God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

I love that God is ever-present. There is never a time when He is not with us, but we may miss out on the help He is ready to give us by forgetting about Him and trying to do things in our own strength. He wants us to lean and rely on Him. Leaning on God for absolutely everything is not an indication of weakness; it’s actually a sign of wisdom.

Jesus says that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). We may do things, but we will struggle and be frustrated because nothing works with ease unless we invite Jesus to be involved in it. What are you trying to do on your own that is frustrating you? Whatever it is, stop. Then tell the Lord you are sorry for leaving Him out of it and ask Him to take the lead in your situation and give you the grace to follow Him.

I have tried many things on my own, such as changing myself, changing my husband, and changing my children. I saw their flaws and wanted to correct them, but only God can change a human heart. I also tried in my own strength to make my ministry grow, but that ended in misery too. I have learned to ask God for what I need and lean on Him to bring it to pass. Anytime I forget about this, before long I find myself struggling again trying to do it myself. Let go and let God show His strength through you.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am grateful for Your strength. I need You in everything I do, and I’m sorry for the times I have left You out and tried to do things on my own. My strength is not enough. I need Yours. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

Fear is everywhere, and everyone has to face it at some point. It’s afflicted humanity since the beginning of time, and it will be an emotion people deal with for as long as they live. Although fear will never totally disappear from our lives, we can manage it as we choose to face it and resist it with God’s help.

We would be surprised if we realized how often our reactions to people and situations are based on fear. We respond out of fear much more than we think. In fact, some people spend their entire lives allowing fear to dictate their decisions and reactions to circumstances. This keeps them from being who they truly want to be and causes them to feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled.

If you are one of these people, let me encourage you to acknowledge your fear, because it is a real emotion, but also to move forward in spite of it. Courageous people do what they believe in their hearts they should do, no matter how they feel or what kinds of doubts and fearful thoughts fill their minds.

Fear will try to stop you from doing what God has called you to do and what you’d like to do. Don’t allow fear to prevent you from living your life to the fullest or to push you around while you simply put up with it. Decide today—with God’s help—that you’ll face fear head-on, overcome it, and do everything you can to live the life He has planned for you, free from fear.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, when I feel fear, help me choose not to let it dictate my decisions or stop me from living the good life You want me to live.

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Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it—when you have it with you.

Proverbs 3:28 (AMPC)

When God tells you to help someone, it’s easy to put it off. You intend to obey God; it is just that you are going to do it when—when you have more money, when you’re not so busy, when Christmas is over, when the kids are back in school, or when vacation is over.

There is no point in praying for God to give you money so you can be a blessing to others if you are not being a blessing with what you already have. Satan will try to tell you that you don’t have anything to give—but don’t believe Him.

Even if it is only a pack of gum or a ballpoint pen, start using what you have. In the process of giving, you will discover you don’t need money to be a blessing to others.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I thank You for the many blessings in my life. Please help me to strive to be a blessing everywhere I go, with whomever You place in my path, and to be generous with whatever I have to give.

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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.

Psalm 139:16 (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: Father, I am so very grateful that Jesus came that I might have abundant life. When the day is stressful and my joy feels low, help me to remember that You have promised I can enjoy my life. Thank You for the joy, peace, and security I find in You.

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Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.

Psalm 42:5 (AMPC)

Ask 21st-century women, “How do you feel about yourself?” and many will confess, “I hate myself.” Or perhaps their opinion of themselves is not that severe, but they will admit they really don’t like themselves.

Our world has created a false, unrealistic image of what women are supposed to look like and act like. But the truth is that every woman was not created by God to be skinny, with a flawless complexion and long flowing hair. Not every woman was intended to juggle a career as well as all of the other duties of being a wife, mother, citizen, and daughter. Single women should not be made to feel they are missing something because they are not married. Married women should not be made to feel they must have a career to be complete. We must have the freedom to be our individual selves.

Many women hate themselves and have no self-confidence because they have been abused, rejected, abandoned, or in some way damaged emotionally. Women need to experience a revival of knowing their infinite worth and value.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, You know exactly how I feel about myself. You know how deeply I’ve been influenced by the messages of our culture and how confusing it is. Help me to discover the truth of my worth and value in Your eyes, amen.

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And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:7 (AMPC)

Life is often challenging, and I’ve discovered that the world around us will not always change, so we must be willing to change our approach to life and the situations we face.

It is important to develop confidence in simple, believing prayer. We need the confidence that even if we just say, “God, help me,” He hears and will answer. We can depend on God to be faithful to do what we have asked Him to do, as long as our request is in accordance with His will. The Holy Spirit is called our Helper, and He delights in helping us.

Too often we get caught up in our own works concerning prayer. Sometimes we try to pray so long, loud, and eloquently that we lose sight of the fact that prayer is simply conversation with God. The length or loudness or eloquence of our prayer is not the issue; what is important is the sincerity of our heart and the confidence we have that God hears and will answer us.

Prayer of the Day: I thank You today, Father, that prayer doesn’t have to be long and complicated. You hear even my short, heartfelt prayers. I am grateful that I can have a continuous conversation with You all through the day, and that You hear and answer me.

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Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own.

1 Corinthians 6:19 (AMPC)

What if you went to a church and it was run-down? Peeling paint, broken doors, and smudged windows that didn’t let the light in? You’d wonder about the pastor, wouldn’t you? The church is his instrument for celebrating the glory of God, yet if he doesn’t respect the church enough to take the time to keep it in good condition, what does this say about his relationship with God?

The same question applies to your own body—taking care of the body God has given you is the most important kind of “home maintenance” you can do! Your body is the home of your spirit where God dwells. To do the work you were meant to do, you need to keep it in shape.

I still have to remind myself of this. Once I hurt my voice by speaking in a seminar with an extremely sore throat. That morning when I woke up, I knew I shouldn’t speak, but I thought about the disappointment of the audience if I didn’t. So, I forced myself to speak, but the next day I could not make a sound. I couldn’t the next day, either, or the day after that. The condition continued, and I began to worry. I finally went to the doctor, who told me I had damaged my vocal cords. He said each time we push ourselves beyond reasonable limits, we do some damage, and if we do it too often, we get to a point where we can’t recover. He said it might reach a point where I could not teach at all if I did not respect my voice and take care of it.

I nearly jeopardized my entire public ministry! If I had permanently damaged my voice, I would have wound up helping far fewer people and derailing my life’s calling. Now I’m more careful about protecting the tools I need to do God’s work—my voice, my mind, my heart, my emotions, and my body. Please take care of yourself so you can glorify God and do all that He has intended for you to do.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me respect and care for the body You’ve given me, so I can fulfill Your calling on my life. Guide me to take care of my health and the gifts you have blessed me with, and honor You in all ways. Amen.

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For as he thinks in his heart, so is he….

Proverbs 23:7 (AMPC)

The mind is the leader or forerunner of all actions. The steps we take each day are a direct result of the thoughts we allow ourselves to think.

If we have a negative mind, we will have a negative life. On the other hand, if we renew our mind according to God’s Word, we will experience “the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” for our lives (Romans 12:2).

So many people’s struggles are rooted in wrong thinking patterns. Negative thinking can actually cause them to create the problems they experience in their lives; thankfully, though, we don’t have to live captive to those thoughts. We can choose to line our thoughts up with the Word of God.

The mind is a battlefield. Decide to resist destructive, negative thinking and dwell on godly thoughts for your life instead. The more you change your mind for the better, the more your life will also change for the better.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I’m thankful that I don’t have to live as a captive to my thoughts. With Your help, I can change those negative thoughts that are affecting my life. I can win the battle of the mind by spending time in Your Word, meditating on Your promises, and making a conscious effort to think God-honoring thoughts over my life.

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Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

Psalm 4:1 (NASB)

In today’s verse, David calls upon the Lord as “God of my righteousness.” The Bible mentions two types of righteousness. I think most people view righteousness as a quality that comes from right behavior, but a totally different kind of righteousness is available to us as believers in Jesus Christ.

God’s righteousness can be simply defined as “right standing with Him,” and it is a gift He gives to us when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior. It is a gift of His grace, which we receive through faith. We cannot do anything to earn it or make ourselves worthy of it; it has already been paid for through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.

God views us as righteous in Christ because Jesus has taken our sin and given us His righteousness. Because of this act of love and mercy, God now thinks of us as right with Him in every way. We do not have to think of ourselves as “wrong,” but we can be confident that we are in right relationship with God through Christ.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for sending Your Son to die for my sin and to give me His righteousness.

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One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

When I think about what stirs up our emotions, the hurtful things people do to us is at the top of the list, perhaps more frequently than anything else. Since we cannot control what others do, we need to look for ways to quiet our emotions when people upset us. The amplification of today’s scripture teaches us to look for the best in things, and I believe this applies to people as well as situations.

Our natural thoughts and emotions, without the influence of the Holy Spirit, can be negative. Romans 8:5 teaches us that we can either set our minds on what the flesh (human nature without God) desires or on what the Holy Spirit desires. If we set our minds on the flesh, we will be filled with negative feelings and attitudes. But if we set our minds on the Spirit, we will be filled with life and peace in our souls, which includes calm emotions. I encourage you to choose what creates peace, because a life of emotional turmoil makes us miserable.

I realized years ago that most of my emotional turmoil came from people problems. I knew from experience that I could not control people and what they decided to do, so I began to pray about what I could do to keep their words and actions from upsetting me. In answer to my prayers, and through studying God’s Word, I started obeying 1 Corinthians 13:7 by choosing to believe the best of everything and everyone.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, Lord, to control what I can control—my thoughts and emotions—while trusting You to handle what I can’t control.

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Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!

Matthew 5:9 (AMPC)

The prayer of agreement is only effective when those who agree in prayer are living in agreement in their natural, everyday lives. Living in agreement does not mean never having our own opinions, but it does mean that there is harmony, mutual respect, and honor in our relationships. It means an absence of the things that cause division and strife—like selfishness, anger, resentment, jealousy, bitterness, or comparison. Living in agreement is like being on the same ball team—everyone works together, supports, and encourages each other, believes in, and trusts each other as they all pursue the same goal and share the victory.

The prayer of agreement is very powerful, but it can only be used effectively by those who make the effort to live in agreement. For example, if Dave and I argued and had strife most of the time but wanted to pray in agreement when we had a pressing need, then that would not work. There is no power in agreeing occasionally; we must live in agreement. Live with others respectfully and peacefully. Adapt and adjust yourself to people and things in order to be a maker and maintainer of peace (see Romans 12:16).

Maintaining unity and harmony does require effort, but the power released when people pray who live in agreement is worth it.

Prayer of the Day: God, thank You for the power that is released when I pray. I thank You that right now, incredible power is being released in my life, amen.

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For you shall eat [the fruit] of the labor of your hands; happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) shall you be, and it shall be well with you.

Psalm 128:2 (AMPC)

There is nothing more fulfilling than being rested and ready for the work that God has called us to do. God puts the desire in us to minister to people through whatever work we do. But ministry is work that requires physical, emotional, and spiritual strength.

Hard work is rewarding when you follow God’s way and minister to other people through “the labor of your hands.” That is why it is so important to start your day with God. His presence will build you up emotionally, His words will strengthen you spiritually, and the time of rest that He calls you to enjoy will make you physically able to handle whatever may come your way.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, thank You for Your presence in my life. Thank You for the rest I enjoyed, and give me the strength to minister to others, in whatever way You have for me to minister to them today and every day, amen.

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And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.

Mark:11:25-26 (AMPC)

One of the greatest reasons why prayer isn’t answered among Christians is unforgiveness. Jesus gave His disciples a command to forgive, and then He told them plainly that if they did not forgive, neither would their Father in heaven forgive them their failings and shortcomings. He was blunt with them, because He knew what a stumbling block unforgiveness would be for their spiritual life.

It is important to note that forgiveness and having faith to move mountains comes in the same context. There is no power in speaking to a mountain if the heart is full of unforgiveness. Yet this problem is rampant among God’s children. If there is anything that will short-circuit God from answering our prayers, it’s a heart full of unforgiveness and bitterness toward others. You can’t go into your prayer closet and expect God to move mountains for you or on behalf of others when you’ve hardened your heart with unforgiveness. Extend abundant mercy and forgiveness just as God forgave you in Christ.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me to always remember what it cost You to forgive me, and yet You freely forgave me. I want my heart to be like Yours and to extend mercy to others as well, amen.

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But God will redeem me…for He will receive me. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Psalm 49:15 (AMPC)

When offenses come and we are tempted to get into strife, it is wise for us to examine our thoughts and take ownership of our actions.

If you find that you are justifying having a bad attitude, I encourage you to realize that justifying any bad behavior that the Word of God condemns is a dangerous thing. It keeps us deceived and unable to take ownership of our faults.

Nobody enjoys saying, “I was wrong—please forgive me,” but it is one of the most powerful six-word sentences in the world. It brings peace to turmoil; joy replaces frustration, and this attitude puts a smile on God’s face. He is delighted when we follow His ways instead of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me see myself as You see me. Renew my mind to reflect my true identity in Christ and embrace the life You have planned for me, amen.

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The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalm 146:9 (NIV)

God seems to have a special place in His heart for those who are lonely, and He wants us to be good to them. Psalm 68:6 (NIV) says that He “sets the lonely in families….” If you know someone who has no family, you can include them in some of your family functions. Invite them to your home for Thanksgiving dinner, a Fourth of July celebration, and other such events.

God gave the Israelites commands about how they were to include the foreigners and strangers among them (Deuteronomy 10:19; Leviticus 19:34). And Hebrews 13:2 instructs believers to show hospitality to strangers. We tend to gravitate toward people we know and are comfortable with, but God wants us to reach beyond our comfort zone and think about how it would feel to be alone so we will include the lonely in our lives.

The Lord mentions the fatherless and the widow frequently in Scripture and instructs us to be good to them and to help meet their needs. James writes that religion that is pure and undefiled is about visiting and helping to care for the widows and orphans in their distress (James 1:27).

Choose a widowed person in your church and show special attention to them. You can informally adopt them into your family. If you are going to lunch after church on Sunday, you can include them. There are many ways to minister to the lonely if we will just think about it, and when we do, it will put a smile on God’s face.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me remember how You feel about those who are lonely, and show me who I can minister to and help alleviate their loneliness. Help me walk in love with everyone and show kindness wherever possible, amen.

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He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Genesis 15:5 (NIV)

God promised Abram (later Abraham) a son. Not only that, but He promised him descendants so numerous that they would be like the stars in the sky. The problem was that Abram and his wife, Sarai (later Sarah), were way too old to have natural children. As advanced in years as they were, we might think God’s promise needed to come to pass quickly. But it didn’t. Abram and Sarai had to wait 25 years for His promise to manifest in their lives.

We often have to wait for certain things God has promised to come to pass, just as Abram and Sarai did. Sometimes He may need to teach us or prepare us for the blessings He wants to release in our lives. Or it could be that we need additional spiritual growth, greater emotional stability, or a new mindset before we can handle them properly. While we wait, we may be tempted to feel impatient. We may doubt or feel frustrated because nothing seems to be happening.

During these seasons of waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled, we need to tell our emotions to calm down and wait patiently for Him to act on our behalf. Our emotions can help us wait peacefully, with joy and expectation, or they can keep us anxious and impatient.

God is always working for our good, even when we don’t see it. We need to trust His timing and wisdom, knowing He will fulfill His promises at the time that is best for us.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, God, for the promises You’ve made to me. I trust You to fulfill them when the time is right. Help me to wait patiently and not let my emotions lead me into frustration.

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But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you]… But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His….

Romans 8:9 (AMPC)

We are called to walk in the Spirit or, as today’s verse says, to “live the life of the Spirit.”

Making a decision to do this is the starting point, but I can tell you from the Word of God and from experience that it takes more than a decision; it takes a deep work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He “operates” on us with God’s Word, which divides soul and spirit (see Hebrews 4:12). He also uses circumstances to train us in stability and walking in love at all times. These things we are called to do are not things that are just given to us; they must be worked in us. Just as leaven or yeast must be worked into dough—so Christ must be worked in us.

In Philippians 2:12 (KJV), the apostle Paul teaches us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. That means we are to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He begins in us a work of crucifixion or “dying to self.” Paul said, I die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31 KJV). In other words, he was saying that he was constantly exposed to a “putting to death in the flesh.” He was not speaking of physical death, but a death to his own will and ways. If we really want to live the life of the Spirit, we also have to put to death our will and ways and choose God’s will. We can count on God to lead us, and we want Him to be able to count on us to obey.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me live a life of the Spirit. Help me to make the decision first, then do a work in me that only You can do. And help me to walk through life according to Your will and not my own, amen.

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For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV)

Paul calls our earthly troubles light, momentary afflictions compared to the glory we are to receive. When I go through trying times, it helps to remind myself that they will pass. “This cannot last forever” is what I tell myself. I think of other things that I thought I would not survive, yet I did. The devil whispers in our ear that certain things will last forever, but they won’t.

Christ is your strength, and no matter how bad your current situation may look, God loves you and has already planned your escape to a safe landing place. In addition, you will learn something from your trial that will help you later in life. Keep your eyes on the prize of heaven and the glory that awaits you there.

When we go through hard situations, they make us able to endure the next tough time with more ease. Each time we experience God’s deliverance, it is easier to know that it will also be there the next time we need it. Enter God’s rest today. Your breakthrough is coming!

Prayer of the Day: Father God, thank You for helping me through all the difficult times I have ever faced, am facing, and will face in the future. I know that You will be with me through everything. Thank You, amen.

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