife said, “I don’t know what’s happened to you, but you can either deal with your attitude or I’m leaving.”

His life was rapidly going downhill before he asked for prayer. “I never thought just watching a couple of porno sites like that could be so addictive,” John said.

To put it another way, we can’t have a positive life and a negative mind. Because our focus is what determines where we end up, shifting our thoughts to positive, godly things will help us dramatically as we’re learning to change the direction of our lives.

If you’re struggling with an addiction (or any kind of negative mindset), know that changing the direction of your thoughts is the first step to getting free, and Jesus is ready and waiting to help you. He wants you to be free, and for your mind to be filled with positive, true, beautiful, and healthy thoughts (see Philippians 4:8). The more you focus on those things, the more readily you’ll be able to defeat Satan’s attacks.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me today. I want my thoughts to be true, healthy and beautiful, and free of negativity, and I know You do, too. Thank You for giving me the wisdom I need to recognize unhealthy thoughts and the strength to replace them with truth. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Then Peter and the apostles replied, We must obey God rather than men. — Acts 5:29 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource New Day, New You – by Joyce Meyer

Any of us who intend to do very much in life will have to accept the fact that there will be times when we won’t get everyone’s approval. That’s why, if we’re not careful, the need to be popular can steal our destiny.

For example, I deal with and minister to a wide variety of people—there is no way that I can please all of them all the time. We have several hundred employees at Joyce Meyer Ministries, and we rarely make a decision that suits all of them. If I was worried 24/7 about keeping every single one of them happy, I could never teach, or write, or fulfill what God’s called me to do. That’s why we need to live to please Him first. If others are happy, great, but if not, we can move forward knowing that we have Jesus’ never-ending love and approval.

The Bible says Jesus made Himself of “no reputation” (see Philippians 2:7). That’s a significant statement. He wasn’t well thought of by many people, but His heavenly Father approved of Him and what He was doing, and that was all that mattered to Him. The apostle Paul said that if he had been trying to be popular with people, he wouldn’t have been a servant of Jesus Christ (see Galatians 1:10). In the same way, as long as you and I have God’s approval, we have what we need most.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to live for Your approval first instead of others’ approval. Thank You for loving and approving of me as Your child! In Jesus’ Name, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men. — Colossians 3:23 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource My Time with God – by Joyce Meyer

Being excellent simply means that we do the best we can with what we have. God is excellent, and He’s called us to be excellent, too, so we should never be satisfied to do only what we have to do in order to get by. We should always go the extra mile and do an excellent job at whatever we need to do (see Matthew 5:41).

Mediocrity seems to be normal in society today, but it isn’t God’s will for us as His children. If we’re going to do a job, we can and should give it our best. We can take excellent care of all that we have, treat people as valuable and choose to keep an excellent attitude, realizing that everywhere we go, we represent God. And do you want to know what really pleases God? When you do your best not only when people are watching, but when nobody is watching. God sees everything we do for Him and for others, and He’s faithful to reward us.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me be an excellent person who brings glory to You in everything I do and everywhere I go. Thank You for giving me what I need to live in integrity and honesty! In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you . . .

— Colossians 1:3 (NKJV)

Adapted from the resource Love Out Loud – by Joyce Meyer

The word intercession simply means praying for someone besides your­self. It is loving others by going to God on their behalf and taking their needs to Him in prayer. Intercession is one of the most important kinds of prayer because many people do not pray for themselves. Why? Many times, it’s because they have no relationship with God.

There are also times when people are hurting too deeply to even know how to pray, or they have fought a long battle, and they’re too weary to pray. For example, I once visited a friend who had fought a valiant fight against cancer and prayed like a warrior, but she reached a point where she wasn’t strong enough to pray the way she wanted to. She said, “Joyce, I just cannot pray anymore.” She needed her friends to pray for her—not just to pray for her, but to really pray for her—to pray in her place, because she couldn’t.

I want to encourage you to come closer to God by joining Jesus in His min­istry of intercession. Your family and friends need your prayers. Your neighbors and co-workers need your prayers. The people of your church, your community, and the world need your prayers. There may be times when you’re the only person on earth praying for someone else—and your intercession can literally change the course of that person’s entire life. We live in hard times, and we have to pray for each other. Your intercession is the most powerful, most valuable gift you can ever give to those around you, and it will make an eternal difference in their lives and yours.

Prayer Starter: Father, please show me who I need to be praying for today. Thank You for working in each of their situations as well as mine! In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. — Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

Adapted from the resource Hearing from God Each Morning – by Joyce Meyer

Once we begin to see ourselves as God’s friends, our prayers become more Spirit-led, more faith-filled, and much bolder. Right after He taught His disciples to pray using what we call the “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus told a story to illustrate His lesson on prayer. He said:

Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and will say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves [of bread], for a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come, and I have nothing to put before him; and he from within will answer, Do not disturb me; the door is now closed, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and supply you [with anything]? I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

– Luke 11:5–8 (AMPC)

Notice that the man who needs bread gets it “because of his shameless persistence and insistence.” We will only “shamelessly persist” with our closest friends—because friendship makes us bold, and the more we grow and progress in our friendship with God, the bolder and more confident we can be as we approach Him.

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You for seeing me as Your friend, and that because of You, I can come to you with boldness and confidence for whatever I need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly].

— Proverbs 1:5 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource The Confident Woman – by Joyce Meyer

Did you know that preparation for what God wants you to do doesn’t have to be formal or conventional training? It also doesn’t have to be full-time ministry. He might call you into business, government, or some other field. But no matter what it is, if you want to do it with confidence, you will need preparation.

Even people who are able to get formal training still need to have some experience. Knowing something mentally and knowing how to apply it practically can be two very different things. God is looking for people with experience in life, so ask Him to begin training you today, so you can learn what you need to be ready for your future. We all need to be lifetime learners, and we can learn something every day if we see life as our classroom.

In my case, I wasn’t able to go to college when I got out of high school, but God taught me everywhere I was. I learned some great lessons about integrity, excellence, and honesty in places like the grocery store and shopping malls. If you have an open, willing heart and ask God to teach you today, He’ll start preparing you for the future He has for you.

Prayer Starter: Father, what are You trying to teach me today? Whatever it is, help me learn in every situation. Thank You for training me and preparing me for the future You have for me! In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven… — Matthew 5:44-45 (ESV)

Adapted from the resource Healing the Soul of a Woman – by Joyce Meyer

When we think about our enemies (also known as the people who’ve hurt us), we often want to run as far away from them as possible. We don’t want to see them, hear about them, or think about them. And we definitely don’t want to love them or pray for them. When we’ve been wounded, we just want to heal from the hurt in our hearts that’s connected to them. If we decided to only follow our feelings, we’d probably never pray for our enemies…but that’s exactly what Jesus is asking us to do.

If you’re struggling to forgive someone right now, I have good news for you: Forgiveness is not a feeling, so we don’t have to feel like forgiving to forgive. It’s a choice we make because we want to follow Jesus, and it opens the door for our soul to heal.

Now, I want to be sure you understand what I mean—and don’t mean—about forgiving people. To forgive does not mean that we allow others to continue to treat us badly, that we never confront their bad behavior, or that we let them get away with walking all over us. What forgiveness does mean is that we choose not to stay angry with people or get even because of what they’ve done, but to let God take care of vindicating us. It also means that we’ll pray God’s best for them, and even have some compassion for them, because we know they’re only hurting themselves by mistreating others.

I believe one reason some of us struggle so much with forgiveness is that we don’t pray for our enemies; praying for them is a vital step toward being able to genuinely forgive and heal. If you’re wondering how to pray for someone who’s done you wrong, here are a few suggestions:

– Pray that they’ll know Jesus in a real, personal way.

– Pray that God will show them what they need to see about their behavior and how it has hurt others.

– Ask God to bless them.

As hard as praying for our enemies can be, know that being intentional to bless them and not badmouth them will do wonders in helping us heal. If you need to talk about it as part of your healing journey, please don’t share your situation with someone who’ll only feel sorry for you, then start gossiping all about it. Instead, choose to find someone who has the ability to truly help you, who’ll pray with you and for you, and who will keep it confidential. As you take these steps, God will give you the grace you need to forgive and heal the pain in your heart.

Prayer Starter: Father, please give me the strength I need to pray for ____, and to trust You to take care of justice. Thank You for providing the grace I need to forgive ____, and for healing my heart. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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…I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God. My times are in Your hands… — Psalm 31:14-15 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Ending Your Day Right – by Joyce Meyer

Trust requires us to place our times in God’s hands, believing that His timing is perfect for all things in our lives. Our human nature wants good things to happen now, not later. But as we mature in our walk with Jesus, we learn to believe for things not immediately, but in God’s perfect timing.

Trusting God often means not knowing how He’s going to accomplish something, and not knowing when He will do it. But not knowing how or when stretches our faith and teaches us to how to trust. Remember: Trust isn’t inherited—it is learned.

Timing plays an important part in learning to trust God. As you experience His faithfulness over and over, you’ll be able to give up trusting in your own understanding or ability, and place your life in His more-than-capable hands. What a wonderful place to be!

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me not to be in a rush, or try to make something happen too soon. Thank You for having the best plan, and for helping me trust Your timing. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. — Romans 1:17 (KJV)

Adapted from the resource Closer to God Each Day – by Joyce Meyer

It’s always my goal to live from faith to faith. A number of years ago God told me, “Joyce, you often go from faith to faith to doubt to unbelief, and then back to faith to doubt to unbelief.”

Have you ever been there? In the middle of this crazy world, sometimes we’re confident, then we’re fearful at other times. Maybe we’re positive and then the next minute we’re negative, or we have faith, but then we have doubt, sometimes all within a matter of minutes. That unpredictability is usually evident in our speech, as we see in James 3:10 (AMPC):

“Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.”

Sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to have consistent faith and not doubt. The truth is, without Jesus we can’t, but with Him all things are possible. He’s the Author and Finisher of our faith (see Hebrews 12:2). As we look to Him for strength, He’s always faithful to help us trust Him more.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to stay in faith consistently, even when life gets crazy. Thank You for giving me strength to fight the doubts the enemy throws my way, and to move forward in faith today. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” — John 21:15 (NIV)

Adapted from the resource Power Thoughts – by Joyce Meyer

What are you doing to help someone else? Believe it or not, being intentional to make a difference in others’ lives is evidence of your love for God. The cycle of love that pours into your life is not complete until it’s pouring out of you to meet other people’s needs. If love has no action to back it up, then it becomes empty words with no power. God proved His love for us by giving His only Son to die for our sins, and we can prove our love for Him by letting Him work through us to feed His lambs—to help hurting people.

Don’t wait to feel like being a blessing—start doing it on purpose. Maybe you have an elderly neighbor who needs help taking care of their yard. Maybe you have a friend who’s going through a tough time right now and would love to hear from you. Or maybe you know a single mom who could really use a meal. Whoever it is, I guarantee you there’s someone in your path that you can bless today, even if it’s in a seemingly small way. As you take steps to make their day better, it will add joy to your life!

Prayer Starter: Father, please show me who You want me to be kind to today, and how I can make their day better. Thank You for Your love, and for helping me share Your love with the people around me today. In Jesus’ Name, 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)

Adapted from the resource Wake Up to the Word – by Joyce Meyer

It’s so important to remember that 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 His still, small voice in your heart (which will always line up with His Word).

Communication is a two-way street—it doesn’t consist of one person doing all the talking while the other does all the listening. The best conversations happen when both people are fully engaged in both listening and speaking. You may need to develop your ability to listen, but boy is it worth it when you start hearing the awesome things God has to say! He’s invited us into an authentic, intimate relationship with Him where we’re free to 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’s our home, our safe place, and we can be comfortable with Him.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You so much that talking to You doesn’t have to be a ritual or formula! Today, help me to be aware and intentional to thank You for the blessings in each moment, and to listen closely when You speak. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. — James 1:2–3 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Trusting God Day by Day – by Joyce Meyer

I’ve heard many people who live in places where there are four distinct seasons talk about how much they enjoy winter, spring, summer, and fall. They like the variety and the unique beauty, qualities, and opportunities of each season. The Bible tells us God Himself changes times and seasons (see Dan. 2:21).

Seasons change, both in the natural world and in our lives. We all have off days, tough weeks, bad months, or even sometimes a whole year that seems way too full of troubles, but thankfully every difficult situation will come to an end.

Some of the trying situations we find ourselves in seem to go on way too long. When this happens, we’re often tempted to complain or get discouraged. Instead of giving in, though, the best thing we can do is look to God for strength and ask Him to teach us something valuable as we press through each day. According to James 1:2–3, God uses trials and pressure to produce character and growth in us.

Sometimes His blessings come through unexpected circumstances that appear negative, but if we choose to trust God and keep a positive attitude in the middle of those situations, we’ll experience the blessings He wants to give us. If you’re going through a difficult time right now, let me remind you that this probably isn’t the first challenge you’ve ever faced. You overcame the last one (and probably learned some valuable lessons through it), and you will make it through this one, too.

Your trials are temporary—they will not last forever. Better days are coming. Keep your focus on Jesus, let Him strengthen you, and remember that this is just a season, and it will pass.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to grow, even in the middle of the difficult things I’m dealing with. Thank You for strengthening me, for staying by my side, and for the blessings You have ahead. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. … — John 15:15 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource The Power of Being Thankful – by Joyce Meyer

One of the biggest keys to effective prayer is approaching God as a friend, because that is who you are (see John 15:15). When we go to God believing that He sees us as His friends, countless new wonders are opened to us. We experience real freedom and boldness, which are both priceless gifts to be grateful for.

If we do not know God as a friend, we’ll be hesitant, not bold, in asking for what we need. But if we go to Him as our friend—without losing our awe of Him—our prayers will stay fresh, exciting, and intimate.

A friendship is about loving and being loved. It means knowing that God is on your side, wanting to help you, cheering you on, and always working things together for your good.

Today, know that God loves you deeply and wants your friendship more than anything.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for calling me Your friend. Help me to come to You confidently, knowing that You love me and You are for me. Thank You that I’m never alone, because You’re always with me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Show Your marvelous loving-kindness, O You Who save by Your right hand those who trust and take refuge in You from those who rise up against them. Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings. — Psalm 17:7-8 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Starting Your Day Right – by Joyce Meyer

Have you ever felt completely broken, as if you couldn’t seem to keep yourself together? King David felt this way for many years, so much so that he said, “I am like a broken ves­sel” (Psalm 31:12 NKJV).

Brokenness might seem like a bad thing, but it can actually serve a beautiful purpose. Through brokenness, the “outer shell,” or the fleshly, ungodly parts of us can be thrown off, and the character of Christ in our spirit can shine brighter. As a result, we become more open and available for God to work through us in brand-new ways.

We all need to be broken in the way David was; we need to be totally dependent on God to strengthen, guide, and deliver us from evil. Today, let’s have the same attitude that he did: “But I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God” (Psalm 31:14 AMPC).

Prayer Starter: Jesus, please help me to allow brokenness to bring about good results in my life. Thank You for healing and working through my broken places to help others find Your light. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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No temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. — 1 Corinthians 10:13 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Battlefield of the Mind – by Joyce Meyer

Years ago, a comedian’s favorite punch line was, “The devil made me do it,” to which the audience always roared. Why do you think people laughed so hard? Was it because they wanted it to be true? Did they want to free themselves of responsibility for their actions by putting it on an outside force?

It’s always easy to blame someone else or outside forces for our actions. Many people justify their own harmful habits and behavior by saying things like, “My father never said a kind word to me.” “My cousin abused me.” “People in our neighborhood made fun of me because I wore old and patched clothes.” “I never had money when I was growing up, so now as soon as my paycheck comes, it’s gone.”

Those statements are probably true, and they may explain why we suffer. All of these situations (as well as the ones not mentioned here) are terrible, and my heart breaks that people are going through so much pain in their lives.

Yet, while we can and should acknowledge the hurts we’ve experienced, we don’t have the right to blame other people or circumstances for our behavior. We can’t use them as an excuse to stay stuck, then expect to get free. In today’s verse, Paul makes it clear that all of us have our own set of temptations, and for each of us, the circumstances may be different, but the promise God gives is the same. He’s promised us a way to escape, no matter what, because He wants to set us free. The escape is provided, but we have to choose to take it.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – The Blame Game →