Tag Archives: Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Confess and Pray

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Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. James 5:16

Sin separates us from God. It causes us to feel far away from Him; it can cause us to want to hide from Him or to not want to talk to Him; and it can keep us from hearing His voice. When we know we have sinned, we must ask for God’s forgiveness and then receive it, because He promises to forgive us when we repent. Hidden things can have power over us and so there are times when it is very helpful to confess our sins to other people, according to the verse for today.

Confessing our faults to someone and asking for prayer requires first of all that we find someone we truly trust and secondly that we are willing to put aside our pride and humbly share our struggles. If you find that challenging, ask God to help you grow in humility because the results are amazing if you find a friend you can trust, and you share with that person, “I’m struggling in this area and I want to be free. I’m hurting and I need you to pray for me.”

I remember once having a real struggle with feeling jealous of a friend. I had prayed, but was still being tormented by the jealousy so I confessed it to Dave and asked him to pray for me. Getting it out in the open broke its power over me and I was set free from it. Always go to God first, but if you need the help of a friend or spiritual leader, don’t let pride stand in your way.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God’s Good Plan for Your Life

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For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 2:10

Since before we were born, God has had a unique plan for each of us. It is not a plan of failure, misery, poverty, sickness, and disease. God’s plan is a good plan, a plan for life and health, happiness, and fulfillment. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read, For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

It would benefit every one of us if we would say to ourselves several times a day, God has a good plan for my life. Each of us needs to be firmly convinced of that truth to keep us from being affected by our changing circumstances and emotions. You may be asking, “If God has such a wonderful plan for my life, why am I not living in it?” I understand why you would ask that question. It does seem strange that if God loves us so much and has such good plans for us, we should have to suffer and go through pain.

What you must remember is that we have an enemy who is out to destroy God’s wonderful plan. Although God had a good plan for my life, I ended up in an abusive environment because the devil came and disrupted that good plan. But there is something else, something really awesome about God, we need to understand. God doesn’t like it when someone hurts us and tries to undermine His plan for us. While He is making us lie down in green pastures to restore our soul (see Psalm 23:2-3), He is getting up to do something about our situation!

It should be a great comfort to us to know that what we cannot do for ourselves, the Lord will do for us—if we will trust ourselves to Him.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Living in God’s Grace

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But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

The truth that God wants you to enjoy your life is a blessing that every believer can be thankful for. But one of the main things that will keep you from enjoying your life is works of the flesh. A work of the flesh is our energy, our efforts trying to do what only God can do.

Trying to do God’s job always leads to frustration. Trusting God to do what only He can do always leads to joy because “what is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

The Bible says that God’s grace is sufficient for us. Grace is God’s undeserved favor and the power of God to meet our needs and solve our problems. We become frustrated when we try to achieve by works a life that God designed us to receive by grace.

So rest in His grace today and be thankful for the joy that grace promises to bring.

Prayer of Thanks I am grateful, Father, for Your grace in my life. Help me to always receive grace through faith in You and trust You to do what only You can do.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – As We Focus

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

Years ago, I learned an invaluable lesson: Whatever we focus on, we become. That simple statement taught me a great deal.

Wherever we put our energies or our attention, those things will develop. Another way I like to say it is, “Where the mind goes, the man follows!”

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

If we focus only on the negative things in our lives, we become negative people. Everything, including our conversation, becomes negative. We soon lose our joy and live miserable lives and it all started with our own thinking.

You might be experiencing some problems in life-not realizing that you are creating them yourself by what you’re choosing to think about. I challenge you to think about what you’re thinking about!

You might be discouraged and even depressed and wonder what caused it. Yet if you will examine your thought life, you will find that you are feeding the negative emotions you are feeling. Negative thoughts are fuel for discouragement, depression, and many other unpleasant emotions.

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

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

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

An old friend used to quote this saying: “As you wander on through life, brother, whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the donut and not upon the hole.” Too many people focus on what’s not there and what’s not right.

All of this is to say that our thoughts largely determine our destiny. Our thoughts also determine our happiness. Proverbs 23:7 is one of my favorite verses. Thoughts are powerful. They aren’t just words that flow through our minds. So it is very important for us to decide what we will allow to rest inside our minds.

We must not forget that the mind is a battlefield. We must always remember that our adversary will use it in any way he possibly can to trap us.

I’m reminded of a man who came to one of our meetings.

He wanted deliverance from viewing pornography. He said that one time he had seen something on the Internet after accidentally logging on to a site that was filled with explicitly sexual pictures. The next day he laughed about it to one of his coworkers. “Who wants to watch that stuff?” he asked.

The next night he was back at the site again. And many nights after that. He purchased sexual material and had it sent to his office. He kept his stash of pornography hidden from his family. “What’s a little thing like that going to do?” he reasoned.

He confessed that the more he saw the images, the more he thought of women as objects, objects for his pleasure. One day his wife said, “I don’t know what’s happened to you, but you can either deal with your attitude or I’m leaving.” His life was rapidly going downhill before he asked for prayer. “I never thought just watching a couple of porno sites like that could be so addictive,” he said. To put it another way, we can’t have a positive life and a negative mind. Our thoughts our focus is what determines where we end up.

Jesus, our friend and Savior, wants our minds to be filled with positive, beautiful, and healthy thoughts. The more we focus on those things, the more readily we defeat Satan’s attacks.

Dear patient and loving God, ask You to forgive me for focusing my thoughts on things that are not pleasing to You. I pray that You will help me fill my mind with thoughts that are clean and pure and uplifting. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Overcoming Evil with Good

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Has anyone ever hurt your feelings? Maybe you found out somebody lied to you or you didn’t get the raise at work that you deserved, or maybe you were rejected or physically abused. Well, one of the most important things we need to learn is how to trust God and walk by faith when people don’t treat us the way they should. Our natural response is to get angry when we’re mistreated, and feeling angry is not wrong. But God’s Word reminds us that we shouldn’t return evil for evil or anger for anger.

What Good Does Anger Do?

Have you ever noticed that being angry never makes anything better? I know because I used to have a quick temper. In fact, I was angry more than I wasn’t. Sometimes, I voiced my aggression, and sometimes it was just seething on the inside of me. The problem is, if we have unresolved anger, we either explode or we implode; we either blow up at somebody or we fall apart on the inside. And a lot of times we take it out on a person who has nothing to do with what we’re angry about. It’s just a miserable way to live.

But getting upset is not the way God wants us to fight our battles. Instead, when somebody hurts us, we can choose to trust God with our pain or injustice and overcome anger with good. Romans 12:17-21 (AMP) says, Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.

What God is saying in those verses is there’s a right and wrong way to respond to injustice. We can get angry and get back at the person who hurt us or we can fight the way God fights, trusting Him to be our Vindicator while we bless our enemies and do good (Psalm 37:1-3). It’s certainly not easy to love our enemies and bless the people who have hurt us (Luke 6:27). In fact, this is probably one of the most difficult scriptures in the Word of God to follow.

I was sexually abused by my father for close to 15 years so I understand how painful and impossible it might seem to believe you could actually love your enemies. I’m not trying to make light of that. But there is true freedom in doing the right thing. And we can choose to do what’s right no matter how we feel. We have to stop being afraid of hard things and press in and trust God because the truth is He will give us the strength and grace to do anything we need to do.

Prayer Brings Peace

It’s so much harder to live with anger than it is to live with God’s peace, love and joy. And we have to take responsibility for our behavior. One of the best things we can do is learn how to pray for the people we’re mad at. The first thing to do when somebody mistreats you is pray, God, this hurts and I’m angry about it, but I know my anger won’t solve the problem or change the person. So I trust You. I’m going to stay sweet and keep being nice. I’m going to keep doing good because that’s what You put me here for. And as I trust You and go about blessing others, I’m going to watch You vindicate me and do what needs to be done in this situation. That is the way to fight and win your battles!

Make a decision today that you’re going to refuse to live angry. Ask God to help you take control of your feelings. And if you do act out in anger, confess it and God will forgive you. There will be a lot of battles in life, but God has an amazing plan for you! As you put your focus on Him as your Vindicator, it becomes easier and easier to conquer angry feelings and walk in peace. And you will be a blessing as you overcome evil with good!

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – No Darkness in Him

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“This is the message God has given us to pass on to you: That God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are His friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin” (1 John 1:5-7).

One of the first passages of Scripture that I memorized as a new Christian was the first chapter of 1 John. This passage has been a beacon to me through the years as a simple reminder that in God is light and the only reason that I do not live perpetually in that light is because at times I deliberately sin.

Steve had lost his joy and enthusiasm for Christ, and as a new Christian was perplexed. He could not understand what had happened to him. As we counseled together, it became apparent that he had allowed some of his old natural habit patterns to creep back into his life.

I suggested that he make a list of all the things that were wrong in his life and confess them to the Lord in accordance with 1 John 1:9. A few days later, with joyful enthusiasm he came to share with me how his heart had been kindled afresh with the love of God as he was now walking in the light as God is in the light, having wonderful fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

How does one walk in the light? Do not tolerate unconfessed sin. Meditate upon the Word of God. Spend time in prayer talking to God and letting Him talk to you. Share your faith in Christ with others. Obey the commandments of God.

Are you walking in the light as God is in the light? Are you experiencing the joy of the Lord? Are you constrained by the love of Christ to share Him with others?

Bible Reading: I John 1:6-10

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  I shall always seek to walk in the light as God is in the light in order that I may experience wonderful fellowship with my Lord. When I find myself walking in darkness, I shall pause to confess my sins and by faith claim God’s forgiveness and cleansing so that I may be restored to once again walk in the light with God.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Rest We Have in God

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Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Matthew 11:28

It’s easy to have peace when there’s nothing to be upset about. Even unbelievers have peace during easy times. But rest found in God is the gift that keeps believers peaceful during times of trouble. It is a gift from Him to His children.

Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you (John 14:27). His peace is a spiritual peace, and His rest is one that operates in the midst of a storm—not in the absence of a storm. Jesus did not come to remove all opposition from our lives, but rather to empower us to go through times of opposition peacefully.

Power Thought: I can rest in God and keep my peace no matter what is going on in my life.

 

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Greg Laurie – The Surprises of Life

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“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”—1 Corinthians 9:24

One thing I have found in life is that it is full of surprises. Many of them are unexpected pleasures and blessings that come our way. Others are tragic and sad. I have been greatly surprised by the way some people’s lives have turned out.

I can think of individuals I have met that seemed to have no potential whatsoever. They were never expected to amount to much of anything. In school, people made fun of them, calling them “geeks” and “nerds.” Now those same people are calling them “boss.”

Then there are those that had so much promise—so much raw potential. You just knew they would make their mark in life because they just had that special something: talent, giftedness, great natural ability.

It might have been someone who was unusually gifted spiritually. And sure enough, their star began to rise and you could say “you knew them when.” But then suddenly, seemingly without warning, their life came tumbling down.

Or they were slowly but surely sidetracked by foolish decisions and living. I have seen many talented, super-gifted people crash and burn.

This is sad, because God has a unique, custom-designed plan for each of our lives. As time passes, I find myself more impressed with character than charisma—with personal integrity than talent.

I am more impressed with someone who has, for instance, stayed with their spouse than someone who may have some huge ministry (not that you can’t have both). But the key is to finish what we have started, and to finish it well, because if you run first place in a race for every lap except the last, it doesn’t matter.

You have to cross that finish line and play by the rules. So run your race with all of your strength. Guard your life so that you don’t get sidetracked or disqualified. And keep your eyes on the finish line.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Make a Sacrifice of Praise

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

Today’s scripture encourages us to offer God “a sacrifice of praise.” We often interpret this as praising God when we do not feel like prais¬ing Him, and that can certainly be a type of sacrifice. But I believe the writer is talking about praise actually being the sacrifice, not just doing it when we don’t feel like it.

The Old Testament sacrificial system required the blood of animals to atone for people’s sins. We, however, live in New Testament times, when we no longer need to put slain goats and bulls on an altar. Instead, the sacrifice—the offering—God wants from us today is to hear right words coming out of our mouths, rising up before His throne. Just as the smoke and the aroma of the animal sacrifices went up before His throne under the Old Covenant, the praise from our hearts rises up as a sacrifice before Him today. In Hebrews 13:15, the Lord was really saying, “The sacrifice I want now is the fruit of your lips thankfully acknowledging Me.”

We need to apply this scripture to our everyday lives, making sure that we speak God’s praises every chance we get. We need to tell peo¬ple about all the great things He’s doing for us; we need to thank Him; we need to tell Him we love Him. In our hearts and with our mouths, we should go through our days praising Him. We need to be people of praise, acknowledging God “constantly and at all times.”

Love God Today: “Lord, I will acknowledge and praise You every chance I get today.”

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Learn from Mistakes

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I will praise and give thanks to You with uprightness of heart when I learn [by sanctified experiences] Your righteous judgments [Your decisions against and punishments for particular lines of thought and conduct]. I will keep Your statutes. Psalm 119:7–8

I believe people give their mistakes more power than they need. We should admit them, repent, and ask God to forgive us for them. We should also learn from our mistakes because by doing so, they can add value to our lives. Instead of allowing mistakes to make you feel guilty and bad, let them be your teacher, and always remember that just because you make a mistake does not mean you are a mistake. Just as God has promised in His Word (John 16:13), trust Him to lead you by His Holy Spirit into all truth.

Dave and I have four grown children, and I can assure you that over the years they have made many mistakes, but I love them just as much as if they had never made the mistakes. Some parents never allow their children to make any of their own decisions or mistakes. This is the biggest mistake of all. To grow we must step out and try things. We learn what works and what doesn’t. Learning from firsthand experience is a much better teacher than a textbook.

Lord, I’ve made my share of mistakes, but I refuse to let them rule over me. I take them as lessons that I am learning from, and I know You will lead me into all truth by Your Spirit. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Praying God’s Prayers

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For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him. Isaiah 64:4

The Holy Spirit will lead us into amazing exploits in prayer if we will simply ask Him what to pray, wait for Him to answer, and then obey. We are unwise if we say we don’t have time to wait on God and allow Him to speak to us and lead us as we pray. We will wait forty-five minutes for a table at a restaurant, but say we do not have time to wait on God. When we wait on God, turning our hearts toward Him for direction, we honor Him. By our willingness to wait He knows that we want His will and that we are dependent upon Him for guidance. We save a lot of time by turning our hearts toward God and waiting on Him. As the verse for today says, God shows Himself active on behalf of those who wait on Him. Start your prayers by simply saying, “I love you Lord and I wait on you for direction in my prayers today.” Then begin to pray what is in your heart rather than what is in your own mind or will. I was recently praying for someone to do a certain thing that I knew they needed to do, but God showed me that I needed to pray for them to develop discipline because the lack of it was affecting many areas of their life. I would have prayed for the one area I saw, but God saw much more deeply than I did.

Another time I was praying for someone concerning some problem behavior that I saw, but God showed me that the root of their problem was self-rejection and that I needed to pray for them to know how much God loved them. You can see that we often pray for what we see, but God will lead us deeper if we will wait on Him.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Faith as a Channel, Not a Source

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My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

We need to know about faith. Faith is a wonderful thing. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God (see Hebrews 11:6 KJV). The reason it is so important and so vital is because it is the means through which we receive from God all the good things He wants to provide us. That is why the Lord trains His people in faith. He wants them to get their eyes on Him and learn to believe Him so He can do for and through them what He wants done in the earth. The same is true of prayer, praise, meditation, Bible study, confession, spiritual warfare, and all the other precepts we have been hearing about and engaging in.

But in all our spiritual activity, we must be careful that we don’t start worshiping—adhering to, trusting in and relying on—these things instead of the Lord Himself. It is possible to worship our prayer time, our Bible study, our confession, our meditation, our praise, our good works. It is possible to develop faith in our faith rather than faith in our God. It is almost frightening because there is such a fine line between the two. But the thing we must remember is that as good as all these things are, they are only channels to receiving from the Lord.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Set a Goal to Enjoy Every Part of Your Day

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Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety. Psalm 16:9

There are dozens of things that happen during ordinary, everyday life, and we can enjoy them all if we just make a decision to do it.

Things like getting dressed, driving to work, going to the grocery store, running errands, keeping things organized, sending e‑mails, taking the kids to practice, and hundreds of other things.

After all, they are the things that life is made up of. Begin doing them with an attitude of gratitude and realize that, through the Holy Spirit, you can enjoy absolutely everything you do every day of your life.

Joy doesn’t come merely from being entertained, but from a decision to appreciate each moment that you are given as a rare and precious gift from God.

Prayer of Thanks Father, thank You for the gift of life, and thank You for every activity that comes with that gift. I pray that You will help me find joy in each part of my day as I live for You. I thank You that I can choose to enjoy even the average, routine parts of my day.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Just Obey

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But the natural, non spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaning-less nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. 1 Corinthians 2:14

Many non-Christians don’t really understand the Gospel This isn’t a new thing that is unique to our day. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he pointed out that the Greeks thought it was foolish. And to the natural mind, it is. God sent Jesus, the sinless One, to earth for the express purpose of dying for wicked, sinful people. To unbelievers that is foolish. The natural man cannot understand the power of the Gospel-it can only be “spiritually discerned.”

This is just as true in daily living. Sometimes God speaks to us, and if we try to explain it to people who don’t know Jesus, it doesn’t make sense. For example, I remember one couple that went to Africa as missionaries. They had no denomination or large church behind them, providing support. They sold everything they owned, including their wedding rings.

“Their wedding rings?” a skeptical relative asked. “You mean God wouldn’t provide for you, so you had to do it yourself?”

The wife smiled. “No, I think we had to decide if comfort and having things like everyone else was more important than serving Jesus.” The couple never doubted they were doing the right thing, but it never made sense to the skeptical relative.

It is difficult for many people to hear God speak and to obey without question. But Jesus did just that-and not only on the cross. John 4 relates the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. What most modem readers don’t get is the introduction to the story: It was necessary for Him to go through Samaria (John 4:4). Jesus had been in Jerusalem, and He wanted to go north to Galilee. The country of the Samaritans was in between, but Jesus didn’t have to take the route that passed that way. He could have taken another route and avoided going through Samaria. Most Jews avoided going through Samaria because they hated the Samaritans for mixing and marrying with people from other nations.

But Jesus went to Samaria, even though it wasn’t what we would have called the normal or reasonable thing to do. He went because there was a woman and eventually a whole village-that needed to hear the message that only He could deliver.

The natural people-those whose minds have not been enlightened by the Holy Spirit-scoff at us. What we do doesn’t always make sense to them. But then, who says our actions have to make sense? The biblical principle is that the natural or carnal mind doesn’t understand spiritual things. Too often, a thought comes to us that we push aside, saying, This doesn’t make any sense, and we actually ignore divine guidance. It’s true, of course, that the devil can flood our minds with wild thoughts, but if we pray and open ourselves to the Spirit, we soon know the difference.

Consider the story of Peter who had fished all night and caught nothing. Jesus, a carpenter, came along and told him, a professional fisherman, Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul (Luke 5:4).

Peter reasoned with Jesus, reminding Him that they had worked all night and caught nothing. But to his credit, Peter, exhausted from a long and unsuccessful night’s work, heard the Lord. I’ll say it again, Peter heard the Lord and said, But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again] (v. 5). And Peter was not disappointed. They caught so many fish that the nets almost broke.

This is an important principle of obedience that we must grasp: obey instead of reasoning. Or as one of my friends calls it, “The Nevertheless Principle.” She says that sometimes she feels God leading her to do things that don’t always make a lot of sense. When she hears herself expressing that sentiment, she quickly adds, “Nevertheless.” Then she obeys. That is really all God asks of us: to obey instead of reasoning.

Wise and wonderful God, sometimes things don’t make sense to me, but nevertheless, I want to be in Your will. Help me to develop spiritual discernment, and don’t let me miss a divine opportunity to serve You. Teach me to trust You more, and help me to obey You quickly instead of trying to reason things out. Thank You for hearing me today. Amen.

From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Lie of Self

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For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances. Philippians 3:3

Self-confidence is the buzzword of today’s culture. Society proclaims a basic need to believe in oneself and that you need to feel good if you are ever going to accomplish anything in life. Too many believe the lie.

Many people spend their lives climbing the ladder of success only to reach the top and discover their ladder was propped against the wrong building. Others strive to perform perfectly, only to endure repeated failures. The result is always the same—emptiness and misery.

You don’t need to believe in yourself—you need to believe in Jesus in you. You don’t dare feel good about yourself apart from Him. You do not need self-confidence. You need God-confidence!

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Gives Us All We Need

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And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity]. Psalm 9:10

In His Word God has given us the tools we need to help us through each new day. He has given us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3 KJV). So, when you wake up in the morning, decide that no matter what hap¬pens, you will not be depressed today.

Put on the garment of praise first thing in the morning. Listen to worshipful music, read the Word, and renew your thoughts to bring them into line with what God says you are —righteous and blessed. You can think right, talk right, and act right all day, if you spend time with God before trials come your way.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Know Your Strengths

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And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. Genesis 1:31

In order for you to enjoy life, you need to know where your strengths lie. Thinking about what you’re good at is not conceited; it is merely preparation to do your job with confidence. I know anything I am good at is because God has gifted me in that area, and I thank Him all the time for the abilities He has equipped me with. Make a list of what you are good at and rehearse it daily until you gain confidence in your abilities.

Here’s my list:

I am a good communicator

I am a hard worker

I am decisive

I am determined

I am disciplined

I am a loyal friend

I have a good short-term memory

I love to help people

I love to give

In Psalm 139 David describes how God creates us in our mother’s womb with His very own hand, how He delicately and intricately forms us. Then he says, “Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well.” Wow! What a statement. David is basically saying, “I am wonderful, and I know that in my heart.” He is not bragging on himself, but on God Who created him.

I also realize everything I need in life isn’t on this list. I need God to bring people into my life who are strong in the areas where I’m weak—this keeps me humble and reminds me that it’s not all about me.

What are you good at? Do you even know? Have you seriously thought about it, or have you been so busy thinking about what you are not good at that you have not even noticed your abilities?

Trust in Him Make a list of what you are good at and read it out loud to yourself every morning until you are convinced. Remember, God created you to be great—and you can trust His design.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Lord Is My Rock

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The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower. Psalm 18:2

Why do you think Jesus is referred to as “the Rock”? Because He is stable and never-changing, just like a rock. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever—and we’re supposed to imitate Him.

Waiting to see how you feel each day is never a good idea. Has anyone ever invited you to do something and you responded, “Let me wait and see how I feel”? That just gives the devil room to make sure you don’t feel like doing what you need to do or what can benefit you. We will sometimes have unpleasant times, but we don’t have to live by our feelings; we can choose to stand firm and be stable when we find our strength in the One Who never changes.

Power Thought: In Christ, I am strong and stable

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Speak and Act with Humility

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Talk no more so very proudly; let not arrogance go forth from your mouth . . . 1 Samuel 2:3

When we can do something well, or when we reach a personal goal, we tend to feel good about those things. As long as we feel positively about ourselves in a balanced way, it’s fine. When we become proud and fail to be merciful toward others who struggle with things we have mastered, it’s a problem.

I am fairly disciplined in my eating habits, and I recently spent a week with someone who really struggles in that area. She mentioned several times how disciplined I am and how undisciplined she is. Each time she did so, I said, ” I have areas of weakness also, and you will overcome this as you continue to pray and make an effort.”

There was a time in my life when I would not have been so sensitive to my friend’s feelings. I probably would have given a sermon about the dangers of overeating and poor nutrition. But I would not have succeeded in doing anything but making my friend feel guilty and con¬demned. I have discovered that one way to love people is to help them not to feel worse about things they already feel bad about.

Meekness and humility are two of the most beautiful aspects of love. Paul said that love is not boastful (see I Cor. 13:4). Love never wants to make people feel badly because they cannot do what we can do. Instead of bragging about our strengths, let’s thank God for them and encourage those who are weak in ways we are strong.

Love Others Today: What are some things you do well? Be merciful and humble toward people who are struggling in those areas.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Prepared

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Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]! Proverbs 31:25

This woman’s strength and dignity are her clothing, and her position is strong and secure. This certainly must have increased her confidence. She isn’t afraid of losing her position or something bad happening. She boldly faces the future because she knows she and her family are prepared for it.

Proverbs 27:23 tells us: Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds. Lack of preparation is one of the major causes for low confidence. Being prepared requires working ahead of time instead of putting things off until the last minute. Matthew 25 tells us of the five wise virgins who took extra oil with them as they waited for the bridegroom to come, but the five foolish virgins didn’t do anything to prepare. When the bridegroom was delayed, the foolish lost their opportunity to meet the bridegroom.

This same scenario happens to many people in life. They procrastinate until it is too late to take advantage of an opportunity that could have been a tremendous blessing to them. Knowing you are prepared for whatever comes will increase your confidence in an amazing way.

Lord, help me to be diligent and prepared for the opportunities You will bring my way. I want to walk in the confidence that I am always ready to go. Amen.