Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share…. — 1 Timothy 6:18 (NKJV)

Adapted from the resource Love Out Loud Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Our ministry has taken various people on mission trips to minister to desperately needy people, but they don’t all respond the same way. Everyone feels compassion, but some individuals become quite determined to find ways to make a difference.

Indifference makes an excuse, but love finds a way. Everyone can do something!

I remember a woman who decided she had to help in some way. For a while she couldn’t figure out what to do because she had no extra money to contribute and she couldn’t go live on the mission field.

But as she continued to pray about the situation, God encouraged her to look at what she had, not at what she did not have. She realized she was very good at baking cakes, pies and cookies.

So, she asked her pastor if she could bake during the week, and offer her baked goods for sale on Sundays after church as long as the money went to missions. This became a way for her and other church members to be involved in missions, and it kept her active doing something to help someone else.

Another woman is a massage therapist, and she organized a special spa day and donated all the proceeds to help poor people. She raised one—thousand dollars for missions and also testified that the day of giving was life changing for her, those who worked with her, and those who attended.

We all need to be loved, but I believe our personal joy is strongly connected to loving others. Something beautiful happens in our hearts when we give.

Prayer Starter: Lord, help me to not only feel compassion, but to find creative ways to express my love for others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

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For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. — Isaiah 30:19

Adapted from the resource Hearing from God Each Morning Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Our friendship not only benefits us, it also benefits those around us. When people come to us with needs or concerns, we may be able to offer some help, or we may not be able to meet their needs at all.

Even if we do not have what people really need, God does. When we are friends with God, we can say to people, “I don’t have what you need, but I know Someone who does. I’ll ask my friend! I will intercede before God for you.”

We know that God has the power to intervene in people’s circumstances, to help their children stop using drugs, to bring financial breakthroughs, to work medical miracles or to reconcile marriages.

The more intimately we know God, the more confident we are in His willingness and ability to help people. When they come to us, we can go to Him and know He will come through for them.

We can actually ask God to do us a favor and help someone we love even when we know that they don’t deserve it. We can pray with compassion out of a heart of love—and God hears and answers.

God loves you, and He loves the sound of your voice coming to Him in prayer and fellowship. Go to Him often not only for your needs, but also for the needs of others.

Prayer Starter: O, Lord, thank You for always hearing my cries for help. Today, I ask for Your supernatural help and intervention for the needs in my life. I also lift up the needs of my friends and family and pray for peace, provision, healing, wisdom and direction. Thank You for Your amazing love and for answering our cries for help. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

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And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7

Adapted from the resource The Confident Woman Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Did you know that when you have lost your peace of mind you have the power to regain it? Anytime you find that you are worrying, fretful, or anxious about anything, release the problem to God through a simple, heartfelt prayer and purposely think about something in your life that is good!

Worrying is completely useless. It wears you out mentally, emotionally and physically, and it doesn’t make your problem any better at all.

Peace of mind is valuable, and it is quite impossible to enjoy life without it. Seek and pursue the peace that is yours through Jesus Christ. Don’t be deceived into believing that you can’t help what you think because you absolutely can.

You can change your mind about anything! Practice on—purpose thinking instead of being passive and merely waiting to see what thoughts fall into your mind.

I can share with you that I experience the same mental battles that many people do, and I have to practice having peace on purpose. You are a child of God, and His peace is in you. I recommend that you start recognizing the things that are stealing your peace and deal with them so they can no longer torment you.

Prayer Starter: : Father, I love You very much, and I want to enjoy peace of mind. I know that worry is useless, but I often do it, and I am sorry. Work with me and teach me how to trust You enough to enjoy Your peace at all times. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. — 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Adapted from the resource Starting Your Day Right Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.

It is the greater person who does the right thing; Christ’s righteousness dwells in you to help you do what is right. You are great in God’s eyes when you choose to do right and bless others.

No matter how rough your day is today, speak words that uplift and encourage those around you. Encourage others if you notice them doing a good job—not just those who work with you, but people wherever you go, such as store clerks, auto mechanics, and waiters.

Say something like, “I appreciate the extra effort you are making to do your job well.” You can change your life and someone else’s by choosing to speak positive words.

Prayer Starter: Father, please show me when I am being critical and negative toward others. Help me today to speak encouraging words of life to all those around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. — Ephesians 5:4

Adapted from the resource Power Thoughts Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Quite often people use the phrase, “I hate.” They hate driving to work, cleaning their houses, going to the grocery store, cutting the grass, paying their bills, and on and on.

I think each time we say we “hate” something, it makes it harder for us to do it with joy the next time.

Start saying by faith that you enjoy those things that are naturally more difficult for you to enjoy. Start saying it in obedience to God, and soon you will find those things to be more enjoyable.

We can talk ourselves into things and out of things. You can talk yourself into despising something you need to do, or you can have a good attitude and speak good words about it and make it a lot more pleasant.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to agree with Your Word and begin talking myself into a joyful life. Help me to speak life-giving, positive, and thankful words. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. — Galatians 5:16

Adapted from the resource New Day, New You Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Willpower sure sounds like a great thing. We are led to believe that we have enough of it to fight off every temptation that comes our way. And sometimes it works. But let me tell you a little secret about willpower. Willpower is your best friend when things go well, but it’s the first friend to check out when you get weary.

I have found that if I really don’t want to do something, my mind gives me plenty of reasons why I don’t have to. My emotions even join in, saying, “I agree because I don’t feel like doing it anyway.”

Our souls (mind, will, emotions) would love to run our lives, but the Bible says we are to be led by God’s Spirit. We are never instructed to be willpower-led, we are told to be Spirit-led.

Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won’t be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for a while, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line.

Look at Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV): …Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

What happens if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turn to God instead? God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Willpower does not get the credit for our success, God does.

Jesus said in John 15:5, …apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing (AMPC). This is one of the most important and most difficult lessons we must learn if we want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

Prayer Starter: O, Lord, I turn to You today for Your strength and grace. I can’t do it alone, but by Your Spirit, I can accomplish everything I need to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

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Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. — Zechariah 9:12

Adapted from the resource My Time with God Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Hope is a powerful force that will bring you through any storm. Our hope is in God; therefore, we can hope without any natural reason to do so. Hope is a positive expectation of good.

Practice saying, “Something good is going to happen to me today, and something good is going to happen through me today.” God is good, and He wants to shower His goodness on you.

There are times of difficulty, loss, illness, and disappointment in life, but if we will endure with hope in our hearts, we will be rewarded with a double blessing for our former trouble.

Let me strongly encourage you to refuse to be hopeless. Put your hope in God and things will always come around to being right in due time. I can’t guarantee how long it will take, and it may not be quick, but hope will strengthen you to face life with joy even in the midst of trouble.

Live daily thinking, Today may be the day of my breakthrough. It could happen suddenly…at any moment.

Hope is the anchor of our souls. It keeps us from giving in to wild emotions that attempt to lead us to do things we will regret later on. The wise man puts His hope in God. He listens for God’s voice and follows it, knowing that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. God is that Light, and He is urging you to be a prisoner of hope.

Prayer Starter: Father, anytime I feel discouraged or weary, help me remember that there is always hope. Help me to be filled with hope in You and positive expectation. You are good, and I believe You want to be good to me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He [Jesus] sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask [box] of very costly oil of spikenard [perfume]. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. — Mark 14:3 (NKJV)

Adapted from the resource Love Out Loud Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

I believe that breaking (saying no to) the flesh is what today’s Scripture is about. The woman broke that box so the expensive perfume could be poured out. In the same way, we have to “break” our flesh.

We all have sweet perfume in us. But our alabaster box (our flesh) has to be broken so the perfume (the good things of God) can flow out of us.

We are “pregnant” with the good things of God. We each have the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faith, meekness, and temperance. But many times, our alabaster box (our flesh) keeps them from being poured out.

Oh, but we love our alabaster box. We don’t want to break it because, after all, it is such a pretty box. We spend so much time taking care of it; we don’t want it to be broken.

But we must love God more than we love anything else. We need to circumcise our flesh and be willing to let go of the things of the flesh, so God’s blessings can flow to us and through us.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I choose to break my alabaster box in order to express my love for You and receive everything You have for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people. — Exodus 33:13

Adapted from the resource Hearing from God Each Morning Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

When you spend time with God, it becomes evident. You become calmer, you’re easier to get along with, you are more joyful, and you remain stable in every situation.

Spending quality time with God is an investment that yields rich benefits. You begin to understand what He likes and what offends Him. As with any friend, the more time you spend with God, the more like Him you become.

Spending time with God causes you to become more sensitive to the love He wants to demonstrate to you and to others. Your conscience alerts you when you’re talking to someone in a way that does not please Him.

Your heart grieves when He grieves, and you quickly pray, “Oh, God, I’m sorry.” You soon want to apologize to the person you have offended and discover that saying, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” isn’t so difficult after all.

When God told Moses he had found favor in His eyes (see Exodus 33:12), Moses understood that God was telling him he could ask for anything his heart desired.

Moses responded by saying that he simply wanted to become more intimately acquainted with God. Moses had seen God perform history’s most magnificent miracles, yet what he wanted most of all was to know God intimately.

I pray that knowing God is the desire of your heart. You can know Him and hear His voice as clearly and as intimately as you want to. All it takes is spending time with Him.

Prayer Starter: Father, like Moses, I want to know You more intimately. Help me to take time to grow closer to You and develop a deep, personal relationship. Help me to become more like You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. — Exodus 19:5

Adapted from the resource Closer to God Each Day Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

God’s grace and power are available for us to use. God enables us or gives us an anointing of the Holy Spirit to do what He tells us to do.

Sometimes after He has prompted us to go another direction, we still keep pressing on with our original plan. If we are doing something He has not approved, He is under no obligation to give us the energy to do it. We are functioning in our own strength rather than under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then we get so frustrated, stressed, or burned out, we lose our self-control, simply by ignoring the promptings of the Spirit.

Many people are stressed and burned out from going their own way instead of God’s way. They end up in stressful situations when they go a different direction from the one God prompted. Then they burn out in the midst of the disobedience and end up struggling to finish what they started outside of God’s direction, all the while begging God to bless them.

Thankfully, God is merciful, and He helps us in the midst of our mistakes. But He is not going to give us strength and energy to disobey Him. We can avoid many stressful situations simply by obeying the Holy Spirit’s promptings at all times.

Prayer Starter: Father, I know Your plan is always best for my life. Please help me today and every day to obey the promptings of Your Holy Spirit in every area. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

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For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. — 1 Corinthians 2:2

Adapted from the resource Battlefield of the Mind Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

I’ve tried to imagine what it would have been like to go to Corinth or other Greek cities at the time of Paul and try to speak to those wise, brilliant thinkers. After studying every parchment given to me, and gaining knowledge of all their arguments, I would have prayed for God to help me overcome their objections.

We don’t know what Paul did, but his answer is astounding. Instead of going after them with great reasoning and sharp logic, he went in exactly the opposite direction. He stayed in Corinth a year and a half, and many came to Christ because of him.

Later, when he wrote 1 Corinthians, he said, For I made the decision to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (2:2).

That’s amazing. If any man had the ability to reason with those Greeks and could show them the fallacies of their logic, surely that man was Paul. But, being led by the Holy Spirit, he chose a defenseless presentation—to let God speak through him and touch the hearts of the people.

Now, centuries later, I appreciate his approach—although I didn’t always feel this way. For a long time I wanted to explain and reason out everything, but when that didn’t work, I ended up feeling miserable.

I’ve always been curious, always wanted to know, and always wanted to figure out the answer. Then, God began to work in my life. He showed me that my constant drive to figure it out caused me confusion and prevented me from receiving many of the things He wanted me to have. He said, “You must lay aside carnal reasoning if you expect to have discernment.”

I didn’t like loose ends, so I felt more secure when I figured things out. I wanted to be in control of every detail of every situation. When I didn’t understand or was unable to figure things out, I felt out of control. And that was frightening to me. Something was wrong—I was troubled and had no peace of mind. Sometimes, frustrated and exhausted, I would just give up.

It was a long battle for me because I finally admitted something to myself (God knew it all along): I was addicted to reasoning. It was more than a tendency or desire to figure out things. It was a compulsion. I had to have answers—and had to have them right now. When God was finally able to convince me of my addiction, I was able to give it up.

It wasn’t easy. Like people who withdraw from drugs or alcohol, I had withdrawal symptoms. I felt lost. Frightened. Alone. I had always depended on my ability to figure things out. Now, like Paul, I had to depend on God.

Too many people assume that relying only on God is something we do easily and naturally. It didn’t work that way with me. But God was gracious and patient with me. It was as if He’d whisper, “You’re not there yet, Joyce, but you’re making progress. It’s uncomfortable because you’re learning a new way to live.”

God wants us to be victorious—and I knew that all along. Now I walk in greater victory than ever before—and I no longer try to reason out everything before I act.

Prayer Starter: Heavenly Father, thank You for being so patient with me and people like me who feel we must have all the answers before we can act or trust. In the name of Jesus, help me to simply trust in You, knowing that You will give me what is best for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. — Matthew 14:23

Adapted from the resource Wake Up to the Word Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Solitude is the state or quality of being alone or remote from others.

One of the things we need more of in our society is solitude. We live in a noisy, high-pressure, busy world, where more is expected of most of us than we can possibly do.

The world more than likely won’t change, but we can. One of the main things that combats and offsets stress is solitude or quiet.

I absolutely love quiet times! I have discovered that even five minutes of quiet and solitude can restore my soul to a restful place and relieve stress. It gives me time to actually breathe deeply and do nothing.

If you’re not used to quiet times, you may have to build up an ability to be quiet. If it is difficult for you, then start with a few minutes three or four times a day, and gradually increase your comfort level.

Solitude offers a great chance to rest and refresh your soul and spirit. You’ll be glad you learned to value this time.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to take times away from the busyness of my day. Please remind me to plan moments of solitude when You can restore my mind, emotions, body and spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” — Acts 16:31

Adapted from the resource Closer to God Each Day Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

God wants to take care of you, and He can do a much better job of it if you will avoid a problem called independence, which is really self-care.

The desire to take care of yourself is based on fear. You are afraid of what might happen if you entrust yourself totally to God and He doesn’t come through for you. The root problem of independence is you trust yourself more than you trust God.

People love to have a back-up plan. You may ask God to get involved in your life, but if He doesn’t respond as quickly as you’d like, you take control back into your own hands.

But God has a plan for you—and His plan is much better than yours. So, give yourself to Him and see what happens. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Prayer Starter: Father, I can’t do it on my own. Help me to place my trust in You and turn over complete control. I want Your plan for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Adapted from the resource The Confident Woman Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation. —Psalm 42:5

Ask 21^st—century women, “How do you feel about yourself?” and many will confess, “I hate myself.” Or perhaps their opinion of themselves is not that severe, but they will admit they really don’t like themselves.

Our world has created a false, unrealistic image of what women are supposed to look like and act like. But the truth is that every woman was not created by God to be skinny, with a flawless complexion and long flowing hair. Not every woman was intended to juggle a career as well as all of the other duties of being a wife, mother, citizen, and daughter.

Single women should not be made to feel they are missing something because they are not married. Married women should not be made to feel they must have a career to be complete. We must have the freedom to be our individual selves.

Many women hate themselves and have no self-confidence because they have been abused, rejected, abandoned, or in some way damaged emotionally. Women need to experience a revival of knowing their infinite worth and value.

Prayer Starter: Lord, You know exactly how I feel about myself. You know how deeply I’ve been influenced by the messages of our culture and how confusing it is. Help me to discover the truth of my worth and value in Your eyes. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Adapted from the resource The Confident Woman Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” —Matthew 14:30

The boat of my past that I needed to step out of was the childhood sexual abuse I suffered. I felt as though my dad stole my childhood, and I was so mistreated. I was bitter about the people who should have helped me and didn’t, and then there were the “could haves” and “would haves” and “wish I had.”

In my 30s, I was still taking it out on everybody who had anything to do with it. I didn’t trust men and had a chip on my shoulder. I was miserable, but I sat in the boat.

I remember how afraid I was when God told me that I was going to have to confront my dad about the sexual abuse of my childhood, because I was petrified of my father. The fear was rooted so deeply in me, even after I had been away from it for years. Whenever I would be around him or anyone who had a personality like his, I would feel the knot of fear come up in my gut.

Finally, God got in my face and said, “Look, you can be pitiful or you can be powerful.” Jesus was walking by my boat, and it was time to walk on water.

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You that You won’t let me sink when I step out in obedience and deal with issues in my life. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Adapted from the resource The Confident Woman Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
—Galatians 1:10

There is an epidemic of insecurity in our society today. Many people are insecure and feel bad about themselves, which steals their joy and causes major problems in all their relationships.

I know the effect insecurity can have on lives because I experienced it myself. Those who have been hurt badly through abuse or severe rejection, as I have, often seek the approval of others to try to overcome their feelings of rejection and low self-esteem.

They suffer from those feelings and use the addiction of approval to try to remove the pain. They are miserable if anyone seems to not approve of them in any way or for any reason, and they are anxious about the disapproval until they feel they are once again accepted. They may do almost anything to gain the approval they feel they have lost—even things their conscience tells them are wrong.

For example, if a person is met with disapproval when she declines an invitation, she might change her plans and accept the invitation just to gain approval. She compromises herself for the sake of feeling approved.

Prayer Starter: Lord, it’s true that You are the only one whom I need to please. Today, help me to not compromise myself or be a slave to pleasing others, no matter what I feel. I seek Your favor alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. — Romans 14:19

Adapted from the resource Trusting God Day by Day Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Mother Teresa said, “Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.”

I have discovered that most people we meet or come into contact with in our everyday lives do not have a sense of their infinite value as children of God. I think Satan works very hard to make people feel devalued and worthless, but we can neutralize the effect of his lies and insinuations by building people up, encouraging, and edifying them. One way to do this is with a sincere compliment, which is one of the most valuable gifts in this world.

Most people are quick to compare themselves with others, and in doing so, they often fail to see their own abilities and worth. Making another person feel valuable isn’t expensive and doesn’t have to be time consuming. All we need to do is get ourselves off of our minds long enough to think about someone else, and then find something encouraging to say.

Making people feel valuable won’t cost any money, but it gives them something worth more than anything money can buy. Offering a sincere compliment may seem like a small thing, but it gives someone tremendous strength.

I believe in having goals. As I was working with God to develop good habits in the area of encouraging others, I challenged myself to compliment at least three people each day. I recommend that you do something similar to help you become a frequent encourager.

Prayer Starter: Father, please use me to help others understand their true value. Open my eyes to those around me. Help me to make a habit of building people up with sincere love and encouragement. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

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And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. — 1 John 5:14

Adapted from the resource The Power of Being Thankful Devotional

We often hear about a prayer need or think about a situation and say to ourselves, I need to pray about that later when I pray.

That thought is a stall tactic of the enemy. Why not pray right that minute? Procrastination is one of the major things that Satan uses to keep us from ever doing the right thing. Never put off until later what you can do right now!

Prayer would be easy if we just followed our hearts, but Satan wants us to procrastinate because he is hoping that we will forget the matter entirely.

A grateful heart is already focused on the Lord and ready to pray at any moment. Praying as we sense the desire or need to pray is easy to do, and it is the way we can pray continually and stay connected to God in every situation throughout the day.

Prayer Starter: Father, I thank You for the power of prayer. When there is a prayer need that comes to my attention, I’m going to talk to You about it immediately. Thank You that You are always ready to hear my prayer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7 (NKJV)

Adapted from the resource My Time with God Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Did you know that when you have lost your peace of mind, you have the power to regain it? Anytime you find that you are worrying, fretful, or anxious about anything, release the problem to God through a simple heartfelt prayer and purposely think about something in your life that is good!

Worrying is completely useless. It wears you out mentally, emotionally, and physically, and it doesn’t make your problem any better at all.

Peace of mind is valuable, and it is quite impossible to enjoy life without it. Seek and pursue the peace that is yours through Jesus Christ. Don’t be deceived into believing that you can’t help what you think, because you absolutely can.

You can change your mind about anything! Practice “on purpose” thinking instead of being passive and merely waiting to see what thoughts fall into your mind.

I can share with you that I experience the same mental battles that many people do, and I have to practice having peace on purpose. You are a child of God, and His peace is in you. I recommend that you start recognizing the things that are stealing your peace and deal with them so they can no longer torment you.

Prayer Starter: Father, I love You very much, and I want to enjoy peace of mind. I know that worry is useless, but I often do it and I am sorry. Work with me and teach me how to trust You enough to enjoy Your peace at all times. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

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No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God. — Romans 4:20

Adapted from the resource Love Out Loud Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

You may know the story of Abraham (see Genesis 12:1–7, 21:7). Basically, God promised Abraham a son, but at the time he was 100 years old, and his wife was 90, so their childbearing years were long gone!

But Abraham knew God had spoken and was determined not to focus on the natural impossibility that he and Sarah could have a child. Instead, he planted his faith in God’s promise and held on to that promise by praising God. His story is so remarkable that Paul made reference to it in Romans 4:18–21.

Abraham had absolutely no reason to hope. In fact, if any situation has ever been beyond hope, it would be the possibility of two people past 90 being able to have a biological child.

Nevertheless, Abraham kept hoping; he kept believing God’s promise. He did not waver in his faith or question God’s promise. Instead, “he grew strong and empowered by faith” as he praised God.

The same thing will happen when you praise God. You gain more and more strength, your faith increases, and the things that are coming against you to defeat you are dissipated as you praise Him.

That’s why it’s important to be diligent to listen to praise and worship music. I encourage you to play it in your home and in your car; learn songs and sing them; thank God and praise Him!

Love God today: God never responds to complaining, but He does respond to praise and an attitude of gratitude.

Prayer Starter: Father, I choose to praise You today! I believe You are able to do the impossible in my life. Help me to see my circumstances with the “eye of faith.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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