The children of Your servants shall dwell safely and continue, and their descendants shall be established before You.

Psalm 102:28 (AMPC)

One of the keys to success is to continue believing God. Even though we may not sense any change after we’ve prayed about something, it is vitally important that we continue believing in God’s promise to deliver and help us.

When the Holy Spirit is walking me into freedom in any area, I often say that I am free from a thing even while I am still experiencing no freedom at all. By doing this, I am declaring my belief that God and His promise are greater than my problem and it is only a matter of time before I experience the fullness of His freedom.

Joy is released in our lives through believing. Once we choose to believe God’s Word, we receive joy and peace, and that helps us enjoy life while we are waiting for the fullness of God’s promises to manifest themselves.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I choose to believe Your promises, trusting in Your timing. Help me to walk in faith, even when I don’t see anything changing. I know freedom is coming, amen.

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You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

Matthew 5:13 (AMPC)

I think it’s safe to say that most of what the world offers is tasteless—and I’m not talking about food. For example, most of the movies Hollywood produces and the way people treat each other in the world today are tasteless. Usually when we see any type of behavior that is in poor taste, we are quick to blame “the world.” We might say something like, “What is the world coming to?” Yet the phrase “the world” merely means the people who live in the world. If the world has lost its flavor, it is because people have become tasteless in their attitudes and actions. Jesus said we are the salt of the earth (see Matt. 5:13). He also said we are the light of the world and should not hide our light (see Matt. 5:14).

Think of it this way: Each day as you leave your home, you can add God’s light and flavor to any environment. You can bring joy to your workplace by being determined to consistently have a godly attitude, and through simple things like being thankful, patient, merciful, quick to forgive offenses, kind, and encouraging. Even simply smiling and being friendly is a way to bring flavor into a tasteless society.

Without love and all its magnificent qualities, life is tasteless and not worth living. I want you to try an experiment. Just think: I am going to go out into the world today and spice things up. Get your mind set before you ever walk out the door that you are going out as God’s ambassador, and that your goal is to be a giver, to love people, and to add good flavor to their lives. The question each of us must answer is, “What have I done today to make someone else’s life better?”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me be a source of light and flavor in this world. Guide me to show love, kindness, and encouragement, and bring Your light into every place I go, amen.

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The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Fear is a spirit that produces feelings. When God told Joshua to not be afraid, He was not commanding him to not “feel” fear; He was commanding him to not give in to the fear he was facing.

I often encourage people to “do it afraid.” That basically means when fear attacks you, you need to go ahead and do whatever God is telling you to do anyway. You may do it with your knees shaking or your palms sweating but do it anyway. That’s what it means to “fear not.”

We can be thankful we have Scripture to meditate on when we feel afraid. God’s promises strengthen us to keep pressing forward, no matter how we feel. The Word of God will give you the faith you need to overcome any feeling of fear.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, that I don’t have to give in to a feeling of fear. With Your help, I can press forward and do what You have called me to do regardless of my feelings. Thank You, Father, that I can do it afraid.

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And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

John 1:16 (NKJV)

When I give someone a gift and they say something like, “You didn’t have to do that,” or “No, no, I can’t take that,” or “Oh, that is too much,” I really don’t like it. I much prefer that someone say, “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.” I think God is the same way! He is a giver, and givers need receivers, or they are stifled in their desire to give.

God’s Word says that we are to receive grace, favor, forgiveness, mercy, and many other wonderful gifts from God. Do you desire certain things but don’t know how to ask? Or even worse, do you ask and then not receive? We are to ask and receive that our joy might be full (see John 16:24).

God’s goodness certainly is amazing, and we don’t deserve all the wonderful things He does for us, but He does want us to graciously receive them with an attitude of gratitude. Learn to be a good receiver!

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, for all the wonderful things You do for me. Teach me to be a gracious receiver and to always appreciate Your goodness!

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He will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young.

Isaiah 40:11 (AMPC)

When God speaks to us and guides us, He doesn’t scream at us or push us in the direction in which He wants us to go. No, He leads us, like a gentle shepherd, inviting us to follow Him to greener pastures. He wants us to get to the point where we are so sensitive to His voice that even a little whisper of caution is enough to cause us to ask, “What are You saying here, Lord?” The minute we sense Him directing us to change what we are doing we should promptly obey Him. If we sense a lack of peace concerning something we are doing, we should stop and seek God for His direction.

Proverbs 3:6 says that if we will acknowledge God in all our ways, He will direct our paths. Acknowledging God simply means having enough respect for Him, enough reverential fear and awe of Him, to care what He thinks of our every move.

A good way to start each day would be to pray for Jesus to gently guide you in the way He would have you go and to help you hear and obey His voice.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I care about what You think, and I don’t want to be doing things You don’t want me to do. If I start to do anything today that You don’t want me to do, please show me what it is so I can stop it, turn away from it, and do Your will instead, amen.

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He will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young.

Isaiah 40:11 (AMPC)

When God speaks to us and guides us, He doesn’t scream at us or push us in the direction in which He wants us to go. No, He leads us, like a gentle shepherd, inviting us to follow Him to greener pastures. He wants us to get to the point where we are so sensitive to His voice that even a little whisper of caution is enough to cause us to ask, “What are You saying here, Lord?” The minute we sense Him directing us to change what we are doing we should promptly obey Him. If we sense a lack of peace concerning something we are doing, we should stop and seek God for His direction.

Proverbs 3:6 says that if we will acknowledge God in all our ways, He will direct our paths. Acknowledging God simply means having enough respect for Him, enough reverential fear and awe of Him, to care what He thinks of our every move.

A good way to start each day would be to pray for Jesus to gently guide you in the way He would have you go and to help you hear and obey His voice.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I care about what You think, and I don’t want to be doing things You don’t want me to do. If I start to do anything today that You don’t want me to do, please show me what it is so I can stop it, turn away from it, and do Your will instead, amen.

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Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

It is difficult for us to do nothing when we are waiting on God to either deal with our problems or show us what to do about them. When we must wait for some reason, we want to be doing something. Are you waiting on God to do something in your life right now? Here are some things you can do while you wait:

• Pray.
• Keep a good confession. Speak God’s Word and let your conversation agree with your prayer.
• Stay positive. Express your thankfulness for everything God does for you, and do not complain.
• Be patient. Continue being kind to others even when you are hurting.
• Don’t be jealous, envious, or resentful of people who are not having problems.
• While you are hurting, keep your commitments, if at all possible.
• Trust God and declare your trust in Him.

While you’re waiting, also remember the times you have needed God to intervene in your circumstances, and He did. God is faithful, and as you wait on Him, you will not be disappointed.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me to trust You while I wait. Give me patience, strength, and a positive heart. I trust Your timing and believe You will always show me the way.

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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

When we have been deeply wounded in our soul, we can struggle with identity as a result, meaning that we go through life feeling we do not know who we truly are. This can cause us to feel confused, purposeless or directionless, empty and unsatisfied no matter how hard we try to find fulfillment. One reason our woundedness has such a negative effect on our identity is that it causes us to want to hide our true feelings and to hesitate to express who we really are. For example, if someone is afraid to be vulnerable, she may pretend to be tough, confident, and self-sufficient to keep others from viewing her as weak or needy. This type of pretending to be something we are not or presenting a certain image that does not accurately represent us can be a temptation to everyone who has been wounded. Our hunger for acceptance and approval may cause us to try to alter our personalities to try to be what we think people want us to be instead of feeling free to be our true selves.

The chameleon is a lizard-like animal that can change its color so it will blend in with everything around it. Chameleons do this to protect themselves. If their predators can’t distinguish them from a log or a leaf, they can’t hurt them. Although people cannot change colors, we have our own protective mechanisms, one of which is to develop false identities to guard ourselves against rejection or disapproval.

Those who fear rejection often become people pleasers, doing what they think others want them to do instead of becoming their true selves. That is sad, because we are never truly free until we are free to be ourselves.

The world urges us to conform to its image. It tells us what we should wear, how we should style our hair, what kind of car we should drive, how much education we need—and on and on. We sense intuitively that if we do not measure up to the world’s standards, we will not be accepted.

God loves and accepts us unconditionally, and when we receive Jesus as our Savior, He makes us new. All the old pressures we have felt melt away. We no longer have to feel guilty about old mistakes. When God makes us new, we become like fresh lumps of spiritual clay. The world wants to fashion us in its image, but the Holy Spirit wants to mold us into something new, to shape us in such a way that we can fulfill God’s amazing plans for our lives. In Christ, we are finally free to be our true selves, and that’s the best person we can possibly be.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me embrace my true identity in You. Please heal my wounds, remove my fears, and set me free to be the person You’ve created me to be. I love You so much and thank You for everything You have done, are doing, and will continue to do in my life, amen.

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Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

Matthew 11:29 (AMPC)

Be determined to enjoy the abundant life that Jesus Christ desires for you to have. The devil will always try to set you up to get upset. The busy activities of today’s society can make life seem like a blur. Most people have a lot of stress, continuous pressure, and really too much to do.

Set priorities. Start your day with God. Be determined to follow His lead all day, and you will enjoy every day of your life—not just on weekends, vacations, or sunny days when the weather’s perfect. Walking with God will give you pleasure and relaxation even when things aren’t going your way.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me set priorities, start my day with You, and trust Your leadership so I can enjoy the abundant life You have planned for me, no matter the circumstances.

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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, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Philippians 3:13-14 (AMPC)

One of the great things about a relationship with God is that He always provides new beginnings. His Word says that His mercy is new every day. Jesus chose disciples who had weaknesses and made mistakes, but He continued working with them and helping them become all that they could be. He will do the same thing for you, if you will let Him.

Recovering from pain or disappointment of any kind is not something that just happens to some people and not to others. It is a decision! You make a decision to let go and go on. You gather up the fragments and give them to Jesus, and He will make sure that nothing is wasted (John 6:12). You refuse to think about what you have lost, but instead you inventory what you have left and begin using it. Not only can you recover, but you can also be used to help other people recover. Be a living example of a confident woman who always recovers from setbacks no matter how difficult or frequent they are.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for every new beginning You are making for my life. Help me to put the past aside and move on with Your help, amen.

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Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4 (AMP)

Deciding to help others is more than a good idea; it is one of the biggest secrets to enjoying every day of your life. We cannot be selfish and happy at the same time.

The Bible teaches us that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and I encourage you to embrace this truth: Following the biblical model of putting others ahead of ourselves is one of the best things we can do to enjoy our own lives. Whether it’s something small, like helping a friend run an errand, or something bigger, like volunteering a day of each week to serve the less fortunate in your community, it’s all important. It’s all lifechanging!

Prayer of the Day: Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus and ask that You help me to focus on others and embrace the joy of giving. Help me to serve with a generous heart and experience true fulfillment through Your love, amen.

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For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

Ephesians 6:12 (AMPC)

A careful study of Ephesians 6 informs us that we are in a war, and that our warfare is not with other human beings but with the wicked one. Our enemy, Satan, attempts to defeat us with lies and deceit, through well-laid plans and deliberate deception.

Jesus called the devil “the father of lies and of all that is false” (John 8:44). He lies to you and me. He tells us things about ourselves, about other people, and about circumstances that are just not true. He usually does not, however, tell us the entire lie all at one time.

He begins by bombarding our mind with a cleverly devised pattern of little nagging thoughts, suspicions, doubts, fears, wonderings, reasonings, and theories. He moves slowly and cautiously. Remember, he has a strategy for his warfare.

Satan has studied us for a long time and knows what we like and what we don’t like. He knows our insecurities, weaknesses, and fears. He knows what bothers us most and is willing to invest any amount of time it takes to defeat us. But we can outlast the enemy through the power of the Holy Spirit and through learning the truth of God’s Word!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me recognize the enemy’s lies and stand firm in Your truth. Empower me through Your Holy Spirit to outlast every attack and live in the victory and the good plan You have for my life, amen.

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Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

How are we transformed? According to this scripture, we are transformed by learning to think in a completely different way. This is a large part of being a successful Christian. You will not be a victorious Christian just because you go to church, own different translations of the Bible, or have a large library of Christian teachings. You will not have victory unless you learn to transform your thoughts.

The word transformed means “to change into another complete form, to totally change the appearance of, to convert.” I love that because when people accept Christ as their Savior, we say they have been “converted.” First God converts us, and then He converts everything else in our lives by helping us convert (renew) our thinking.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me renew my mind with Your Word. Transform my thinking so that I can live a victorious life and reflect Your will in everything I do.

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But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation.

Psalm 13:5 (AMPC)

God is slow to anger and plenteous in mercy (Psalm 103:8). It is impossible to deserve mercy, and that is why it is such a waste of time to try to pay for our mistakes with good works or guilt. We don’t deserve mercy, but God gives it freely. This free gift is something to be thankful for!

Mercy overrides “the rules.” You may have grown up in a home that had lots of rules, and if you broke any of them, you got into trouble. Although God does intend for us to keep His commands, He understands our nature and is ready to extend mercy to anyone who will ask for and receive it.

When we learn to receive mercy, then we will also be able to give it to others—and mercy is something many people seriously need.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, for the way You extend mercy to me each and every day. I desire to please You in everything I do, but I thank You that when I fall short, You never fail to bless me with the free gift of Your love and mercy.

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And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Matthew 21:22 (ESV)

Recently I was talking with the Lord, and I told Him something that I needed Him to do for me. Immediately, I heard in my spirit, “I need your faith!” This was quite an eye-opening statement for me. Through these words, I realized that somehow, I had weakened in faith and was asking God for help out of need and desperation rather than in faith. We can ask God for many things yet fail to attach our faith to our requests.

I encourage you to ask in faith, believing that God hears you and wants to meet your need. If you know a scripture on which you can base your request, you can remind God that you believe it and that you trust Him to keep His promises. Praying the Word or filling your prayers with Scripture is a good thing to do. When we humbly remind God of His Word, it shows we are putting our trust in it and in Him. It also strengthens our faith while we wait for Him to answer us.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am so thankful for the privilege of prayer, and I trust You to answer me when I pray in faith, according to Your will. Thank You for helping me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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So then 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.

Romans 8:8 (AMPC)

When we follow the ever-changing impulses of our carnal nature, it is not pleasing or acceptable to God, because He has a much better life in mind for us. We all have times when emotions change without warning, and it is important that we learn how to handle ourselves in times like that. If we merely follow our feelings, we will surely end up making decisions and taking actions that we will regret later on.

Last Sunday, Dave and I had several people to our house for a party, and I was energetic and felt great. The next day, for no apparent reason, I woke up feeling dull-headed and a bit down emotionally. Why? What is wrong with me? Those are the first questions I asked myself. I didn’t get an answer, so I had to make a choice. Should I continue to try to figure out my odd mood and get more and more confused, or should I pray, asking God to reveal anything He wants me to see and go on about the business of the day, asking God to help me live beyond my feelings?

I have learned over the years that being a stable, consistent person requires that I own my feelings instead of letting them own me. In other words, I may have them, but I cannot let them control me. Feelings are fickle. They change frequently and often without any notice. Sometimes we understand why, but much of the time we don’t.

Our physical condition can affect emotions. Consider things like: Did I get enough sleep? or Did I eat something that made me feel bad? or Is it allergy season? Our spiritual condition can also cause mood fluctuation: Have I spent enough time with God? Do I have hidden sin that needs to be dealt with? Is God chastising me about something?

I recommend praying first to see if God reveals anything, and if He doesn’t, then remain steady in the storm. Don’t try excessively to figure out your feelings, because it will get you more and more focused on them. Trust God, use extra self-control, and very soon you will feel better.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I desire to be stable emotionally at all times. Help me stay steady when my emotions fluctuate. I want to live a life that is pleasing to You at all times, and I trust You to continue teaching me in this area.

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So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.

Ecclesiastes 2:17-18 (NIV)

Solomon, the writer of today’s scripture passage, was so stressed out that he hated his life and ended up unfulfilled and bitter. These are not emotions anyone would choose.

So what’s the secret to happiness and fulfillment in life? I believe it’s making sure we obey God’s will and give ourselves to what He has called us to do. This is not always easy. We sometimes struggle and grow weary along the way.

Let me encourage you today to think seriously about how you spend your time. As God leads you, cut activities and commitments out of your life until you no longer go through every day at a frantic pace and end up feeling stressed.

First, realize that you can’t do everything. Then decide with God’s help what you can do. This will make you more effective at what you’re supposed to do and greatly increase the peace in your life. Peace equals power; without it, you’ll stay frustrated and weak.

As you evaluate how you’re spending your time, use this simple rule: If you have peace about it, keep doing it. If you don’t have peace about it, stop. Feeling resentful or hearing yourself complain about it frequently indicates the need to make an adjustment.

God doesn’t want you to end up like Solomon, hating your life and being bitter. His great desire is for you to love your life, enjoy being in His will, and be satisfied and at peace as you fulfill His purpose for you.

Prayer of the Day: God, I believe You want me to enjoy my life. Help me make the decisions that will bring peace and fulfillment to me each day.

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But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.

James 1:4 (AMP)

James teaches us that we can rejoice when we find ourselves involved in difficult situations, knowing that God is trying our faith to bring out patience. I have found that trials did eventually bring out patience in me, but first they brought a lot of other junk to the surface—such as pride, anger, rebellion, self-pity, complaining, and many other things. It seems that these ungodly traits, with God’s help, need to be faced and dealt with because they hinder patience as well as other good fruit like kindness, love, humility, and other things.

The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, and sacrifice. These are not popular words; nevertheless, these are things we go through in order to become like Jesus in our character. God’s desire is to make us perfect, lacking in nothing. He wants us to ultimately be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which usually requires us to go through some difficulties that, although are unpleasant, do eventually help us mature.

I struggled with the difficulties in my life for a long time until I finally learned that God would work them out for good and use them to help me in many ways. He simply wants you and me to surrender and say, “I trust You, God. I believe when this difficulty is over, I will be a better person than I was before it began!”

Prayer of the Day: Father, please help me to trust You through difficulties, and teach me to surrender completely, knowing You are always working for my good and will use this to make me more like Jesus, amen.

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In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.

Psalm 4:8 (AMPC)

Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair, rocking back and forth; it’s always in motion and it keeps us busy, but it never gets us anywhere. In fact, if we do it too long, it wears us out!

Trusting God allows us to enter His rest—a place of peace where we are able to enjoy life while we are waiting for Him to solve our problems. He cares for us; He will solve our problems and meet our needs, but we have to stop thinking and worrying about them.

I realize this is easier said than done, but there is no time like the present to begin learning a new way to live without worry, anxiety, and fear.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to be free from worry and reasoning. Help me to rest in You and completely let go of anxiety, amen.

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…Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

We all know about willpower. Willpower is that thing that makes us dismiss the chocolate fudge sundae even though every cell of our bodies screams for us to dig in. Willpower is that thing CEOs and professional athletes tell us they use to trounce the competition.

Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won’t be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going–for a while. But it is never enough to bring you across the finish line.

What would happen if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turned to God? God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Jesus said in John 15:5, …Apart from me you can do nothing. This is one of the most important lessons we can learn if we want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, empower me to rely on Your strength, not just my willpower, to finish strong and accomplish Your purpose for my life, amen.

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