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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Sleep in Peace

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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

In the quiet of the evening after a long day, it’s not unusual to think about and evaluate the events of the day. But thoughts can be disturbing, especially if you faced problems that remain unsolved.

Sometimes these thoughts are not easy to turn off and can threaten to rob you of a peaceful night’s sleep. But staying awake and worrying will not change or improve the situation at all.

This is a good time to share your concerns with God and ask for His help. He tells us in His Word to cast our cares on Him, so give your thoughts to Him and trust Him to provide a solution. Then lie down and sleep in peace.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Walk in Love

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And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. —Ephesians 5:2

Jesus said, “If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me] (Mark 8:34, emphasis mine).

Living a disciplined life means laying aside personal feelings, deciphering which choice is most important in God’s eyes, and then allowing that choice to take preeminence over the others. As Jesus laid down His life for you, He is asking you to lay down your interests for His greater cause.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Exchange Your “I Cant’s” for “I Cans”

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No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. —1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

Have you ever walked into a store before with something to exchange? Maybe it was an article of clothing that you decided you didn’t like, a pair of shoes that were uncomfortable, or a gadget that didn’t do what you’d expected. You entered the store with something that didn’t work for you, exchanged it, and left with something that did work for you. You had to trade what was not effective for something that was.

The same principle applies to your thinking. If you exchange your “I can’t” thoughts for “I can” thoughts, you will see remarkable changes begin to happen. If you build into your character the thought that, with God’s help, you can do whatever you need to do in life, you will have more zeal and enthusiasm about facing every day. I have found that I even have more physical energy when I think “I can” thoughts. It helps me to not dread anything, because dread is an energy drainer.

It’s never too late to begin saying, “I can.” Say things like: “My marriage has problems, but it can work”; “My house is a mess, but I can clean it so it will bring me joy and relaxation when I come home from work”; “I can get out of debt”; “I will own a home or have a new car”; or, “I have some problems right now, but I can still enjoy my life.”

Some of the challenges you face may be very difficult ones; however, God never allows more to come on us than we can bear. With every temptation, He always provides a way out. I challenge and encourage you right now to consistently believe you are able to do anything that comes your way, with God’s help.

Trust in Him: Which “I can’t” belief in your life do you need to exchange for an “I can”? Trust God to not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability and to always provide a way out.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Christ’s Credentials

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You yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody. —2 Corinthians 3:2

Everybody wants to be loved, and God makes Himself known through His love. For this reason I believe it is important to God’s heart for us to focus on expressing His love in order to draw people to Jesus.

People are hungry and they are looking for something real. When people see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us and see that it is good, they will want to find the source of this fruit—this tree of life. They will be ready to accept Jesus as the Way to form a personal, eternal relationship with God and to experience the abundant, exceptional life on earth that He came to provide.

It is an amazing thought to me that we are personal representatives of Jesus Christ and that He is making His appeal to people through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). Everyone in the world is looking for genuine love, and when we let the love of God flow through us to them, we are representing Christ in best possible way.

We are to go out into the world and let the Holy Spirit flow through us to show people God’s love—His patience, kindness, goodness, and the other fruit. Let the way you live your everyday life be a tool that God can use to draw other people to Him.

Follow the more excellent way of love. Receive God’s love and let it flow in its many forms and power to others.

Love Others Today: Everywhere you go, remember that you represent Jesus to the people around you. Represent Him with love.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Strength for Today

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[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit. —Jeremiah 17:7–8

When Jesus instructed us not to worry about tomorrow, He was saying that we should deal with life one day at a time. He gives us the strength we need as we need it. When we take that strength He gives us and apply it to worry instead of action, we rob ourselves of the blessings God intended for us to have today—not tomorrow or the next, but today. We miss out on good things because we worry about bad things that may not even come to be!

For several years a woman had trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. “Good evening,” said the man of the house. “I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting ten years to meet you.”

Lord, I want to be like that tree planted by the waters. My hope and confidence are in You alone. Amen.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Have an Assignment

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You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant: I will build you a house. So Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. —2 Samuel 7:27

God sometimes speaks to us and gives us “prayer assignments.” King David believed that he was given the assignment to build God a house and he was committed to pray about it until it came to pass. There are many people or situations I pray for once, and that is all. But I also believe God speaks to us and assigns us people to pray for until what He wants to do in them or for them is accomplished. I have prayed for one person, literally, for twenty-five years and will continue to do so until I die or until God releases me, or the person dies or what needs to happen comes to pass. There are actually times when I get tired of praying for this person, but it doesn’t matter how I feel, I still find myself praying. I know God has given me this assignment and I will not give up! I believe God is using my prayers to help shape this individual’s destiny.

There are other times when I feel that I “should” be praying for someone more than I do, but no matter how I feel, they just don’t come to mind when I pray. I may also try to pray, but have no desire, or cannot find much to say and even what I do say is dry and lifeless.

If God speaks to you and gives you an assignment to pray for someone or something, you will not have to “try” to work up a desire to pray; you will find them in your heart and mind and prayer will be easy. You may even find yourself praying for them without even consciously planning to do so. When someone is on your heart or mind, believe you are hearing from God and pray!

God’s word for you today: You can’t do everything and do anything well, so find your assignment and enter God’s rest.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – He Cares

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I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple (heavenly dwelling place), and my cry came before Him, into His [very] ears. —Psalm 18:6

God loves you very much and wants to help you, but you need to ask Him to. A man told me recently that when he feels overwhelmed, he lifts up one hand toward heaven and says, “Come get me, Jesus.” God hears the faintest cry of your heart, so stop trying to do everything on your own and ask Him for help. You may not think that God cares about something as simple as your health, but He does. He cares about everything that concerns you—the big as well as the small.

He wants you healthy and whole, and He is willing to help, if you’ll just let Him. Pray to Him to help you find the spiritual strength you need to make any necessary changes in your life. God’s grace is always available. As we choose to do what is right and lean on Him to give us strength, His power enables us to follow through and experience victory.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Critical Mind

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[Jesus said] A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits. —Matthew 7:18–20

Have you ever met someone who had “the gift of suspicion”? They are everywhere—even in church. Recently I heard a man commenting about such a woman in his church. He said she always seemed to think the worst of everyone. If someone did something generous, she would say, “What does he expect to get out of that? I suppose he wants us all to bow and thank him.”

On one occasion, someone commented about what a friendly, happy person an usher was. “That’s his public face,” the woman said. “He’s always smiling, but I’ll bet when he gets home and away from everyone else, he doesn’t smile like that.”

He went on to say if someone chided her for her critical attitude, the woman only responded by saying, “I just call things as I see them. You’re always trying to make things look better than they are.”

The man finally realized that it wasn’t good for him to be around her, and he began to distance himself from her as much as possible.

I believe this man made a good decision. I have discovered during my years in ministry that when someone with a critical spirit comes into a group or a meeting, it doesn’t take much for others to become infected with it. It reminds me of the saying about one bad apple spoiling the whole bushel.

Over the years, I’ve met people who were very much like this lady. They’re often tormented by their judgmental attitudes, critical spirits, and suspicious minds. They also destroy many relationships by their words.

Matthew 7:18 says these “bad fruits” tell us a lot about the “tree,” but that doesn’t give us the right to judge. We must remember that no one is perfect—each of us is a work in progress. While it may be wise not to be too closely associated with such people, we must be careful that we don’t judge them according to our standards and beliefs. We must pray for them and keep a godly attitude. Part of being a loving, caring Christian is to realize that people may not see things in this life exactly as we do. We are not all at the same level of Christian maturity, but we can be sure that God knows everything about each one of us. We must leave any judging to the only righteous judge—Jesus Christ.

James writes: “[My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it]. One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the one Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor?” (James 4:11–12).

Paul asks, “Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another’s household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand” (Romans 14:4).

Dear heavenly Father, forgive me for criticizing others. I know that You are the only one who is qualified to judge Your children. Help me remember that all of us, including me, must give account of ourselves to You—and only to You. Help me, Lord Jesus, to bear good fruit in my own life that will bring glory to You. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Enjoy Everyday Life

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Go your way…And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.—Nehemiah 8:10

I spent a lot of time in years gone by learning to enjoy my life. The key phrase is my life. I learned not to covet someone else’s life, but to enjoy mine. It has not been easy and I am still learning. But one thing I do know is that it is God’s will for you to enjoy the life He has provided. The joy of the Lord is your strength. You must make a decision to enjoy everyday life.

Enjoying life does not mean you have something exciting going on all the time; it simply means you enjoy simple, everyday things. Most of life is rather ordinary, but you are supernaturally equipped with the power of God to live ordinary everyday life in an extraordinary way.

Live life to the fullest and be a witness to the power of God that is available to everyone.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Is Always Working

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FURTHERMORE, BRETHREN, we beg and admonish you in [virtue of our union with] the Lord Jesus, that [you follow the instructions which] you learned from us about how you ought to walk so as to please and gratify God, as indeed you are doing, [and] that you do so even more and more abundantly [attaining yet greater perfection in living this life]. —1 Thessalonians 4:1

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul wrote, “When you received the message of God [which you heard] from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it]” (emphasis mine).

The Bible says that God’s Word works in those who believe it. So no matter what you see today, believe that God is working on your breakthrough.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Always Start with Prayer

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[And Nehemiah prayed] Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity. —Nehemiah 4:4

In Nehemiah 4:4, we find three words that are vitally important to remember when we are trying to stand through a storm: “And Nehemiah prayed.” How did he respond to all the attacks that came against him—the laughing, the anger, the rage, the judgment, the criticism, being told his desired goal was impossible? He prayed!

Let me ask you: What would happen if you prayed every single time you felt afraid or intimidated? What if you prayed every time you were offended, or every time someone hurt your feelings? What if you prayed immediately every time some kind of judgment or criticism came against you? Would your life be different? Would you be able to withstand those storms better? Of course you would.

We can learn an important lesson from Nehemiah’s prayer: “Hear, O our God,” he said, “for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity.” Notice that Nehemiah didn’t go after his enemies himself; he asked God to deal with them. His attitude was, “I’m doing Your will! You told me to build this wall and I am busy building it. You will have to take care of my enemies!”

Many times, God tells us to do something or gives us an assignment and we begin doing it. But then the enemy comes against us, and when we turn to fight him, we turn away from God. Suddenly, the enemy has all of our attention. We spend our time fighting him instead of praying and asking God to intervene.

Nehemiah knew better than to let his enemies command his focus. He was aware of them, but he kept his eyes on God and the job God called him to do. And he simply prayed and asked God to deal with those who were attacking him.

Trust in Him: What do you need to pray about? When the enemy attacks, don’t take your focus off the task God has placed before you. Pray! And trust God to take care of the enemy.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Always Start with Prayer

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[And Nehemiah prayed] Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity. —Nehemiah 4:4

In Nehemiah 4:4, we find three words that are vitally important to remember when we are trying to stand through a storm: “And Nehemiah prayed.” How did he respond to all the attacks that came against him—the laughing, the anger, the rage, the judgment, the criticism, being told his desired goal was impossible? He prayed!

Let me ask you: What would happen if you prayed every single time you felt afraid or intimidated? What if you prayed every time you were offended, or every time someone hurt your feelings? What if you prayed immediately every time some kind of judgment or criticism came against you? Would your life be different? Would you be able to withstand those storms better? Of course you would.

We can learn an important lesson from Nehemiah’s prayer: “Hear, O our God,” he said, “for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity.” Notice that Nehemiah didn’t go after his enemies himself; he asked God to deal with them. His attitude was, “I’m doing Your will! You told me to build this wall and I am busy building it. You will have to take care of my enemies!”

Many times, God tells us to do something or gives us an assignment and we begin doing it. But then the enemy comes against us, and when we turn to fight him, we turn away from God. Suddenly, the enemy has all of our attention. We spend our time fighting him instead of praying and asking God to intervene.

Nehemiah knew better than to let his enemies command his focus. He was aware of them, but he kept his eyes on God and the job God called him to do. And he simply prayed and asked God to deal with those who were attacking him.

Trust in Him: What do you need to pray about? When the enemy attacks, don’t take your focus off the task God has placed before you. Pray! And trust God to take care of the enemy.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Facing Others

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Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man…Then Nathan said to David, You are the man! —2 Samuel 12:5, 7

Fear means running away from or taking flight, but confrontation means facing something head-on. Sometimes those confrontations require us to face ourselves—maybe we’re fearful of failure or fearful of success. Sometimes the fears or concerns you have will require confronting someone else, maybe a parent or a husband, even a child.

David Augsburger, in his book Caring Enough to Confront, suggests ways you can express your thoughts while at the same time showing that you care about the other person: “I feel deeply about the issue at stake.” “I want respect for my view.” “I want you to trust me with your honest feelings.” “I want your unpressured, clear, honest view of our differences.” “I want your caring-confronting response.” “I care about our relationship.” “I want to hear your view and respect your insights.” “I trust you to be able to handle my honest feelings.” “I will not trick, pressure, manipulate, or distort the differences between us.”

We may think that there is less risk of us being hurt or someone else being hurt if we don’t deal with something. Just remember, though, if you run, you will have to keep running.

Lord, give me wisdom for any issue of fear regarding another person. Help me to be honest and to show that I care, and give me the courage to take a stand and deal with it. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Power of the Holy Spirit

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You shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. —Acts 1:8

The Spirit of God gives power to those who want to hear His voice and serve Him. A person may desire to do something and not have the power to do it, but that power can come through receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

You may remember that Jesus was baptized by immersion in water, but He was also baptized in the Holy Spirit. In other words, He was immersed in power, which enabled Him to do the task His Father sent Him to do. Acts 10:38 says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,” and that He “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (NKJV).

Before Jesus’ public ministry began, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are able to hear God’s voice more clearly and we are equipped for service in the Kingdom of God because we are able to draw on the power (ability, efficiency, and might) of the Holy Spirit we received when He came upon us to be His witnesses. This power enables us to do what God wants us to do.

It is important to see that Jesus did not do any miracles or other mighty acts until after He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus needed the power of the Spirit, we certainly do, too. Ask Him to fill you with the power of His Spirit today and every day.

God’s word for you today: You have access to power—turn on the light!

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Are Everywhere You Go!

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For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. —2 Corinthians 5:21

What if everywhere you went, you ran into someone you didn’t like? Wouldn’t that be terrible? Oh no, you’d think, her again. You attend a party, and you have to endure her conversation and views. You go to church, and she’s sitting right beside you. What a bummer to have to spend so much time with this person, you think. Then it gets worse. There she is at the dinner table with you! She’s lounging by the pool; she’s even in your bed! She’s everywhere! That sounds pretty awful, but it is the exact situation you find yourself in if you don’t like yourself, because you are everywhere you go. You can’t get away from yourself, even for a second, so you are in for a sad life if you dread your own company. That much is pretty obvious.

But believe it or not, even though we can all agree that it makes no sense to live your life this way, I find that most people don’t like themselves. They may not even realize it, but some genuine soul-searching reveals the sad fact that they have rejected themselves and in some cases even hate themselves. I’ve come across a lot of people over the years, through my ministry and in day-to-day life, and I’m amazed at how few are truly at peace with themselves. Instead, they have declared war on themselves.

God wants you to love yourself, not in some wrong selfish or prideful way, but in a healthy way that truly understands how special you are to Him. As you begin to see yourself as God sees you, then not only will you love yourself, but you will have the confidence and faith to be a powerful force for good in the world.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The “S” Word

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In like manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives. —1 Peter 3:1

For the sake of order, God instructed that wives be submissive to their husbands. Many women don’t like that particular “s” word, but think of it this way: you can’t have two people driving a car at the same time. However, it was never God’s intention that women be dominated and made to feel as if their opinions were of no value.

Sad to say, many women perform the role of the spiritual head of the home. Some women need their men to rise up and be real men, and I believe that means to be a man who seeks God regularly and leads his family in righteousness and godliness. Many fine men are doing that, but many need to make progress in this area.

I encourage women to pray for their husbands, that they will indeed take their place as the spiritual head of the home. I also encourage women to let men do that without opposing them. Some women say they want their husbands to be the head of the home, but resist them when they try.

Lord, Your counsel to me is always good. I embrace it, and I ask You to bring clarity as to how I live this out today. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Wherever He Leads

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Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do—with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” —John 21:15

In today’s verse we see that Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” In fact, Jesus asked Peter this same question twice more. By the third time, Peter was grieved that Jesus kept asking the same question. He said, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.”

Then, in John 21:18, we discover the reason Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him: “I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, when you were young you girded yourself and you walked about wherever you pleased to go. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will put a girdle around you and carry you where you do not wish to go.”

God challenged me with this Scripture because I had my own plan and was walking in my own way. If we really want God’s perfect will, He may ask us to do things we do not want to do. If we really love Him, we will do what He tells us to do and let Him have His way in our lives.

When Jesus spoke the words from John 21:18, I believe He was showing us that when we were young Christians, and less mature than we are now, we went wherever we pleased. As baby Christians, we did what we wanted to do. But as we mature, we are to stretch out our hands and surrender ourselves to God. We must be willing to follow Him to places we may not want to go.

Let’s be quick to follow Him, wherever He leads us.

God’s word for you today: Will you say an eternal “yes” to God today, even though you don’t know where it may lead you?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – It Costs Nothing to Believe

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Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. —Proverbs 29:18

Those with a sad past need to be able to believe in a bright future. The writer of Proverbs says that where there is no vision, people perish. A vision is something we see in our mind, “a mental sight” as one definition puts it. It may be something God plants in us supernaturally or something we see on purpose. It involves the way we think about ourselves, our past, and our future. It does not cost anything to believe.

Some people are afraid to believe. They think they may be setting themselves up for disappointment. They have not realized they will be perpetually disappointed if they don’t believe. I feel that if I believe for a lot and even get half of it, I am better off than I would be to believe for nothing and get all of it. I am challenging you to start believing good things. Believe you can do whatever you need to do in life through Christ.

Don’t have a “give up easy” attitude. Let your faith soar. Be creative with your thoughts. Take an inventory. What have you been believing lately? An honest answer may help you understand why you have not been receiving what you have wanted to receive.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Anointed to Bring Deliverance

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The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed one, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound]. —Luke 4:18–19

Almost every time I finish speaking at a meeting, people come to me with sad stories of abuse and pain. I understand and often I hurt with them. I understand because I’ve been there. In my book Battlefield of the Mind, I referred to some of that dysfunctional background.

I point that out because in the past, I have used my background as an excuse for not growing, for living in defeat, and for allowing Satan to control my mind.

“What else can you expect? Look where I came from.” I’ve heard people talk that way. Perhaps it comforts them to think that whatever their past held will determine their present and their future. They have that choice if they want to believe that lie of Satan.

“Don’t you know that God loves you, and that Jesus wants to deliver you from your past?” I ask. “Don’t you realize that where you were is only the starting place? You can determine where you want to go and how you live your life.”

I can say those words because of my background, the truth I’ve found in God’s Word, and the Lord’s deliverance that I have experienced.

From the first public appearance of Jesus recorded in Luke’s gospel, I learned something powerful and significant. Jesus went to the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth, the leader handed Him the scroll of Isaiah, and Jesus read the words printed above. What the people there didn’t understand was that what He was reading to them was describing Himself: “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me . . . to announce release to the captives” (v. 18).

Isn’t that what Jesus did then? Isn’t that what Jesus does now? He said God had anointed Him for just that task. If that’s true—and I don’t doubt it for a second—do I really honor Jesus by remaining a captive? If Jesus received the anointing to deliver me, there can be only one of two possible results: He sets me free or He doesn’t.

This is the battlefield of the mind, as I’ve been pointing out again and again. Jesus says, “He has anointed Me!” The devil asks, “Did God really anoint Jesus?”

Your deliverance (and mine) depends on which voice we listen to. If we listen to Jesus and believe Him, He says that deliverance is not only possible but it is a reality. If God anointed Jesus for that purpose, it means God empowered Him. Jesus came to open prison doors and set the captives free. You and I can’t be set free until we start to believe it’s possible. If you believe that God loves you, wants only the best for you, and has a perfect plan for your life, how can you doubt?

You may have had a terrible, sad, and abusive past, as I did. Thousands of others have worse childhoods than you had, but they received healing. The fourth chapter of Luke tells of another synagogue where Jesus went and “. . . there was a man who was possessed by the foul spirit of a demon” (4:33). Jesus set him free. Jesus did that because that’s what the Lord does—He sets the prisoners free, and He’ll also set you free.

Lord Jesus, You have been anointed to set me free. Forgive me for listening to Satan’s voice that makes me feel I’m beyond help. You are the Deliverer. In Your holy name, I ask You to deliver me from everything that holds me back from fully and totally serving You. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Can Pass the Test

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Joyce meyer

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way. —James 1:2-4 The Message

When life is filled with tests and trials, you sometimes feel like throwing in the towel. You are tempted to think God doesn’t know where you are and what you’re going through . . . or that He doesn’t care. But God permits tests in your life so He can bless you. And if you are faithful, you will see good results.

If you want to enjoy your Christian life and be used by God to help others, you must maintain a godly attitude during the time of testing. So cooperate with God and display an attitude of faith, and you will pass the test with flying colors!