Tag Archives: Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Mountains into Molehills

Joyce meyer

For who are you, O great mountain [of human obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who with Joshua had led the return of the exiles from Babylon and was undertaking the rebuilding of the temple, before him] you shall become a plain [a mere molehill]! And he shall bring forth the finishing gable stone [of the new temple] with loud shoutings of the people, crying, Grace, grace to it!—Zechariah 4:7

The Samaritans who came against the Israelites as they were building the temple of the Lord had become like a mountain of human obstacles, frustrating them and preventing them from doing what God had commanded them to do. That may be the situation in which you find yourself right now as you read these words. You may feel that the Lord has told you to do something but that the enemy has thrown up a mountain in your path to frustrate you and prevent you from carrying out the Lord’s will. If so, I know just how you feel because that is exactly the way I used to feel. The problem is one of perspective.

In this passage the Lord tells Zechariah that the problem facing the Israelites, although it may appear to be a mountain, is actually a molehill. How would you like for all your mountains to become molehills? They can, if you will do what God is saying here and look not at the problems but at the Lord and His power. If God has told you to do something, it is certainly His will not only that you begin it but also that you finish it.

Joyce Meyer – Greater Things

Joyce meyer

Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing? . . . And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?—Matthew 6:25, 27

The devil is constantly waging war on the battlefield of the mind. Our soul is the tangible area between our spirit—the place where God Himself lives—and our physical body. It is made up of our mind, will, and emotions—it tells us what we think, what we want, and how we feel. When our mind is constantly stirred up with concern, worry, and anxiety, our God-given inner voice of insight and understanding becomes drowned out. In this unstable state, we no longer know what God’s will is regarding what we should and shouldn’t do.

When we allow the devil to overtake our mind with worry and anxiety instead of following God’s Spirit, we are living the life of the flesh, and it keeps us out of God’s will. Romans 8:8 says that “. . . those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.” This does not mean that God doesn’t love us. It simply means that He is not satisfied with, nor will He accept, fleshly behavior.

God cares about us and about our needs. He wants greater things for us than we want for ourselves. We must fight hard to resist the temptation to accept the devil’s endless lies. When I finally got fed up with not having any peace in my life, I made a decision to do whatever I needed to do to get it. I asked God what I should do. His response was clear: “Joyce, you need to begin living on a deeper level.” Eventually, the Lord made it apparent to me that the deeper level on which I needed to live was the level of the Spirit.

In order for us to truly enjoy the abundant life Jesus died to give us, we need to stop worrying about what we think we want and need, and start following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That’s the message against worry. It doesn’t matter if your need is food, a job, the right clothing, the best schools for your children, your future, or the future of your family—God knows and God cares. The trick of Satan is to whisper, “God doesn’t care about you. If God truly cared, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

When we focus on ourselves—what we don’t have—we have little energy left to focus on others and reaching out to help them. We don’t give money freely when we’re afraid or worried that we’ll lose our job or not have enough to pay our own bills. But when we trust God to provide for every need, we are free to share what we have.

Let me encourage you to stop worrying about your own needs and instead focus on the Word of God. You might even need to say to yourself out loud, “God does love me, and nothing can separate me from His love. He has heard my confession of sin, and He has forgiven and cleansed me. God has a positive plan for my future because His Word says so” (see Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 1:9; Jeremiah 29:11).

Every time worry and anxiety come up to try and steal your righteousness, peace, and joy, find out what the Word of God says, and then open your mouth and speak the Word. God’s ultimate goal is to get us to the point where no matter what is going on, we remain calm. Who is going to keep us calm? The answer to that question is the power of the Holy Spirit working on the inside of us. God wants us to develop the habit of running to Him for the grace to resist the lies of the devil. Eventually the truth will win out and change our life!

My heavenly Father, thank You for caring for me and for assuring me that You will provide for every need I have. Too often, I’ve allowed worry to creep in and steal my joy or my peace. Because of worries over little things, sometimes I’ve been unable to focus on the greater things in this life You do for me. In the name of Jesus Christ, free me from the things that bind me so I can be totally free to worship and serve You. Amen.

Joyce Meyer – Experience Joy as a Calm Delight

 

I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.—John 15:11

Are you like some believers who think that in order to be filled with the joy of the Lord they must be turned on, fired up, and super-hyped? God wants your joy to be full and complete, but that doesn’t mean you have to swing from chandeliers! Some define joy as “hilarity,” and there is some basis for that definition. But according to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek word chara, translated joy in the above verse, means “calm delight.”

My husband, Dave, likens this calm delight to a bubbling brook that just flows along quietly and peacefully, bringing refreshment to everything and everyone along its path. Doesn’t that sound appealing? Of course there will be times when your joy will be supercharged and exciting, but most of the time we will live with a simple “calm delight.”

Joyce Meyer – Worship with Your Whole Heart

Joyce meyer

I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! —Psalm 57:2

Great worship leaders know to come into the presence of God with their entire being, prepared to give thanks and praise (See Deuteronomy 10:12). They don’t just roll out of bed, throw water on their face, and run a comb through their hair before church. They know that the anointing comes from a sincere pursuit of loving God with their whole heart.

Likewise, as you approach God in the morning, come to Him with a heart full of worship, expressing your awe of Him for His faithfulness toward you. He promises that He will never forsake you, but will be with you all day long (See Joshua 1:5).

Joyce Meyer – One Presses You Down, the Other Lifts You Up

Joyce meyer

I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]—then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. —Psalm 32:5

We must learn the difference between condemnation and conviction. Condemnation presses us down and manifests as a heavy burden that requires us to pay for our errors. Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit, showing us that we have sinned and inviting us to confess our sins in order to receive forgiveness and God’s help to improve our behavior in the future. Condemnation makes the problem worse; conviction is intended to lift us out of it.

When you feel guilty, the first thing to do is ask yourself if you are guilty according to God’s Word. Perhaps you are. If so, confess your sin to God; turn away from that sin and don’t repeat it. If you need to apologize to someone you have wronged, do it. Then . . . forgive yourself and let go of it! God already forgave you, and if you refuse to do the same, then you’ll miss out on the joy of redemption that God wants us all to experience.

Sometimes you may well find that you are not guilty according to God’s Word. For example, I can recall feeling guilty when I tried to rest. For years I drove myself incessantly to work, work, work because I felt good when I was accomplishing something and felt guilty if I was enjoying myself. That thinking is totally wrong according to God’s Word. Even He rested from His work of creation, and He has invited us to enter His rest. The guilt I felt when I tried to rest was unscriptural, irrational, and downright ridiculous. When I stopped believing my feelings alone and started truly examining them in the light of God’s Word, I stopped feeling guilty.

Trust God and His Word to reveal to you when your guilt is false and your thinking is wrong.

Trust in Him What makes you feel guilty? What does God’s Word say about the situation? Stop believing your feelings that condemn you, and put your trust in His Word that convicts.

 

Joyce Meyer – The One Thing You Can Do

Joyce meyer

I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. —Philippians 3:13

Paul knew the one thing that would help him more than anything was to forget the past.

How do we forget what lies behind us—the situations in our pasts, especially those things causing us to feel guilty? We stop thinking and talking about them, and keep pressing forward. We all have a past, but we also all have a future! Stop living in the past mentally and emotionally, and believe by faith that good things are ahead.

Don’t focus on things you can no longer do anything about, and don’t waste time in regret. Even though we make mistakes in life, we can recover and still enjoy an amazing life through Christ. Get excited! Good things are coming!

Power Thought: My past is the past; God has a good plan for what lies ahead.

 

Joyce Meyer – Serve the Lord

Joyce meyer

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. —Joshua 24:15

In Jesus’ day, many leaders who were believers in Jesus would not confess their faith to others. They feared they would be expelled from the synagogue if they went public with their belief in Him (see John 12:42, 43). They were hindered from a relationship with Jesus because they cared too much about other people’s approval. Although they wanted a relationship with the Lord, they wanted the approval of their peers more. That is sad, but it happens all the time.

Joshua, on the other hand, was bold about his belief in God, declaring that, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Be like Joshua, and determine that you and your household will serve the Lord. Whether other people agree or not, serving and following God is the only way to live a fulfilling, victorious life.

The leaders of Jesus’ day knew He was real. The believed in Him, but their love of people’s approval would not permit them to have a true relationship with Him. I wonder how their lives turned out. What did they miss because they said yes to people and no to God? I wonder how many of them were never mentioned in the Bible again. I wonder if they faded into oblivion and never fulfilled their destinies because they loved the approval of men more than the approval of God. How many of them spent their lives disrespecting themselves because they were people-pleasers?

We need to realize that not everyone is going to like us. If we live our lives worrying about what other people think, we will never take risks or stretch ourselves into new realms.

Jesus died to give you the freedom to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit for you as an individual. As you follow Him, I guarantee that He will lead you into a rewarding life.

Love God Today: Like Joshua, make a deliberate, personal decision to serve the Lord and boldly declare: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 

Joyce Meyer – The Foundation of Love

Joyce meyer

See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.—1 John 3:1

Many people fail at marriage because they don’t love themselves, and therefore they have nothing to give in the relationship. They spend most of their time trying to get from their spouses what only God can give them, which is a sense of their own worth and value. In my case, although I didn’t even know what love was, I married a boy of nineteen simply because I was afraid no one would ever want me. He had problems of his own and did not really know how to love me—so the pattern of pain in my life continued. I was repeatedly hurt in that relationship, which ended in divorce after five years.

Receiving the free gift of God’s unconditional love is the beginning of our healing, and the foundation for our new life in Christ. We cannot love ourselves unless we realize how much God loves us, and if we don’t love ourselves, we cannot love other people. We cannot maintain good, healthy relationships without this foundation of love in our lives.

Lord, I am amazed that You love me and desire me to be Your daughter. I receive Your love today and choose to love myself. Amen.

 

Joyce Meyer – Hear and Obey

Joyce meyer

Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again].—Luke 5:5

God has blessings and new opportunities in store for us. To receive them we must hear His voice so we can perceive them and then take steps of faith toward them. This often means doing things we don’t feel like doing, may not think will work, or may not feel are important. But our trust and reverence toward God must be greater than what we personally want, think, or feel.

We see a perfect example of this in Luke 5. Peter and some of the other disciples had been fishing all night; they had caught nothing. They were tired; in fact, they were exhausted. They needed a good night’s sleep and probably wanted a good meal. They had just finished washing and storing their nets, which was a big job.

Then Jesus appeared on the shore of the lake and told them that if they wanted to catch a haul of fish, they should cast their nets again, this time in deeper water. Peter explained that they had worked hard all night and had caught nothing, and that now they were tired. But he also agreed to try again because Jesus had told them to do so.

This is the kind of attitude the Lord wants us to have. We may not feel like doing something; we may not want to do it; we may not think it is a good idea; we may be afraid it will not work, but we need to be willing to hear and obey God when He speaks to us.

God’s word for you today: Be willing to obey God even if you don’t feel up to it. He has great things in store for you!

 

Joyce Meyer – You Are One of a Kind!

Joyce meyer

The sun is glorious in one way, the moon is glorious in another way, and the stars are glorious in their own [distinctive] way; for one star differs from and surpasses another in its beauty and brilliance.—1 Corinthians 15:41

We are all different. Like the sun, the moon and the stars, God has created us to be different from one another; and He has done it on purpose. Each of us meets a need, and we are all part of God’s overall plan. When we struggle to be like others, not only do we lose ourselves, but we also grieve the Holy Spirit. God wants us to fit into His plan, not to feel pressured trying to fit into everyone else’s plans. Different is OK; it is all right to be different.

We are all born with different temperaments, different physical features, different fingerprints, different gifts and abilities, etc. Our goal should be to find out what we individually are supposed to be, and then succeed at being that. Romans 12 teaches us that we are to give ourselves to our gift. In other words, we are to find out what we are good at and then throw ourselves wholeheartedly into it.

I have discovered that I enjoy doing what I am good at doing. Some people feel they are not good at anything but that is not true. When we make an effort to do what others are good at doing, we often fail because we are not gifted for those things. But that does not mean we are good at nothing. We all have limitations and we must accept them.

That is not bad; it is just a fact. It is wonderful to be free to be different, not to feel that something is wrong with us because we are different.

We should be free to love and accept ourselves and one another without feeling pressure to compare or compete. Secure people who know God loves them and has a plan for them are not threatened by the abilities of others. They enjoy what other people can do and they enjoy what they can do. When I stand before God, He will not ask me why I wasn’t like Dave, or the Apostle Paul, or my pastor’s wife, or my friend. I don’t want to hear Him say to me, “Why weren’t you Joyce Meyer?” I want to hear Him say, Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23 KJV).

Joyce Meyer – Just how much proof of God’s love and abiding presence will you need before you start acting like that’s true?

Joyce meyer

He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]! Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God!—Matthew 14:29–33

Let’s take a closer look at this story. Peter believed and stepped out, and then doubt filled his mind, and he started to sink. His rational mind reminded him that people can’t walk on water. As soon as his mind turned from the spiritual and supernatural, he failed.

Jesus had already said, “Take courage . . . Stop being afraid!” (v. 27). Those few words were meant to assure the disciples that both the presence and power of Jesus were there to take care of them. Yet only one man responded—one out of twelve. Peter stepped out and started walking toward the Master . . . then he faltered. He focused on the storm instead of the ¬presence of Jesus, who was only a few feet away from him. As soon as he diverted his attention, doubt and unbelief pressed in on him.

I’ve often wondered if his feet slowly sank into the water or if he instantly plunged downward. The Bible account doesn’t give us that information, but it does tell us Jesus’ response. He grabbed Peter and saved him from the waves, the wind, and the storm.

Even that’s not the end of the story. After Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, another miracle took place: The storm ceased. It’s easy to spiritualize this incident and point out that whenever Jesus is with us, the storms of life cease and peace fills our hearts. That is true, but this was a real storm, not a figurative or spiritual one, and the winds instantly stopped.

Matthew makes a point of telling us what happened after the storm. During the storm, Peter exercised faith. He believed and he proved it. The others watched and listened, but there was no response from them.

I believe they were still so scared that they hadn’t even moved. They heard Jesus’ voice telling them not to be afraid, but still they didn’t do anything. No one else moved or spoke a word.

Verse 33 tells us that after the storm, the other disciples knelt and worshipped Jesus. I would certainly hope so! Look at the miracles they witnessed. The storm came, the winds blew, and Jesus came to them, walking on the water. He tried to calm their fears by saying, “Stop being afraid,” but they were not ready to hear Him. Only after Peter exhibited his faith and Jesus calmed the storm were they able to say, “Truly You are the Son of God!” I’m glad they were able to say those words—finally. It shows that the message got through. But what took so long? How much proof did they need before they were ready to worship?

How much proof do you need of Jesus’ love and presence in your life?

Lord Jesus, sometimes I’m like one of the fearful disciples, requiring all kinds of proof before I can believe You. How many miracles do I need to see before I can call You the Son of God? Help me to be more like Peter, ready and willing to walk with You in any and all storms of life. Thank You for loving me and encouraging me to follow You in faith. Amen.

 

Joyce Meyer – Tests and Trials

Joyce meyer

For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] . . . [has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. —1 Corinthians 10:13

Hard times can bring the temptation to give up and become negative, depressed, and angry with God. Life can be difficult, but God will always intervene and His help will always arrive on time. Tonight, purpose in your heart to keep pressing on and rest in His presence. God has promised to deliver you before it is too late!

 

Joyce Meyer – Speak God’s Mind

Joyce meyer

Hear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things.—Proverbs 8:6

One of our biggest mistakes we make is that we sometimes answer people too quickly, just giving them something off the top of our head. Only a fool utters his whole mind (See Proverbs 29:11 KJV). Those who speak frequently and hastily are always in trouble, as the Bible says, “There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18).

Jesus operated in wisdom. He always knew just the right thing to say, at just the right moment, to astound everybody. If we don’t spend enough time with God, we will say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Decide to wait on God before speaking your mind today.

Joyce Meyer – How to Win the Battle

Joyce meyer

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. —Ephesians 6:14–15 NIV

The Bible says that if we meet our battles with peace and respond to the upsets in life with peace, we will experience victory. It’s a paradox; it doesn’t make any sense. How can we win if we stop fighting?

My husband used to make me mad because he would not fight with me. I was upset and angry, and I wanted him to say just one thing so I could rail on and on. But when Dave saw that I was just looking for an argument, he would be quiet and tell me, “I am not going to fight with you.” Sometimes he would even get in the car and leave for a while, infuriating me even more, but I could not fight with someone who would not fight back.

Moses told the Israelites not to fight when they found the Red Sea facing them on one side and the Egyptian army chasing them on the other. They became frightened, and he told them, “Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest” (Exod. 14:13–14).

Notice that Moses told the Israelites to “hold [their] peace and remain at rest.” Why? They were at war, and it was necessary for them to respond with peace in order to win the battle. God would fight for them if they would show their confidence in Him by being peaceful. If you hold on to your peace, He will do the same for you.

Trust in Him Are you fighting a battle when you should be holding your peace? Choose to stop fighting and trust God to fight for you. That is how to win a battle.

 

 

Joyce Meyer – Our Words are Seeds

Joyce meyer

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. —Hebrews 4:13 NLT

Every action is a seed we sow, and we will reap a harvest from our seeds. Our words, thoughts, attitudes, and actions are all seeds that we sow, and seeds produce harvest. Sow mercy; reap mercy. Sow judgment; reap judgment. Sow kindness; reap kindness. If you don’t like how your life is right now, I have good news for you. You can change your life by sowing right seeds.

If you’re not in a good place in life, you didn’t make one wrong choice to end up where you are, and you can’t make one right choice to get yourself out of it. Change won’t happen overnight. But if you invest your life in learning what is the right thing to do and then do it with God’s help, you will reap the harvest.

Power Thought: With God’s help, I’m sowing good seeds every day of my life.

 

Joyce Meyer – Sit Down

Joyce meyer

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us set together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. —Ephesians 2:4-6, NKJV

Today’s scripture says that we are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. I read past that passage one day, and the Holy Spirit stopped me. I just felt that I had missed something so I went back and read it again: “God . . . seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” I still didn’t get it. So I went back and read it once more, and finally, I got it! We are seated. We are seated.

Then I started thinking of how Jesus is depicted in the Bible after His resurrection and ascension. As in this passage, He is often depicted as being seated at the right hand of the Father.

Do you know what people do when they sit? They rest. To be seated in heavenly places with Jesus is to enter an “inner rest.”

Sometimes when you start to get nervous and upset, anxious or worried, you just need to tell yourself, “Sit down.” That does not mean just your physical body; it also means your soul—your mind, will and emotions. It is important to let your entire being rest and just wait on God. Wait expectantly for God to do what you cannot do.

Don’t worry, get frustrated or fearful while you are waiting on God. Be at peace and rest! Sometimes allowing ourselves to rest is challenging because we seem to feel that we should always be ‘doing’ something. . So, if you are struggling, take a seat and rest. The promise of God’s peace is not made to those who work, struggle and strive in their own strength, but to those enter God’s rest.

Love Yourself Today: Lord, teach me how to enter your holy rest while I wait on you to work in my life.

 

 

Joyce Meyer – God’s Guarantee

Joyce meyer

Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.—Joshua 1:9

Notice the emphasis that God places on Himself. Joshua was to keep his eyes on God and His command. He was not to get entangled in other things that might frighten him; he was to stay focused on his goal. If he obeyed God, he would not only help himself, he would also have the privilege of leading multitudes of people into a better life.

And just in case he needed one last encouragement, God basically repeats Himself in saying He would be with Joshua. I believe His discourse to Joshua is evidence that there would be reasons in the natural for him to fear and become dismayed and want to turn back. When we take steps of faith to make progress in life, there is no guarantee that we will not experience opposition. But we do have God’s guarantee that He will always be with us, and that is truly all we need. We don’t need to know what God is going to do, how He is going to do it, or when He is going to do it. We only need to know that He is with us.

Lord, of all the blessings in life, the greatest one I ask You for is that You will be with me as You were with Joshua. I can do without a lot of things, but not without You. Amen.

Joyce Meyer – God Cares About Every Detail

Joyce meyerAre not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave (consent) and notice. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows. —Matthew 10:29–31

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God wants to speak to you every day. He wants to lead you step-by-step away from trouble and into the good things He has in store for you. He cares about the tiniest details of your life. According to the verses for today, He even keeps track of how many hairs you have on your head. He cares about the desires of your heart, and He wants to reveal to you truth that will set you free from worry and fear.

God’s plan to share an intimate relationship with you existed before you were even born, as you can read in Psalm 139:16: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.” God knows all of our days and has a plan for each one. If we will ask Him what we are to do each day and believe that He is guiding us, we will find ourselves fulfilling His plan for our lives.

It seems incomprehensible that God could have a plan for every person on Earth, but it also brings great peace to know He can take chaos and turn it into something meaningful and worthwhile. Spend time getting to know God because His plan is unveiled through intimate relationship with Him.

God’s word for you today: Remember that God even keeps track of the sparrows—He is surely in control of whatever life brings you today.

Joyce Meyer – Your True Value

Joyce meyer

Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine.—Exodus 19:5

In Exodus 19:5, the Lord tells His people that they are His own “peculiar possession and treasure.” That word applies to us today as much as it did to the children of Israel. In John 3:18, Jesus told Nicodemus that no one who believes in Him will ever be condemned (rejected). You may not feel treasured, or even acceptable, but you are. In Ephesians 1:6 (KJV), Paul says that all of us who believe in Christ have been “accepted in the beloved.” That should give us a sense of personal value and worth.

I remember standing in a prayer line where I overheard a woman next to me telling the pastor who was ministering to her how much she hated and despised herself. The pastor became very firm with her and in a strong manner rebuked her, saying, “Who do you think you are? You have no right to hate yourself. God paid a high price for you and your freedom. He loved you so much that He sent His only Son to die for you, to suffer in your place. You have no right to hate or reject yourself. Your part is to receive what Jesus died to give you!”

The woman was shocked. I was shocked too, just listening. Yet sometimes it takes a strong word to get us to realize the trap that Satan has set for us. Do you lack appreciation for your own value and worth? Surely, you are valuable; otherwise your heavenly Father would not have paid such a heavy price for your redemption.

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Exalting a Nation

dr_bright“Godliness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

God’s Word (1 Timothy 2:2) reminds us that we are to pray for those in authority over us, so that we can live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord.

We should pray daily for all those in authority over us, from the precinct to the White House, and we should seek through the writing of letters and personal appointments to communicate God’s love to each one of them, so that they may contribute to those qualities of godliness that will cause the blessing of God to continue to be poured out upon this nation.

One day I walked into a senator’s office in Washington, D.C. I had never met the man before, but a mutual friend had suggested that I drop by to see him.

Within a few minutes it seemed as if we had known each other for a lifetime. A natural opportunity arose for me to ask him if he were a Christian, and I was able to share the good news of the gospel with him through the Four Spiritual Laws. Before I left his office, the senator said he would like to receive Christ.

Another time, I spoke at a congressman’s home, to which several other congressmen and their wives had been invited. After the meeting, several individuals requested personal appointments.

I went by the office of one of the congressmen the next day.

“Did what I said last night make sense to you?” I asked him.

“It surely did,” he replied.

“Would you like to receive Christ?” I asked. He said that he would and knelt beside his couch to pray.

Down the hall, I shared Christ with still another congressman who had been present the night before. He too said he would like to receive Christ. All three of these men and many others continue to walk with God, seeking His wisdom to help them lead our nation wisely.

Because “godliness exalts a nation,” we feel it is important for every Christian to pray for and witness to all of our nation’s elected officials. Supernatural enablement of the Holy spirit is available to assist us in our communication.

Bible Reading: Psalm 33:12-16

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will pray today for one or more of our nation’s leaders, and I will seek opportunities to witness to them and other governmental leaders personally or through correspondence.