However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you….

— John 16:7 (AMPC)

Quite often, we feel that we are alone and have no one to help us, but Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be with us always and that He is our “Helper.” One of the most powerful prayers we can pray is, “Help me, Lord,” and we should pray it several times every day. It is a simple three-word prayer that declares that we are depending on the Holy Spirit and we know we cannot do anything without Him.

Don’t struggle along in life, trying to do things by yourself, when you have the greatest Helper in the world available to you. James said that …you do not have, because you do not ask (James 4:2 AMPC), so I encourage you to start asking more often and expect to get more help than ever before.

Prayer of the Day: Father, through Your Holy Spirit, help me today and every day with everything I do. I am totally dependent on You!

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 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever!

— 1 Chronicles 16:34 (AMPC)

Thanksgiving should be a regular part of our lives. It is something that creates an atmosphere where God can speak; it is a type of prayer; and it should flow out of us in a natural way that is pure and easy. We can take time each evening and thank God for the things He helped us with that day, but we should also continually breathe out simple prayers of thanksgiving every time we see Him working in our lives or blessing us.

For example, “Lord, thank You for a good night’s sleep” or, “God, I thank You that my visit to the dentist didn’t hurt as much is I thought it might, ” or “Father, thank You for helping me make good decisions today,” or “Lord, thank You for keeping me encouraged.” God is always good to us, always faithful, and always working diligently in our lives to help us in every possible way. We need to respond by letting Him know we appreciate Him and everything He is doing for us. We should thank God silently in our hearts and we should also voice our thankfulness aloud because that helps us stay conscious and aware of God’s love, which He demonstrates through His goodness to us.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for helping me throughout my day and please remind me to be continually thankful in every single moment, big or small. My heart overflows with gratitude for Your constant love and faithfulness! In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

— Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)

As I’ve mentioned many times, 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 the 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.

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Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].

— Colossians 3:2 (AMP)

Our thoughts, words, and attitudes create an atmosphere. It can be hectic and stressful, or it can be calm, positive, and even enjoyable. Thoughts become words, attitudes, body language, facial expressions, and even moods—and all of these things affect the atmosphere we live in.

God responds to our faith, our confident expectation that He is working on our behalf. If we have a negative situation, but a positive attitude, it opens the door for God to work and change our negative situation around.

God’s desire for us is that we learn to live with a positive attitude—an attitude of faith and hope. No matter what our circumstances, our minds belong to us, and no one should do our thinking for us. Be passionate about being positive and watch how God will work in your situation.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I come to You in the name of Jesus and ask You to help me have a positive attitude and expectation that You will lift me up above my circumstances, enable me to have peace in the middle of the storm and experience joy regardless of what is going on around me, amen.

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But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant)….

— Luke 6:35 (AMPC)

Has God ever asked you to do something really special for somebody who hurt you? If so, I am sure that like me you found it very difficult to do. Perhaps you have spent a lot of time in your life blessing someone who never blesses you in return. In that case, don’t become bitter but trust God to reward you.

Some of us are a little more naturally disposed toward kindness than others. Many of us find we can be kind to those who are kind to us, but we run into trouble with those we don’t think deserve kindness. God delights in being kind to those of us who don’t deserve it. Actually, kindness isn’t even kindness unless it is extended toward the undeserving.

End your day by being kind to someone.

Prayer of the Day: Father, please help me to always walk in kindness toward others, especially to those who have hurt me. I cannot do this without Your help. Thank You, amen.

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 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

— Ephesians 1:6 (AMPC)

It is not God’s desire for us to feel frustrated and condemned in our lives. He wants us to realize that we are His children, and we are pleasing to Him.

There are plenty of voices trying to tell us who and what we aren’t, but the closer we get to God, the more we hear Him telling us who we are—righteous in Christ, loved and well-pleasing to our heavenly Father.

The devil tells us we cannot possibly be acceptable to God because of our faults and sins, but God tells us that we are accepted in the beloved because of what His Son, Jesus, has already done for us.

If you have dealt or are dealing with any guilt or condemnation today, remember that God never reminds us of how far we have fallen. He always reminds us of how far we can rise. He reminds us of how much we have overcome, how precious we are in His sight, and how much He loves us.

Prayer of the Day: Father, please drown out the voices of doubt and unbelief, and let me hear only Your voice of love. Please remind me that I am always accepted and loved by You because of Jesus, amen.

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 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

— Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Typically, we are excited at the beginning of an opportunity, a relationship, or a venture. We’re also happy when we can celebrate our achievements and have the satisfaction of fulfilled desires. But between the beginning and the end, every situation or pursuit has a “middle”—and the middle is where we often face our greatest challenges, hurdles, roadblocks, obstacles, detours, and tests.

The enemy wants you to stop short of receiving and enjoying everything God has for you, and he will tempt you to give up by sometimes making the middle of your venture seem too long or too hard. God, on the other hand, wants the very best for you; He wants you to finish the race set before you, enjoying every step along the way. Be determined to be faithful all the way through and enjoy your victory.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, please help me to be diligent in the middle of my challenges. I ask that You help me remain faithful as I overcome every obstacle and in the name of Jesus, I will celebrate the victory You have prepared for me, amen.

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Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

— Isaiah 43:18-19 (AMPC)

Paul learned the power of overcoming his past. In Philippians 3:13 he said it was his aim—his “one aspiration”—to forget what was behind him, and God used him mightily.

I wonder what would happen in your life if you made it your one aspiration to move past your past. Just imagine what God could do in your life if you stopped focusing on the events of yesterday. I believe He would totally revolutionize every area of your life.

To move forward into God’s best is going to take determination. There are lots of things that want to hold you back, including events from your past. But if you’ll make it your one aspiration, you can move past yesterday, enjoy today, and go boldly into tomorrow.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me let go of the past and move forward in You. I ask that my sole aspiration would be to embrace Your plans for today and tomorrow, amen.

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The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, You have dwelt long enough on this mountain. Turn and take up your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites…Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and take possession of the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them.

— Deuteronomy 1:6-8 (AMPC)

Those of us who are parents know these words so well: “In a minute. Just a little longer.” We call our children to leave their playing and come inside, but they want just a little more time to stay out with their friends. For now, at least, they’re content playing and don’t want to think about getting cleaned up or eating dinner. It’s always, “Just a little longer”—if we let them. And at times, we adults act a little like those children who cry out, “Just a little longer.”

I’ve met miserable people—those who disliked their lives, hated their jobs, or were in intolerable relationships with the wrong kind of people. They knew they were miserable, but they did nothing about it. “Just a little longer.” A little longer for what? More pain? More discouragement? More unhappiness?

Those are the people who have what I call the wilderness mentality. I want to explain that. Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt. If they had obeyed God, stopped their grumbling, and moved straight ahead as God originally told them, they could have made the trip in 11 days. But it took them 40 years.

Why did they finally leave? Only because God said, “You have dwelt long enough on this mountain.” If God hadn’t pushed them into the Promised Land, I wonder how long they would have stayed and longed to cross the Jordan.

They were people in bondage. Although they had seen miracles in Egypt and had praised God at the defeat of the Egyptian armies at the Red Sea, they were still in bondage. The chains were no longer on their bodies, but they had never removed those chains from their minds. That is the wilderness mentally.

For 40 years, they grumbled. They had no water, and then God provided it for them. They grumbled about the food. Manna was alright, but they wanted meat of some kind. No matter what the situation, they were still mental prisoners. As they had been in Egypt, so they were in the wilderness. No matter how good things became, they were never good enough. They had forgotten all the hardships and slavery in Egypt, and every time they were dissatisfied with Moses’ leadership, they moaned, “Oh, if only we had stayed in Egypt.”

They had forgotten how bad things were; They had no vision for how good things could get. When they had the chance to move into the new land, they were afraid. “There are giants in the land,” they cried out. They had seen God’s deliverance in the past, but they weren’t ready for it in the present.

Finally God said, “Okay, it’s time to move out.” The Bible doesn’t tell us about their attitude, but there’s no reason to believe it had changed. I can imagine they cried out, “Let’s stay just a little longer. Things aren’t good here, but we know how to live in the wilderness. We are afraid to leave this place—we have become used to it.” If you don’t like your life, but you won’t make the effort to change, you may have a wilderness mentality. If your mind stays filled with negative thoughts, they will keep you in bondage.

However, you can do something about it. You don’t have to waste any more time. You can say, “I’ve dwelt long enough at this mountain. Now I’m going into the Promised Land—the land where I’ll live in victory and defeat Satan’s plans.”

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me cast off the wilderness mentality. Help me take on the Promised-Land mentality and live in victory, through Jesus Christ, amen.

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 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

— Psalm 119:147-148 (NIV)

In today’s scriptures, we can sense the psalmist’s commitment to God’s Word. In modern language, we would say he “gets up early and stays up late” to meditate on God’s promises. Reading or hearing the Word is good, but when we also devote our thoughts to it, as the psalmist did, we begin to understand it more deeply. The Word of God is filled with power, and it has the ability to change us. Just as good, nutritious food must be chewed well and swallowed for us to benefit from it, so the Word of God must be taken in and digested to become part of us. We do this in our minds, by thinking about it and focusing on it, not allowing ourselves to be distracted while we spend time in it.

I encourage you to make a habit of choosing a Bible verse and meditating on it throughout the day, or perhaps for a week or more at a time. To choose a verse, you might think of one that is particularly meaningful to you, or you might think of a topic that is important to you right now, such as prayer, healing, or managing your finances. Then look up verses about that subject online or in a concordance. This way, biblical truth will become rooted in your heart and become more meaningful to you.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I want to devote my thoughts to Your Word and to make time in my schedule to seriously study it. Help me, I pray.

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Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.

— Psalm 127:1 (AMPC)

If we want to succeed at what we do, it is vital that we invite God to be in charge of the project. Whether we are trying to build a marriage, a business, or a life, our labor will be in vain unless God is the head of the building committee.

Think about your life today and ask yourself if you are trying to do things that you have not invited God to be part of. If so, I can assure you that you are struggling and probably frustrated because things are not working out well. God is waiting to be invited to help you, and all you need to do is ask Him. Humble yourself under His hand, and He will guide and direct you.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am sorry for leaving You out of so many things in my life. I recognize that I need You and that nothing will prosper without You. Please help me, guide me, and direct me in all my efforts. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

Recycling is something that has developed over the past several decades and is now a big business. We are all encouraged to put certain types of trash in special trash containers for recycling. It is good to take used and even damaged things and create something new from them. We may think this is a modern idea, but God has been doing it as long as time has existed.

There is nothing about you or your past that God cannot restore and make something new out of. He actually uses those people that the world views as completely without value and throws away. Look forward to your future and never think it is too late for you to have a good life.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Lord, for being a good recycler and for restoring everything in my life that is damaged. You make all things new!

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For as in one physical body we have many parts…and all of these parts do not have the same function or use, so we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ (the Messiah) and individually, we are parts one of another [mutually dependent on one another].

— Romans 12:4-5 (AMPC)

Today’s verses teach us about the diversity of gifts given to individuals. We are all parts of one body in Christ, and He is the Head. In the physical realm, all body parts must relate to the head if everything is to be in good working order. The various parts of the physical body work together; they are not jealous or competitive. The hands help the feet put their shoes on. The feet take the body wherever it needs to go. The mouth does the talking for the rest of the body. There are many parts to the body; they don’t all have the same function, but they all work together for one combined purpose. The spiritual body of Christ should work the same way. That is why the Holy Spirit used the example of the physical body when He inspired Paul to write the book of Romans.

When we attempt to function in any way other than the way God has created and assigned us to function, we end up with pressure in our lives. But when we do what God has designed us to do, we experience joy, satisfaction, and great reward. We need to work with the Holy Spirit to discover what our unique, customized destiny is, and then do everything we can do to fulfill it. When God has gifted or enabled you to do something, you will be good at it, so find something you are good at and start doing it.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I know we are all different, but help me always to realize that we are one body in Christ, Your Son. Guide me to embrace and make the most of Your gifts, so that I can help facilitate peace, harmony, purpose, and joy—not only in my own life, but in the lives of others, amen.

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I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

— Psalm 139:14 (ESV)

Do you ever stop and think about how unique and special you are? When our soul is wounded, we don’t always feel special. Sometimes we feel very bad about ourselves, and we feel unloved or unlovable. But everyone God creates is “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and He loves each of us more than we can comprehend.

Just like the stars in the sky, every one of us is different. We are all born with different personalities, different likes, and dislikes, different gifts and abilities, different physical features—even different fingerprints! Each of us has a special part to play in God’s overall plan.

A lot of people have suffered wounds in their soul. The pain has some similarities, such as feelings of disappointment, rejection, or hopelessness, but people handle it differently. Some try to bury their pain, pretending that the situations that caused it never happened. Some express it in unhealthy ways, such as addictions or excessive behaviors. And some people have learned to deal with it in healthy ways.

People choose to handle their pain differently, and God chooses to heal our pain differently. One person’s journey to healing will not be like anyone else’s journey. Each is unique. When God begins to heal us, we cannot assume He will do it the same way He healed someone else, but we can always be sure He will do it in the way that is best for us. All we need to do is discover how He is leading us and follow Him down that path.

God chooses to heal some people in the context of a Bible study or small group from church. He chooses to heal others in more private settings, maybe by spending time with a pastor or Christian counselor. Some people find healing in nature. Others find it in creating art or sculpture. No matter what your journey to healing looks like, I can assure you of two things.

First, your journey will be designed by God just for you. In His deep knowledge and love for you, He will lead you in a way that is right for you.

Second, your journey will be based on His Word. He may lead you to study a specific book of the Bible, such as Ephesians or John. He may lead you to study certain portions of Scripture, such as Psalms or Proverbs. Or He may impress on your heart that you should study Bible verses on specific topics that will help you heal, topics such as receiving God’s love, trusting God, forgiving others, finding peace, finding joy, or many other subjects. I encourage you to pray and ask God to reveal the unique journey He has for you. Follow Him wholeheartedly, and great things will happen!

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I come to You in the name of Jesus, and ask You to guide me on my unique journey to healing. Let Your Word, Father, illuminate my path, and strengthen my trust in Your perfect plan for my life, amen.

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He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

— Ecclesiastes 11:4 (AMPC)

When the Lord asks His people to do something, there is a temptation to wait for a convenient season (Acts 24:25 KJV). There is always the tendency to hold back until it won’t be so difficult. The problem is that in order to accomplish something for God, you have to be willing to leave your comfort zone and take on new responsibility.

God expects you to do something that will produce good fruit. If you do not use the gifts and talents that He has given you, then you are not being responsible over what He has entrusted to you. You need to be a person who is unafraid of responsibility and change. It is in times of challenge that you build your strength. If you only do what is easy, you will always remain weak and ineffective. The time to move forward is now!

Prayer of the Day: Father, please give me the strength to leave my comfort zone and embrace responsibility. Help me to bear good fruit for You and to move forward without fear, amen.

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Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous…shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

— Psalm 32:11 (AMPC)

People from all walks of life have bouts with discouragement and despair. There are many underlying causes for despair and a variety of treatments offered to deal with it. Some are effective, but many offer only a temporary solution. The good news is that Jesus can heal us and deliver us from discouragement. He can restore our lives to one of joy and peace.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, the joy of the Lord is already inside you. Even when you don’t seem to feel joyful, you can tap into that joy and release it by faith. You can experience what is yours as a result of your faith in Jesus Christ. It is God’s will for you to experience joy!

I had problems with discouragement and despair myself a long time ago. But thank God, I learned I didn’t have to allow negative feelings to rule me. I learned how to release the joy of the Lord in my life! When discouragement comes, don’t accept and agree with it, but encourage yourself by looking at God’s promises and letting them fill you with hope. No matter what you have gone through in life or are going through now, being discouraged won’t change it. No matter what you have lost, you still have a lot left. Stop living in the past and ask God to show you the future He has planned for you!

Prayer of the Day: Father, I come to You today in the name of Jesus and ask You to help me overcome my discouragement. Renew my joy, show me the road to the future You have prepared for me and help me to tap into Your joy, amen.

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This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

— Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)

As you learn to manage your emotions more effectively so you can be stable in an unstable world, it’s important to realize that no one is born knowing how to manage their emotions, but we can learn to do it. Making healthy, godly decisions when we feel like doing something else is vital to enjoying a victorious life. For years, I simply did what I felt like doing, and it got me into a lot of trouble. But God has taught me how to follow His Word instead of following my emotions. I don’t always succeed, but I have learned a lot about this and will continue learning all of my life.

People respond to emotions in various ways. Some ignore, deny, or suppress their feelings. Others respond physically—by overeating, drinking, exercising excessively, or substance abuse (whether that’s sugar, caffeine, prescription medications, or mood-altering drugs). Still others withdraw when emotions are intense, while others run to their friends or to social media to process how they feel. And there are some who go on cleaning sprees, and others take shopping trips. The list goes on. Perhaps you’ve experienced one or more of these unhealthy responses. If so, today is the day you can begin to handle your emotions in positive ways instead of negative ones.

In today’s scripture, God tells His people to “choose life.” This means to make decisions that lead to peace, joy, and stability. We learn how to make these decisions as we study His Word, and we find peace, joy, and stability as we obey it.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, God, for Your Word and for the ways it teaches me to choose life. Help me to obey it in every area of my life for as long as I live.

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And they shall know [from personal experience] that I am the Lord their God, Who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.

— Exodus 29:46 (AMPC)

Consider your life. Are there situations you now handle well that would have previously made you feel fearful and anxious? Of course, there are. As you have been walking with God, He has been strengthening you through experience and hardening you to difficulties.

In the same way, I can also assure you and encourage you that some of the things bothering you right now will not affect you the same way in the future. We often struggle when we do certain things for the first time. But after gaining some experience, that struggle is no longer present. We must press through the feelings, gain some experience leaning on God, and never allow circumstances to control us.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I can’t do this without You. Please give me Your strength to get through the challenges in my life and guide my reactions to face whatever lies ahead with Your grace, amen.

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 …I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying My power in [dealing with] you, so that My name may be proclaimed the whole world over.

— Romans 9:17 (AMPC)

If you want victory over something, prepare yourself to work at it. But it is not a matter of depending on yourself or winning at life through your own determination. God gives us grace to do good works. But grace doesn’t mean that our human flesh gets a free ride while we just lie down and go to sleep.

You are made for good works, to be a servant of righteousness. You are built to take responsibility, and God will help you accomplish all He gives you to do. He set you free from the bondage of sin so that you can conform to His divine will in thought, purpose, and action (see Romans 6:18). Victory is achieved through God’s grace, but you must choose to trust Him every step of the way.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please give me the desire to do good works, through faith. I trust in Your grace and not my own power or strength. Please guide me in righteousness and line up my actions with Your divine will, amen.

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