Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. — Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)

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

If we are going to run our race in life, if we want to fulfill our destiny and do God’s will, it is important that we lay aside every weight and sin and run the race with patience.

In the days this verse was written, runners conditioned their bodies for a race just as we do today. But at the time of the race, they stripped off their clothing except for a loincloth, so that when they ran there would be nothing to hinder them. They also oiled their bodies with fine oils.

In our Christian life, we are called to remove anything that hinders us from running the race that God has set before us. It is essential to be well oiled, or anointed, with the Holy Spirit (often symbolized by oil) if we are going to win our race.

Our enemy, Satan, has many ways to entangle us and prevent us from living in obedience to God’s Word, developing an intimate relationship with Him. There are many distractions and requirements on our time. But with God’s guidance, we can strip away the things that will hinder us. Keep your eyes on your goal and learn to say no to things that distract you and keep you from fulfilling your full potential.

Be determined that nothing is going to hinder you from fulfilling God’s plan and purpose for your life.

Prayer Starter: Father, I want to run my race and fulfill the plan You have for my life. Help me not to be distracted by anything that will take my focus away from You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ — Matthew 6:31 (AMP)

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

“What are you going to do?”

As a Christian leader, I’ve come to believe this is one of Satan’s favorite questions. I sometimes think he sends out special demons that have one specific task: to whisper this question in the ears of believers: “What are you going to do?” If you listen, the questions increase. The more they increase, the more negative and intense they become. Before long, you think of every possible obstacle on your path. You begin to feel as if nothing is right in your life.

That is Satan’s task. He and his helpers wage war on the battlefield of your mind. They want to engage you and other Christians in long, drawn-out, costly combat. The more questions and uncertainties they raise, the greater their chances for victory over your mind.

Jesus instructs us to …not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear? (Matthew 6:31 AMP)

The first thing you need to remind yourself of is that you are living in disobedience when you allow anxieties to fill your mind. Jesus says, “Don’t do that.”

Second, remind yourself that when you worry, you’re looking at the wrong things. In school, most of us were shown pictures that were optical illusions. If we looked at a picture one way, we saw a woman’s face. If we looked at it differently, we saw a rose.

Think of that as a mindset. If you focus on Jesus and His loving arms stretched out to you, you live in peace. You know He’s with you, and if He’s with you, He will also take care of you. If you focus on the other picture, you see only problems, defeats, and discouragement. It really does depend on where you concentrate your attention.

The enemy knows that if he can feed your mind often enough and long enough with the wrong things, he can make you think about and feel only the wrong things. For instance, instead of being thankful that the Lord has been with you through many dark and troublesome times, you can begin to ask, “How did I get here anyway? What am I doing in this fix? If God really loved me…”

That’s not the end of it. Once Satan starts to win in the area of poisoning your mind, he moves on, and before long, you’re repeating Satan’s words—words that not only tear you down, but also hurt and tear down others. Then Satan has a double victory—he’s trapped you, and you’ve influenced others.

Jesus said to the people of His day, You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things (Matthew 12:34–35 AMPC).

Those are strong, powerful words. They remind us that Satan starts with a whisper—just the smallest word of doubt in your ear. If you listen, his words get louder and you hear more things. Soon you unconsciously listen for his misdirection. That leads you to speak the words in your heart, whatever they are. Once you speak, you move into action. You not only spoil your own relationship with God, but you become instruments to churn up doubts and fears in others.

There is only one way for you to win: Refuse to listen to Satan. As soon as you hear such words, you need to say, “Satan, the Lord rebuke you. Stay out of my mind.”

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You for Your words that remind me of the importance of my thoughts and my words. I ask You to fill my heart with such an abundance of peace and joy that the enemy can never infiltrate my mind. May my words reflect Your presence in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? — Luke 14:28

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

Forethought means “a thinking beforehand; anticipation; prescience; premeditation.” Before you make any commitment—even a small one—ask yourself if you truly believe you can and will actually follow through with it.

Some people set unrealistic goals, and they always fail. A little bit of forethought could have saved them lots of trouble and frustration. Be realistic about how long it takes to do things, and allow yourself enough time to do them without being stressed-out about them.

If you need to say no to a request, don’t hesitate to do so. We are responsible to follow God’s expectations of us, not everyone else’s. If you’ll take time to think ahead before committing yourself to things, you’ll be surprised at how much time, energy, and peace of mind you will save in the long run.

Prayer Starter: Father, I thank You for Your wisdom that helps us to manage our time, our work and our lives. Help me to plan wisely so I can live with joy and do everything You have called me to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. — Mark 11:25

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

The first thing that really helps me forgive is to remember this: God forgives me for much more than I will ever have to forgive others for. We may not do what others have done to us, but then again we may do things that are worse. In God’s Kingdom, sin does not come in sizes like small, medium, and large; sin is just sin! Do yourself a favor and forgive quickly and freely (without expectation or stipulation). The longer you hold a grudge, the more difficult it is to let it go.

The second thing that helps me forgive is to think of God’s mercy. Mercy is the most beautiful gift we can give or receive. It cannot be earned and is not deserved—otherwise, it wouldn’t be mercy. I like to think of mercy as looking beyond what was done wrong and on to why it was done. Many times people do a hurtful thing and don’t know why they are doing it, or they may not even realize they are doing it. I was hurt so badly in my childhood that I in turn frequently hurt others with my harsh words and attitudes. But I did not realize I was being harsh; because life had been so hard and painful for me, that harshness had become part of me.

The third thing that helps me forgive others is to remember that if I stay angry, I am giving Satan a foothold in my life (see Eph. 4:26–27). When I forgive, I am keeping Satan from gaining an advantage over me (see 2 Cor. 2:10–11). If I don’t forgive, I am poisoning my own soul with bitterness that will surely work its way out in some kind of bad behavior or attitude. One of the most valuable things I have learned is that I am doing myself a favor when I forgive.

Prayer Starter: Thank You, Father, for Your mercy and forgiveness. Help me, in turn, to forgive those who have hurt me and release any bitterness and resentment. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. — Matthew 7:8

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

One day I woke up with a throbbing headache. I walked around with that miserable headache almost all day, telling everybody I met about how terrible I felt—until I finally realized that I had complained most of the day and had never taken the time to simply pray and ask God to take the pain away.

Unfortunately, that response is rather typical for some of us. We complain about our problems and spend a majority of our time trying to figure out what we can do to solve them. We often do everything except the one thing we are told to do in the Word of God: ask, that we may receive and our joy may be full (see John 16:24).

Thankfully, God wants to provide for our every need. We have the awesome privilege of “asking and receiving,” and we should always pray as a first response to every situation.

Prayer Starter: Thank You, Father, that I can bring every single need to You. Help me to always view prayer as my first option, knowing You delight in taking care of me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Be sober-minded; be watchful…firm in your faith. — 1 Peter 5:8-9

Adapted from the resource Power Thoughts Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

We all have emotions, and we always will; they are part of being human. Since that is true, I believe emotional stability should be one of the main goals of every believer. We should seek God to learn how to manage our emotions and stop them from managing us.

I urge you to make emotional maturity a priority in your life. If you do not believe you are doing a good job of managing your emotions, begin to pray and seek God for emotional maturity. I also encourage you to learn what upsets you the most or prompts you to behave emotionally, and be watchful during those situations.

Prayer Starter: Father, I ask for Your help to manage my emotions. Help me to mature in You and have a greater understanding of why I do the things I do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? — Matthew 6:26

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

It might do all of us good to spend some time watching birds. That’s what our Lord told us to do. If not every day, then at least every now and then we need to take the time to observe and remind ourselves how well our feathered friends are cared for. They literally do not know where their next meal is coming from, yet I have personally never seen a bird sitting on a tree branch having a nervous breakdown due to worry.

The Master’s point here is really very simple: “Are you not worth more than a bird?” Even though you may be wrestling with a poor self-image, surely you can believe that you are more valuable than a bird, and look how well your heavenly Father takes care of them.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for reminding me that when life is overwhelming or I’m tempted to worry, I have tremendous value in Your eyes, and You’ll never let me down. Help me to be mindful that You will always love me, provide for me, and take care of every need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. — Hebrews 4:16

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

God is full of mercy and loving-kindness! He is extending His mercy to you right now, but you must believe it and receive it in order for it to benefit you. When we sin, we don’t need to punish ourselves, because Jesus already took our punishment and now offers us His mercy. Amazing!

Mercy would not be mercy if it could be deserved, because it is said to be kindness that exceeds what could be expected. If you are suffering from guilt, shame, and condemnation, God is reaching out to you now and offering you mercy. Don’t turn away because you know you don’t deserve it. Receive it and let it make you fall more in love with Jesus than ever before.

We need mercy every day, and God has provided it because His Word says that His mercy is new every day and His faithfulness is great and abundant (see Lamentations 3:23). Our sin will never exceed God’s mercy because where sin abounds, grace abounds much more (see Romans 5:20).

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You very much for Your amazing mercy. Teach me how to receive not only mercy but also all of Your gracious benefits. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own — 1 Corinthians 6:19

Adapted from the resource Love Out Loud Devotional

I want to ask you today the same question Paul asked the believers in Corinth centuries ago: Do you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? You are the home of God! Are you loving yourself, God, and others by caring for your physical body, treating it well, and using it for God’s purposes?

Some Christians focus Only on the spiritual Side of life, and they fail to properly care for their bodies. Other people have such low self esteem or a shame based nature that they don’t feel their bodies are worth caring for. But God’s plan for us involves maintaining spiritual, emotional, and physical health. He wants us strong in every way! He wants us to feel good physically so we can serve Him and others, and be able to enjoy the life He has provided for us.

No matter what shape you are in physically, it’s never too late to improve and do some repair or maintenance on your temple. You can start by learning the basic principles of good nutrition, drink lots of water, employ stress management, exercise, and rest. Laughter is also important. It has been scientifically proven to improve your health. It’s amazing how much better you can feel if you will begin to make positive changes in these areas. Give it a try; I promise, you’ll be glad you did.

Prayer Starter: Father, I ask for Your grace to take practical steps toward good physical health. Help me to treat my body with respect so I can serve you to the best of my ability. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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But test all things carefully [so you can recognize what is good]. Hold firm to that which is good. — 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (AMP)

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

Hearing from God clearly and avoiding the possibility of deception comes only from spending regular time with Him and learning His Word. Listening for God’s voice without having knowledge of His Word is a mistake. Knowing God’s written Word protects us from deception.

Trying to hear from God without knowing His Word is irresponsible and even dangerous. People who want to be led by the Spirit but are too lazy to spend time in the Word and in prayer set themselves up for deception because evil spirits are eager to whisper to listening ears. The devil tried to say things to Jesus, and He always replied, “It is written,” and then quoted Scripture to refute the lies of the enemy (see Luke 4).

Some people seek God only when they are in trouble and need help. But if they are not used to hearing from God, they will find recognizing His voice difficult when they really need Him.

We need to compare any idea, prompting, or thought that comes to us with God’s Word. If we don’t know the Word, we won’t have anything against which to measure theories and arguments that rise up in our thoughts. The enemy can present wild ideas that make sense to us. The fact that thoughts are logical doesn’t mean they are from God. We may like what we hear, but the fact that something appeals to us doesn’t mean it is from God. We may hear something that feels good to our emotions, but if it fails to give us peace, it is not from God. God’s advice to us is to always follow peace and let it be an umpire in our lives (see Colossians 3:15).

Test everything you hear against the Word of God, because that is the only standard of truth that exists.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to hear from You more clearly. Help me to always test everything I believe against the perfect standard of Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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…Whatever one sows, that he will also reap. — Galatians 6:7

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

As God’s representative here on earth, your purpose is to do right and glorify God. When you do right, you bring God glory by manifesting His excellence in a tangible way.

One way you can bring Him glory is in the way you treat people. There are many practical ways you can be a blessing to others. You can build others up by giving them a compliment. You can express your appreciation and acknowledge people by giving them a pat on the back or writing them a note of encouragement.

You can also take advantage of opportunities to listen to people and lend a helping hand when they need it. You can believe the best of others and offer forgiveness to those who have offended you.

I encourage you to treat everybody with love and respect. You will not only glorify God, you will also receive blessings by reaping what you sow.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to sow seeds of Your love and kindness today. Make me aware of the needs of others, and show me opportunities to offer encouragement, appreciation, forgiveness, and respect. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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For those whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. — Proverbs 3:12 (AMP)

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

Perhaps you have been struggling with accepting yourself. You see the areas in yourself where change is necessary. You desire to be like Jesus. Yet it is very difficult for you to think or say, “I accept myself.” You feel that to do so would be to accept all that is wrong with you, but that is not the case. We can accept and embrace ourselves as God’s unique creation, and still not like everything we do.

God will change us, but we cannot even begin the process of change until this issue of self-acceptance is settled in our individual lives. When we truly believe that God loves us unconditionally just as we are, then we will have a closeness to Him, and we will be willing to receive His correction, which is necessary for true change.

Change requires corrections—people who do not know they are loved have a very difficult time receiving correction. Correction is merely God giving us divine direction for our lives. He is guiding us to better things, but if we are insecure we will always feel condemned by correction instead of joyfully embracing it.

God does not approve of all of our actions, but He does love and approve of us as His beloved children. Be patient with yourself. Keep pressing on and believe that you are changing every day.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for Your unconditional love and acceptance. Help me to receive Your love and truly love myself as Your beloved child. Allow me to always view Your correction as a sign of Your love and affection for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]. — 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)

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

It doesn’t matter what kind of problem we have in our lives, we need self-control and discipline to gain and maintain the victory. I believe this is especially true with regard to our thought life and the battle for our mind. What begins in the mind eventually comes out of the mouth, and before we know it, we’re telling anyone who will listen how we feel. We have to discipline our mind, our mouth, our feelings, and our actions so that they are all in agreement with what the Word of God says.

Every quality of God that is in you and me, God Himself planted in us in the form of a seed the day we accepted Christ (see Colossians 2:10). Over time and through life’s experiences, the seeds of Christ’s character begin to grow and produce the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22–23).

I have found that it is virtually impossible to operate in any of the other eight fruit of the Spirit unless we are exercising self-control. How can you and I remain patient, for example, in the midst of an upsetting situation unless we exercise restraint? Or how can we walk in love and believe the best of someone after they have repeatedly hurt us unless we use the fruit of self-control?

As Christians, we have the fruit of the Spirit in us, but we must purposely choose to exercise them. Not choosing to exercise the fruit of the Spirit is what produces carnal Christians—those who are under the control of ordinary impulses and walk after the desires of the flesh (see 1 Corinthians 3:3). Whatever we exercise the most becomes the strongest.

Our thoughts and words are two areas in which the Holy Spirit is constantly prompting us to exercise self-control. The Bible says that …as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he, and …out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks (Proverbs 23:7; Luke 6:45 AMPC). Satan is constantly trying to get us to accept wrong thoughts about everything from God’s love for us to what terrible thing is going to happen to us next. Why? Because he knows that once we start accepting and believing his lies, it is just a matter of time until we begin to speak them out of our mouths. And when we speak wrong things, we open the door for wrong things to come into our lives (see Proverbs 18:20–21).

What if, instead of allowing our minds to go over all of the things that have hurt us, we would remind ourselves to think about all the good things God has brought into our lives? When we allow Satan to fill our minds with worry, anxiety, and doubt, we wear out our ability to make good decisions. Worry is also thankless by nature. I’ve noticed that people who worry rarely see much good in life. They talk about tragedy, failures, sickness, and loss. They seem unable to focus on the good things that they still have in life.

Try this. Each day, focus on the things God has done for you in the past. This will make it easier for you to expect good things in the future. As I wrote those words, I thought of the memorials mentioned in the Old Testament. Often the people stacked up heaps of stones as reminders that God had delivered them or appeared to them. As they looked backward and remembered, they were able to look forward and believe.

The psalmist wrote, O my God, my life is cast down upon me [and I find the burden more than I can bear]; therefore will I [earnestly] remember You from the land of the Jordan [River] and the [summits of Mount] Hermon… (Psalm 42:6 AMPC). He was reminding himself of past victories. When he was having problems, he recalled God’s great work in the lives of the people.

When doubts try to sneak in, you can do what the psalmist did: You can look back and remember that God has always been with His people. All of us have had times when we wondered if we’d make it. But we did. So will you.

Prayer Starter: My great God, forgive me for allowing the little things of life to distract me and to take my thoughts away from You. Through Jesus Christ, help me always to remember that You are with me in the good times and in the bad times. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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For we walk by faith, not by sight. — 2 Corinthians 5:7

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

Stretch means “extended; exerted to the utmost.” When you follow God into something new in your life, you may feel stretched.

Perhaps you receive a job promotion, and you know you don’t have all the natural skills and knowledge you need to do the new job well. Then you become worried because you think you’re in over your head. The job may be over your head, but it’s not bigger than God. If He leads you into it, He will help you fulfill the responsibilities that go with it. God’s power and presence enable us to do things we can’t do on our own.

It’s important to remember God is on your side as you go into new situations, because fear and doubt will always be lying in wait to try to keep you from following Him. Don’t let those things hold you back. Remember that God is with you, and He’s bigger than any problem you may face. Don’t be afraid to stretch your faith because it will give you greater capacity to fulfill your God-given potential.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to lean on You and walk forward with faith when I feel “over my head.” Help me to stretch and be all that I can be in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good—whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit). Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace…and seek it eagerly…. — 1 Peter 3:10-11 (AMPC)

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

I enjoy just reading over this passage and soaking up the power from its principles for successful daily living. It gives four specific principles for those who want to enjoy life:

1. Keep your tongue free from evil.God’s Word states clearly, the power of life and death is in the mouth. We can bring blessing or misery into our lives with our words. When we speak rashly we often get into arguments, so choose your words carefully.
2. Turn away from wickedness.We must take action to remove ourselves from wickedness or from a wicked environment. The action we must take could mean altering our friendships; it could even mean loneliness for a period of time. But you can always trust God to be with you.
3. Do right.The decision to do right must follow the decision to stop doing wrong. Both are definite choices. Repentance is twofold; it requires turning awayfrom sin and turning to righteousness.
4. Search for peace.Notice that we must search for it, pursue it, and go after it. We cannot merely desirepeace without any accompanying action, but instead we must desire peace with action. We need to search for peace in our relationship with God and with others.

When I started living by these principles, not only did my relationships improve, but so did my health, my attitude, and all areas of my life. The same will be true for you.

Prayer Starter: Father, Your Word has all of the answers for a great life. Help me to put Your principles into practice, today and every day. I can’t do it alone—I can only do it through Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. — Philippians 2:4

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

Everyone needs a blessing. We all need to be encouraged, edified, complimented, and appreciated. And you have the ability to bless others. Be thankful that God not only blesses you, but that He has made you a blessing. We all get weary at times and need other people to let us know that we are valuable and appreciated.

I believe God blesses us so we can be a blessing—not only in a few places but everywhere we go. Look for people who are needy and bless them. Share what you have with those who are less fortunate than you are. And remember, everyone needs a blessing—even the successful people who appear to have everything.

When you live to meet needs and encourage those around you, you will find “joy unspeakable” in the process (see 1 Peter 1:8).

Prayer Starter: Father, I am so grateful for Your blessings in my life, and I am also grateful that You have enabled me to be a blessing. Help me reach out to others every day and focus on adding to their encouragement. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up. — Psalm 94:18

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

Some people seem to start their day on the “wrong foot.” They feel all right when they wake up, but as soon as something goes wrong they lose their footing and walk with a “loser’s limp” the rest of the day. Once they are off to a bad start, it seems they never catch up.

If someone offends us early in the morning, our anger can keep us defensive all day. If we start the day rushing, it seems we never slow down. But today our feet can be firmly planted in God’s Word. There will be no “bad day” when God’s Word supports, strengthens, and directs us.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I lift my day up to You and ask for Your help to get off on the right foot. Help me to go forward with a clean heart and a positive mindset focused on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. — 2 Corinthians 12:9

Adapted from the resource Power Thoughts Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

How we treat ourselves is often how we treat others. For example, if you receive God’s mercy, then you will be able to give mercy to others, but if you are demanding and never satisfied with yourself, you will be the same way with others.

We need to learn to be good to ourselves and yet not be self-centered. You should respect and value yourself; you should know what you are good at and what you are not good at and realize God’s strength is perfected in your weaknesses. We stress over our faults and yet everyone has them. If you had no faults, you would not need Jesus, and that is never going to happen!

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to have realistic expectations of myself and others, knowing we all have weaknesses and need Your daily support. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live. — Deuteronomy 30:19

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

We will never enjoy life unless we make a quality decision to do so. Satan is an expert at stealing, and our joy is one of his favorite targets. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. In John 10:10 we are told that “the thief ” comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but that Jesus came that we might have and enjoy life. Satan is the thief, and one of the things he seeks to steal is our joy. If he can steal our joy from us, we will be weak, and when we are weak, the enemy takes advantage of us.

Weak believers are no threat to him and his work of destruction. In order to live as God intends for us to live, the first thing we must do is truly believe that it is God’s will for us to experience continual joy. Then we must decide to enter into that joy.

Experiencing enjoyment in our souls is vitally important to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Proverbs 17:22 (AMPC) says, A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. It is God’s will for us to enjoy life! Now it is time to decide to enter into the full and abundant life that God wills for us.

Joy and enjoyment are available just as misery is available. Righteousness and peace are available and so are condemnation and turmoil. There are blessings and curses available, and that is why Deuteronomy 30:19 tells us to choose life and blessings.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to enjoy this day to the fullest—help me to “choose life” and make the most of what You have given me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief …. — Isaiah 53:3

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

If you are in pain of any kind, Jesus knows how you feel! Always remember that all healing comes from Jesus. He is our compassionate Healer. He may work through some type of medical care, but He and He alone is the Source of healing!

Even though we seek professional help when we are sick or in pain, we should keep our eyes on Jesus to make us whole, and when we are well again, be sure to give Him the praise. Thank God in the midst of trouble, and trust and thank Him that His healing power is working in you. God’s Word says to thank Him at all times, in all things (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18). You may not be thankful for your pain and discomfort, but you can be thankful that God is with you and that He will cause all things to work together for your good as you continue loving Him and doing His will (see Romans 8:28).

When you are sick, it is an especially good time to pray for others you may know who are sick. During our own pain, we tend to have greater compassion for others who are also hurting. Prayer is sowing seed into the lives of others, and seed always produces a harvest. So, keep on trusting God and expect to get better and better every day!

Prayer Starter: Father, I ask You to heal me from all sickness, pain, and disease. I trust You to be my healer and I give You praise for my restoration. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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