In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

— Proverbs 3:6 (AMPC)

God doesn’t always give us exact and specific directions, but He does guide us as we go through life trusting Him. He expects us to follow His Word, His Spirit, and His wisdom.

Keep your life simple by not doing anything you don’t have peace about or that is not wise. Trust God to guide you daily, and boldly follow Him.

Don’t be afraid to make decisions. Pray, and then follow what God puts in your heart. If you do make a mistake, you can trust Him to guide you back onto the right path.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help direct and guide me as I make decisions, knowing if I make a mistake, You will guide me back to the right path, amen.

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

— Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

Today more people are spiritually malnourished than ever before. Too many elements of society distract people from their eternal souls and encourage them to concentrate on material life instead.

Caught up in this lifestyle, many people mistake the void they feel inside for physical hunger. They were never taught to recognize spiritual hunger, or what to do about it if they do recognize it. Since they don’t know what to do about the pain and loneliness, they reach for the quickest fix they know: food, drugs, alcohol, or other material pleasures.

If you have a rich spiritual life, you’ll already be satisfied and fulfilled in the moment, and won’t feel the need to “supplement” your moment with “things.”

We all have these moments at times. You wander through a summer field of fireflies and suddenly feel still and awed at the beauty of it all. You hold your new son or grandson on your lap and feel a great spiritual bond of love all around you. You’re sitting in a pew Sunday morning and the light comes through the stained glass and fills your heart with joy. The moment is complete in itself. You don’t think, My heart is full of joy, and boy do I wish I had a slice of chocolate cake in my hand! You can know the complete fulfillment of spiritual nourishment, and know that if you will experience it regularly, you’ll have no problem craving earthly things.

In fact, we should all feel those transcendent moments more often than we do. I believe they are essential to physical, emotional, and spiritual health. And I think we spend too little time trying to achieve them and too much time meditating on our problems. Get your mind off the problems and spend more time meditating on the one true source of nourishment—God’s love.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I want to continually feel awed by You and filled to overflowing with joy! Wrap Your arms around me as I spend time with you on a regular basis, amen.

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Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

— Psalm 119:105 (AMPC)

While negative thoughts, words, emotions, and relationships can cause stress—and stress can cause sickness—positive thoughts, words, emotions, and relationships can bring health and healing. Consider the following scriptures:

• “A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body . . .” (Proverbs 14:30 AMPC)

• “My son, attend to my words…for they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20,22 AMPC)

• “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb sweet to the mind and healing to the body.” (Proverbs 16:24 AMPC)

We can be thankful for the power of God’s Word in our lives. Meditating on Scripture and following God’s instruction will cause us to think, speak, and live in a way that brings healing to every part of our lives.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I thank You for Your Word and the healing it brings to my life. I am grateful that my thoughts, words, emotions, and relationships are all changed by the guidance You give me through Scripture.

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Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet. The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path.

— Psalm 140:4-5 (NIV)

Satan and those through whom he works are masters of deception. We should pray regularly to have discernment between good and evil and for God to protect us from deception.

Sometimes I think the devil seems to know us better than we know ourselves. He knows our weak points, and I often say that he sets us up to get us upset. One thing in which the devil delights is for us to lose our peace. For example, if having to spend money on repairs for your home makes you upset, the devil will make sure things break down. I can easily become frustrated and sometimes angry if a repairperson has an appointment to fix something in our home and doesn’t show up or even bother to call to cancel. But getting upset does no good. It doesn’t change anything except that it steals my peace, and makes the devil happy.

You can see from our scriptures today that Satan sets traps for us, but we can avoid them if we are aware of his tactics. The Bible says we are to resist the devil at his onset (1 Peter 5:9 AMPC), meaning immediately when we realize he is working against us. He roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour (1 Peter 5:8 AMPC). But you and I don’t have to let him devour us. God will help us and teach us how to watch for the enemy’s deception, and we should resist him immediately, knowing that God is on our side.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me recognize the traps that the enemy sets for me, and give me discernment so I can avoid his wicked ways.

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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

— Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

We live in Christ, and He lives in us. The victory that He has won is available to us. Don’t talk yourself into being weak and powerless. Confess today’s scripture aloud several times each day by saying, “I am strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” As you do, you will begin to feel stronger and more powerful.

God’s Word says, According to your faith let it be done to you (Matthew 9:29 NIV). If you believe nobody likes you, there is a good chance that nobody will. Because of what you believe, you will behave in ways that will cause people to avoid being around you. On the other hand, if you believe you are the kind of person people love to be around, you will have many friends because your behavior will reflect what you believe about yourself.

Satan is the great deceiver, and he delights in telling us lies about ourselves, hoping we will believe them. If we do, then his lies become our reality simply because we have believed them. Be sure that what you believe is backed up by God’s Word, because that will help you stay strong on the narrow path that leads to life (see Matthew 7:14).

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me believe that I am strong and that I have Your power inside of me. Help me recognize and resist the lies of the devil. I want to be all You want me to be, and I need Your strength and power in order to do that. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

— Ephesians 4:15 (AMPC)

Satan is the deceiver, and his goal is to prevent us from walking in the truth. But Jesus came that we might know the Truth, and He said the Truth would make us free (see John 8:32).

When I began to seriously study God’s Word, I found that I had a life built on deception and lies. I believed many things that simply were not true, yet they were true for me because I believed them. Lies become our reality if we believe them! For example, I believed I could never overcome my past, but God’s Word taught me that I could let go of what was behind and learn to enjoy the good life God had planned for me (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

It is important for us to know the truth and apply it to our lives. It is also important to tell the truth in all situations and to be truthful with ourselves about our motives and actions. Any person who makes a commitment to “live truly” will learn many things about him or herself, some of which may not be pleasant. Even though it is difficult to face truth at times, it is also wonderful to be free from lies and deception. I spent many years blaming my problems on other people, but the truth was that I had a bad attitude and a lot of bitterness from my past. It was painful to face, but that truth ultimately set me free and brought healing into my life.

I encourage you to join me in praying daily that God will reveal truth to us in every situation and give us the courage to face it. A few days ago, Dave and I had a heated conversation, and I was sure it was his fault until I asked God to show me truth in the situation.

When I did, God revealed to me that I had created the situation by saying several things that were totally useless and that put Dave on the defensive. That wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but it will help me not to make the same mistake again! Truth is very valuable. Let’s be committed to living a life of truth.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I ask You to reveal truth to me in every situation in my life and to give me the courage to face it. Thank You!

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Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

— Revelation 22:12 (NIV)

Sometimes, we try our best in certain situations because of our love for the Lord, but things don’t seem to work out in our favor. When this happens, we can easily become discouraged. We may need to do the right thing for a long period of time before we see the right results, but as I always say, “Payday is coming.”

God never forgets our labor for Him. The Bible says, He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV), and there is great reward for those who keep and obey His teachings (Psalm 19:11 NKJV).

Some of our rewards are realized here on earth, and some are set aside for us in heaven. We don’t know exactly what these rewards are, but we know that God is good and that everything He prepares for us is also good. I encourage you to look forward to your reward from God. Be steadfast, be strong in the Lord, and continue to do what is right. You will never regret it.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for Your goodness in my life. I look forward to my reward, not because I deserve anything, but because You are faithful. Help me remain strong and never give up. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

— Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMP)

If we seek to know things, we may never know God as we should, but if we seek to know Him, we can be assured that He will show us everything we need to know at exactly the right time.

Instead of trying to figure everything out, we can trust God to reveal His wisdom and understanding to us at the right times. We are encouraged in God’s Word to lean not on our own understanding but in all of our ways to trust God with our mind and heart. Go ahead and try it; you will start to enjoy life more than ever before.

Use the time you previously spent worrying, frustrated, and trying to figure everything out seeking to know God better. That is the best way you can spend your time; it comes with great rewards.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I trust you to help me stop having to understand everything that is taking place in my life, and simply wait on You to do what only You can do. Thank You, Lord Jesus, amen.

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In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].
— Psalm 5:3 (AMPC)
In order to hear the voice of God, it is necessary to find times just to be still. This is an important part of living in close fellowship with God. It is how you recognize God’s leading in your life. A busy, hurried, frantic, stressful lifestyle makes it very challenging to hear the Lord.
If you are hungry to perceive God’s voice, find a place to get quiet before Him. Get alone with Him and tell Him that you need Him and want Him to teach you how to receive His guidance and direction. Ask Him to tell you what He has for your life and what He wants you to do that day.
And then I encourage you to do this: Take time to listen.
Even if you don’t feel an immediate prompting in your spirit, God promises that if you seek Him, you will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13). You will get a word from God. He will lead you by an inner knowing, by common sense, by wisdom, or by peace. And each time, however He leads you, His leading will always line up with His Word.
I have found that God doesn’t always speak to us right away or necessarily during our prayer time. He may end up speaking to you two days later while you are in the middle of doing something completely unrelated. Though it may not be in our timing, God will speak to us and let us know the way we should go.
Prayer of the Day: Lord Jesus, I need You! Teach me how to hear Your voice, receive Your guidance and direction. Show me what You want me to do today and help me as I listen for your voice. I love You, amen.

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My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

— Proverbs 4:20-22 (ESV)

God’s Words are life to us, and they bring healing to every area of our life, including our inner life (soul). His Word is actually medicine for a wounded soul. Just as there are different types of medicines available for various disease and wounds of the physical body, God’s Word is medicine that heals our minds, emotions, wills, attitudes, consciences, and behaviors. It has a positive effect on our joy, peace, and confidence. It can cure fear, insecurity, and negativity.

Just as we get a prescription from the doctor and patiently take our medicine as often as we are supposed to, and get it refilled when we need to, we should look at God’s Word in the same way. For example, if we are fearful, there are countless Scriptures that will help us deal with fear, or if we are worried or anxious, we may turn to Scripture and find help. I am convinced that we do not have a problem for which God’s Word doesn’t have an answer.

Bible study may sound daunting to you, and if so, I recommend that you either join a Bible study group in which the Scripture is being explained or find a pastor or Bible teacher who is very practical in their teaching and makes God’s Word applicable to your everyday life. Don’t simply say, “I try to read the Bible and I don’t understand it.” Be determined to find a way to understand it and begin by asking the Holy Spirit to help you learn something each time you open the Scripture to read it. After more than 40 years I still do that each morning when I study. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher.

One of the things that helped me a lot was reading good Bible-based books in any area in which I needed help. I read books on rejection, shame, guilt, fear, worry, and emotional healing. Learn to study in the areas where you need help rather than just randomly opening the Bible and reading something in order to check your Bible reading off your list for the day.

Wounded, dysfunctional people have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to go into treatment centers, or for professional counseling. Let me quickly add that both may be very good. But sometimes those same people won’t pay 25 dollars for a Bible-based book from a Christian author or a small fee to attend a Christian conference that could be life-changing for them.

If you are serious about having a wounded soul healed, then you will need to develop a love for God’s Word. See it for what it is! It is not merely words in black ink on white pages. It is life, healing, strength, courage, and anything else you need.

Prayer of the Day: Father, Your Word is my life and my strength, and I love it. Thank You for Your love and Your Word, amen.

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Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.

— Romans 13:10 (AMPC)

Did you know that walking in love can mean simply doing what is right?

There are things that we shouldn’t do, simply because we love God, and because we don’t want to hurt somebody else’s conscience. We may have the freedom to do these things, but our freedom could offend others, or cause them to do something against their conscience, and thus sin against God.

If you walk in love today, there may be things that you have the right to do, but the Holy Spirit will prompt you not to exercise your right out of love for someone who is watching you. Love never demands its own way (see 1 Corinthians 13:5). Love is always the higher law.

Prayer of the Day: Lord Jesus, thank You for living in me. Help me grow in You and walk in Your divine guidance, amen.

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That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you…. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

— 2 Timothy 1:6–7 (AMPC)

It doesn’t matter what kind of problem we have in our lives; we need self-control and discipline to gain and maintain the victory. I believe this is especially true regarding our thought life and the battle for our mind. What begins in the mind eventually comes out of the mouth, and before we know it, we’re telling anyone who will listen how we feel. We must discipline our mind, our mouth, our feelings, and our actions so that they are all in agreement with what the Word of God says.

Every quality of God that is in you and me, God Himself planted in us in the form of a seed the day we accepted Christ (see Colossians 2:10). Over time and through life’s experiences, the seeds of Christ’s character begin to grow and produce the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22–23).

I have found that it is virtually impossible to operate in any of the other eight fruit of the Spirit unless we are exercising self-control. How can you and I remain patient, for example, during an upsetting situation unless we exercise restraint? Or how can we walk in love and believe the best of someone after they have repeatedly hurt us unless we use the fruit of self-control?

As Christians, we have the fruit of the Spirit in us, but we must purposely choose to exercise them. Not choosing to exercise the fruit of the Spirit is what produces carnal Christians—those who are under the control of ordinary impulses and walk after the desires of the flesh (see 1 Corinthians 3:3). Whatever we exercise the most becomes the strongest.

Our thoughts and words are two areas in which the Holy Spirit is constantly prompting us to exercise self-control. The Bible says that …as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he, and out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks (Proverbs 23:7; Luke 6:45b AMPC). The devil is constantly trying to get us to accept wrong thoughts about everything from God’s love for us (or the lack of it) to what terrible thing is going to happen to us next. Why? Because he knows that once we start accepting and believing his lies, it is just a matter of time until we begin to speak them out of our mouths. And when we speak wrong things, we open the door for wrong things to come into our lives (see Proverbs 18:20–21).

What if, instead of allowing our minds to go over all the things that have hurt us, we would remind ourselves to think about all the good things God has brought into our lives? When we allow Satan to fill our minds with worry, anxiety, and doubt, we wear out our ability to make good decisions. Worry is also thankless by nature. I’ve noticed that people who worry rarely see much good in life. They talk about tragedy, failures, sickness, and loss. They seem unable to focus on the good things that they still have in life.

Try this: Each day, focus on the things God has done for you in the past. This will make it easier for you to expect good things in the future. As I wrote those words, I thought of the memorials mentioned in the Old Testament. Often the people stacked up heaps of stones as reminders that God had delivered them or appeared to them. As they looked backward and remembered, they were able to look forward and believe.

The psalmist wrote, O my God, my life is cast down upon me [and I find the burden more than I can bear]; therefore will I [earnestly] remember You from the land of the Jordan [River] and the [summits of Mount] Hermon (Psalm 42:6 AMPC). He was reminding himself of past victories. When he was having problems, he recalled God’s great work in the lives of the people.

When doubts try to sneak in, you can do what the psalmist did: You can look back and remember that God has always been with His people. All of us have had times when we wondered if we’d make it. But we did. So will you.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, forgive me for allowing the little things of life to distract me and to take my thoughts away from You. Through Jesus Christ, help me always to remember that You are with me in the good times and in the bad times, amen.

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And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

— 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

The Bible teaches us that walking in love is the most excellent way to live (see 1 Corinthians 12:31). God is love, and when we walk in love, we are walking and living in Him (see 1 John 4:16). Love is more than a word we use when speaking to other people. It is seen in our actions, especially in how we treat other people.

Jesus gave us one new command, which is for us to love one another just as He loves us. As we show that love, others will know that we are His disciples (see John 13:34–35). God’s love for us required Him to sacrifice His only Son, and if we truly want to love people, there will be times when we will also need to sacrifice for them.

According to 1 Corinthians 13:4–8, love is not self-seeking; it is patient, kind, humble, and not envious. It does not dishonor others, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, and doesn’t delight in evil. It rejoices with the truth. It always believes the best of everyone, and it never fails. If we focus on loving God and loving other people, we will live the life that He desires for us to live.

No matter what so-called good works we may do, if we don’t have love, we simply make a lot of noise and amount to nothing (see 1 Corinthians 13:1–3).

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to walk in the kind of love You show to me, but I need Your help. Teach me what love is and how to show it to other people. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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…In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world. [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]

— John 16:33 (AMP)

Many people live lives far short of God’s best because they expect things to always be convenient or easy. But this false expectation will always cheat us out of the rewards God has for us simply because we want to avoid difficulty.

Jesus never promised things would be easy, but He did promise us victory, because He has overcome the world. If we don’t get weary of doing what is right, we will reap great benefits.

God is a loving Father, and He wants to bless you in so many ways. Sometimes you may go through difficulties first, but there are always blessings on the other side. Remember, you can always rely on His strength to see you through, because He has overcome the world.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please give me to keep going and not to give up. Help me overcome every challenge that comes my way, and give me Your strength to persevere, amen.

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By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].

— John 13:35 (AMPC)

One of the best ways to share Jesus with the world is to simply show love to others. Jesus Himself taught on love and walked in love because that is what the world needs. The world needs to know that God is love and He loves each person unconditionally (see 1 John 4:8).

The Word of God teaches that God wants us to be committed to developing the character of Jesus Christ in our own lives and then go out as Christ’s ambassadors to the world (see 2 Corinthians 5:20).

To be His ambassadors, it is crucial that we have our minds renewed to what love really is. Love is not merely a feeling we have; it is a decision to treat people the way Jesus would treat them.

When we truly commit to walking in love, it usually causes a huge shift in our lifestyle. Many of our ways—our thoughts, our conversation, our habits—need to change. Love is tangible; it is evident to everyone who comes in contact with it.

Loving others does not come easily or without personal sacrifice. Each time we choose to love someone, it will cost us something—time, money, or effort. But the reward of loving others is far greater than the cost ever is.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I know that loving others is not always easy, but I want to walk in love and love everyone I meet, with Your help, amen.

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…You shall love your neighbor as yourself….

— Mark 12:31 (ESV)

Sometimes the wounds of the soul result from bad choices people around us have made. As God heals your soul, you may notice that certain relationships in your life are changing. You may sense a need for space in a relationship with someone you feel very close to. Or you may have done a lot of things with one person for a long time, but now you are beginning to want to broaden your circle of friends. You may have been someone’s “go to” person in every situation, but you are starting to feel he or she is asking too much from you. Different relationships change in different ways, and when God changes you (which is what happens when your soul is healed and strengthened), do not be surprised if some of your relationships need to change, too.

Many people in the world today need help. If we love them, we want to help them and we are often willing to spend time, effort, and money to do whatever we can do for them. The Bible clearly teaches us to love and serve one another (see John 13:34; Rom. 13:8; Gal. 5:13). But sometimes we can help people too much, to the point the relationship becomes codependent, which is very unhealthy.

When people are codependent, it means they allow someone else’s problems or bad choices to control them. They don’t know how their day will go because they wait to see how the other person is, and what he or she needs. If we allow ourselves to be in a codependent relationship, we are enabling another person’s bad or unhealthy behavior. We are not truly loving that person or allowing him or her to grow and mature. We are also failing to love ourselves.

When a scribe asked Jesus what was the greatest of all the commandments, Jesus said, The most important is…you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:28–30 ESV). Then He went on to say that the second most important commandment is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31 ESV). Clearly, God wants us to love ourselves—not to be selfish or self-centered, but to love ourselves in healthy ways, just as we love others in healthy ways. He has called us to help people and even to do so when we have to sacrifice something for ourselves, but He has not called us to allow other people’s choices to control or manipulate us.

Whenever you see a Bible verse that talks about loving others, apply it also to loving yourself. That will help you be a good friend or family member, while also helping you take care of yourself in relationships.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I am committed to loving other people, while also loving myself in the way You love me. Please help me to walk in love in every aspect of my life, amen.

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Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).

— Galatians 1:10 (AMPC)

The apostle Paul said that in his ministry he had to choose between pleasing men and pleasing God. That is a choice you also must make.

If your goal is to build a name for yourself and win favor with people, it will cause you to live in fear of man rather than in fear of God.

For years I tried to build my own reputation among believers by striving to win the favor of men. But through bitter experience I learned I was submitting to a sort of slavery to people. God helped me realize I could only be truly free in Him.

If you are trying to build your reputation with people, it’s time to give up all your own human efforts and simply trust God.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me get my priorities straight and to line up the things I’m doing in a way that is pleasing to You, rather than trying to keep people happy and fixed, amen.

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Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday.

— Psalm 37:4-6 AMPC)

If you have been under a lot of stress lately, I encourage you to take an honest inventory of not only what you are doing, but why you are doing it. If fear is the reason you’re involved, eliminate some stress by getting your priorities straight. Your priority is not to keep everyone else in your life happy by doing all the things they expect; it is to live a life that is pleasing to God and one that you can enjoy.

Too many people are not living their dreams because they are living their fears. In other words, instead of doing things out of their heart, they do them because they are afraid of what will happen if they don’t: “Someone will get angry! I will get left out! People will talk about me!” It is time that you started being the person you really want to be. It is time to reach for your dreams.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I will delight myself in You today. You know the desires of my heart, and I entrust my dreams to You. Help me to be the person You created me to be and the one I really want to be, amen.

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Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid….

— John 14:27 (AMPC)

Nothing harms us emotionally the way stress does. We might say that anxiety is emotions out of control. When someone experiences anxiety, most of the time it’s because their emotions have been stressed to the point that they are no longer functioning healthily. There are many situations that cause anxiety. The death of a spouse or child, divorce, and job loss are major events; however, not all the reasons are that serious. A lot of anxiety is caused simply by taking on more than we can handle.

I used to feel constantly overwhelmed due to stress, but it was because my schedule was unreasonable. And—even worse—I thought I was doing it for God. It is amazing to me now when I look back at how deceived I was. Always remember that if Satan cannot get you to not work for God, then he will try to get you to over work for God. He really doesn’t care which end of being out of balance we are on, because either one causes trouble.

The simple answer to living a life you can enjoy is to learn God’s ways and follow them. Jesus said, I am the Way (John 14:6 AMPC), and that means He will show us how to live properly. The answers we need are in God’s Word, and we should make a decision that we will not only read the Bible, but we will obey it. If we refuse to make that decision and follow through, we will keep feeling stressed until we break.

Start asking God what you can eliminate from your life that is not producing good fruit. It may even be some good things that are just not the best things for you. Something can be right for us in one season of our lives and not right at all in another season. Follow your heart, and you will accomplish a lot of fruitful things and still have energy left over to enjoy the fruit of your labor.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, show me what things are crowding my life and keeping me from Your best. Help me simplify my life so that I can live in peace, and not stress. Thank You, Father, amen.

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Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses.

— 1 Timothy 6:12 (AMPC)

Take a step of faith and no matter how you feel, agree with God that He loves you. You are wonderfully made and have many talents and strengths. You are valuable, and as a believer in Jesus, you are the righteousness of God in Him. You have rightness before God instead of wrongness—be thankful for that amazing gift!

Begin to speak out against feelings of insecurity and say, “I belong to God, and He loves me!” (See Ephesians 2:10.) We believe more of what we hear ourselves say than what others say, so start saying something good and drown out the other voices that condemn you.

Fight for yourself! Fight the good fight of faith and refuse to live below the level at which Jesus wants you to live. His kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy (see Romans 14:17). Don’t settle for anything less.

Prayer of the Day: I thank You, Father, that I can boldly declare in faith who I am in Christ. Thank You that You created me as one of a kind and You love me dearly. Today, I choose to believe that I am Your workmanship.

http://www.joycemeyer.org