A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.

— Proverbs 15:13 (AMPC)

Difficulty is never enjoyable, but right thinking in the midst of it will cheer us up. Even though we have trials, we can face them with courage, being confident of God’s love and His promise to help us. It seems to me that joy and happiness come more from what we believe than from what is happening to us.

Would you be willing to make some changes in your approach to life and even develop some new habits if it would enable you to have more joy and enjoyment?

Perhaps if we studied the habits and attitudes of happy people, we would be able to see some of the things we might need to change if we truly want to be happy. If we value joy, then we cannot just passively sit and wish to be happy; we can aggressively pursue it and be willing to make adjustments where they are needed.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me make the necessary changes in order to find more joy and enjoyment! In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

— Matthew 5:9 (AMPC)

Pursuing peace means making an effort. We cannot maintain peace simply by our own fleshly efforts; we need God’s help, and we need grace, which is His power assisting us and enabling us to do what needs to be done. 

The efforts we make must be in Christ. Too often we just try to do what is right without asking for God’s help, and that type of fleshly effort never produces good fruit. The Bible calls this a “work of the flesh.” It is man’s effort trying to do God’s job. 

What I am saying is, be sure you lean on God and ask for His help. 

When you succeed, give Him the credit, the honor, and the glory because success is impossible without Him.

Jesus said, Apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing (John 15:5). It takes most of us a long time to believe this Scripture enough to stop trying to do things on our own, without leaning on God. We try and fail, try and fail; it happens over and over until we finally wear ourselves out and realize that God Himself is our strength, our success, and our victory. He doesn’t just give us strength—He is our strength. He does not just give us the victory—He is our victory. Yes, we make efforts to keep peace, but we dare not make efforts without depending on God’s power to flow through us; failure is certain if we do. 

The Lord blesses peacemakers, those who work for and make peace. Peacemakers are committed to peace—they crave peace, pursue peace, and go after it. They don’t just hope or wish for it, they don’t just pray for it. They aggressively pursue it in the power of God. Make a commitment to pursue peace from this day forward. 

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, I trust you to make me a peacemaker—one who works for and pursues peace with You, myself, and others. In Jesus’ name, 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.

— John14:27 (AMPC)

Peace is one of the most important elements to enjoying your life.

A life of frustration and struggle, a life without peace, is the result of focusing on things you can’t do anything about. When you worry about things beyond your control, stress and anxiety begin to creep into your life.

The apostle Paul said, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV).

Once we realize we are struggling with something and feel upset, we need to start praying and immediately turn the situation over to God, thankful He will provide according to His will and offer us peace. You and I are not called to a life of frustration and struggle. Jesus came so we could have righteousness, joy, and peace!

Prayer Starter: Father, I am grateful for peace. It is a wonderful gift that You have given me, and I ask for Your help to always be peaceful in every situation.

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Keep the charge of the Lord your God, walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may do wisely and prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.

— 1 Kings 2:3 (AMPC)

When you pray, wait for the Lord. This means to look for, to expect, and to hope in God. This isn’t a passive state of mind, but one of expectancy.

Tell Him, “God, I have my hope in You. I believe that You are working on my problems. I believe that You are making arrangements for my day. You are posting angels all throughout my walk, everywhere along my path where You already know I am going to walk today. Thank you, Lord, that You are a pioneer who has already gone before me and made a way for me to. Have a blessed day.”

Prayer Starter: Lord, I have all my hope in You. I am waiting hopefully, expectantly and believing that You have gone before me and made a way for me in my life, amen.

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Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.

— Matthew 8:13 (AMPC)

Sometimes when I stand behind the pulpit, and before I speak, I pause and my gaze sweeps across the audience. I look at the faces of the people. I love to see the bright smiles and expressions of anticipation, but there are always a few who look downtrodden and discouraged. I don’t know anything about them, and I don’t want to judge them, but their faces look sad. They look as if they have lost hope and expect nothing positive to happen and too often, they get exactly what they expect. 

I understand those discouraged people; I was once one of them. 

Here’s a simple fact I’ve learned: Positive minds produce positive lives, but negative minds produce negative lives. The New Testament tells the story of a Roman soldier whose servant was sick, and the soldier wanted Jesus to heal him. That wasn’t uncommon many wanted Jesus to heal them or their loved ones in those days. But this soldier, instead of asking Jesus to come to his servant, expressed his belief that if Jesus would just speak the word, his servant would be healed (see Matthew 8:8). Jesus marveled at his faith and sent out His word to heal the servant. The soldier’s positive mindset his faith brought positive results. He expected healing, and that’s exactly what happened. 

Too often, we cry to Jesus to heal us, to take care of our finances, or to deliver us from problems, but we don’t fully expect the good things to happen. We allow our minds to focus on the negative aspects. Doubt and unbelief war against our minds and steal our faith ifwe allow it. 

As I wrote in my book Battlefield of the Mind, many years ago I was extremely negative. I used to say that if I had two positive thoughts in a row, my mind would get in a cramp. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but that’s how I saw myself. I lived with the same philosophy that other people have: If we don’t expect anything good to happen, we won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t.

I could have excused my negative attitude by telling everyone about my disappointments in life and I had many. It wasn’t just my lack of expectation. It was more than that. Because I thought negatively, I spoke negatively. When people told me of their spiritual victories, I’d think, That won’t last. When people spoke of their faith, I’d smile, but inwardly I would think that they were gullible. I could always figure out ways that plans would go wrong or people would disappoint me. 

Was I happy? Of course not. Negative thinkers are never happy. It’s too long of a story to explain how I came to face that reality, but once I realized what a negative person I was, I cried out to the Lord to help me. 

I learned that if I kept studying the Word of God, I could push away negative thoughts. God’s Word is positive and uplifting. My responsibility was to become the kind of believer who honors God with her thoughts, as well as with her actions and her deeds. 

I understood the remorse David must have felt when he wrote Psalm 51: Have mercy upon me, 0 God, according to Your steadfast love… is the way he starts. I especially meditated on verse 9: Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities. I hadn’t sinned the same way David did, of course, but my negative thinking and bad attitude was sin. It wasn’t just weakness or a bad habit. When I focused on negative thinking, I was rebelling against God. 

The Lord had mercy on me. As I continued in His Word and in prayer, He freed me from Satan’s stronghold. Freedom is available for all of us.

Prayer Starter: Gracious God, thank You for every deliverance in my life. Thank You for setting me free from negative and wrong thinking. Thank You for defeating Satan in this area of my life, amen.

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[ . . . though He slay me, yet will I wait for and trust Him . . .]

— Job 13:15 (AMPC)

f the great mysteries and facts about our walk with God is that we rarely understand everything He is doing in our lives. If we always understood, we would have no need to trust Him. As believers we often find ourselves in places of not knowing, and we catch ourselves questioning God: “What does my future hold?” “Will I ever get married?” “What will my children be when they grow up?” “Will I have the provision I need in my old age?”

We have to learn to trust God when we do not understand what is happening in our lives, and we need to become comfortable with unanswered questions. You and I may never have every answer we want when we want it, so we need to relax and get comfortable knowing and trusting God, the One Who does know. Without trust, it is impossible to enjoy today and be ready to face tomorrow with expectancy.

Job, who had many reasons to question God as he faced a staggering series of crises and losses, did not understand what was going on in his life, but he made the decision to trust God any way. I believe that was the only way he could find peace in the midst of his terrible circumstances. Similarly, you and I will never have peace in our lives until we learn how to stop trying to figure everything out and how to start trusting God more.

If you are the kind of person who has to have everything figured out in order to settle down, let me encourage you today to accept the fact you are not likely to receive all the answers you want in this lifetime. Choose to stop demanding explanations and to begin practicing trust. Instead of asking God why, tell Him you trust Him. There have been many times in my life when I wanted with all my heart to know why something was or was not happening, but I knew God wanted my trust, not my questions.

Trust in Him Is there something in your life you don’t understand, no matter how long and hard you think about it? Give it to God and put your trust in Him. Whether or not He ever explains it to you, you can trust Him to bless you and bring you through any crisis.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, thank You for taking control of my life. Help me to trust You in all things, including my thoughts, and help me to always keep my thoughts in line with Your plan for my life.

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For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence.

— Psalm 71:5 (AMPC)

Trusting God allows us to enter His rest, and rest is a place of peace where we are able to enjoy our lives while being confident God is fighting our battles.

God cares for us; He will solve our problems and meet our needs, and thankfully, we can stop thinking and worrying about them. I realize this is easier said than done, but there is no time like the present to begin learning a new way to live—a way of living that is without worry, anxiety, and fear.

This is the time to begin believing and saying, “I trust God completely; there is no need to worry! I will not give in to fear or anxiety. God is the source of my confidence.” The more you think about this truth, the more you will find yourself choosing trust over worry.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You that I don’t have to worry! I trust You to take care of me and to always be with me.

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For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

— Luke 11:10 (AMPC)

Jesus encourages us to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking. We need to do these things, day in and day out, 365 days a year, so we can keep receiving what we need from God.

How many times do we stay awake all night wrestling with our problems and losing sleep over them instead of simply casting our cares upon the Lord and asking Him to meet our needs—then trusting Him to do so? How many hours and days have we wasted trying to reason or decide what is best in certain situations instead of simply asking God for wisdom?

Our mistake is failing to ask and seek and knock, failing to trust God, our living heavenly Father to give us the good things that we ask of Him. We should humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand know¬ing that in due time He will bring to pass what is right for us (see 1 Pet. 5:5, 6). One sincere prayer will produce more good fruit than years of our trying to solve our own problems.

In Matthew 7:11 (AMPC), Jesus says, if you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him. I promise you; God has good and advantageous things for you. Just keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. We serve a God Who is so marvelous that He can work out things for our good that Satan intends for harm.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I commit to continually asking, seeking, and knocking. I know You have a great plan and will work everything out for my good. In Jesus’ name!

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Without faith it is impossible to please Him.

— Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

Satan works overtime attempting to fill our lives with fear. Since we hear from God by faith, we must resist fear aggressively. The Bible says that Word reveals a righteousness that leads us from faith to faith (see Romans 1:17). If we learn who we are in Christ Jesus and understand how much He loves us, we can approach everything and anything in an attitude of faith. God has said repeatedly that we do not need to fear because He is with us.

The prayer that is of faith will help us and others in amazing ways; therefore, I encourage you to keep your faith strong. We receive God’s will through prayers of faith, but we can also receive Satan’s will through fear. Job said that the thing he feared came upon him (see Job 3:25), so be sure to live from faith to faith. Approach everything you do believing that God is good and expecting to receive His best.

Prayer is one of the most important things we must approach with a heart full on faith. This opens the windows of heaven and releases the power of God in our lives and circumstances. Be very watchful that fear doesn’t sneak into your prayers and hinder you from receiving what God wants for you. If you are having a serious problem with fear, I recommend that you begin your prayers by saying, “I approach God in faith today and I resist all fear.” Now pray boldly, expecting to hear from God and remember that God answers your prayers because He is good, not because you are perfect.

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You that in and through You, I be strong, resist fear and receive everything You have for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

— 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)

I think the greatest tragedy in life is to live and not enjoy life. If you are at war with yourself all the time, you are not enjoying your life. God changes us from one degree of glory to another, but don’t forget to take time to enjoy the glory you are in right now while you are headed for the next one. Don’t compare the glory you are in with the glory of some friend or family member who appears to be in a greater degree of glory. Each of us is an individual, and God deals with us differently, according to what He knows we need and can handle.

You may not notice changes on a daily basis, but as you look back over time you will see very definite changes in yourself. Believe that God is working, just as He said He would. Remember, we see after we believe, not before. We wrestle and struggle with ourselves because of all that we are not when we should be praising and worshipping God for all that we are. As we worship Him for Who He is, God’s character is released into our lives and begins to manifest.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I will be glad today because You are changing me from glory to glory. Thank You for working in my life, amen.

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Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit.) The Lord is near [He is coming soon].

— Philippians 4:5 (AMPC)

When we talk about generosity, most people assume it’s all about money. However, there are a lot of ways to be generous.

Love, for example, is a generous, selfless act. A selfish person expects everyone to be just the way he is and to like whatever he likes, but love respects the differences in other people.

Respecting individual rights is very important. If God had wanted us to all be alike, He would not have given each of us a different set of fingerprints. I think that one fact alone proves that we are created equal, but different. We all have fingerprints, but they are all different!

We all have different abilities, different likes and dislikes, different goals in life, different motivations, and the list goes on and on. We look different, we come in all sizes and shapes, and each of us is unique.

Love respectfully frees others to be who they were created to be. Freedom is one of the greatest gifts we can give. It was what Jesus came to give us, and it is what love allows us to give to others.

God’s love for us is unconditional, and we should learn to love others the same way. Be generous with mercy and always believe the best.

I encourage you today to be a generous person, who gives love freely and unconditionally. Be someone who gives freedom and understanding, mercy and kindness. Give big.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to love generously and unconditionally, to love the selfish and to give generously whenever and wherever You direct me. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

— 3 John 2 (AMPC)

In plain, everyday language, this Scripture could read, “My dearly beloved children, I want you to have every earthly blessing you could possibly imagine, but only to the degree that you have spiritual maturity and Christlike character.” When you look at the Scripture this way, you get the message, “I need to grow up!”

You don’t need to talk God into blessing you. He wants to bless you. In fact, He wants to bless you more than you can imagine being blessed (see Ephesians 3:20). But even more than He wants you to have something, He wants you to be something. He wants you to be Christlike. Once you are spiritually mature, you will be able to handle having the earthly blessings He desires for you and use them for His glory.

Prayer Starter: Father, it’s time for me to grow up, but I’m going to need Your help. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.

— James 1:3 (AMPC)

Trials “try” us, and tests “test” us. Most of the time, the purpose of them is to show us who we really are, to reveal character in us.

We can think all kinds of good thoughts about ourselves, but until we are put to the test, we don’t know whether those things have become realities in us or not. We may consider ourselves generous, honest, or deeply committed to a particular truth or ideal, but the depth of these dynamics only reveals itself when we’re under pressure. When we go through trials, we learn whether or not we really have the character and commitment we think we have.

I believe it’s very important for us to really know ourselves; tests are good for us because they affirm strengths and reveal weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to face your weaknesses. God’s strength is available to you specifically for them.

I must say that before my trials worked steadfastness and patience into my life, they brought out many other negative qualities, mind-sets, and attitudes I didn’t know I had. One reason God allows us to go through tests and trials is so the hidden things in our hearts can be exposed. Until they are exposed, we cannot do anything about them. But once we see them, we can begin to face them and ask God to help us.

God does not allow us to go through difficult times because He likes to see us suffer; He uses them for us to recognize our need for Him. Everything you go through ultimately does work out for your good because it makes you stronger and builds your endurance; it develops Godly character; it helps you to know yourself and to be able to deal with things at an honest level with God and take care of those things so you can reach spiritual maturity.

How do you behave under pressure? The next time you encounter some sort of trial or test, decide to believe it is for your good. Placing your trust in God opens the door for Him to work miracles out of messes—transforming your weaknesses into Godly character.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, I know that trials and test are meant for good. I trust you to open the doors of my heart to do a mighty work. 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)

God does not expect us to be perfect. In fact, it is precisely because we never could be perfect that He sent Jesus to save us and the Holy Spirit to help us in our daily lives. If we could do it by ourselves, we would not need help. Thankfully, Jesus came to forgive our imperfections and to wipe them away in God’s sight. We actually are perfect through Jesus, but we can never be perfect in our own performance.

Jesus did say, “Be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48 NLT), but study of the original language reveals that He meant that we should grow into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character. God is not disappointed that we have not arrived at manifesting perfect behavior, but He does delight in finding us growing into maturity.

Prayer Starter: Father, I am so thankful that You help me grow into spiritual completeness and maturity. I’m not perfect, but because of Your work, I thank You that I’m okay and I’m on my way!

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For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

— Psalm 91:11 (AMPC)

Recently, while I was going down some steps, I missed the last step and fell. Although I could have seriously hurt myself, I was able to balance myself so that I dropped to the floor on one knee while holding a laundry basket in one hand and carrying a jar in the other. Did I balance myself or did I have divine help? I thought right away after the fall, I believe an angel caught me and prevented me from injury. I felt that God reminded me of the divine helpers (angels) that are with us at all times.

I admit that I don’t think about angels very often, but I believe I should be more aware of the biblical truth that they are with us all the time, defending and protecting us. We tend to not pay much attention to the things we can’t see with the natural eye, but we can learn to see more with the eye of faith. God is always with us, and He gives His angels to us as a special blessing. Perhaps they could help us more if we truly believed in their presence.

Angels ministered to Jesus when He was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. When Daniel was in the lions’ den, angels were sent to shut their mouths so they could not harm him. Actually, God’s Word is filled with many examples of angels giving assistance, so I encourage you to believe they are with you today and to let that thought comfort you.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for giving me angels to assist and defend me at all times. I want to be more aware of their presence in my life and more thankful for how often they keep me safe.

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But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you….

— Acts 1:8 (AMPC)

No one’s life is everything he or she wants it to be. We all have disappointments, chal­lenges and struggles, sometimes even heartbreaks and tragedies. I have never met a person who could honestly say, “My life has always been every bit as wonderful as I always dreamed it would be.” 

God’s job is not to make us happy or to give us the lives we’ve always hoped for. Often, we so desperately want unsaved people to become Christians that we tell them their lives will be better if they will just receive Jesus. In many ways, this is true, but sometimes we paint such a rosy picture that we lead people to believe they will never have another problem again if they will simply ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. This is not true. Jesus did not come to give anyone a life of leisure; Jesus came to give us abundant life, but not a trouble-free life. Part of the abundance He offers is the power of His Spirit to overcome what others cannot.

As believers, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us deal with circumstances differently than nonbelievers do. When we are in Christ, we are supernaturally anointed to live our natural, ordinary lives in supernatural ways.

We can be at peace in the midst of a crisis, and we can be positive when everything around is gloomy and depress­ing. Why? Because we can choose joy, peace, positive attitudes, and stability. We can overcome the negative situations that are part of life, but we must choose—through the power of the Holy Spirit—to do so.

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You for the power of the Holy Spirit to help me deal with any circumstance that comes my way. Amen!

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When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered [your path will be clear and open]; when you run, you shall not stumble.

— Proverbs 4:12 (AMPC)

In my journey of learning how to hear from God, I realized that eventually we must simply believe He is leading and guiding us supernaturally. We ask Him to guide our steps and believe by faith that He is doing what we ask of Him.

There are times when I hear a very clear word from God, but much of time I pray about my day and then go about it in faith. I may have nothing occur that day that seems supernatural or mystical. There are no visions, no voices, nothing out of the ordinary, but I know in my heart that God kept me safe and following the right path.

God keeps us from many things that we never even know of. I wonder how often I could have been in an accident had I not prayed for God’s guidance that morning? How many terrible traffic jams I missed because I simply felt that I was to take a different route than the one I usually took?

I want to strongly encourage you to pray—ask for God’s guidance and leadership, and then say throughout the day, “I believe I am being guided by God today and every day.” Psalm 139:2 (AMPC) says that God knows my downsitting and my uprising. If He knows each time we sit down or stand up, and took the time to tell us about it in His Word, then surely He sees and cares about everything else.

Prayer Starter: Father, guide and direct my every thought and action today, and help me to believe that You are leading me in every direction I go today, in Jesus’ name, amen!

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Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.

— 1 Samuel 16:12–13 (AMPC)

When I think of the word anointed, I think of something being rubbed all over. We are anointed (rubbed all over) with God’s power. He has anointed us with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to help us live life in a supernatural way.

Even as spiritual people, we must deal with ordinary natural things all the time. Think about how messy your closet, garage, or basement is—it didn’t get that way overnight, and it probably won’t get cleaned up without some time and effort. Does a messy area of your home aggravate you every time you see it, yet you put off cleaning it up because you dread it? If so, it is time for change. I want you to attack those messes boldly and have the confidence that you can have order in your life and home. You have the power of God in your life. You are able to clean up anything in your life and do it with joy!

Prayer Starter: Lord, I receive Your Spirit afresh today and ask for Your anointing in my life. Help me to bring everything in my life into order confidently confront the messes surrounding me, amen.

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I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.

— Ezekiel 11:19 (AMPC)

According to John 10:10, God’s desire is for us to enjoy an abundant life—a life of peace, joy, purpose, and above all, love. When we have endured great pain in our soul, our hearts can become hard and unwilling or even unable to love. As Ezekiel 11:19 teaches, it is not God’s will for us to be hard-hearted, so we need the Holy Spirit to make our hearts soft and tender again.

People can develop hard hearts for many reasons. I had a hard heart because I had been abused as a child and because people who told me they loved me abandoned me. I can remember a time when I felt that people had used me for their own selfish purposes and taken advantage of me for my whole life. In an effort to try to keep from being hurt any more than I already was, I became hard-hearted.

Once a person’s heart becomes hard, making it soft again is almost impossible to do in human strength. That type of change requires a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. He is the only One who can reach inside our souls and heal and restore every place of woundedness there. He teaches us about God’s love and reminds us that God will never leave us nor turn His back on us (See Heb. 13:5).

According to John 16:8, the Holy Spirit also convicts us when we do wrong or mistreat others. When we have hard hearts, we can treat others badly and not care about it. Sometimes we do not even notice it. As the Holy Spirit tenderizes our hearts, we become aware of other people’s feelings and begin to care about them. When people’s hearts are hard, they can sin against God without feeling bad about it. Sin separates us from God, and part of the way the Holy Spirit draws us back to God is by making us sensitive to our sin so we can repent and return to right relationship with Him.

I understand how people can become hard-hearted, and I also know that it is a difficult, lonely, miserable way to live. If you have come to recognize hard-heartedness in yourself such as—a general lack of sensitivity toward God and others or a determination not to let anyone, get too close to you or not to feel emotion—I encourage you to ask the Holt Spirit to help you. Do not allow yourself to remain in that condition. Ask and allow the Holy Spirit to remove the places in your heart that feel like stone and to give you a heart of flesh that is open, sensitive, and responsive to God and others.

We can learn so much from that. When somebody offends or rejects us, we need to see it as a bite from Satan, and just shake it off.

In another instance in the Bible, Jesus told the disciples that if they entered towns that didn’t receive them, they should just go to the next town. He told them to shake the dust off their feet and move on. He didn’t want the disciples to dwell on the rejection they had experienced; He wanted them to stay focused on sharing their testimony of His works in their lives. Likewise, as we follow the Spirit, we can shake off offenses and hold on to our peace. When others see that we can remain calm even when “the serpent” bites us, they will want to know where that peace is coming from in our lives.

When we are in a state of upset, we cannot hear from God clearly. The Bible promises us that God will lead us and walk us out of our troubles, but we cannot be led by the Spirit if we are offended and in turmoil. We can’t get away from the storms of life, or the temptation to be irritated by someone; but we can respond to offenses by saying, “God, You are merciful, and You are good. And I am going to put my confidence in You until this storm passes over.”

Prayer Starter: Lord God, I am open to the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart, making any hard place tender again. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step].

— Psalm 37:23 (AMPC)

God has a good plan for our lives, but sometimes obstacles get in the way that keep us from taking the steps He’s leading us to take. If there is an area of your life where you are facing fear or anxiety, decide to give it to God and receive His grace to enable you to have faith in that area so you can keep moving forward.

Read, study, and meditate on God’s Word about being free from fear and secure in Him. His Word will renew your mind, and fear will turn to faith and courage. Take the steps of faith that God leads you to take even though you might still feel some fear, and as you go forward you will begin to sense more and more freedom.

For example, if you would love to apply for a position that would be a promotion in your company, but you’ve felt too fearful to do so, step out and try it. Even if you don’t get the position, you will have been successful in stepping out in faith, and that is the most important thing. Remember that God is always with you, and as you follow His lead, He delights in your way and busies Himself with your every step!

Prayer Starter: Dear Lord, help me to look to You when I feel fearful and afraid, and You will turn my fear into faith. Help me to step out and do Your will today and every day, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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