A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

Proverbs 16:9 (AMPC)

Today’s scripture is one that has stabilized my emotions many times, along with Proverbs 20:24 (NIV), which says: A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?

I have been known to become frustrated when I’m in a hurry to get somewhere and find myself at a standstill in traffic. At first, I get a sinking feeling, then I become irritated. Then I say, “Well, since God directs my steps, I’ll calm down and thank God that I am right where He wants me.” I also remind myself that God may be saving me from an accident down the road by keeping me where I am. He always knows more than we do, and He can see everything. Trusting God is absolutely wonderful because it soothes our wild thoughts and emotions when things don’t go as we have planned.

How do you react when you get frustrated or disappointed? How long does it take for you to make a transition? Do you act on God’s Word or merely react emotionally to your circumstances? Do you let your environment control your mood, or do you let the Holy Spirit lead your response to what’s going on around you?

Trusting God completely and believing that His plan for you is infinitely better than your own will prevent you from being frustrated when things don’t go your way. It’s impossible to be miffed at someone you really believe has your best interest in mind, and God always does.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, please help me to respond with faith, and not frustration. I trust You completely, knowing that Your plans for me are infinitely better than mine and that You direct my steps.

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When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered [your path will be clear and open]; when you run, you shall not stumble.

Proverbs 4:12 (AMPC)

In my journey of learning how to hear from God, I realized that eventually we must simply believe He is leading and guiding us. We ask Him to guide our steps and believe by faith that He is doing what we ask of Him. There are times when I hear a very clear word from God, but much of the time I pray about my day and then go about it in faith. I may have nothing occur that day that seems supernatural or mystical. There are no visions, no voices, nothing out of the ordinary, but I know in my heart that God kept me safe and following the right path. God keeps us from many things that we never even know of.

I wonder how often I could have been in an accident had I not prayed for God’s guidance that morning—how many terrible traffic jams I missed because I simply felt that I was to take a different route than the one I usually took. I want to strongly encourage you to pray, ask for God’s guidance and leadership, and then say throughout the day, “I believe I am being guided by God today and every day.” Psalm 139:2 (AMPC) says that God knows our downsitting and our uprising.

If He knows each time we sit down or stand up and took the time to tell us about in His Word, then surely He sees and cares about everything else.

Prayer of the Day: God, I trust You to guide my steps today. Even when I don’t see it, I believe You are leading me and keeping me on the right path. Thank You for Your love and direction, every day of my life, amen.

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You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.

John 8:44 (AMPC)

One of the devil’s favorite lies is to tell us we have no value and are worthless. He loves to make us feel guilty, condemned, insecure, and unconfident. But the truth is in God’s Word.

What we do is not who we are. Dave and I have four adult children. When they do something we don’t like, they don’t stop being our children, nor do we stop loving them. Similarly, God is our Father, and He never stops loving us. He sees us through our faith in Jesus. If you have received Jesus as your Savior, then you are considered to be “in Christ,” and He is in you. In Christ, we become new creatures; old things pass away, all things are made new, and we are made right with God (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21). The thief (the enemy) comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have and enjoy our lives to the full (John 10:10).

One of the most life-changing lessons I have learned is that you cannot enjoy your life if you don’t enjoy yourself. You are with yourself all the time, and if you don’t like, love, and enjoy yourself, you will be miserable. Today, start loving the creation God made you to be with His own hand while you were in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me see myself as You see me, loved and valued. Teach me to embrace who I am in Christ, fully confident in Your love and grace. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

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So, since Christ suffered in the flesh for us, for you, arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God].

1 Peter 4:1 (AMPC)

It is important to understand the difference between suffering in the flesh and suffering demonic affliction. Giving up the selfish appetites of our flesh does not mean we are to suffer from sickness, disease, and poverty. Jesus died to deliver you from the curse of sin. But unless you are willing to suffer in the flesh you will never walk in the will of God.

When you get up in the morning, set your thoughts on walking in God’s will all day long. You might even say to yourself, “Even if I need to suffer in order to do God’s will today, I am setting my mind for obedience.” Tonight, purpose in your heart that you will face tomorrow with determination to please God no matter the cost.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I choose to obey You today, even when it’s hard. Help me deny selfish desires, walk in Your will, and live with the purpose and determination to please You, amen.

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Of whom have you been so afraid and in dread that you lied and were treacherous and did not [seriously] remember Me, did not even give Me a thought? Have I not been silent, even for a long time, and so you do not fear Me?

Isaiah 57:11 (AMPC)

Babies don’t worry, and they don’t dread things, so why do adults? As babies, we are not responsible for anything, and everything is taken care of for us. As we mature and begin to take on responsibility, we either learn to be confident, placing our trust in God, or we live in fear, worry, and dread. If we don’t look to God and place our trust in Him, we carry a burden that we were never meant to bear alone. We also fall prey to compromising our values.

Worry is simply fear that things won’t work out the way we want them to. But the person who trusts in God has confidence that even if things don’t work out the way she desires, God will have a better plan than she had anyway. Confidence believes that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Confidence in God is absolutely wonderful, because it gives you the confidence that God has answers even when you don’t.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, You have called me according to Your purpose. I believe You have the answers for me in life, and I trust You to reveal them at just the right time, amen.

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…Whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.

Galatians 6:7 (AMP)

The Word of God plainly tells us that we will reap what we sow. This principle applies to every area of our lives, including the way we treat others. Our attitudes and words are seeds we sow each day that determine what kind of fruit or harvest we’ll have in our relationships. The devil loves to keep us busy thinking selfishly, sowing words of strife in our families, and thinking negatively about others. He wants us to sow bad seed.

Let me ask you: What are you sowing today? With God’s help, make the choice to sow love, forgiveness, kindness, and patience in every relationship and situation. You’ll find that as you treat others the way God wants you to, you will reap a life filled with encouraging, godly relationships.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me sow seeds of love, kindness, and grace each day. May my words and actions reflect Your heart and lead to healthy, godly relationships in every area of life.

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My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody.

Psalm 57:7 (AMPC)

God is the God of hearts. He does not look only at the exterior of a person, or even the things a person does, and judge the individual by that criterion. Man judges the flesh, but God judges the heart.

It is possible to do good works and still have a wrong heart attitude. It is also possible to do some things wrong but still have a right heart on the inside. God is much more inclined to use a person with a good heart and a few problems than He is to use a person who seems to have it all together but who has a wicked heart.

It is very important that we get in touch with our inner life and our heart attitude, the way we feel and think about things (what the Bible calls the hidden man of the heart), if we want to hear from God and live in close relationship with Him.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me stay determined in every trial. Strengthen me to walk in Your will with joy, peace, and courage, knowing the enemy is already defeated through You, amen.

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…Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in ( being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

John 15:4 (AMPC)

Whenever I return home from ministering at conferences, I revitalize myself by abiding in Jesus. I pray, meditate on His Word, and spend time with Him. I say, “Thank You, Lord, for strengthening and refueling me. I need You, Jesus. I can’t do anything without You.”

I know I must abide in Him if I want to bear good fruit. Abiding replenishes the energy I use in my conferences. For many years I ministered at my conferences, returned home, and went right back to the office or out on another trip without spending the time I needed with the Lord. When I did, I usually ended up worn-out, depressed, crying, and wanting to quit.

If we drive our cars without filling up the tanks, we ultimately run out of gasoline and break down. We can do the same thing as individuals. We will break down mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually if we don’t stay full of Jesus by abiding in Him.

Dave and I have developed the habit of spending time each morning with the Lord by praying, reading, meditating, pondering, writing, resting, trusting, and abiding in Him. Sometimes people “pick on” us, and when they do, we want them to be able to pick good fruit. By the time I face my family or work responsibilities, I’m full of good fruit in case anybody has a need. I encourage you to develop what I like to call the “God Habit.” Need time with Him more than you need anything else, and everything else will fall into place and work much better.

Jesus said if we dwell in Him, He will dwell in us. If we live in Him, He will live in us. He said we cannot bear fruit without abiding in Him. But if we live—which implies daily abiding—in Him we will bear abundant fruit (John 15:4–5). Whether it is teaching or anything else I do in life, I have learned by experience that I need Him and cannot do anything of real value without Him.

Prayer of the Day: Jesus, I need You daily. Help me abide in You, refuel in Your presence, and bear fruit that blesses others. I can’t do anything of value without You, amen.

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Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (AMPC)

One of the best things you can do for someone is encourage them and build them up. Say something positive to the people around you about who they are or how much you appreciate them. Or tell them how much God loves them and wants to bless them. Encouragement is powerful. It makes people feel better in every way.

I remember one time when I got a text message from my youngest son. All it said was, “I love you, Mommy!” At that moment, I literally felt refreshed by his words. They gave me the extra dose of strength I needed that day.

Think about the people you’re going to be around today. Be thankful that they are in your life and ask God to help you speak encouraging words to them. You might be surprised at what a difference it will make, not only for them, but for you too.

Prayer of the Day: Father, as I am going through my day, I pray that You will show me ways I can encourage and build people up. Thank You for the opportunities You give me to make a difference in the lives of others. I want to seize my opportunities today.

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The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.

Psalm 92:12 (NIV)

When we flourish, we develop in a healthy and vigorous way. This kind of growth is a promise to the righteous. The righteous are those who trust God and believe His promises. Through faith in Christ, we are viewed as righteous, meaning that God sees us as being in right standing with Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

A cedar tree can grow as much as a foot per year. Because of its rich foliage and beauty, it is a very desirable tree. This psalm promises that a righteous person will flourish and grow like a cedar. I love growth in God, and I delight in becoming more and more like Jesus all the time.

Our verse for today tells us that the righteous will be fruitful, healthy, and beautiful, and will flourish and show quick growth. This sounds good to me, and I am sure it does to you also. Keep these promises in mind as you press on to serve God with all your heart. You will grow today as you serve and love Him with all your heart.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for growth in You. I want to be more like Jesus. You have given me the Holy Spirit to transform me into His image, and I want to submit to Him in all things. Please help me do so.

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However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)

Today’s verse is a very exciting scripture. God’s plans for us are so wonderful that we cannot even imagine them! Believing this allows us to live with hope—the aggressive expectation that something good is going to happen.

For too many years, I lived with evil foreboding, which is the expectation that something bad will surely happen. This type of thinking can easily take hold of someone who has had a lot of pain or misfortune in life. That was me. Because I had been abused during my childhood and married the wrong man at the age of 18, the first 23 years of my life were one long series of disappointments. I grew to expect trouble, but thankfully, God has taught me that He is good and is ready to do good things in my life, as He is in yours.

What is the most wonderful thing you can imagine God doing for you? Now remember that He can do even more than that. God has good things prepared for His children, and I encourage you to wait for them with expectancy.

Prayer of the Day: Father, You are good beyond anything I can describe, and I am grateful for Your blessings. I am excited to see what You will do in my future. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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I woke up this morning thinking about my prayer life and wondering if it is as good as it could be. In light of that, I spent some time studying prayer and was reminded of several things:

1. We may pray anytime, anywhere, about anything! As we pray our way through the day, we are praying without ceasing.
2. Prayer need not always be long. Short, sincere prayer filled with faith is sufficient.
3. In addition to praying your way through the day, having a special place where you like to pray is also good.
4. Ask in faith, believe you have received your request, and God will answer (Mark 11:24).
5. Pray according to God’s will, not your own will.
6. Pray at all times with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). No matter what we need, we always have much to be thankful for.
7. The fact that we pray is much more important than the methods we follow!
8. When you pray, be aware that God is definitely listening.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for the privilege of communicating with You in prayer. Teach me to pray more effectively and to be led by Your Spirit in all my prayers.

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Then Jesus, knowing that they meant to come and seize Him that they might make Him king, withdrew again to the hillside by Himself alone.

John 6:15 (AMPC)

If the devil can’t convince you to be idle and passive, he will drive you to do too much. As soon as you are out of balance, he can devour you (1 Peter 5:8). The word disciple comes from the word discipline. To be a disciple of Jesus, you must discipline yourself to follow His ways.

Jesus spent a great deal of time going about doing good for people, but He balanced His time by getting alone to pray and commune with the Father. Time with God renews your strength to do good things that you want to do for others. Live a balanced life by spending time with Him.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me balance out my life by making time for You. Renew my strength through prayer so I can serve others with a joyful heart and disciplined focus. I pray this in the name of Jesus, amen.

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…For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 (AMPC)

God is the God of hearts. He does not look only at the exterior of a person, or even the things a person does, and judge the individual by that criterion. Man judges the flesh, but God judges the heart.

It is possible to do good works and still have a wrong heart attitude. It is also possible to do some things wrong but still have a right heart on the inside. God is much more inclined to use a person with a good heart and a few problems than He is to use a person who seems to have it all together but who has a wicked heart.

It is very important that we get in touch with our inner life and our heart attitude, the way we feel and think about things (what the Bible calls the hidden man of the heart), if we want to hear from God and live in close relationship with Him.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, search my heart and reveal any wrong attitudes that You see in me. Help me align my heart with Your will, knowing that my heart’s condition is what truly matters to You, amen.

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Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.

Psalm 86:1-3 (NIV)

The psalms are filled with David’s taking his petitions (requests) to the Lord while at the same time praising Him for His goodness. Today’s scriptures show just one of many examples of this. Prayer is not a last resort; it should be our first course of action in every situation. We are told to pray with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6), and the combination of petition and praise is powerful beyond anything we can imagine.

Remembering and rehearsing all the good things God has done for us in the past invites Him to do even more in the future. I encourage you to take some time today and write down at least five prayers you recall God answering and praise Him for doing so.

You cannot ask God for too much, so pray about everything that is on your heart. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can dare to hope, ask, or think (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV). Life becomes exciting when we learn to pray in faith and wait and watch for God to answer. This is an aspect of life that I enjoy greatly.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for hearing and answering my prayers. You are great, and I praise You for all You have done, are doing, and will continue to do for me. I love You.

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If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

Isaiah 1:19 (AMPC)

God tells us to obey Him, and we will be blessed. It sounds easy enough, so why do so many fail to do it? Because like children, we are often stubborn and want our own way even though our way is less than God’s best.

Just like children, it is important for us to learn the discipline of obedience—and as we’re learning, we can thank God for being patient. He sticks with us all the way through our childish attempts at getting our own way and believes in us even when we have a difficult time believing in ourselves.

God has a great plan for your life, but it is only possible if you’ll obey His Word and follow His guidance. Keep learning and growing and you will eventually enjoy the fullness of all God intended for you.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me obey Your Word and trust Your plan for my life. Thank You for Your patience and guidance as I learn to follow You more faithfully, amen.

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So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)

Learning how to pray prayers God can answer is very important. I spent lots of years in my morning prayers telling the Lord what I needed Him to do for me, but finally I learned to also pray: “God, what can I do for You today?” We are Christ’s ambassadors, His partners in helping people and bringing them to know Him. I would like to suggest something for you to add to your daily prayers.

Each day, ask God what you can do for Him. Then as you go through your day, watch for opportunities to do what you believe Jesus would do if He were still on earth in bodily form. He lives in you now if you are a Christian, and you are His ambassador…so make sure you represent Him well. Recently, I was asking God to help a friend who was going through a very difficult time. She needed something, so I asked God to provide it. To my surprise, His answer to me was, Stop asking Me to meet the need; ask Me to show you what you can do.”

I have become aware that I often ask God to do things for me when He wants me to do those things myself. He doesn’t expect me to do anything without His help, but neither will He do everything for me while I sit idly by.

God wants us to be open to being involved. He wants us to use our resources to help people, and if what we have isn’t enough to meet their needs, then we can encourage others to get involved so that together we can do what needs to be done.

I encourage you to pray prayers God can answer. You and He are partners, and He wants to work with and through you.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, show me how I can serve You today. Help me be Your hands and feet, sharing Your love and bringing others closer to You. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

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For I am the Lord, I do not change; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Malachi 3:6 (AMPC)

The closer you grow to God, the easier it is to develop a lifestyle of making the right choices. Philippians 2:12 says to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. This means after your salvation when you are born again, you build your relationship with God by studying, learning, praying, and fellowshipping with God. You invite Him into every area of your life.

God is not willing to live in what I call a “Sunday morning box.” He wants to invade every day of your life and be involved in everything you do. Be grateful that God is your partner in life. He delights in helping you, and He especially enjoys just being with you! Acknowledge God in all your ways and He will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:6).

Prayer of the Day: Father, I desire to give every part of my life to You. I thank You that Your power is too great to be confined to any one part of my life. Today, I choose to submit every part of my life and everything I have—my time, energy, talents, finances, relationships, and emotions—to You.

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For as in one physical body we have many parts (organs, members) and all of these parts do not have the same function or use, so we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ (the Messiah)…Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them….

Romans 12:4-6 (AMPC)

Just as our body parts are all different, we are also different from one another. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to be anyone other than who you are. God was able to do very little with or through me until I stopped trying to be some other person and became content with being me.

I tried to be the homemaker my neighbor was, but gardening and making my family’s clothes just wasn’t me. I tried to be soft-spoken like my pastor’s wife, but that didn’t work either. I tried to be more relaxed and easygoing like Dave, but that was difficult also. After years of frustration and failure, I finally realized that I had to be “me,” because everyone else was already taken! God wasn’t going to help me be someone else because He had created me the way He wanted me to be.

We all need to make improvement in some areas of our lives, but we must be the people God created us to be, and that means we’ll always be a little different than most of the other people we know. God obviously loves variety, and He wants us to enjoy ourselves and not compare ourselves with other people.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me embrace the person You want me to be. Help me enjoy myself and live free from the tyranny of comparison.

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And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.

Mark 6:11 (NIV)

Feeling rejected or unwanted is difficult and painful, but it happens to all of us at times. As part of the human race, we have to realize that not everyone will always like us or accept us. When others reject us, we have a choice to make: We can let it hurt our feelings, make us feel bad about ourselves, and wallow in it, or we can shake it off and not allow it to bother us.

Today’s scripture is an instruction Jesus gave His disciples when He sent them to preach and minister in various towns. Knowing they wouldn’t be welcome everywhere, He prepared them in advance to deal with the rejection they’d face. In today’s language, He’d say to “shake it off!” He didn’t want them to let rejection upset them but to forget about it and keep moving forward.

Jesus’ advice to His disciples years ago is exactly what we need to follow today. When people reject us, ignore us, exclude us, aren’t pleased with us, don’t like us, or don’t accept us, we can shake it off and keep moving forward. We can do this because we are secure in God’s total and unconditional love and acceptance.

When an insect lands on your arm, you simply shake it off. You don’t keep thinking about it for hours, weeks, or years. But rejection can be so painful that we feel it for a very long time. Don’t let that happen to you. Next time someone rejects you, shake it off!

Prayer of the Day: When I feel rejected, Lord, help me shake it off, remembering that You love me and accept me unconditionally.

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