My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:8 (AMPC)

The psalmist David says in today’s scripture that his “whole being follows hard after” God and “clings closely” to Him. We can sense the intensity of David’s heart as he follows God, the only worthy leader we could have.

You may remember, as I do, playing a childhood game called Follow the Leader. If the leader was creative and fun and kept everyone moving at a good pace, the game was enjoyable.

If the leader was bossy, moved too fast, or was inclined to lead other children to do things that were too hard or dangerous, the game fell apart quickly. As we go through life, we get to choose which leader we will follow. We all reach a point where we must decide whether we will follow God or trust ourselves to lead our lives.

People who go through life with their own agendas—trying to set their own course, make their own plans, and run their own lives—often end up frustrated and unhappy. It’s not that their plans aren’t good; it’s that God’s plans are so much better.

When we follow God, we have a leader who moves at exactly the right pace and keeps life interesting for us. He also makes sure we miraculously end up just where we’re supposed to be, when we’re supposed to be there. Following God is a great adventure, and I hope you will embrace it today.

Prayer of the Day: God, I choose You as the leader of my life. Help me to follow hard after You with my whole being.

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And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

Matthew 8:2 (ESV)

Sometimes, people read today’s scripture and skip over its most important part. They first focus on the fact that the man had leprosy, a terrible disease that would have taken a miracle to cure. Then they turn their attention to his question and wonder if Jesus will be willing to heal him. We also need to pay attention to the fact that the man “knelt before him.”

The fact that he knelt before Jesus reveals the condition of his heart. He was humble in the presence of the Lord, and he worshipped and honored Him before he asked Him for a miracle.

When we need something from God, we can easily become so focused on our situation that we completely overlook the importance of worshipping and honoring God. We jump straight into talking about what we need from Him and forget to thank Him for who He is.

No matter what you need today—whether it’s something minor or something major—God can help you. But before you ask Him to do anything for you, take time to praise, worship, and honor Him for who He is.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to worship You before I ever ask You to do anything for me. In Jesus’ name amen.

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And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).

Matthew 22:37 (AMPC)

I once heard a great woman of God say, “Love God and then do what you please.” My initial thought was that if we all did what we pleased, we would do a lot of bad things. But if we truly love God, that would not be the case. Jesus said, If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands (John 14:15 AMPC). Out of our love for God, we want to please Him. We’ve become sons and daughters, not slaves.

A slave follows all the rules in order not to get into trouble, but sons and daughters learn the Father’s heart and delight in pleasing Him. When we find an area of disobedience in our lives, or we feel that we cannot resist temptation to sin, instead of fighting the sin, we have a better option: We can draw closer to God, falling more deeply and intimately in love with Him, recognizing His amazing goodness. Then the sin will not be tempting or attractive. As we draw close to God, we are resisting sin and it finds no place to make its nest in our lives.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to please You at all times. Draw me to You and teach me to know You better and to love You more, amen.

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You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:43–45 (NIV)

Many of us have suffered emotional wounds over the course of our lives, or we may still be in emotional pain. These wounds can fester and cause us to struggle in various ways if we do not seek the healing God offers us.

Emotional wounds may come from abuse, rejection, abandonment, disappointment, criticism, judgment, or other types of hurt. If you have an emotional wound of any kind, I want you to know today that Jesus can heal you everywhere you hurt. According to the prophecy in Isaiah 61:1 (NIV), Jesus came to bind up the brokenhearted and to proclaim freedom for the captives. He heals our broken hearts and sets us free from pain and other forms of bondage. He also came to comfort all who mourn and to give us a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:2–3).

To begin to heal emotionally, we need to make godly choices while we are still hurting. Pressing through our feelings in this way can be difficult, but it’s worth doing because it leads to freedom and wholeness. For example, according to today’s scripture, the world would tell us to love people who are good to us and hate our enemies. But this leads to bitterness. And bitterness is a negative emotion that keeps our pain fresh and prohibits us from feeling peaceful.

Jesus says to forgive those who have hurt us and to love and pray for our enemies. This is the way to peace, healing, and freedom.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Jesus, for teaching me to forgive so I can be healed and set free from emotional pain.

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And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His life. And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Mark 15:37-38 (AMPC)

When Jesus died, the temple veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn from the top to the bottom (Mark 15:37-38).

That opened a way for anyone to go into God’s presence. Prior to Jesus’ death, only the high priest could go into God’s presence and then only once a year with the blood of slain animals, to cover and atone for his sins and the sins of the people.

It is significant that the tear in the veil of the temple was from top to bottom. The veil, or curtain, was so high and so thick that no human could have torn it—it was torn supernaturally by the power of God showing that He was opening a new and living way for His people to approach Him, as we read in today’s verse.

From the beginning, God has desired fellowship with man; that was His purpose in creating us. He never wanted to close people off from His presence, but He knew that His holiness was so powerful that it would destroy anything unholy that came near it. Therefore, the way for sinners to be completely cleansed had to be provided prior to man’s having access to God’s presence.

We are in the world, but we are not to be of the world (John 17:14–6). Our worldliness and earthly ways separate us from God’s presence and can keep us from hearing His voice. Unless we are constantly receiving by faith the sacrifice of Jesus’ blood to keep us clean, we cannot enjoy intimacy and come into proper fellowship with God.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for making a way for me to come into Your presence. Help me walk in purity, receive Your grace, and grow closer to You each day, amen.

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Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.

Psalm 94:12-13 (AMPC)

God disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 3:12 NIV), and we should appreciate and submit to His discipline. Discipline is not a bad thing; it is our friend because it teaches us the right way to live so we can enjoy the blessings Jesus died to give us.

Our scripture for today says that God will keep working with us through discipline and instruction until we learn to stay calm in adversity, while we wait for God to deal with our enemies.

For years I was up and down emotionally. If my circumstances were good, I was up, and if they were bad, I was down. This was very tiring, and it was not a good example to anyone around me.

I finally learned that being discouraged or depressed when facing trouble and difficulty doesn’t do any good. It never solves the problem. But if we put our trust in God and continue enjoying life in the midst of our problems, we defeat the devil and our breakthrough comes. Instead of feeling guilty or angry when God disciplines and instructs you, be thankful that He loves you enough to take the time to do it.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me welcome Your discipline and trust Your correction. Teach me to stay steady in every circumstance and grow stronger as You guide me in truth, amen.

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We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV)

Do you think about what you’re thinking about? Learning to regularly take inventory of our thoughts is essential to having a good life. Instead of being “unthinking” people, we can train ourselves to think about what’s going on in our minds.

It was a glorious revelation for me when I realized I don’t have to think about just anything that comes into my mind. I can choose my thoughts and do my own thinking—on purpose. I can deliberately choose to think positive, faith-filled thoughts that line up with God’s Word.

If your mood begins to sink or you have a bad attitude, take an inventory of your current thoughts, and you will very likely find the culprit. Negative thinking not only makes you upset and bitter, but it also prevents God from working in your life. We receive from God through faith, and faith is always positive.

You don’t have to sit by passively and let the enemy fill your mind with poisonous and destructive thoughts. Instead, you can learn to recognize them, and with God’s help, you can think about something else that will be beneficial.

Make a decision to think and say the right things—things that line up with the Word of God.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me recognize when my thoughts aren’t my own so that I can take them captive and replace them with thoughts that are beneficial. Help me think with the mind of Christ, amen.

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Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].

Romans 8:1 (AMP)

Sometimes we feel pain in our soul because we have hurt other people inadvertently. Often we hurt those people because we were hurting, too, and we did not mean to wound them. This is especially true for women who may have been abused or otherwise hurt while growing up, and then they in turn hurt their children. They never wanted to cause problems; they simply did not know any better. The same could be said for people who hurt friends, spouses, or other family members unintentionally.

As we mature and come to realize that something we said or did caused pain or struggle in another person’s life, we may feel very badly about it. When that happens, the thing to do is talk to the person, admit what we have done to cause pain, and offer a sincere apology. We may also feel we can explain to the person what was going on with us at the time or tell them how we came to realize that we hurt them. The most important parts of this kind of conversation are to take responsibility for our actions and to apologize. Hopefully, the other person will accept the apology and we can move on. If there is anything we can do to help the person break free from the impact of what we have done, we can make ourselves available for that. If not, we can simply pray that God will continue to heal and strengthen him or her.

In situations where hurt has been especially deep, people may not be ready to move on. They may, instead, remind us repeatedly of what we have done and use our admissions and apologies against us. Accusations such as, “The reason I am the way I am is that you hurt me so deeply years ago!” Or, “If you hadn’t done what you did to me, I wouldn’t have done that!” When we hear such words, we can be tempted to feel guilty or condemned about our past actions.

Once we have confessed our sin to God and received His forgiveness, and we have admitted our faults to those we have hurt and apologized to them, we should no longer carry the guilt of our mistakes or failures. God offers us free and ultimate forgiveness, and when we have that, we can view ourselves as clean, regardless of what other people say to us.

John 3:17 (ESV) says, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him, and Romans 8:1 declares that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Him. No matter what you have done, you can live free, forgiven, and healed in Jesus. The people you have hurt may not be quick to forgive you, but God always will be.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness. Help me take responsibility, release guilt, and walk in freedom. Teach me to trust Your grace and live free from condemnation, amen.

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Adapted from Battlefield of the Mind

In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree which You doomed has withered away! And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

Mark 11:20-24 (AMPC)

When you say the words, “I wonder,” they sound innocent and honest. They also represent the way we avoid certainty in making decisions.

Suppose you’re the CEO of a business. Every day 20 people come to your office and ask you to make decisions. Yours is the final answer on everything that goes on in the corporation. Instead of giving decisive answers, you rub your chin, stare out the window, and say, “I wonder. I wonder what we should do about that?”

An indecisive CEO wouldn’t stay in that position very long. The position is much too important to the overall success and wellbeing of the organization and all who are associated with it. You are not in that position to wonder—you’re there to act.

Too many of us forget that this is the way it is with the Christian life, as well. Too often, instead of choosing what we need to do, we avoid facing the situation and say, “I wonder.”

I know because I’ve done it. In times past, when I’ve been invited to a party or to be the featured speaker at a banquet, I’ve said, “I wonder what I should wear.” It’s easy for me to waste a lot of time looking through my closet, considering the color and style, as I try to choose just the right outfit for a particular occasion.

This may seem like such a small thing—and it really is. The problem, however, is that if we allow enough of these “wonderings” in our lives, we not only fail to accomplish the things we need to do, but wondering becomes the normal way our minds function. Being indecisive keeps us from moving forward and can eventually defeat us.

In the verses quoted earlier, the incident started with a fig tree that wasn’t bearing fruit. The disciples could have wasted time wondering about the particulars of why the tree didn’t bear fruit. They could have wondered if it hadn’t received enough sunlight or water. They might have wondered why the owner hadn’t cut it down since it wasn’t productive. But wasting time wondering really wasn’t necessary.

When Jesus spoke and doomed the tree, He put a stop to any mental speculation. He used the incident as an object lesson for the disciples, encouraging them to believe. He wanted them to understand that if they truly believed, they could have whatever they asked of Him.

Sometimes God’s people are reluctant to ask boldly for big things. But Jesus has given us permission to step out in faith and ask boldly. And yet some still waste time just wondering. They wonder what it would be like if God would give them a better job. They wonder what it would be like if God would give them a larger house.

I can tell you that wondering is a waste of time. So, stop wondering and start acting! That’s one of the most important things I’ve learned about the wondering mind. Rather than wondering what I should wear to a banquet, I look at my clothes and I decide. God gave me the ability to make wise choices, so I can just do it instead of wasting my time wondering.

Wondering and indecision can become strongholds in our minds that can leave us feeling confused, insecure, and ineffective. But that’s not God’s plan. He wants us to overcome the wondering thoughts by believing and then receiving the answer to our prayers from God, by faith.

Notice that Jesus did not say, “Whatever things you wonder when you pray, you will have.” Instead, He said, Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it] (Mark 11:24 AMPC).

Prayer of the Day: Father, in the past, I’ve been double minded and confused, giving Satan an advantage over me. Please forgive me. I ask You now, in faith, to give me the necessary wisdom to overcome all of Satan’s confusion. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41 (AMPC)

Suppose you knew your house was surrounded by enemy agents and at any moment they might break through the door and attack you. Do you think you would be inclined to stay awake and watch the door?

What would you do if for some reason you couldn’t stay awake and watch? Wouldn’t you make sure someone else in the family was awake and alerted to the danger?

You need to be just as careful to guard against any potential attacks from the enemy of your soul. The devil is out to get you, and you must watch and pray at all times, asking God to help you when you feel weak.

Ask God to provide the strength you need to overcome any temptation the devil brings your way. Guard your heart and take every thought captive.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me stay alert and guard my heart. Strengthen me to resist temptation, take every thought captive, and rely on You to overcome every attack of the enemy, amen.

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

Psalm 139:15 (AMPC)

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

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

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me accept and appreciate how You created me. Teach me to trust Your purpose for my life and to celebrate who I am in You, amen.

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And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved.

Matthew 10:22 (AMPC)

As a young boy in school, Henry Ward Beecher learned a lesson in self-confidence that he never forgot. He was called upon to recite in front of the class. He had hardly begun when the teacher interrupted with an emphatic, “No!” He started over and again the teacher thundered, “No!” Humiliated, Henry sat down.

The next boy rose to recite and had just begun when the teacher shouted, “No!” This student, however, kept on with the recitation until he completed it. As he sat down, the teacher responded, “Very good!”

Henry was irritated. “I recited just as he did,” he complained to the teacher. But the instructor replied, “It is not enough to know your lesson; you must be sure. When you allowed me to stop you, it meant that you were uncertain. If the entire world says, ‘No!’ it is your business to say, ‘Yes!’ and prove it.”

The world says “No!” in a thousand ways. And each “No!” you hear has the potential to erode your confidence bit by bit until you quit altogether. You just need to be bold enough to say “Yes!” when the world says “No!” God is for you, and with Him on your side you absolutely cannot lose.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I’m glad You’re here at my side. Because You are for me, I have the confidence to say “Yes,” knowing that I can’t lose, amen.

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A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], but the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.

Proverbs 16:9 (AMP)

People often ask me how they can determine God’s will for their lives. Many people spend years waiting to hear a voice or to receive a supernatural sign giving them direction. But receiving direction from God is usually more practical than that. So my advice is: Step out and find out.

Early in my Christian life, I wanted to serve God but didn’t know exactly what to do. When different opportunities would arise, I would try those things that were available. A lot of them didn’t work out for me, but I kept trying until I found an area that fit me. I came alive inside when I had an opportunity to teach the Word of God, and I knew that was what I was supposed to do.

Sometimes the only way to discover the will of God is to practice “stepping out and finding out.” If you have prayed about a situation and don’t seem to know what you should do, take a step of faith. Even if that is not God’s ultimate destination, it will be another step toward the fulfillment of His will for your life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me trust You and step out in faith. Guide my decisions, even when I’m unsure, and lead me step by step into Your perfect will for my life, amen.

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Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith…

Hebrews 12:2 (AMPC)

It does not take any special talent to give up and lie down on the side of the road of life and say, “I quit.” Anybody, whether they are a believer or not, can do that.

Quitting is a temptation we all face at one time or another, but when you get close to Jesus, or better yet, when He gets close to you, He begins to pump strength and energy and courage into you. And something wonderful begins to happen—He causes you to want to press forward!

I used to want to give up and quit. But now I get out of bed and start each day fresh and new. I begin my day by praying and reading the Bible and speaking the Word, seeking after God. It’s amazing what a difference it makes when you begin your day drawing closer to God.

When you feel the urge or the temptation to quit, don’t give in. Look to Jesus and follow His example. He pressed forward even in the most difficult circumstances, and He will give you the strength to do the same. He is your Leader; He is the Source and the Finisher of your faith.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, give me strength to keep going when I feel like quitting. Help me draw close to You daily and find renewed courage, faith, and determination to press forward, amen.

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I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

John 16:23-24 (AMPC)

When our youngest son was still in school, sometimes people stayed with him when Dave and I traveled. In order for them to get medical treatment for him if it was ever needed, we had to sign a legal document stating they had the right to use our names on our son’s behalf—literally to make decisions in our place.

This is exactly what Jesus did for His disciples and, ultimately, for all who would believe in Him—He gave us the right to use His name when we go to God in prayer. When we pray in His name, it is the same as if He were praying. This privilege seems almost too wonderful to believe! But we can believe it because we have Scripture to back it up.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for the authority of Jesus’ name. Help me pray with confidence and faith, knowing You hear me and respond as I trust in the power of His name, amen.

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Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father…

James 1:17 (AMPC)

You were created to have a deep, intimate, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the very best life He came to offer.

Acts 10:34 (AMPC) says, …God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons. This means His promises apply equally to everyone who follows Him. Yes, you can have the very best God offers, but you can’t give up when times get tough. If you’ll trust God and follow Him wholeheartedly, you will discover your best life in Him.

God has a great purpose for you, and I urge you not to settle for anything less. He wants to bless you and give you a life that will not only thrill you, fulfill you, and bring you deep joy and sweet satisfaction but also challenge you, stretch you and help you discover that, in Christ, you’re stronger than you think.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me trust Your purpose for my life. Strengthen my faith to follow You wholeheartedly, even in challenges, and lead me into the fullness of the life You have for me, amen.

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How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

Proverbs 6:9 (AMPC)

Too much activity and no rest definitely is the culprit behind most stress, but no activity is also a problem. I am sure you have heard that exercise is a great stress reliever, and it is very true. I would rather be physically tired from exercise and movement than tired in my soul from doing nothing and being bored.

Work is good for all of us. As a matter of fact, God said we should work six days and rest one. That shows how important work and activity are in God’s eyes. God has created us to work, not to sit idly by and do nothing. There are several good stories in the Bible about people who had serious problems and when they asked Jesus for help He told them to “Get up!”

In the fifth chapter of John we see one example. A man was crippled, and he lay by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years waiting for his miracle. When Jesus came to the man and asked him how long he had been in that condition, the man gave the length of time and then continued to tell Jesus how he had nobody to put him into the pool at the right time and how others always got ahead of him. Jesus told the man to Get up! Pick up your bed…and walk! (John 5:8 AMPC).

Get up and start doing whatever you can do to clean up the messes in your life. If they are marriage messes, then do your part. Don’t worry about what your spouse is not doing; just do your part and God will reward you. If you have a financial mess, then stop spending and start paying off your debts. Get an extra job for a period of time if you need to. If you are not able to do that, then ask God to show you what you can do. Remember, “If you do what you can do, then God will do what you cannot do.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, calm my heart in life’s storms. Help me quiet my emotions, wait for Your wisdom, and trust You to guide my decisions at the right time, amen.

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If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:1 (AMPC)

Most of the things we devote our time and energy to are things that are currently passing away, things that will not last. We strive to make money, build businesses, achieve great accomplishments, be popular, own buildings, cars, and jewelry. We want to expand our minds and see the world, yet all of these things are temporal. They will all come to an end. Only love never comes to an end. An act of love goes on and endures forever.

Thankfully, God allows us to have a lasting impact when He asks us to love others. Henry Drummond says that “to love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.” In order to “love abundantly” and “love forever,” I encourage you to first receive God’s love for you…then you can walk in love toward everyone else.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am grateful that I can live my life in such a way as to have a lasting impact. Thank You for the power of love. Help me exercise that power and make an eternal impact by showing love to those around me today. Help me to always know what is truly important.

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When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

Psalm 56:3–4 (NIV)

Psalm 56 begins with David crying out to God because his enemies are “in hot pursuit” of him and all day long they press their attack (v. 1). In the midst of such pressure, David declares to God: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Notice that he says “when I am afraid,” not “if I am afraid.” This tells me that David accepts the fact that fear is a human emotion; we all experience fear to some degree at some time. But he adds, “I put my trust in you.” He did not trust himself or other people; he trusted God alone. David lived boldly and courageously because he knew God was always with him. We can live this same way. We can choose not to live according to the fear we feel, but according to God’s Word.

Years ago, God taught me to use what I call the “power twins” to help me defeat fear in my life. They are “I pray” and “I say.” When I feel fear, I begin to pray and ask for God’s help; then I say, “I will not fear!” I encourage you to also use these power twins as soon as you feel fear about anything. This will help you manage the emotion of fear instead of allowing it to control you.

Prayer of the Day: When I am afraid, Lord, I will trust in You. I will pray for Your help and declare, “I will not fear!”

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Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

Proverbs 14:29 (ESV)

Most of us could find a reason each day to be angry with someone or about something. Life is filled with imperfections and injustices, but anger doesn’t solve them. It only makes us miserable. The Word of God instructs us not to let the sun go down on our anger, because if we do, we give the devil a foothold in our lives (Ephesians 4:26–27).

Anger is an emotion that can and should be controlled. Love is not touchy or easily offended, but it is long-suffering and generous in mercy. One of the best ways to stay happy is to avoid anger. According to the writer of today’s scripture, the person who is hasty to become angry is foolish, but the one who is slow to anger is wise and has great understanding.

If you are angry with anyone, I urge you to completely forgive that person. By doing so, you will set yourself free to enjoy the day. Remember that anger doesn’t make any situation better; it only makes you miserable.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to be slow to get angry and always quick to forgive. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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