Tag Archives: Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Mind and Mouth

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For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34

Today’s verse reminds me of a woman who came to one of my conferences and shared with me that she never stopped thinking and talking about her problems, even though she was being taught not to focus on them. She knew she needed to stop thinking about negative things, but she seemed powerless to do so.

This woman had been abused, and she met several other women who shared that pain. As they talked, she realized God had told her everything He had told them, but they had obeyed while she had disobeyed. They had renewed their minds with the Word of God while she had kept driving her problems deeper into her soul by refusing to get them off of her mind.

Whatever we set our minds on eventually comes out of our mouths. Because this woman refused to obey God and stop thinking and talking about her problems, she was in a prison she could not escape. We seek things by thinking and speaking about them. She could have used her thoughts and words to seek God, but she used them to seek more of the very things she was trying to overcome.

I encourage you to seek God by thinking and speaking about the things of God and by asking the Holy Spirit to fill your mind and your mouth with the things He wants you to focus on.

 

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Peace Is the “Umpire”

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And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. Colossians 3:15

Peace is our inheritance from Jesus, but we have to choose to follow Him daily. Colossians 3:15 teaches us that peace is to be the “umpire” in our lives, settling every issue that needs a decision. To gain and maintain peace in our hearts, we may have to learn to say no to a few things.

For example, if we don’t feel peace about something, we should never go ahead and do it. And if we don’t have peace while we are doing something, then we shouldn’t expect to have peace after we have done it. Many people marry others they didn’t have peace about marrying, and then they wonder why they don’t have peace in their marriages. Many people buy expensive items they didn’t have peace about buying, then continue to lose their peace every month when they have to make payments on them.

Colossians 3:15 says to let the peace from Christ “rule (act as umpire continually)” in our hearts. The presence of peace helps us decide and settle with finality all questions that arise in our minds. If you let the Word have its home in your heart and mind, it will give you insight and intelligence and wisdom (see v. 16).You won’t have to wonder, Should I or shouldn’t I? I don’t know if it’s right. I don’t know what to do. If you are a disciple of Christ, He has called you to follow peace.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Holding on to Hope

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And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You. Psalm 39:7

God’s Word says that He wants us to be blessed (see Deuteronomy 29:9). It states we can and will be blessed in every way when we walk in God’s will. Satan wants to keep people fearful and hopeless. Hopelessness steals our God-given peace and joy.

The enemy tells people they will never have anything, their life will never change, and things will never get better. And when people believe his lies, they remain hopeless and discouraged. We receive what we believe, whether it is positive or negative, so it’s vitally important for us to have faith in God constantly, like Mark 11:22–24 tells us to do.

Refuse to be hopeless and put your trust in God’s Word. Be like Abraham, of whom it is said that although he had no reason to hope, he hoped in faith that God’s promises would come to pass in his life. As he waited, he gave praise and glory to God, and Satan was not able to defeat him with doubt and unbelief (see Romans 4:18–20).

Prayer of Thanks

Father, thank You for the power of hope. I am grateful that no matter what the circumstances around me look like, I can place my hope in You and in Your Word. I am at peace today because You are the source of my hope.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Known by Our Fruit

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[Jesus said] Either make the tree sound (healthy and good), and its fruit sound (healthy and good), or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad), and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad);for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit. 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 hearing the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:33-34

A woman I’ll call Dorothy knew more about the church and every member and visitor than anyone else did. She was fairly well known as the church gossip. “One thing about her,” a friend said, “she’s not prejudiced; ¬she talks about everyone,” and he laughed. He also added, “She’ll probably get into heaven, but God may have to cut off her tongue first.”

One day as I stood near the front door, I heard Dorothy telling several people about one of the deacons, “But it isn’t up to me to judge him,” she said. The venom poured from her mouth, and she went on to mention several others. Of course, she was critical of each one.

I listened to her and realized something. She was only speaking from what was already inside her heart. That’s obvious, but I grasped something else. Dorothy was so critical of herself, so filled with disgust for herself, how could she speak well of others?

Too often people make promises that they’ll speak better of others and gossip less. They really try, but nothing ever changes. This is because they are trying to change their words without changing their thoughts. That’s a bad solution, because they start at the wrong end. What they need to do is look inward, asking, What is going on inside of me?

“For out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks,” Jesus said. As I considered those words, I felt a deep compassion for Dorothy. She had allowed Satan to fill her mind with critical, harsh thoughts. She didn’t speak much about herself, but I’m sure she was totally critical of herself as well as other people, and when she spoke, the evil words came out of her mouth.

Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruit. The same is true of our lives. Everything begins with a thought. If we allow negative and unkind thoughts to fill our minds, they bear fruit. If we dwell on the bad, we produce bad fruit.

As we observe people, it’s easy to see the fruit of their lives. They show either good fruit or bad. It’s that simple. But the fruit is the result of what’s going on inside. We can learn a lot about a person’s character simply by listening to their conversation. The more loving our words and actions are toward others, the more loving and kind our thoughts will be.

If I believe God truly loves me, and if I enjoy fellowship with Him every day, I’m planting good seeds in my own heart. The more good seeds I plant, the more good fruit I produce. The more I think kind and loving thoughts, the more I see others as kind and loving.

“Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Kind or judgmental words don’t just come to us they come out of our mouths because we have nurtured them in our minds. The more we open ourselves to the Spirit’s positive and loving thoughts, the more we pray, and the more we read God’s Word, the more good fruit we produce on the inside and that good fruit shows itself by the way we behave toward others.

Dear loving and forgiving God, I ask You to forgive me for all the harsh things I’ve said about other people. Also, please forgive me for allowing harsh thoughts to fill my mind about myself or about others. I know I can’t make myself more loving, but You can. Please, help me focus on healthy, positive thoughts, for I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Pursue and Seek Love

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Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]. 1 Corinthians 14:1

Developing a love walk like the one displayed in the life of Jesus is like digging for gold. True Christ-like love is not found on the surface of life. It cannot just be seen and picked up. The Bible says you must eagerly pursue and seek it. This means you must go after love with all your might, as if you cannot live without it.

You must learn all you can about love and familiarize yourself with everything Jesus and the apostles said about it. However, not only are you to learn about love, you are also to seek, pursue, and acquire it.

Tonight, ask God to help you seek and acquire His kind of love—the love that can make a meaningful difference in your life . . . and in the lives of those around you.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Enables Us

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It is through Him that we have received grace (God’s unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name’s sake among all the nations, and this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited [as you are] to belong to Him. Romans 1:5–6

God gives us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (see Isaiah 61:3). God gives us whatever we need to be victorious. Be¬cause He enables us, we credit Him for all the good things in our lives.

Get up today and do the best you can, and then let God do the rest. Don’t try to make mistakes, don’t try to fail; but when you do, repent and get things straight with God. If you need to apologize to somebody, go and apologize. Receive your forgiveness, and go on.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Enables Us

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It is through Him that we have received grace (God’s unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name’s sake among all the nations, and this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited [as you are] to belong to Him. Romans 1:5–6

God gives us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (see Isaiah 61:3). God gives us whatever we need to be victorious. Be¬cause He enables us, we credit Him for all the good things in our lives.

Get up today and do the best you can, and then let God do the rest. Don’t try to make mistakes, don’t try to fail; but when you do, repent and get things straight with God. If you need to apologize to somebody, go and apologize. Receive your forgive¬ness, and go on.

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Humble Mind

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For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him. Romans 12:3

It is easy to get mixed up about humility. Some people think humility means to have a low opinion of ourselves. Paul says not to have an exaggerated opinion of your own importance, but he doesn’t say to have a low opinion. Some people, in an effort to be humble, don’t know how to receive compliments graciously. We all need encouragement, compliments, and appreciation.

A good way to handle appreciation without getting into pride is to receive it when it is given, then, at the end of the day, take the compliments you receive to Jesus and say to Him, “I know whatever I do that is good or right is the result of Your working in me, so I offer You all the praise I was given today and I thank You for the encouragement.”

Power Thought: Every compliment I have ever received is because of Jesus.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Loving God with Your Words

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I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 NKJV

It is good to have love for God in your heart, but even better to express it with the words of your mouth. Tell God several times each day that you love Him; say with the psalmist David: I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord my Strength (Ps. 18:1). it isn’t good enough to merely think, God knows how I feel. Are you blessed when people tell you they love and appreciate you? Of course you are, and it blesses God when we verbalize our love and praise for Him. Verbal expressions of love and gratitude improve all our relationships, including our rela¬tionship with God.

Don’t offer your petitions to God without telling Him how grateful you are for what He has already done for you. As parents we are more likely to answer the request of a thankful child than we are a grouchy and ungrateful one. As an employer I want to do even more for employ¬ees who are appreciative. Offering our continual gratitude to God for His goodness and mercy in our lives moves Him to want to do even more for us. Our gratitude shows God that we are mature enough to handle even more blessing and responsibility.

Women often say, ” I know my husband loves me, but I wish he would tell me more often.” Let’s try to be more diligent in telling God and the people in our lives that we love and appreciate them and what they mean to us.

Love God Today: It is impossible to love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and not hear it come out of your mouth.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God’s Gifts

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Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men. Ephesians 4:8

I am gifted in communication. My worship leader is gifted musically. My two sons are gifted in business administration. My husband is gifted in wisdom and financial management. We make a good team because we have different abilities. We complement and complete each other. A lot of people never do anything because they cannot do everything. They are negative people who concentrate on what they cannot do instead of seeing what they can do and then do it.

If you confidently step out and do your part, God will surround you with people who have the gifts and abilities that you don’t have. However, when a person lacks confidence, quite often they cannot receive help from other people. They are too busy making comparisons to receive the help God has sent them. Insecurity and a lack of confidence will steal the wonderful life that God has planned for you. It causes us to be jealous of and resent those whom we should appreciate.

You don’t have to be prepared to do the entire job by yourself; just prepare yourself to do the best that you can do and remember that God will add what you don’t have.

Lord, You have designed me with gifts and abilities to develop and use in service with others. Keep me from being jealous of others, and help me to enjoy the journey. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Seasons Change

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He changes the times and the seasons. Daniel 2:21

Years ago, I enjoyed a good job as part of a church staff. I had a thriving ministry, a regular paycheck, and plenty of opportunities what I loved and felt called to do. Then there came a time when spoke to me about leaving that job and taking my ministry “to the north, south, east, and west.” I heard Him say, “This season in your life is complete; I am finished with you in this place.”

In my heart, I knew God had spoken. Nevertheless, I had a mixture of excitement and fear about starting my own ministry. I wanted to venture beyond what I had known to that point, but I was afraid of making a mistake and losing what I had. I wanted to see what God would do, but I was afraid to take such a big step into unknown territory.

Sometimes God gets finished with something and we keep hanging on to it. My spirit wanted to step out, but my flesh wanted to stay. I had a lot of security in the position God was calling me to leave, and I didn’t want to give it up. But, eventually I did obey Him and today I enjoy ministry around the world. Remember that God changes things and when He does we must be willing to follow His leading.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Doing Things God’s Way

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I am the Way. John 14:6

Many people are hurting so badly, and they are crying out for help. The problem is, they are not willing to receive the help they need from God. No matter how much we may want or need help, we are never going to receive it until we are willing to do things God’s way. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the Way.” What Jesus meant when He said, “I am the Way,” is that He has a certain way of doing things; and if we will submit to His way, everything will work out for us.

But so often we wrestle and struggle with Him, trying to get Him to do things our way. It just won’t work. Countless times have people have stood in front of me at the altar and told me all kinds of terrible things that are going on in their lives and how badly they are hurting, yet they absolutely refuse to do what they are told to do to receive the help they need. Too often people are trying to find some other way to get help rather than by doing things God’s way.

The Bible plainly teaches that if we will learn and act on the Word, God will bless our lives. Let me give you an example. The Bible teaches that we are to live in harmony and peace with others and to forgive those who have done us wrong. If we refuse to do that, what hope do we have of receiving what we need?

I remember how difficult it was for me the first time the Lord told me I had to go to my husband and tell him I was sorry for being rebellious against him. I thought I would die on the spot! I realize that one reason we don’t always do what we are told to do in the Word of God is because it is hard.

If we don’t do what we can do, then God won’t do what we can’t do. If we will do what we can do, God will do what we can’t do. It’s just that simple.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Victory over Dread

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. . . Dread not, neither be afraid of them. Deuteronomy 1:29

Dread is a close relative of regret. Dread places us in the future, whereas regret puts us in the past. Dread is also closely related to fear. People often dread doing something for fear of what might happen.

We know that God has not given us a spirit of fear (see 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV), and since He did not give us fear, we know that dread is not from Him either. Thankfully, we can reject feelings of dread, kicking them out of our lives once and for all.

Let this be a day of decision for you—a day when you decide to no longer operate in regret and dread. Become a now person. Live in the present, not the past or the future. God has a plan for your life now. Trust Him today. Don’t put it off another moment.

Prayer of Thanks

I believe it is Your will, Father, for me to live a life of peace and contentment. Thank You that I don’t have to look back with regrets or look ahead with dread. I choose to live in the now You have given me, making the most of each new day.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – No Condemnation

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Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. Romans 8:1

“I should have known better,” Cindy cried out to me. “All the signs were there that he wasn’t the man for me.” She had gone through two years of a painful marriage, of verbal and finally physical abuse. Then her husband left her for another woman. Now she felt doubly condemned, condemned for marrying him in the first place and condemned that she couldn’t hold the marriage together.

“If I had been a good Christian, I could have changed him,” she moaned. I could have confronted her and said, “Yes, you did see the signs and you ignored them. You opened yourself up to this kind of treatment.” I didn’t say those words and wouldn’t. They would not have helped Cindy.

What she needed right then was for me to stretch out my hand and comfort her. She was so self-condemned that she finally asked, “Will God forgive me?”

At first, her words disturbed me. The Bible is clear that God forgives any sin. Cindy knew the Bible, so her question wasn’t due to a lack of knowledge; it was due to a lack of faith in a loving, caring God. She felt so dejected, and she didn’t know if God loved her enough to forgive her.

I assured Cindy of God’s forgiveness, but that wasn’t the real issue that troubled her. Satan had whispered in her mind for such a long time that she had failed God, that she had deliberately disobeyed, and that God was angry with her.

The devil tries to stop us every chance he gets. I often use the analogy of a baby learning to walk. We don’t expect that baby to stand the first day and walk across the room like an adult. Those little ones will fall often Sometimes they cry but they always get back up. That may be some inborn quality, but I suspect it’s because the parents are there saying, “You can do it. Come on, baby, get up and walk.”

The scene is much the same in the spiritual world. All of us fall, but when we’re encouraged, we get back up and try again. If we’re not encouraged, we tend to stay down, or at least wait a long, long time before trying to get up again.

Never underestimate Satan’s relentlessness. He will do whatever he can to trip you, and then make you feel so condemned that you won’t want to get up again He knows that his control is finished once you choose right thoughts and reject wrong ones He wants to hinder you from clear thinking. He will attempt to thwart you through discouragement and condemnation.

I want to tell you what Cindy did She wrote Romans 8:1 on file cards and pasted one on her mirror, one on her computer, and one on her dashboard. Every time she looks at the verse, she repeats it aloud. “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.”

The Message puts Romans 8:1-2 like this: With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

We are free in Jesus Christ, and we don’t have to listen to Satan’s condemnation. When we fail and we will-that ¬doesn’t mean we are failures. It means we failed one time in one thing. It means we didn’t do everything right. That doesn’t make us a failure. Just let Christ be strong in your weaknesses; let Him be your strength on your weak days.

Lord Jesus Christ, in Your name I pray for victory. When I fail, please remind me not only that You forgive, but that You also wipe away the guilt and condemnation. Please accept my gratitude. Amen.

From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Trust God’s Timing

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

Trust requires you to place your time in God’s hands, believing that His timing is perfect for all things in your life.

Your human nature wants good things to happen in your life now—not later. But as you mature in the Christian life you learn to believe for things not now, but in God’s perfect timing.

Trusting God often means not knowing how God is going to accomplish something and not knowing when He will do it. But not knowing “how and when” stretches your faith and teaches you lessons in trust. Remember: Trust is not inherited; it is learned.

Timing plays an important part in learning to trust God. As you experience His faithfulness over and over, you will give up trusting yourself and place your life in His very capable hands. What a wonderful place to be!

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Let God Be Exalted

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The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:11

None of us are where we need to be, but, thank God, we are not where we used to be. Don’t look at what you are going through right now; look at the person you are becoming. We are always in the process of becoming like Christ (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Brokenness hurts, but the alternative is much worse. The Word says, Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor (Proverbs 18:12). Pray to be bendable, pliable, and moldable so that you will be more like Christ in all that you do today. Pray to be broken so that the Lord may be ex¬alted in your life.

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Joyce Meyer – You’re Never Too Old to Grow in Your Thinking

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. . . whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [flex your minds on them]. Philippians 4:8

Dr. Caroline Leaf, a leading brain scientist/learning specialist and committed Christian, notes in her teaching on the brain: “The Word and science believe that the mind and the brain are one.” The way you think is voluntary—you can control your thoughts. I want you to give your brain a new job and begin to teach your mind to work for you instead of against you.

One important way to do this is to make the intentional decision that you will begin to think positively. I realize your brain won’t be able to fulfill the new role completely overnight. You may be asking it to undergo a radical transformation, and that will take time. So give it a little grace, but determine that with your diligence and God’s help, your brain will go to work for you instead of against you and become a powerful, positive force in your life.

I like what Dr. Leaf says—that the human brain takes “eighteen years to grow and a lifetime to mature.” Don’t miss this point. Although every other organ in the body is fully formed when a person is born, and simply gets bigger as the body gets bigger, the brain actually takes a full eighteen years to be fully formed. After that, it continues to mature until the day a person dies. This means, no matter how old you are, your brain is still maturing. This is great news because it means you do not have to be stuck in any old or wrong thought patterns. Your brain is still maturing, so you can still mature in your thinking.

Trust in Him What comes to mind immediately when I ask: In what way(s) is your mind working against you? Remember, it takes a lifetime for your brain to mature. Trust that it’s never too late to change your mind!

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Take Responsibility

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The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Genesis 3:12–13 NLT

Excuses have been used by humans to avoid responsibility since time began. After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve (and God for giving him Eve), then Eve blamed the devil. People make excuses for their sin all the time instead of simply admitting it, confessing it, and asking God to forgive them for it.

Excuses can easily become lies, causing us to break the commandment that tells us not to lie (see Exodus 20:16). When we make excuses, we are lying to ourselves, to God, and to others. You can easily find a reason for every error, but it is better to take responsibility for your actions. Remember: The Truth will set you free (John 8:32).

Power Thought: I do not make excuses; I am honest in my speech and take responsibility for my actions.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Find Real Freedom by Embracing Real Truth

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God loves you and He has an amazing plan for your life. He wants you to be happy and He wants to bless you, but there’s so much more to His plans and purposes for you than that.

First and foremost, God wants a personal relationship with each of us. And He wants us to partner with Him in sharing His love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who don’t know Him. He wants us to care about them…to pray for them…and to show them His love and what it means to really be a Christian.

I remember a time years ago when I wanted to serve God and witness for Him, telling others about Him, but I didn’t have His power in my life to BE a witness. I was going to church every week and was part of the group that went out in the city and handed out Gospel tracts about how you can become a Christian to people on the street. But I didn’t enjoy it, and I was just doing it to fulfill an obligation to witness for God.

Then, in 1976, God touched my life in a major way when I was crying out to Him for something more. I knew there had to be more than what I was experiencing in my relationship with Him at that point. God heard my prayer and He did a work in my heart that actually changed my desires so that more than anything else, I wanted to be what He had created me to be.

This is when I got really serious about studying the Bible, and I discovered the key to having true freedom in Christ.

No Freedom in Wishing

In John 8:31-32 (AMP), Jesus said, “If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” These verses clearly show us that it’s not possible to be free without facing the truth.

It’s important for us to understand what truth really is. Truth is the way things really are—not the way we think they are or would like them to be or wish they were. It’s reality from God’s point of view and it is a central theme in His Word. Jesus is the Word of Truth (John 1:14, 17). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and He guides us into all the Truth (John 16:13). And as children of God, we belong to the Truth (John 8:31).

It Starts with You

But if you want to have the freedom to be who God has created you to be and have the life Jesus died for you to have, then you have to face the truth. And it starts by facing the truth about yourself. I know about this from personal experience, because when I started studying the Word, the Holy Spirit went to work in my life.

I remember one day when I was praying for Dave to change. God spoke to my heart and said, “Joyce, Dave is not the problem.” I thought, “Well then, who is? There’s just me and him, so if it’s not Dave, then who is it?” Isn’t that amazing?! I was so self-deceived that it didn’t even occur to me that I could be the problem.

For the next three days, God showed me what it was like to live with me. I was so sorry for the attitudes I had, the way I behaved, the anger I displayed every time I didn’t get my way…and it was so hard! But I needed to face the truth about myself so I could have freedom from sin and the things that were keeping me from the love, peace, wisdom and joy that God had for me in Christ.

Transformed into His Image

It took time for me to change; 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that as we look into God’s Word, we “are constantly being transfigured into His very own image…from one degree of glory to another…” (AMP). But each day as I spent time with God in prayer and studying His Word, I made progress little by little.

You know, sometimes we hide things in our heart that are hard to face or deal with. And when we don’t deal with them, they cause problems in our relationships and steal the joy from our daily lives. But God wants us to invite Him—the Spirit of Truth—into our hearts to deal with us…to reveal the truth so we can be set free.

Psalm 51:6 says, “Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart” (AMP). And Psalm 26:2 says, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; test my heart and my mind.”

I want to encourage you not to settle for anything less than the best life Christ has for you. If you’re ready to do that, then pray this with me: “Lord, in Jesus’ name, I pray that You would examine me, prove me and test me, so that Your Spirit can lead me into all truth.” Now get ready, because God wants to reveal Truth to you and make you everything He’s created you to be!

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Prepared

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Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Preparation equips us to move confidently. Many women lack confidence because they are not properly prepared for what they attempt to do. There could be a variety of reasons for this lack of preparation. They don’t realize the importance of preparation, they are lazy, or they are too busy doing things that don’t help them accomplish their goals and then have no time to do what would help them. Imagine a doctor trying to be confident if he never had any training or preparation. Anyone who is serious about playing a sport always practices and gets prepared.

As a teacher of God’s Word, I never go to the pulpit without being thoroughly prepared. I study, pray, and go over and over my notes. Quite often I don’t even look at the notes while preaching, because by the time I stand up to teach, they have become such a part of me that they flow out with ease. Knowing I have done my best to be prepared helps me minister with confidence.

Lord, whether or not anyone else notices, I will do everything in my power to prepare myself for what You have called me to do. I want to be confident that I am always being the best I can be and that I’m ready for more. Amen.