The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 2:11 (AMPC)

None of us are where we need to be, but thank God, we are not where we used to be. Don’t look at what you are going through right now; look at the person you are becoming. We are always in the process of becoming like Christ (See 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Brokenness hurts, but the alternative is much worse. The Word says, “Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor” (Proverbs 18:12). Pray to be bendable, pliable, and moldable so that you will be more like Christ in all that you do today. Pray to be broken so that the Lord may be exalted in your life.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I come to You in the name of Jesus and ask that You mold me to reflect Christ, and ask that through my brokenness, that I grow into the person You want me to me, amen.

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So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:34 (AMPC)

How do you approach life? Do you look at all the things coming in the future and start to panic or worry? Or do you live life one day at a time, refusing to borrow trouble from tomorrow?

Right now, I have about six very important projects that I need to finish, and as I thought about them, I started to feel pressured. Then I realized that the projects were not pressuring me, but thinking about all of them at once instead of the one that needed to get done today was pressuring me. I have to remind myself often to take life one day at a time, and I thought you might also need that reminder today!

God will give you the grace you need for tomorrow when tomorrow comes, so enjoy today.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me live my life one day at a time and to never waste today worrying about tomorrow. Thank You!

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I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Romans 7:15 (NIV)

Have you ever said or done something in a moment of intense emotion and then said, “I can’t believe that I just behaved that way”? Have you ever felt shocked or perhaps embarrassed about your words or actions? We’ve all had this experience. Even the apostle Paul, who wrote today’s scripture, struggled to do the things he knew he should do and not do the things he shouldn’t.

Without God’s help we have difficulty doing things in moderation. We may eat too much, spend too much, entertain ourselves too much, or say too much. When we give in to excess, we feel like doing something, so we do it, giving no thought to the consequences. Later, we regret it.

We don’t have to live in regret. The Holy Spirit enables us to make wise choices. He urges us, guides us, and leads us, but we still have to cast the deciding vote. If you have been casting an unhealthy or foolish vote, all you need to do is change it. Make a decision not to do what you feel like doing unless it agrees with God’s will.

Wise choices have nothing to do with feelings. You do not have to feel a certain way to choose to make good decisions. Making wise choices isn’t always easy, but it is much better than suffering the consequences of a foolish decision. Even when something is not easy, through Christ we can choose to have a positive attitude because we know we are using wisdom in our lives.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, God, to follow Your Holy Spirit and make wise choices.

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Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you.

1 Peter 4:12 (AMP)

No one who does anything worthwhile for God has traveled an easy road. Doing great things for God requires character, and character is developed by passing life’s tests and staying faithful to Him through trials.

One reason God allows us to go through tests and trials is to show us weak areas in our lives. Until they are exposed, we cannot do anything about them. But once we see them, we can begin to face them and ask God to help us. God allows us to walk through difficult times so we will recognize our need for Him. Never be afraid of the truth, because it is the truth that makes us free (see John 8:32).

The next time you encounter some sort of test or trial, determine to believe it will work out for your good. Say to God, “I believe this is going to work out well for me. I don’t understand it all right now, but I believe You will use it for my ultimate good.”

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I know You care about everything that concerns me, and You are always working for my good. Use the tests in my life to strengthen my character. Help me stay faithful, grow closer to You, and guide me to trust Your plan, amen.

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But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God). Thus David congratulates the man and pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does.

Romans 4:5-6 (AMPC)

If you spend years on the performance treadmill of the world, it is hard to get off. When you are addicted to feeling good about yourself only when you perform well, you are in for a life of misery. It is a cycle of trying and failing, trying harder and failing again, and feeling guilty and rejected.

God does not want you on the performance treadmill. He wants you to feel good about yourself whether you perform perfectly or not. He doesn’t want you to be filled with pride, but He certainly did not create you to reject yourself. If you are trapped on the performance treadmill, ask God to break the cycle in your life. Let your confidence be based on who you are in Christ.

Prayer of the Day: Father, free me from the performance treadmill, once and for all. Help me find my worth and value in You and You alone and help me to break free from the cycle of trying and failing. My confidence is in You, Lord, amen.

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I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 (AMPC)

Once, I found myself worried about what I would do if my husband, Dave, died. How could I run the ministry on my own? After several days of this mental attack the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “If Dave died, you would keep doing exactly what you are doing because I am the One holding you up, not Dave.”

I obviously need Dave and depend on him for many things, but God wanted to reestablish in my heart what was true from the beginning of our ministry: with or without Dave, or anyone else for that matter, I could do what God had asked me to do as long as I had Him.

When Peter, Judas, and others disappointed Jesus, He was not devastated, because His confidence was not misplaced. He was dependent and yet independent at the same time. I depend on many people in my ministry to help me accomplish what I am called to do. However, I see constant change. People leave who I thought would be with me forever, and God sends new people who have amazing gifts. I need people, but I know it is God working through people to help me. If He decides to change who He works through, that should be no concern of mine.

I appreciate all the wonderful people God has placed in my life. My husband and children are amazing. My ministry staff is top-notch, and the wonderful ministry partners God has given me are awesome. I need all of them, but if for any reason God ever decided to remove any of them from my life, I want to be a confident woman who knows that with God alone all things are possible. My confidence must be in Him more than it is in anything or anyone else.

Prayer of the Day: Father, please show me if I am overly dependent upon a family member, coworker, friend, job, or anything else, to the point of worrying about what I would do without them. Help me to always put my trust in You. You’re the only one I really need, amen.

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But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men]; and He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men’s hearts.]

John 2:24-25 (AMPC)

Jesus loved people—we see that in His interaction with people, especially His disciples. He had great fellowship with them—traveled with them, ate with them, and taught them—but He did not trust Himself totally to them. Because He knew what was in human nature.

That does not mean He didn’t trust them at all; He just didn’t open Himself up and give Himself to them in the same way He trusted God and opened Himself up to His heavenly Father. He didn’t expect them to be perfect toward Him and never disappoint Him.

We can be thankful for the example of Jesus because He shows us how we should live. We should love people, and we can trust them, but never give them the trust that belongs to God. He is always trustworthy, and He always has your best interest at heart.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for the example of Jesus. I love and trust the people close to me in life, but my ultimate dependence and trust is in You.

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So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.

2 Timothy 2:21 (AMPC)

The Bible refers to us as earthen vessels (See 2 Corinthians 4:7); we are made of clay (See Isaiah 64:8). God formed Adam out of the dirt (See Genesis 2:7), and King David said, “Remember Lord, that I am but dust” (See Psalm 103:14).

When we fill ourselves with God’s Word, we become containers of His blessing, ready to be poured out for His use. God can even use cracked pots! We are all valuable to the Lord. We can offer His truth to people everywhere we go.

Read God’s Word before you go about your routine today and see how many people you can bless with the truth of His love.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, fill me with Your Word and help me grow to love it. Use me as Your vessel to bless others. I will never be perfect here on earth, but help me to shine with the truth of Your love wherever I go, amen.

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I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth…. Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:1,19 (AMPC)

All of us know we need to be thankful. God tells us to do so, and we also know from our own experience that once we seriously start praising God, our burdens and our troubles seem to weigh less heavily on our shoulders.

That’s part of the power of being thankful. As we pause to give thanks to God for what’s good in our lives, we also appreciate what we have. I believe God wants us to be grateful people—people who are filled with gratitude not only toward God, but also toward other people. That’s my first tip: When someone does anything nice for you, let that person know you appreciate it.

One day I was going into an office building, and a man standing nearby opened the door for me. I thanked him and smiled.

“You’re the fifth person I’ve held the door for,” he said, “and you’re the first one to smile and the second to thank me.”

I thanked him a second time. Afterward, I thought how much we take others for granted, even when they do such simple things as open a door for a stranger.

Instead of accepting that that’s the way things are, we can develop a thankful mind. Did your bus arrive on time today? If so, did you thank the driver? When you ate at the restaurant, did you thank the waiter for filling your coffee cup a second time without being asked? I could go on and on, but that’s the point I want to make: Develop an attitude of gratitude toward the people in your life.

Here’s another tip: Appreciate your family members, especially the person to whom you’re married. I appreciate Dave, and even though we’ve been married a long time, I still tell him that I appreciate him. He’s patient with me and thoughtful. Just those few words of thanks are a great way to develop a thankful mind and heart.

Try this: When you express appreciation, it’s good for the other person to hear the words, but also remember that it releases joy in you. You enrich both your life and another person’s life, even in small ways.

Another thing you can do is meditate daily on things for which you can be thankful. I have a friend who won’t get out of bed in the morning until he has thanked God for at least 10 things. He counts them on his fingers, and they’re small things really, such as having a reliable car to drive, being a member of an exciting Sunday school class, or just being thankful that he’s healthy.

He says that at night he goes to sleep by focusing on at least three things that went well that day. He relives those three positive things. For him, it can be as simple as his supervisor telling him what a good job he did on a project, or an affirming e-mail from a friend.

Here’s another tip: Be thankful for the honesty in other people. No one likes to hear negative things, but sometimes you need to hear them. Of course, they may momentarily hurt your feelings, but you still can learn and grow from the experience.

I have a friend who says, “Only two people will tell you the truth about yourself: someone who’s angry at you and someone who loves you very much.” God uses both types of people in our lives.

So be thankful for people who tell you the truth about yourself, even if it’s not what you want to hear. When you hear the truth—especially something of which you’re not aware, you can change. And after you’ve changed, isn’t that just one more thing for which you can be thankful?

Prayer of the Day: God, thank You for all the good things You send into my life. Thank You for all the terrible things You don’t send into my life. Thank You for the people in my life who help me grow closer to You and become a more thankful person. I pray this through Jesus the Savior, amen.

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She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat.

Proverbs 31:27 (AMPC)

Our friend in Proverbs is a responsible woman. She stays alert to how things go in her household, she refuses to be idle, and she doesn’t waste her time in things such as sitting around gossiping or wallowing in self-pity. She is not discontented. She appreciates life, and I believe she celebrates it fully each day. Idleness, waste, self-pity, gossip, and discontentment are thieves of the great life Jesus died to give you.

The apostle Paul gave this exhortation to some members in the church in Thessalonica, Indeed, we hear that some among you are disorderly [that they are passing their lives in idleness, neglectful of duty], being busy with other people’s affairs instead of their own and doing no work (2 Thessalonians 3:11 AMPC). Don’t allow these sins to rule you. When you maintain a positive attitude, you will enjoy more confidence.

Doing what one believes to be right will always increase confidence. You can’t go wrong when you keep God as the focus of your life. Follow the example of the Proverbs 31 woman. She gives us tremendous insight in how to be the best and most confident homemaker, wife, and mother we can be.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I never want to waste my life and all the blessings You have given me. Help me to find my contentment in walking with You and following hard after You in service, amen.

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Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands.

Psalm 149:5-6 (AMPC)

We should form a habit of thanking and praising God as soon as we wake up each morning. While we are still lying in bed, let’s give thanks and fill our minds with Scripture.

Praise defeats the devil quicker than any other battle plan. Praise is an invisible garment that we put on and it protects us from defeat and negativity in our minds. But it must be genuine, heartfelt praise, not just lip service or a method being tried to see if it works. We praise God for the promises in His Word and for His goodness.

Worship is a battle position! As we worship God for Who He is and for His attributes, for His ability and might, we draw closer to Him, and the enemy is defeated.

We can never be too thankful! Thank God all day long and remember the many things He has done for you.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I choose to begin each day with genuine, heartfelt prayer and thanksgiving. Fill my heart with Your Word. I know You never lose a battle, You always have a definite plan, and when we follow You, we will always win. Hallelujah!

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Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

Do you have a bad case of the “ifs”? It is a common misconception that if only we had this, that, or the other, we would find the happiness and fulfillment we so desperately desire. We find ourselves saying things like: If I didn’t have to work, if we had more money, if I had a bigger house, if the kids were grown, if I were married, if I weren’t married….

Stop thinking that you could be happy “if” your circumstances were different, and start being happy right now because God loves you and has already blessed you in many ways. Our unhappiness usually comes from within us and not from something around us. So I recommend that you take responsibility for your own joy and stop blaming the lack of it on anything or anyone. The people who are happy are the ones who decide to be happy.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want my joy to always be rooted in You and not in my circumstances. Help me learn to take responsibility for my own joy and to stop blaming other people or my situation in life, amen.

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And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

Philippians 1:6 (AMPC)

Many people are confused about what they are to do with their lives. They don’t know what God’s will is for them; they are without direction. I felt the same way once, but I discovered my destiny by trying several things. I tried working in the nursery at church and quickly discovered that I was not called to work with children. I tried being my pastor’s secretary, and after one day I was fired with no explanation except, “This just isn’t right.” I was devastated at first, until a short while later I was asked to start a weekly meeting on Thursday mornings at church and teach God’s Word. I quickly found where I fit. I could have spent my life being confused, but I thank God that I was confident enough to step out and discover what was right for me. I did it through the process of elimination, and I experienced some disappointments— but it all worked out well in the end.

If you are doing nothing with your life because you are not sure what to do, then I recommend that you pray and begin trying some things. It won’t take long before you will feel comfortable with something. It will be a perfect fit for you. Think of it this way: when you go out to buy a new outfit, you probably try on several things until you find what fits right, is comfortable, and looks good on you. Why not try the same thing with discovering your destiny? A confident person is not afraid to make mistakes, and if they do, they recover and press on.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I know You have a good plan for my life. Please show me the purpose You have planned for me and the courage to try new things. I need discernment, guidance, and the wisdom to find the perfect fit, amen.

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Adapted from The Power of Being Thankful

…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

Joshua 1:5 (AMPC)

The presence of God in our lives helps us overcome fear. If we know by faith that God is with us, we can be grateful for His presence and we can take on any challenge with confidence and courage. We may not always feel God’s presence, but we can be thankful for His Word, remembering that He said He would never leave us or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5).

In the Bible, the basis for not fearing is simply this: God is with us. And if we know God’s character and nature, we know He is trustworthy. We do not have to know what He is going to do, when He is going to do it, or how He is going to do it. Simply knowing He is with us is more than enough.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am grateful that You have promised Your presence will never leave me. Thank You that no matter what things look like around me, I don’t have to fear because You are with me, and You will carry me through.

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Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.

Psalm 39:4-5 (NIV)

Even if we live to be 100 years old, those long years are still nothing compared to eternity. It is good to think about this occasionally, because we should not waste any of the time God has given us on earth. David asked God how long he would live, but he didn’t get an answer, and neither will we. There is a time appointed for each of us to leave this earth, and only God knows when it is.

We should live every day as though it is our last—make wise choices, walk in love, be obedient to God, and bear good fruit. You may have many more days left to live, but you might not, and it would be a shame to waste the last one you have.

One time I was angry with Dave and wasn’t talking to him, and he said, “Wouldn’t it be a shame if this was your last day on earth and you spent it like this?” He got my attention and made me think. Don’t waste one more day being angry, jealous, or disobedient, or feeling anything else that steals time from you and does no good at all. Make your time count so you don’t end up regretting wasted years.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for the reminder that life is short. I ask You to help me live with purpose, love, obedience and not to waste one day of my life, amen.

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I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 43:25 (AMPC)

Do you focus excessively on the past, feeling guilty or condemned about mistakes you’ve made, sins you have committed knowingly or unknowingly, or offenses against God or other people? Do you struggle to believe you can be happy today and have a great future because you feel your past has been too bad?

Many people allow their past sins and failures to weigh on their hearts and minds for too long. Some people reach a very old age and look back on their lives with tremendous regret because they allowed their past to influence them so much that they didn’t do the things they really wanted to do.

Sometimes, the past is a problem because of what we have done to ourselves and to other people. Sometimes it is painful because of what has been done to us. When we have been victims of someone else’s wrongdoing, we need to ask the Lord to heal us. When we have sinned or failed, we need to repent. Once we repent to the Lord, forgiveness happens right away. We are immediately released from guilt and condemnation.

How wonderful it is to know that God is merciful and ready to forgive when we admit our sins and repent of them. This is something for which we should be thankful each and every day.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for immediate forgiveness when I sincerely repent and for making a way for me to live free from guilt. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer.

Psalm 6:9 (AMPC)

Have you ever wondered whether or not God heard your prayer? It is easy to do if He seems to be taking a long time in answering. It is good to remember that a delay is not a denial. Be assured that God heard you when you prayed and that He will answer at the exact right time.

Some answers to prayer come very quickly, but for reasons we don’t fully understand, others can take years for us to see answered. I prayed for my father to accept Christ for at least 30 years before he finally did.

Are you waiting on something right now? If you are, I encourage you to remember that God heard you when you prayed, and although He may take longer than you would like Him to, He will not be late!

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for always hearing my prayers. Help me remember that a delay is not always a denial.

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Adapted from Hearing from God Each Morning

…Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts.

Hebrews 4:7 (AMPC)

When we are unwilling to hear God’s voice in one area of our lives, we are often unable to hear His voice in other areas. Sometimes we hear only what we want to hear, and this is called “selective hearing.” When this happens, people eventually believe they can’t hear from God anymore, but this is not true. The fact is that He has already spoken to them, and they have failed to respond. Let me share a story to illustrate.

A woman once told me that she asked God to give her direction concerning what He wanted her to do: He wanted her to forgive her sister for an offense that had taken place months earlier. The woman was not willing to forgive, so she soon stopped praying. When she did seek the Lord again for something, all she heard in her heart was, “Forgive your sister first.”

Over a two-year period, every time she asked for God’s guidance in a new situation, He gently reminded her to forgive her sister. Finally, she realized she would never get out of her rut or grow spiritually if she did not obey, so she prayed, “Lord, give me the power to forgive my sister.” Instantly she understood many things from her sister’s perspective—things she hadn’t considered before. Within a short time, her relationship with her sister was completely restored and quickly became stronger than ever.

If we really want to hear from God, we have to be open to hear whatever He wants to say and willing to respond to it. I encourage you to hear and obey today.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, open my ears to hear Your voice clearly in all aspects of my life. I ask You, Father, to help me overcome selective hearing and respond obediently to Your promptings, amen.

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I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 (AMPC)

Dread is a relative of fear. The devil tempts us with dread to get us to confess fear instead of faith. But 1 John 4:18 (AMPC) says, There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].

Enjoy your day, knowing that God loves you per¬fectly. Don’t dread the hard things that you must do today, because God is on your side and is ready to help you.

Prayer of the Day: God, as hard as it may be, as much as it hurts, help me tackle the things I’m dreading and putting off, amen.

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Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

James 5:7-8 (NIV)

Today’s scripture about patience is written in the context of waiting patiently for Christ’s return, but it applies to many areas of our lives.

Patience is not simply the ability to wait; it is the ability to keep a good attitude while we are waiting. Patience is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit that can be developed only under trial. This is why God allows us to go through challenges and trials instead of delivering us from them as quickly as we would like. He always has a plan to bring us through the difficult times we face, but He uses difficult times to help us grow so we will be stronger and have greater faith when the trial is over.

We can learn a lot about patience by thinking about farmers who wait for their harvests. The lesson here is that while we wait for something, we simply need to do what we know to do. That’s how a farmer waits when expecting a crop. They water their seeds and pull the weeds—over and over again, day after day. Likewise, as we wait for God to bring something to pass for us, we keep doing what we know to do—pray, spend time in the Word, stand in faith, help, and bless other people, and prepare ourselves as God leads us to receive the blessings we are waiting for. In addition, according to James 5:9, we don’t complain. We simply trust God, knowing that He will do what He needs to do when the time is right.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, Lord, to wait patiently for You, doing what I know to do as I trust You to move in Your perfect timing.

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