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Joyce Meyer – Be a Blessing

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You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. —Isaiah 26:3

Galatians 6:10 says, “Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith.” Second Corinthians 10:5 speaks of casting down imaginations and every high and lofty thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. In other words, keep (set) your mind on God’s promises and on what is relevant to His plan for your life.

Don’t let your mind be taken captive by the enemy. Instead, “lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ.” Decide to be a blessing to everyone you meet today. Forgive anyone who has hurt you, and leave unresolved circumstances in God’s hands. Don’t use today to relive yesterday. Say, “I am moving forward today, in Jesus’ name.”

 

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Joyce Meyer – Your Change Begins with You

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Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. —Isaiah 43:1

If you have made your mind up that you intend to enjoy the best life God has for you, then you must realize that the change you’re waiting for begins in you. You must believe what God’s Word says about you more than you believe what others say or what your feelings or own mind say. Your circumstances aren’t your problem, because they won’t last—but until you change your thinking, no matter what’s going on in your life you’ll still be stuck.

Maybe you have had negative messages fed to you since you were a child. It could have been parents who had troubles themselves and took their frustrations out on you. It could have been a teacher who delighted in belittling you in front of the class. Perhaps your parents excessively compared you to another sibling, giving you the impression that you were flawed. You may have experienced one or more broken relationships and become convinced it was your fault. But, whatever the reason for your self-doubt and negative attitude toward yourself, it has to change if you truly desire to enjoy God’s best in your life.

See yourself as God sees you, not the way the world sees you or even the way you see yourself. Study God’s Word and you will find out that you are precious, created in your mother’s womb by God’s own hand. You are not an accident. Even if your parents told you they never really wanted you, I can assure you that God wants you; otherwise you would not be here on earth. You are valuable, you have worth, you are gifted, you are talented, and you have a purpose on this earth. God says that He has called you by your name and that you are His.

Take a minute to look into your heart. What do you see there? How do you feel about yourself? If your answer does not agree with God’s Word, I want to encourage you to begin today renewing your mind about yourself.

Trust in Him: God says in His Word that you belong to Him, and that you’re uniquely and carefully created by Him. Do you believe it?

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Joyce Meyer – Be Prepared

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Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]!  —Proverbs 31:25

This woman’s strength and dignity are her clothing, and her position is strong and secure. This certainly must have increased her confidence. She isn’t afraid of losing her position or something bad happening. She boldly faces the future because she knows she and her family are prepared for it.

Proverbs 27:23 tells us: “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds.” Lack of preparation is one of the major causes for low confidence. Being prepared requires working ahead of time instead of putting things off until the last minute. Matthew 25 tells us of the five wise virgins who took extra oil with them as they waited for the bridegroom to come, but the five foolish virgins didn’t do anything to prepare. When the bridegroom was delayed, the foolish lost their opportunity to meet the bridegroom.

This same scenario happens to many people in life. They procrastinate until it is too late to take advantage of an opportunity that could have been a tremendous blessing to them. Knowing you are prepared for whatever comes will increase your confidence in an amazing way.

Lord, help me to be diligent and prepared for the opportunities You will bring my way. I want to walk in the confidence that I am always ready to go. Amen.

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Joyce Meyer – Humility Before God

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Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. —Luke 18:14

In Luke 18:10–11, we read about two men who went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. Jesus said, “The Pharisee took his stand ostentatiously and began to pray thus before and with himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—extortioners (robbers), swindlers [unrighteous in heart and life], adulterers—or even like this tax collector here.” Then he went on to list all of his good works.

What I like about this passage is that the Bible does not say the Pharisee was praying to God. It says he went into the temple to pray, but he prayed “thus before and with himself.” Here we read about a man who appeared to be praying, and yet the Bible says he was not even talking to God; he was talking to himself! I think sometimes we also pray to impress people, maybe even to impress ourselves. Let’s be honest: we can be impressed with our own eloquence. When we are talking to God and trying to hear from Him in agreement with someone else or with a group of people, we have to be very careful that we are not preaching to the other people and that we are not simply trying to sound superspiritual, but that we are really sharing our hearts with God. Agreement is incredibly powerful, but it has to be pure, and it has to come from a place of humility.

God’s word for you today: God sees all the good works you have done in secret and He will reward you.

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Joyce Meyer – Tear Down Your Walls with Faith

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For I will restore health to you, and I will heal your wounds, says the Lord, because they have called you an outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no one seeks after and for whom no one cares. —Jeremiah 30:17

To avoid pain, some of us build walls around ourselves so we will not get hurt, but that is pointless. God has shown me that it is impossible to live in this world if we are not willing to get hurt. People are not perfect; therefore they hurt and disappoint us, just as we hurt and disappoint others.

I have a wonderful husband, but occasionally he has hurt me. Because I came from such a painful background, the moment that kind of thing happened, I used to put up walls to protect myself. After all, I reasoned, no one can hurt me if I don’t let anyone get close to me. However, I learned that if I wall others out, I also wall myself in. The Lord has shown me that He wants to be my protector, but He cannot do that if I am busy trying to protect myself.

He has not promised that I will never get hurt, but He has promised to heal me if I come to Him rather than try to take care of everything myself. If you build walls around yourself out of fear, then you must tear them down out of faith. Go to Jesus with each old wound and receive His healing grace. When someone hurts you, take that new wound to Jesus. Do not let it fester. Take it to the Lord and be willing to handle it His way and not your own. Receive this scripture as a personal promise from the Lord to you, For I will restore health to you, and I will heal your wounds, says the Lord, because they have called you an outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no one seeks after and for whom no one cares (Jeremiah 30:17)! With the help of the Lord, you can survive hurt and disappointment and find your completion “in Him.”

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Joyce Meyer – Spiritual Praying

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Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.—1 Corinthians 14:15

Earlier I referred to “the mind aiding the spirit.” For many people, this is a difficult concept to grasp. I understand what Paul meant because it’s something I’ve learned to use in my own spiritual growth.

For example, one morning I set aside my usual time for prayer. I began to pray, but my prayers felt flat—nothing energized them—and there was no help from my spirit. As I struggled, I reminded myself that I had made myself available to God, and I wanted the Spirit to use me to change lives.

I continued to pray but nothing changed. This had happened before, so I wasn’t discouraged. I kept on praying and telling God the things about which I was concerned. After several minutes, a powerful energy took hold of me. I knew I had touched the area where the Holy Spirit wanted me to pray. This became more than my concern—this was God’s concern.

I began by praying out of my mind—about things that I knew of and thought needed prayer. I was praying in English because that is my normal language, and I understood what I was saying. But when the energizing power of the Spirit came, without any conscious thought, I began to pray with my prayer language, or what many of us refer to as an unknown tongue.

Paul was our example and teacher in this area. He said he knew how to pray with the Spirit, and he knew how to pray with the understanding. This may not make sense to everyone—and it certainly can confuse people at first. However, I encourage you not to reject a gift of God that is available to you merely because you have not experienced it and don’t understand it. Be open to God, and ask Him to teach you about praying in other tongues.

Think of it this way. God calls us to prayer. That’s our joy as well as our responsibility. Sometimes when we talk to God, we hardly know what to say. We pray, but our words feel inadequate. It’s as if there is a depth to our burdens that transcends words. Something is going on that’s so strong within us—so overwhelming—we have no words to speak. To use English feels utterly useless. No matter what we say to God out of our own minds (understanding), we feel we have not broken through and obtained a victory.

Then comes what I call a prayer release. I speak in words I don’t understand—words that are beyond the grasp of my human mind—and yet my spirit “understands,” or bears witness that my prayers are correct and are getting the job done.

The best biblical reference I can give for this experience is Acts 2, which tells the story of Pentecost. The disciples prayed in an upper room while Jews came from all over the world to the city of Jerusalem. The 120 people in that room were so filled with the Holy Spirit that they burst out speaking in unknown languages—unknown to them. But the visitors heard them, “And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together and they were astonished and bewildered, because each one heard them [the apostles] speaking in his own [particular] dialect” (Acts 2:6).

The apostle Paul thanked God that he spoke in tongues, and he also said that nobody should forbid anyone to do so. There has been a great deal of division in the church over the issue of speaking in tongues, but I encourage you to go straight to your Bible and see what the Word of God says about it. Don’t have a closed mind to any of the precious gifts of the Holy Spirit. We need all the supernatural help we can get to help us live our lives victoriously.

Some people teach that the gift of speaking in tongues went away with the early church, but there are millions of people worldwide who speak in tongues today. Those who speak in other tongues are certainly no better, nor are they more spiritual than those who do not speak in tongues, but once again, I encourage you to seek God for yourself in this area, so your prayers can be as powerful as possible.

When we pray in the Spirit, our minds and our spirits work together. Our minds yield to our spirits, and we are praying the perfect prayer that God desires.

Holy Spirit, I desire all the supernatural gifts You have made available. I need all the help I can get to enable me to live victoriously. I want to pray powerful prayers that are led by the Holy Spirit. I know You hear and answer the prayers I pray in my known language, but I am open to receiving the gift of an unknown language that will enable me to speak secrets and mysteries unto You. I trust You, Jesus, to lead me in the right direction. Amen.

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Joyce Meyer – Praying His Will

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[Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I Am].—John 14:14

Some Christians read this passage and take its meaning out of context. What a statement! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this gave you license to have anything and everything you want? But the name of Jesus is not simply a “magic word” to tack on at the end of your wish list.

You must realize that all effective prayer involves praying the will of God, not the will of man. There are many things in the Word that clearly reveal God’s will, and these you may certainly ask for boldly without any hesitation or concern about whether you should have them. Yet there are many other things you need to pray about without knowing the exact will of God in the situation. It is at these times you should pray that His perfect will be done and not your own.

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Joyce Meyer – Require God’s Presence

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One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. —Psalm 27:4

When I first became a Christian, I didn’t desire to pray as much as I do now. Although I do spend time with God every morning, I also spend time with Him all day. It seems that I walk in prayer.

In her powerful book, Experiencing God through Prayer, Madame Guyon says there is a difference between praying to God and experiencing Him. At first you must discipline yourself to pray, but eventually you will give yourself to the ocean of God’s love, and experience His continual presence.

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Joyce Meyer – Imperfect, but Perfectly Loved

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There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! —1 John 4:18

We cannot love ourselves unless we realize how much God loves us, and if we don’t love ourselves, we cannot love other people. We cannot maintain good, healthy relationships without this foundation of love in our lives.

By the time I met the man I have been married to since 1967, I was desperate for love but did not know how to receive it, even when it was available. My husband, Dave, really did love me, but I found myself constantly deflecting his love due to the way I felt about myself down deep inside. As I entered into a serious and committed relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, I began to learn about God’s love. But it took a long time to fully accept it. When you feel unlovable, it is hard to get it through your head and down into your heart that God loves you perfectly—even though you are not perfect and never will be as long as you are on the earth.

There is only one thing you can do with a free gift: receive it and be grateful. I urge you to take a step of faith right now and say out loud, “God loves me unconditionally, and I receive His love!” You may have to say it a hundred times a day, like I did for months, before it finally sinks in, but when it does it will be the happiest day of your life. To know that you are loved by someone you can trust is the best and most comforting feeling in the world. God will not only love you that way, but He will also provide other people who will truly love you. When He does provide, be sure to remain thankful for those people. Having people who genuinely love you is one of the most precious gifts in the world.

Trust in Him: You won’t be able to receive God’s love until you trust Him. Take a step of faith right now and say out loud, “God loves me unconditionally, and I receive His love!” Say it as many times as you need to until you believe it.

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Joyce Meyer – he Power of the Blood

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The blood shall be for a token or sign to you upon [the doorposts of] the houses where you are, [that] when I see the blood, I will pass over you… —Exodus 12:13

The miraculous events of the first Passover illustrate the power of the blood. It is an amazing foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus which gives us life. In this story, an angel of death was going to pass through the land of Egypt to kill the firstborn sons in every household. But God instructed His people to apply the blood of lambs to the doorposts of their homes so the angel of death would see it and pass over their houses or families.

Today, Jesus is our Passover Lamb. He shed His blood to set us free from the curse of sin and death. I do not think we fully avail ourselves of all the benefits of the blood of Jesus, as we should. I believe that we need to be diligent to apply the blood over our lives by faith and seal the doors of our lives through which Satan can gain access to us.

The Israelites had to go to a lot of trouble to get the blood on their doorposts. They had to kill the lambs, skin them, remove the blood and put it into containers; they had to get some hyssop (a brush-like plant), dip it in the blood and put the blood on their doorposts. That could not have been a neat, clean endeavor! But they did it, and they did it by faith because God told them to. The Israelites had to apply the blood of the lamb physically, but we can do it by faith. Jesus is the Lamb of God, and, as believers, we can apply the power of His shed blood to our lives by simply believing in it.

Love God Today: “Thank You, Jesus, for being my Passover lamb.”

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Joyce Meyer – Keep It Simple

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I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. —2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)

God really wants our relationships and communication with Him to be simple, but the devil has twisted our thinking about prayer because he not only knows how powerful it is, he also knows how easy it should be for us.

Just ask yourself, Why would God create us for communication and fellowship with Him and then complicate it? God has not complicated anything; He has made a simple and enjoyable way for us to pray and enjoy spending time with Him. Satan wants us to believe that prayer has to take a long time and that we must follow a specific formula. He surrounds prayer with rules and regulations and steals the creativity and freedom God desires us to enjoy as we pray. He tries to keep us from having faith and to convince us that we really are not worthy enough to be talking to God anyway and that we cannot hear God’s voice.

When we do pray the devil always tries to condemn us by telling us that we do not pray enough or the right way, and that our prayers do not make a difference. He also attempts to distract us when we are praying. For these reasons, people often feel that prayer is so difficult and unfruitful that they rarely do it.

In general, many people seem to be frustrated and dissatisfied with their prayer lives, but that can change. We can pray simple, heartfelt prayers in faith and be assured that God hears and answers.

God’s word for you today: A “kiss” for you: Keep It Simple, Sister (or Brother)!

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Joyce Meyer – Just Do It

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For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. —Romans 8:14

I have discovered that if I want to be happy and if I want to have an anointing on my life, then I must be obedient to the voice of God. I don’t always have to know why God wants me to do something. I just need to know what He tells me to do—and then do it!

When our feelings run amuck, we need to keep them from running our lives. We need to submit our will to what God tells us to do through His Word to us. If we don’t feel like going to church, we go anyway. If we don’t feel like giving that hundred dollar offering God told us to give, we do it anyway. If God tells us to give away items we feel like keeping, we give them away with joy.

“Walking in the Spirit” is a phrase that charismatic believers have used loosely in the past few decades. What it means to me is to hear God speak and do whatever He tells me to do. We can point our finger when we see that other people aren’t obeying God, but all He wants from us is our own obedience.

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Joyce Meyer – The Peaceful Mind

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You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. —Isaiah 26:3

What is it about nighttime that makes us more vulnerable to satanic attack? Is it because daylight is gone and it’s dark? Is there some kind of association between evil and the dark hours of night? We are usually able to cope with whatever happens to us during the day, but sometimes it’s a different story at night.

My theory is that by evening, most of us are tired and weary, and we just want to lie down, close our eyes, and drift into peaceful sleep. That is one of Satan’s favorite times to engage us in the battle for our minds. He knows that when we are exhausted and sleepy, we are not as resistant to his attacks. And just as we are about to drop off to sleep, he makes his move.

If we recognize that we’re more susceptible to the attack of the enemy at night, we can take steps to be better prepared to stand against him. Some of my friends tell me that they find it helps to meditate on scriptures such as Philippians 4:8, which tells us to think on good things—things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and excellent. Or they claim the promise of Isaiah 26:3: “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You….” These words from the Bible enable us to remain vigilant even in the dark hours of night. By using the Word of God, we can defeat every onslaught of the enemy—even in our weakest hours.

But if we have not armed ourselves with the Word and spent some time in prayer, we will fall for Satan’s plan when he brings to mind some troublesome event of the day, and asks, “Why did you say that? How could you have been so insensitive?”

He takes advantage of us when he knows we are weak and the most vulnerable to his influence. His goal is to disturb our thoughts and rob us of the peaceful rest that our bodies need. One of his tricks is to cause us to focus on the problems of the day, suggesting that we must immediately—in the middle of the night—determine the best way to settle the issue.

I experienced nights like this years ago, and I didn’t always win the battle. But as a mature Christian, I now know how to fight the good fight of faith. Here’s one thing I figured out a long time ago: It is not wise to make decisions in the middle of the night. There may be times when God demands an immediate surrender, and those are powerful moments in our lives. But most decisions can wait until the next day.

Perhaps we spoke hastily or didn’t respond kindly to someone’s need. The issues are often little things that we probably could have handled better. But as Satan wages his battle in the dark of night, those little things seem to take on importance and urgency—so much so that we believe we will never sleep unless we settle the issue immediately.

When Satan tries to pull that nighttime trick on me, I’ve learned to say, “I’ll deal with this issue in the morning, when the sun is shining. After I’ve rested, I can cope.” I’ve also learned that I can say, “Lord, I surrender this to You. Give me Your rest, Your peace, and help me to make the right decision in the morning.” That works for me!

Holy Spirit, thank You for being with me, for protecting me, and for guiding my life. When I face those dark nights and the enemy tries to attack my mind, protect me. I trust You and ask You to keep me in Your perfect peace. Amen.

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Joyce Meyer – Honor Him First

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But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. —1 John 2:27

This verse isn’t suggesting you don’t need anyone to teach you the Word. Otherwise God wouldn’t appoint some to teach in the body of Christ. But it does say if you are in Christ you have an anointing that abides on the inside of you to guide and direct your life.

Sometimes you give more consideration to what people tell you than to what God has said. You might occasionally ask somebody for their wisdom, but if you hear from God and then start asking everybody else what they think, you are honoring people’s opinions above the Word of God. You need to say, “God, no matter what anybody else says, no matter what my own plan is, if You say something to me, I am going to honor You above anything else.”

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Joyce Meyer – Operate in Wisdom

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Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfathomable (inscrutable, unsearchable) are His judgments (His decisions)! And how untraceable (mysterious, undiscoverable) are His ways (His methods, His paths)! —Romans 11:33

Without wisdom we can make poor decisions and later wonder why we didn’t pray first. It is wise to seek God early each day before we start making decisions in order to know ahead of time what we ought to do, and then to receive the grace to do it. Wisdom keeps us from a life of regret.

Jesus operated in wisdom. When others went home to rest, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to spend time with God. And early in the morning (at dawn), He came back into the temple and taught people (see John 7:53–8:2). Jesus always spent time with the Father before facing the crowds. If Jesus needed time with God, we need even more time with Him. Walk in wisdom today.

 

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Joyce Meyer – Seek to Do Good

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See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. —1 Thessalonians 5:15

The Bible is filled with instructions for us to be active. The direction to be active instead of passive is rather simple, but millions of people totally ignore it. Maybe they think things will get better on their own. But nothing good happens accidentally. Once I learned that, my life changed for the better.

The Bible says we are to seek to be kind and good (see 1 Thess. 5:15). Seek is a strong word meaning “to crave, pursue, and go after.” If we seek opportunities, we are sure to find them and that will protect us from being idle and unfruitful. We must ask ourselves if we are alert and active or passive and inactive? God is alert and active! I am glad He is; otherwise, things in our lives would deteriorate rapidly. God not only created the world and everything we see and enjoy in it, He also actively maintains it because He knows that good things do not simply occur; they happen as a result of right action (see Heb. 1:3).

God-inspired, balanced activity keeps us from being idle and unfruitful and thereby serves as a protection for us. Actively doing right things continuously will prevent us from doing wrong things.

Trust in Him: Are you pursuing goodness and kindness? Be alert and active, trusting God to inspire right action in your life while you seek to be kind and good.

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Joyce Meyer – Let God Do the Healing

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O Lord my God, I cried out to You and You have healed me. —Psalm 30:2

James A. Garfield became president of the United States in 1880 and was shot in the back six months later, in July 1881.

After the shooting, a doctor tried to remove the bullet, but couldn’t. In the following weeks, more doctors probed his wound to try to locate the bullet, to no avail. Eventually, Alexander Graham Bell provided an electrical device doctors thought might locate the bullet, but that didn’t work. Doctors later learned that sometimes removing a bullet causes more trouble than leaving it alone.

Garfield died on September 19, 1881, not as a result of his wound, but because of infection and hemorrhage that probably developed after so much probing for the bullet. The very thing physicians thought would heal Garfield ended up killing him.

When you have a “wound” of some sort, whether it’s a disappointment, a betrayal, being abandoned or rejected or some other hurtful situation, don’t keep probing it. Go to God and ask Him to heal you in the way He knows is best for you. Then take your hands off. Don’t try to “fix” yourself, but do follow the Holy Spirit as He leads you into healing and wholeness.

Love Yourself Today: Is there a wound in your heart that you have probed too much?  Ask God to heal it; stay sensitive to His Spirit; and let Him bring new life and strength to you.

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Joyce Meyer – A Virtuous Woman

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A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman—who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. —Proverbs 31:10

Who can compete with the woman described in Proverbs 31? This woman can do it all; she’s a great wife, mother, she manages the house, she runs a business, she cooks, she sews—what she doesn’t seem to do is get tired! She seems absolutely perfect. I disliked her until I realized she was an example to me, a goal I could reach for. One that God Himself would help me realize if I put my trust in Him and was willing to change. I want you to consider her too and believe that you can become the confident woman you want to be. God wants each woman to be able to insert her name in this woman’s story.

A good woman is hard to find; she is to be valued above rubies or pearls. Good women are precious, more precious than jewels or expensive gems. We must intentionally work to build up our husbands with thoughtful, caring questions and statements because like this verse points out, a woman who is capable, intelligent, and virtuous is a rare combination. Any man who has a wife like this should appreciate and value her tremendously.

Lord, I can’t compete with this woman, but I thank You for her example. I aspire to be like her, and I trust that Your grace working in my life will lift me up higher and higher. Amen.

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Joyce Meyer – Don’t “Just” Pray

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Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse…and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. —Malachi 3:10

One of the prayers I hear people pray often, and have prayed many times myself, is what I call a “just” prayer, which sounds something like this: “Now Lord, we just thank You for this food,” “God, we just ask You to protect us,” “Father, we just come to You tonight…” “Oh, God, if You would just help us in this situation we would be so thankful…” Do you see what I mean? We sound as if we are afraid to ask God for very much.

The word just can mean “righteous” or “fair,” but it can also mean “barely enough to get by” or “by a narrow margin.” God wants to give us exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond all that we can dare to hope, ask, or think (see Ephesians 3:20). He wants to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings, so why should we approach Him asking for barely enough to get by on? Why should we approach God as if we are afraid to ask for too much? When we approach Him that way, it seems as if we do not believe He is generous and good. We must realize that He is not a God who gives “just” enough to barely get by, but He desires to bless us abundantly, as the verse for today promises.

God does not want to hear fearful, insecure “just” prayers. He wants to hear bold, confident, faith-filled prayers prayed by people who are secure in their friendship with Him.

God’s word for you today: When it comes to prayer, “just” just isn’t enough.

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Joyce Meyer – Trust in Christ to Lead You

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You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to honor and glory. —Psalm 73:24

We believe that God is inherently good and that He is also in control of our lives. Therefore, when tragedy strikes or loss occurs, we don’t understand why God does not prevent such things from happening to us and hurting us so badly.

Faced with tragic loss, often we become angry and ask, “If God is good and all-powerful, why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?” This question becomes a major issue when it is we, God’s own children, who are the ones suffering.

At such times, reasoning wants to scream out, “This makes no sense at all!” Over and over the question, “Why, God, why?” torments those who are grieving over losses in their life, just as it also tortures the lonely and the dejected. Excessive reasoning, trying to figure out things for which we will not be able to find an answer, torments and brings much confusion; but Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us that trust in the Lord brings assurance and direction: Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. When we face a time of crisis in life, we need direction. These scriptures tell us that trusting God is the way to find that direction. Trust requires allowing some unanswered questions to be in your life!

No matter how badly you may be hurting from a loss or tragedy, the Holy Spirit can give you a deep peace that somehow everything will be all right. Being angry at God is useless because He is the only One Who can help.