For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

— Jeremiah 29:11 (AMPC)

We would all like to know what the future holds for us. God does have a good plan for each of us, but we must be willing to follow His plan, rather than going our own way in order to experience it.

God wants us to live the good life that He has prearranged and made ready for us to live. To press on, we must forget what lies behind us. Your future has no room in it for bad feelings from your past. Take the good things from the past and the lessons you’ve learned along with you but let go of anything that is holding you back or keeping you stuck in fear or insecurity of any kind.

You can have hope instead of hopelessness. Start believing today that your future is filled with good things and refuse to settle for less than God’s best for you.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, please guide me to embrace Your great plan. Help me let go of the past and fill my future with hope. I trust You, Lord, to lead me toward the good life you have prepared for me!

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Strive to enter by the narrow door [force yourselves through it], for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

— Luke 13:24 (AMPC)

Like most of us, you are probably tempted to take all the easy paths, but God’s path is rarely easy. The Bible describes those other paths—the ones that lead to destruction—as “broad” because not a lot of effort is required to remain on them. We are encouraged by God to take the narrow path, the more difficult one, which is also the one that leads to life.

We have to make a strong effort to push through the negativity in the world, but if we will do our part, God will always do His. Not everyone is willing to make the effort. They are addicted to ease and simply flow with their feelings. Jesus died for us so we could have a wonderful, abundant life that is filled with peace, joy, power, success, and every good thing. He was willing to go to the cross and pay for our sins even though physically, mentally, and emotionally it was very difficult. We, too, must be willing to do what is right, and our reward will surely come. God’s grace will always enable us to do the right thing if we are willing to do so.

Study the Word of God regularly, and then when trouble comes, you will already have your spiritual tank full of fuel that will enable you to make right choices. Don’t be the kind of person who prays or has time for God only when you feel like it or have a disaster. Seek God because you know you cannot navigate safely in this world without Him.

You and I can let our minds drift aimlessly day after day, and we can be controlled by our emotions, or we can strive to gird up our minds, choose our thoughts carefully, and manage our emotions. God has set before us life and death, good and evil, and has given us the responsibility of making the choice (see Deut. 30:19). Choose life!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I trust You to give me the strength I need to make the right choices. Help me to understand the right decision is not always the easiest route to get to the end. Thank You for guiding me. I love You, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

— Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

One of the most important truths you can be grateful for is that God has promised to never leave you—He is always by your side!

That’s why it is important to remember this: No matter how difficult the circumstances may seem around you, don’t give up! God is for you, and He is bigger than any trouble you may be facing.

You can regain the territory the devil has stolen from you. If necessary, regain it one inch at a time, being thankful for and always leaning on God’s grace and not on your own ability to get the desired results. In Galatians 6:9, the apostle Paul simply encourages us to keep on keeping on! Don’t be a quitter! Have an “I can do all things through Christ” attitude. God is looking for people who will go all the way through to the other side with Him.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, that You give me the strength to never quit. I am grateful that You are always with me and that You fight my battles.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord.

— Romans 14:8 (AMPC)

My aunt died recently at the age of 90. Situations such as this always remind me of how transitory life is and of the profound reality that each of us has only one life to live. My aunt lived a long life, but the length of our lives is not nearly as important as how well we live. Each day that goes by is one we can never get back, so we should live it with purpose, making sure that whatever we spend our time on is worth it.

Let me ask you: Are you leaving a legacy that you can be proud of? I urge you to enjoy your life, to live for God’s honor and glory, and to make sure that, during your earthly journey, you live in such a way that you feel good about the way you have lived and that you will be missed when your life is complete.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for the life You have given me. I recognize that it is a precious gift and should not be wasted. Help me live well for Your glory. Each day that I live, let me be a benefit to others. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

— Romans 5:8 (NIV)

God reminded me today of His unconditional love!

It is very important to begin each day knowing that you are loved! God loves you unconditionally, and His love is more valuable and important than anyone else’s. He doesn’t love us because we deserve it, but simply because He wants to.

As you receive God’s love freely, it will give you confidence and enable you to live life without fear. God’s perfect love casts out all fear and dread (see 1 John 4:18).

Perhaps you have known the pain of not being chosen. You were not picked for class president or asked to attend the party that everyone was going to. When we are left out it hurts, but the good news for you today is that God has chosen you! You are special to Him and His love for you will never end.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, for loving me. I receive Your love by faith today and ask that it will strengthen me.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

— Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)

As I’ve mentioned before, learning to manage my emotions has been one of the most important lessons I have learned in my journey with God, because it has allowed me to consistently enjoy my life. When we wait to see how we feel before we know if we can enjoy each day, we give emotions control over our lives. But thankfully, we can make decisions that are not based on feelings. If we are willing to make good choices regardless of how we feel, God will be faithful to help us do so.

Living the good life that God offers us requires us to be obedient to His way of being and doing. He gives us the strength to follow His teachings, but we must choose to do it. God won’t choose for us. He helps us, but we must participate by choosing to obey His Word instead of simply doing whatever we feel like doing. We can’t consistently enjoy life until we are willing to do this. For example, I may feel like avoiding someone because they have hurt my feelings or treated me unfairly, but I can choose to pray for them and treat them as Jesus would while I wait for Him to do something in that situation. If I act according to my feelings, I will forfeit peace and joy. But if I choose to do what God has instructed me to do in His Word, I will have His reward and blessing in my life.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, God, to make good choices regarding my emotions and not to allow them to control my life. I want to obey Your Word and experience Your blessings in my life.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming. He Who is called the Christ (the Anointed One); and when arrives, He will He tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us.

— John 4:25 (AMPC)

Learning to hear from God and be led by the Holy Spirit is an exciting adventure. God wants to speak to you and tell you what you need to know to enjoy your life, be blessed, be wise, and fulfill the good plans. He has for you. He always has something good and helpful to say, but sometimes people miss knowing these things because they fail to recognize that God is speaking to them. They need to learn how to hear and obey His voice.

Earthly parents talk to their children all the time, so why wouldn’t our heavenly Father speak to us? Human parents do not expect their children to know what to do if they don’t tell them, and God feels the same way toward His children. He wants to tell us everything we need to know in life.

We often want to go our own way so we can do what we want to do, when we want to do it. But, when we live this way, we end up losing our way and wasting our lives. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us through each day of our time on earth, and He is committed to doing so by speaking to us and telling us everything we need to know.

Prayer of the Day: Father, please help me to always hear Your voice and be guiding by the Holy Spirit. Help me to embrace Your plans for my life, Your wisdom, and live a life filled to overflowing with Your blessings! Thank You, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

— Psalm 133:1 (AMPC)

strong>Great power was manifested in the lives of the early believers. Acts 2:46 (AMPC) tells us why: And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose…. They had the same vision, the same goal, and they were all pressing toward the same mark. They prayed in agreement (see Acts 4:24), lived in harmony (see Acts 2:44), cared for one another (see Acts 2:46), met each other’s needs (see Acts 4:34), and lived a life of faith (see Acts 4:31). The early church lived in unity—and operated in great power.

Now the church is divided into countless factions with different opinions about everything. Even individual congregations are split by the most trivial differences. When we finally see Jesus face-to-face, we will surely discover that not one of us was 100 percent right. Only love holds people together. Make a strong commitment to do whatever is necessary to live in unity—you will discover how good it is!

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want power in my life like the early believers experienced. Help me to walk in love and show me Your power in every area of my life, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!

— Psalm 100:4 (AMPC)

A person flowing in the mind of Christ will find his thoughts filled with praise and thanksgiving. A powerful life cannot be lived without thanksgiving. The Bible instructs us over and over in the principle of thanksgiving. It is a life principle.

Many doors are opened to the enemy through complaining. Some people are physically ill and live weak, powerless lives due to this disease called complaining that attacks the thoughts and conversations of people.

We can offer thanksgiving at all times—in every situation, in all things—and by so doing, enter into the victorious life Jesus died to give us. It may require a sacrifice of praise or thanksgiving, but a person who consciously takes the time to be grateful is always happier than someone who does not.

You can choose to be filled with gratitude not only toward God but also toward people. Expressing appreciation blesses the people around you, but it is also good for you because it releases joy in your life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, when I really stop to think about it, my mind and heart are filled with gratitude for the many blessings I enjoy in my life. Help me to always be thankful and drive out all negativity and all complaining, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

For this commandment which I command you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off.

— Deuteronomy 30:11 (AMPC)

“This is too hard” is one of the excuses we hear most frequently. But we are equipped by God’s Spirit to handle hard things. We are anointed to press through and see victory. The next time you are tempted to say something is too hard, look at Deuteronomy 30:11, which says, “It is not too difficult!”

Anything God leads you to do, you can do. God never leads you to do something unless He gives you the power and the ability to do it. Prepare yourself for right action with power thoughts. Think, I don’t know how I’m going to do it, I don’t feel like I can do it, but God is leading me to do it. And I believe if He is leading me to do it, then I can. Because I believe I can do whatever I need to do through the power of God that resides in me.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, please guide me, direct me, and strengthen my faith. I know that through Your power, I can overcome any challenge I may face, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work….

— Galatians 6:4 (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: Lord, please help me to see myself as You see me and to leave the past behind once and for all. Please help me to renew my mind and embrace my identity as Your child—made right in You, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

— Psalm 146:5 (NIV)

Today is a day to be filled with hope. In fact, every day you walk with God can be filled with hope. All you have to do is choose hope over cynicism, hope over fear, and hope over all kinds of negativity. Hope will keep you positive, full of faith, and happy.

Most people who are unhappy in life are unhappy because they choose to focus on unhappy things. They see the worst in other people, they talk about what is wrong in their own lives, and they have a generally negative outlook. Hope does the opposite. Hope sees the best in others, it speaks about what is going well and declares good things, and it looks for the positive in the circumstances of life. Most of all, hope expects God to do something good in every situation. This is why hope makes us happy.

I urge you today to have a hopeful attitude. Like the psalmist, put your hope in the Lord your God—not in a job or a paycheck, not in a relationship, and not in another person. God is the giver of every good gift (James 1:17), and He wants to bless you. Expect Him to do something good in your life today.

Prayer of the Day: Today, Lord, I choose to hope in You. I’m expecting You to do something good!

http://www.joycemeyer.org

 …I say these things while I am still in the world, so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts].

— John 17:13 (AMPC)

We have joy, but we will not experience it fully unless we stop doing things that dilute or hinder it. The devil tries to make us joyless, but we do not have to let him succeed. Here are five simple ways to keep your joy today.

First, remember that your thoughts are very important. Don’t worry, fret, or be anxious about the future. Instead of reasoning, which leads to confusion, trust God.

Second, don’t become entangled or meddle in other people’s business. We all have enough to attend to, and we should not waste our time in situations that do not concern us. Learn to pick your battles, and don’t make a big deal out of little things.

Third, learn to forgive quickly for your own sake. And when you sin, be quick to repent and don’t waste time feeling guilty about something God has forgiven and forgotten. Fourth, be positive in your thoughts, words, and attitudes—and your joy will overflow.

Finally, live one day at a time. God gives us grace for each day, but not until that day comes, so go ahead and enjoy today fully.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I’m sorry for the joyless days I have spent because of wrong thoughts and attitudes. Forgive me and teach me how to experience full joy in You. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

— Isaiah 26:3 (AMPC)

God never told us to have a busy mind, but a mind that is filled with peace. I recently experienced several days in which I was extremely tired. Actually, exhausted was more like it, and I couldn’t understand why. I was getting good sleep, and, yes, I had a lot going on, but that is not unusual for me.

After putting up with it for a couple of days and complaining frequently, I finally asked God why I was so tired. I just didn’t understand. He showed me that it wasn’t physical tiredness that I felt, but mental tiredness. I had been thinking too much! I must say I was surprised, but as I took an honest look at all the things that were on my mind—while I was simultaneously doing a lot of things like recording for television, working on a book, and traveling—I understood what God was showing me.

In addition to all that, I was attempting to do a lot of creative thinking about upcoming teaching seminars, books, making changes in some ministry areas, finances, and other things. But I should have been giving my mind to what I was doing, instead of doing one thing and thinking about lots of other things. With God’s help, I made a change and decided to give my mind a short vacation, and it helped a lot. Perhaps this example will help you too!

Prayer of the Day: Father, please help me keep my mind on what I am doing and remember that You want me to have peace of mind, not a busy mind!

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

— Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

One way to manage the negative emotions of discouragement and despair, which we all feel at times, is to follow the advice of today’s scripture and “hold unswervingly” to the hope we have in Christ. We hear the word hope often in secular settings, but godly hope has a different quality than worldly hope.

Many times, when people say they hope something will or will not happen, they are vaguely hoping, but clearly doubting. They speak negatively about their circumstances and then wonder why things don’t go well for them. True biblical hope is a solid foundation, a springboard for our faith to take off from and actually take hold of the promises of God. When we have godly hope, we speak and think positively, not negatively.

Prayer of the Day: God, I believe and declare that You are faithful, and I choose today to hope unswervingly in You.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

He was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit (guile) ever found on His lips. When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but He trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly.

— 1 Peter 2:22-23 (AMPC)

One definition of charisma is “great personal magnetism; charm,” but character is “moral or ethical strength, integrity.” There are a lot of people who have charisma, but no character. We see this all the time in life.

Our character is revealed by what we do when nobody is watching. This is a key to walking in confidence with God. Many people will do the right thing when somebody is watching them, but they won’t do the right thing when nobody sees but God. As Christians, our commitment should be, “I am going to do the right thing simply because it is right.”

Character is also seen when we do the right thing to others even though the right thing is not yet happening to us. As demonstrated by Jesus, one test of our character is, will we treat somebody right who is not treating us right? Will we bless someone who is not blessing us? It all comes down to what’s in our heart, whether we trust Him who judges fairly.

Prayer of the Day: Lord Jesus, how You responded to those who reviled and mistreated You was amazing, and humbling. May Your Spirit

http://www.joycemeyer.org

The Lord is on my side, He is among those who help me; therefore I will look [in triumph] on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

— Psalm 118:7-8 (AMP)

Jesus did not enjoy the acceptance or approval of most people while He was on earth. He was despised and rejected by men. But He knew His heavenly Father loved Him. He knew who He was, and it gave Him confidence.

Everything that Jesus endured and suffered was for our sake. He went through rejection so that when we face it, we too can go through it and not be damaged by it, or if we have already been damaged, then we can completely recover.

There will always be some people who will not accept you, but their acceptance isn’t what ultimately matters. God loves you unconditionally; He approves of you and accepts you. That is all the acceptance you will ever truly need.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, thank You for loving me. Please remind me of Your love and acceptance, especially when facing rejection. Please strengthen my confidence in who I am in You, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce].

— Romans 2:1 (AMPC)

Humility is defined as “freedom from pride and arrogance…a modest estimate of one’s own worth.” In theology, it means having a consciousness of your own defects. We often judge other people because we don’t really have a conscious awareness of our own flaws. We look at everybody else through a magnifying glass, but we look at ourselves through rose-colored glasses. For others who make mistakes, “there is no excuse,” but it seems for us, there is always a reason why our behavior is acceptable.

The Bible says to humble yourselves…under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6 AMPC). Examine your own heart and actions and humble yourself before Him. God gives us an opportunity to humble ourselves, but if we refuse, He will do it for us. So, pray for God to make you aware of areas that need attention and refuse to sit in judgment on others.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me to always stay clear of pride and arrogance. Cause me to examine my own heart and actions, and to be aware of those areas that need attention. Help me never to sit in judgment on anyone else, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

— Matthew 26:41 (AMPC)

Fear is Satan’s way of trying to prevent us from going forward so we cannot enjoy the life Jesus died to give us. And fear attacks everyone at some time. But fears are not realities. Fears are False Evidence Appearing Real.

Fear is a force that can weaken our lives if we give in to it, but God desires to strengthen us as we fellowship with Him in prayer. Faith is released through prayer, which makes tremendous power available for our lives.

The Bible teaches us to “watch and pray.” With God’s help, we can watch ourselves and the circumstances around us and be alert to the attacks the enemy launches against our minds and emotions. When these attacks are detected, we can go to God immediately in prayer. He is our strong tower, and when we are in Him there is nothing to fear.

The best way to resist the devil is to pray. Our honest, sincere prayers draw us closer to God. And the closer we are to God, the easier it is to dismiss fear.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to be generous. I want to be a giver. Please cultivate in me a generous heart. Cause me to be eager to bless and serve others, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].

— Hebrews 11:6 (AMPC)

Faith is a powerful force that we have access to and should be very thankful for. When we live by faith, we release God to do amazing things for us and through us. Faith is the leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness (see Colossians 1:4). We can come to God in childlike faith, simply believing His Word and placing our faith in Him to do what He has promised.

Some people say that they have no faith, but that is not true. We all have faith, but we may not choose to put it in God. When you sit in a chair, you have faith that it will hold you up. When you deposit money in the bank, you have faith that you will be able to go back and get it when you need it. What, or whom, are you placing your faith in?

I urge you not to put your faith in something unstable and shaky but put it in God who is a solid Rock and never changes. He is faithful and will always do what He promises to do.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, for the way You take up residence in my heart. You are not distant or out of reach. I thank You that You dwell in me and are involved in every area of my life.

http://www.joycemeyer.org