God is speaking to you

It sounds like a pretty foundational point, but I believe there are many who still question whether God really talks to people. Have you ever wondered about this? Do you ask yourself if God would ever speak to you? You will be happy to know that the answer is yes.


Toward the end of His time on earth, Jesus told His disciples, "I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or take them upon you or to grasp them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth)" (John 16:12,13)


When Jesus spoke these words, He was talking to men with whom He had spent the previous three years, yet He still had more to teach them. This is surprising, because I would think that if Jesus was with me personally for three years, day and night, I would have learned everything there is to know.


But Jesus always has more to say because we will always be facing new situations in life that He wants to guide us through. That is why we have been given the Holy Spirit - so that we can hear God speak, even though He may not be physically in front of us.


Through Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, God wants to speak to you on a One-to-one basis every day. He wants to lead you step-by-step to the good things He has in store for you.


The Father will give the gift of His Spirit to all who ask for Him (see Luke 11:13). I want to sway again emphatically that each of us can hear from God and be led by the Holy Spirit daily. Are you listening?


Prayer Starter: God, I ask to be guided by the Holy Spirit. I believe that You are speaking to me, and I want to know what You have to say.

**Joyce Meyer

John 16:13

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Set aside distractions

The world makes it easy for us to fill our ears with all kinds of things that drown out the voice of God and push Him far, far into the background of our lives. These distractions come in various forms, from the television to the radio, from food to hobbies. Even our family and church activities can sometimes distract us or pull us away from the Lord.


However, the day comes for every person when only God remains. Everything else in life eventually passes away; and when it does, God will still be there.


The Word of God teaches that what is known about God is evident to all because He has made Himself known in the inner consciousness of mankind (see Romans 1:19-21). Each person will one day stand before Him and give an account of his or her life (see Romans 14:12).


When people do not want to serve God with their lives, when they want to go their own way, they find ways to hide from and ignore this instinctive inner knowledge of their Creator who wants to talk to them and guide them in the way they should go. But nothing can satisfy our inner longing for God, except communion and fellowship with Him. Isaiah expresses well our own hunger for God when he wrote, "My soul yearns for you [O Lord] in the night, yes, my spirit within me seeks you earnestly" (Isaiah 26:9).


Hearing from God is vital to enjoying His eternal plan for our lives. Listening to God is our decision; no one else can make it for us. God would not force us to choose His will, but He will do everything He can to encourage us to say yes to His ways.


So what is distracting you from listening to Him? An unhealthy relationship? A job? A bad habit? God is speaking to you and He desires fellowship with you. Put aside those distractions and join Him.


Prayer starter: God, like Isaiah, my soul longs for You. I know that I need to listen to Your voice more than anything else. I know that as I set aside distractions, You will be faithful to meet with me.

**Joyce Meyer

Isaiah 26:9

My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

7 ways to practise peace

Living in God's peace is vital to enjoy life. I believe that one of the keys to live with peace in your live is taking small steps toward peace every day. Here are a few tips you can use to develop a more peaceful lifestyle.


1) Be selective with how you spend your time. You may be trying to do too many things and end up doing none of them well. Hurrying is the flesh trying to do more than the Holy Spirit is leading you to do. Be led by the Spirit.


2) Be prepared to say "no" nicely. Sometimes we take on things we should not because we are uncomfortable saying no. Ask God to give you the words to say no when you need to.


3) Resist the spirit of procrastination. God's Word tells us to exercise self-discipline. Do what you know you need to do now so you can fully enjoy your times of rest.


4) Eliminate key distractions. If you know you are prone to certain distractions, such as watching TV, set some guidelines for yourself.


5) Set appropriate boundaries for interruptions. Life is full of interruptions, but you can learn to set boundaries that help you manage them in healthy ways, such as scheduling times when you are "off limits." Schedule time to give yourself a break.


6) Modify your life. Ask God to show you out-of-the-box ways to save time and trouble. For instance, when I do not have time to do the dishes, I use paper plates!


7) Pray and listen. If you can see that your plan is not producing peace, go back to God, pray for peace in the now, and for the wisdom to make changes that will benefit your life.


The bottom line is to make peace a priority, take practical steps toward it, and let God lead you every day into His perfect peace that passes all understanding. 


Prayer starter: God, lead me into Your peace that passes all understanding. Show me the daily steps I can take to walk in Your peace for me.

**Joyce Meyer

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Experiencing God's peace by living in the now

Having an attitude of peace and calm is priceless. It is an attitude that says, 'I am trusting God,' and it speaks powerfully to people. But it takes time, focus, and the grace of God to be consistently peaceful.


Too often our stress level is tied up in our circumstances. You could be stressed because you are always busy or you are struggling financially or because you are not getting along with someone you love.


To conquer the stress in our lives, we need to learn to practice the peace that has been provided for us by the overcoming power of Jesus.


One way to develop consistent peace is to learn to live 'in the now.' We can spend a lot of time thinking about the past or wondering what the future holds, but we cannot accomplish anything unless our mind is focused on today.


The Bible tells us that God gives us grace for each day that we live. I believe God's grace is the power that enables and energizes us to do what we need to do - and He gives it generously, as we need it.


Every day we need to say, 'God has given me today. I will rejoice and be glad in it.'


If you can learn to trust God 'in the now,' receiving His grace as you need it, you can become a truly peaceful person - and that is powerful.


Prayer starter: God, I know that You have overcome any and every obstacle, so I ask You to help me live in the peace that You have provided for me. Show me how to trust You as I live 'in the now.'

**Joyce Meyer

John 16:33

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Share the gospel by meeting practical needs

I once heard a story about an evangelist in Russia, who was walking around telling people, "Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you." He was handling out Gospel tracts, and one lady said, "You know what? Your sermon and Gospel tract is not going to fill my belly." See, sometimes we need to show people God's love by meeting their physical needs and then we can share the Gospel of Christ.


Jesus spoke about the importance of meeting people's physical needs. In Matthew, He said that when we feed the hungry, or give water to the thirsty, or clothe the needy, or care for the sick, it is like we are doing those things for Him. He showed us how helping someone in a practical way can create a wonderful opportunity to share Gospel with someone.


When someone can see God's love in action in a real way in their own life, it is much easier for them to believe our message that God loves them.


So what does this look like practically? It could start with something small, like giving a hug to someone nearby who feels unloved. From there, you could go on to support ministries that help the sick, thirsty and hungry. Maybe you could volunteer at a soup kitchen or outreach in your community or take a mission  trip to serve the needy in another country. The possibilities are endless when you make a decision to serve others not only through words, but also through practical action.


Prayer starter: Lord, I want to put action behind my words. Show me how I can practically help the people You bring across my path so they can experience the power of Your love.

**Joyce Meyer

Matthew 25:40

The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

God works through people

One morning I was having my quiet time alone with God, and I said to the Lord, "God, how can You stand being seeing all the pain, starving children, human trafficking, genocide, injustice, degradation, poverty, in the world and not do something?"


I did not say it as a complaint or because I was questioning His integrity, and I do not even know that I was really expecting to get an answer, but I just asked Him. Immediately His answer came back: "I work through people. I am waiting for My people to arise and do something."


You and I are part of an army, the body of Christ, and it is going to take everyone doing their part to change this world. God wants to work through us, and He is calling us to put on love and get to work.


In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul talked about how the churches in Macedonia gave, saying, "But first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His agents] by the will of God [entirely disregarding their personal interests, they gave as much as they possibly could, having put themselves at our disposal to be directed by the will of God]."


That just amazes me, because they did not just give their money, they gave themselves. God is calling us to live the same way. And one person working for the Lord has the ability to make a profound difference! So how will you give yourself to the Lord and be His agent today?


Prayer starter: God, I invite You to work through me. I choose to lay down selfishness and pick up love so that I can be used by You to change the world.

**Joyce Meyer

2 Corinthians 8:5

And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord and then by the will of God also to us.

Complaining is a SIN!

In Ephesians 4:29, the apostle Paul instructs us not to use any foul or polluting language. At one time, I did not realize that this included complaining, but I have since learned that murmuring and complaining pollute our lives.


Plain and simple, complaining is a sin! It causes many people a great deal of problems in their lives and destroys the joy of anyone listening.


We need to ask ourselves, how quick are we to become impatient and begin to complain when stuck in traffic or while waiting in checkout lanes in grocery stores or department stores? How quick are we to spot and point out all the faults of our friends or family members? Do we complain about our job when we should be thanking God that we have one? 


The best antidote for complaining is thanksgiving. Truly thankful people do not complain. They are too busy being grateful for all the good things they have that they have no time to notice the things they could complain about. 


The Bible says that we are to enter God's courts with praise and thanksgiving. You and I need to make it a daily goal to live a life of thanksgiving. Let us be as positive and grateful as possible.


Try going to bed at night pondering everything you have to be thankful for. Let it be the first thing you do in the morning. Thank God for "little" things or things you might normally take for granted: a parking place, waking up in time for work, a meal, your family... Do not get discouraged when you fail, but do not throw in the towel and quit either. Keep at it until you have developed new habits and you are living with an attitude of gratitude.


Be generous with your gratitude. It will sweeten your relationship with the Lord.


Prayer starter: God, I want to live with an attitude of gratitude, starting right now! I thank You so much for loving me and for blessing me. Help me see the positive things in life and to thank You for them.

**Joyce Meyer

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Pray persistently

About twenty years ago,  this next sentence changed my life: "You do not have because you do not ask God." This short verse opened a door for me to discover the life-changing power of persistent prayer.


At that time in m life, I was stressed out about a lot of different things. I was trying to make my ministry grow, trying to make my husband do this or that, trying to male my kids act a certain way, trying to make other people do the things I wanted, trying to basically do absolutely everything on my own. As you can probably guess, it was not working!


As a burned-out, frustrated young Christian, I realized one day that living in my own strength was useless. I needed to take my problems to God. In other words, I needed to pray more!


When we understand God's love for us and His plan for us, then we can begin to realize the doors that He wants to open for us. But we will only realize these things when we are constantly talking with Him, listening to his voice, and growing deeper in our relationship with Him.


In Matthew 7:7 (AMP), Jesus tells us, "Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you."


So many times, when we reach the end of our rope, we turn to prayer, but when our prayer are not instantly answered, we give up. Today, I want to encourage you to not only pray, but to pray persistently. Do not stress out trying to make things happen on your own. Give it all to God as you pray.


Remember, He promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him. Let us pray and seek Him with all our hearts.


Prayer starter: God, remind me to bring my problems to You. I am tired of living in my own strength. I need Your guidance and Your direction. As I seek You daily, I will put my trust in You.

**Joyce Meyer

James 4:2

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

Letting God's love overcome past hurt

Early in our marriage, Dave and I had some rough years, and a lot of it was because I needed God to heal me from my past of being abused sexually, emotionally and verbally by my dad. Through a lot of tears and difficult moments of choosing to forgive instead of getting revenge, God brought me through, and He has also used my testimony to bring healing to the lives of others. When God heals you of past hurt, He not only wants to help you, but He also wants your experience to be a gateway through which others can experience the same healing.


Eventually, I came to point where God led me and Dave to move my parents to St. Louis and even buy them a home, which was very difficult for me. But my dad ended up apologizing to me for all he had done and even received Christ into his life. I experienced a whole new level of emotional health because I let God heal me through the power of forgiveness, and allowed Him to use my restoration to help heal my dad.


You know, we can all hurt in a lot of different ways. Loneliness, disappointment, rejection, fear and insecurity all have the ability to hurt us deeply. I could not move beyond the hurt from my past until I received and experienced the love of God and allowed Him to turn it all around.


Before you can move beyond your pain and learn to love and forgive others, you have to experience God's love.


When dealing with your past, remember that God loves you deeply. The Bible says that we are only complete when we experience the love of Christ, which is so great you could  never fully understand it. As you receive His love, healing will begin in your heart and you will be made complete with the fullness of His life.


Prayer starter: Lord, I believe You can help me overcome the hurt and pain of my past and use my healing to help others. Help me to experience the love of Christ and make me complete with all the fullness of Your life and power.

**Joyce Meyer

Ephesians 3:19

and to know this love that surpasses knowledges - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Change the way you think

Have you ever heard the saying "a mind is a terrible thing to waste"? Our minds have so much capacity for good, to learn, create, think and grow, and it is a tragedy when we do not use them to their highest potential.


There was a time in my life when I allowed too many damaging thoughts to enter my mind, negative, tormenting, guilty, unforgiving , shameful and accusing thoughts. The problem was that I had no idea I could control my thoughts or choose which thoughts I focused on and believed in.


I did not realize that if I was thinking something that was not true, I had the power to stop. No one ever told me I could win in my mind. Has anyone ever told you? If not, then I am here today to tell you that you do not have to let your thoughts control you. You can choose to think and focus on God-thoughts!


Romans 12:2 says to "let God transform you, by changing the way you think." God wants to help you win the battle in your mind. But what does that look like on a practical level?


Here is what has worked countless times for me and what I know will work for you too: The next time you are wrestling in your mind, I want you to stop and find something specific that you can thank God for. Tell him how grateful you are for His goodness and all the rich ways He has blessed your life. As you are diligent to do this, you will see your life begin to change and things will get better and better.


It is my hope and prayer that you will know the power God has given you and that every day in your thoughts, you will walk in the fullness of His love for you!


Prayer starter: God, I want to experience Your power in my thought life. I choose to focus on Your goodness and Your love for me. No matter what negative thought comes my way, I know that You are so much bigger and better.

**Joyce Meyer

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed  by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Be a mouthpiece for God!

If you can grasp an understanding of the power of the words you speak, it may just change the course of your life! Your mouth is a powerful tool, either for God or for the enemy. In other words, you can either speak positive, uplifting, encouraging things into existence in you life or produce negative, gloomy and discouraging things.


Now, I do not believe any of us want to be a mouthpiece for the devil. But the fact is, the mouth can be used for blessing or destruction, not only in our lives, but also in the lives of others. I have seen it in my own life. there was a time when pretty much everything I said was negative.


But the Holy Spirit taught me how to use the creative power of the Word of God. I learned how to speak to the mountains rather than about the mountains in my life. What I mean is, I learned to apply the truth of His Word to my circumstances, and over times, I began to see positive and lasting results.


The mouth is like a pen and your heart is like a tablet. When you say something over and over, it gets on the inside of you and becomes you. It is not something you have to try to do anymore, it is who you are.


I would much rather be a mouthpiece for God than the enemy. I want to speak His truth and enjoy my life.


First Peter 3:10 says, "Let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days...keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile." Do you want to enjoy life? Then use your mouth to speak the things of God into your life!


Prayer starter: Lord, I know that my mouth is a powerful tool that can be used for You or for the enemy. I submit my mouth to You. Show me how to speak Your truth into my life and into the lives of others.

**Joyce Meyer

1 Peter 3:10

For, "whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.

Faith to see yourself through God's eyes

Whatever you are facing in life, or whatever is coming in your future, God has already given you the faith for it. It may not look like it, and you may not feel like you have what it takes to overcome, but faith in God is not based on our circumstances or how we feel.


The enemy would like for you to believe that you do not have a chance in life, that you are too weak, too poor, too whatever. But God has a different view of you. God sees you through the eyes of love. He sees not what you can be, but what He has invested in you, not what you or others may see.


Seeing yourself the way God sees you leads to a life of overwhelming victory.


But it takes faith. You can not just hear that God loves you and sees you as His child, you have to believe it. It takes faith to move forward and overcome the challenges of life. And faith does you no good if you do not know how to release it. You have to release your faith in order for it to work.


We release faith through our words, actions and, of course, through prayer. It is up to us to act.


First John 4:4 is a scripture we quote a lot, and almost anytime I say this verse in a church or meeting, everybody claps and cheers. But how many people really believe that "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world?"


The truth is, the One in you is greater and He loves you. So stretch your faith today and see yourself the way God sees you. It does not matter what enemy wants you to see or how things might look. Our faith overcomes through the One who lives in us!


Prayer starter: God, I believe that You love me and that you have given me the power to overcome. As you child, I will act on the faith You have given me every day, trusting in You and overcoming any obstacle that comes my way.

**Joyce Meyer

1 John 4:4

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Living a life of blessing

I believe that one of the greatest opportunities we have as Christians is to make a profound difference in the lives of others. Throughout my life of ministry, God has given me the opportunity to help many people who need guidance. 


But I do not believe this is a special opportunity that God made just for me. Everyone, you included, has the ability to influence someone. When you take the time to reach out to others and invest in someone's life, you are impacting the world...yours and theirs.


Galatians 6:10 tells us to "be mindful to be a blessing" to everyone God brings across our path. We are called to be a blessing and build up others in their faith, to not be afraid to reach out and to speak the truth in love.


I do not believe God want us to be more spectators in life. He wants us to be people who really love others and care enough to be willing to pour into their lives. We need to build up others in Jesus' name so they can grow and reach even more people.


Whether you know it or not, someone is watching and looking up to you. People are influenced by the way you live and they need to see God's love in your everyday actions.


At times we will make mistakes, and when we do we can thank God for His forgiveness, but we also have to realize that many times we may be the only evidence of God some people see.


Prayer starter: God, every day there is another opportunity that You have given me to reach out, bless and influence someone else with Your love. I want to live a life of blessing towards others, showing them what it means to live a God-focused life.

**Joyce Meyer

Galatians 6:10 

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Finding the fun

Want to hear a funny story? I have got a lot of them, and they come from things that happened in my ordinary, everyday life. Now, I was not laughing when those stories were in the making, but I am glad I can laugh about them now.

For example, I did not think it was funny when I could not get my hair to stay in place, but if you could seen what I did about it, you certainly would have laughed. It was not amusing when I tried to make clothes, especially for the people who had to wear them. And I was so irritated when Dave threw paper towels over the grocery store aisle at me, but I realize now, he just knew how to have a little fun no matter what he was doing. I am glad I have learned to look at times like these and see the humor in them.

Now I know that not everything in life is necessarily enjoyable, but I think we all need to learn to have more fun in our lives. And I bet if you took time to think about it every day, you could find a moment that brought you joy or you can laugh about now.

God wants His children to have some fun. The Bible says a merry heart does good like medicine. I think we all need a healthy dose of laughter everyday - many times during the day. You just can not overdose on joy!

I encourage you to deliberately look for something to smile or laugh about every day, and be sure to share a smile or a laugh with someone else and brighten their day too!

Prayer starter: Lord, Your Word says that a cheerful heart is like good medicine. Thank You for helping me to find the joy and fun in life!

**Joyce Meyer

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Throwing fear outdoors

I want to talk to you about a four-letter word: FEAR!


Many of us can probably remember when we were kids, if we said a bad word, our mama threatened to wash our mouth out with soap. Well, if "fear" is a dirty, four-letter word, then faith in God's love is the soap!


I am not talking about wimpy faith. I am talking about a powerful faith in God's unconditional, unlimited, unwavering, perfect love for us. 


First John 4:18 teaches that understanding God's love for us will deliver us from our fears. Now this does not mean we would not ever feel fear, but faith in God and His love will enable us to 'do it afraid' if we have to.


God wants you to know that He is with you. He will lead and guide you, so you can put your confidence and faith in Him!


Remember, His love is perfect, even when we are not. He is not going to love us any more or less because of our mistakes. Isn't it good to know that God loves you right where you are? Doesn't that thought just kind of boost your faith and take your fear down a notch?


You and I are going to feel afraid now and then. When we do, we can get our focus back on God and know that He will lead us through any situation we face.


It is the perfect love of God, not perfect us, that casts out fear every single time.


Prayer starter: God, only Your love can cast out my fear, so I put my faith in You. I know that Your presence is with me and that You will lead me through my fearful situation I face. I receive Your love.

**Joyce Meyer

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

The importance of finishing

Several years ago I read a verse that caused me to weep before the Lord. In John 17:4, Jesus says, "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do." This is saying that following God means finishing what He has called us to do.


Ever since reading that verse, it is become very important to me that I not just do what God has called me to do, but that I finish what He has called me to do.


There are a lot of people who step out and begin a journey with God, but I don not think there are nearly as many who finish it.


The apostle Paul said, '...If only I may finish my course with joy...' (Acts 20:24)


I am determined to finish God's call for me and enjoy every minute of it! That is what I want for you, too, to enjoy every single day of your life and finish what God has called you to do.


But most of this is up to us. It is not all up to God. He has done His part and given us everything we need in Christ. It is up to us to keep learning, growing, and letting the Spirit of God work in us. Take time to consider the things that God has called you to do and ask yourself, "What am I doing today to finish strong what God has set before me?"


God has great plans for you. Receive them by faith and go after them with all your heart. Today, I want you to make a commitment to finish strong. It is a commitment I know God will honor.


Prayer starter: God, like Jesus, I want to be able to say that I have completed the work You have for me. Thank you for working in me to give me the power and the desire to live for Your pleasure and finish my course with joy!

**Joyce Meyer

John 17:4

I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

Free to be relentless

Relentlessly pursuing God is not necessarily easy, but it is definitely worth it. However, you can't really pursue God until you have first experienced real freedom.


God is in the business of setting us free, and it is glorious to be free from guilt, condemnation, and always wondering what people are thinking of us.


We are set free from the concern of failing when we know who we are in Christ. This brings us the courage to be able to step out and pursue God's promises.


One of the greatest freedoms God has given me is the freedom to be me. For years I tried to be something I was not, feeling like I needed to be like this or like that, all the while knowing I was not like everyone else. Yet, I kept trying to be like others until I learned through my relationship with God who He created me to be. This also set me free from me, so I can focus on Jesus and reaching out to others the way He wants me to.


Philippians 3 says Paul was determined, or relentless, to have the things that Christ Jesus died for, to know Him and the power of His resurrection. I believe when we are born again, there is a spirit of determination that rises within us. We can call it Holy Spirit passion or zeal, and it is what gives us the 'oomph' we need during hard times to say, 'I will not give up on having an intimate, passionate, deep, personal relationship with God. I will not give up on being all that Christ wants me to be.'


Be relentless to stay in faith and receive God's promises. Remember, you belong to Him and He has given you a relentless spirit!


Prayer starter: God, I want to live a new life, relentlessly pursuing You and Your promises. I trust You to help me become all You created me to be and experience true freedom.

**Joyce Meyer

Philippians 3:10

I want to know Christ-yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death

When it is OK to say "no"

In Numbers 11, Moses gives us an example of what we can do when we are under stress. Talk about pressure, he was leading the Israelites through the wilderness on what should have been an eleven-day trip and instead ended up taking forty years!


The people were depressed and weeping over their situation. In verse 14, Moses tells God, "I am not able to carry all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me."


Like Moses, it is okay for us to say, "I have reached my limit." Yes, scripture says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13 NKJV), but that is really referring to times when we face various trials and situations that God will help us through.


It does not mean we should take on so many responsibilities that we completely burn out, like the woman who is raising five kids, works full-time, serves on the church board, etc.


Sometimes, it is all just too much...and it is okay to admit that. It is also okay to say "no" to some things so you can really enjoy life the way God intended.


Here is a newsflash: You and I do not have to be like everyone else or keep up with anyone else. God created some people to handle large amounts of works, but many people are not made this way.


Each of us needs to be who God created us to be, and we do not have to apologize for it. we each need to individually find the balance of responsibility god has established for us to live in so we can enjoy our life, instead of making ourselves sick with an overload of stress and pressure.


When you reach your limit, go to God, just like Moses did. He will help you find a saner, healthier lifestyle.


Prayer starter: God, sometimes it is hard for me to slow down and say no to more responsibility. Help me to live with the balance of responsibility You created for me, so I can live with Your peace and enjoy life.

**Joyce Meyer

Numbers 11:12

Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors?

A sustainable life

Are you living a sustainable life? Maybe you have caught yourself saying things like, "I can't do this much longer. I just can't keep this up forever." When you make comments like these, what you are really saying is, "I know i have limits and that I have reached them, but I am going to ignore them and see how long I can get by with it."


Our body gives us warnings when we are pushing too hard, like an ache here or a pain there. But we think, "I will be alright," and we ignore the warnings until we are too sick to ignore them.


I am not proud of this, but for the first twenty years of my ministry, I felt physically terrible a lot of time. I ran to doctors and tried all kinds of pills and vitamins. The doctors tried to tell me that I was simply pushing myself too hard, but I ignored them. I kept pushing myself to do all the travelling, speaking engagements, meetings, and so on, simply exhausting myself.


Finally, I realized that we can't ignore God's direction to take time to rest and not pay a price for it. So I made some changes and now I feel better than I ever have.


If you are living an unsustainable life, stop putting off making the changes you need to make. Do not wait until something happens, like a nervous breakdown or a heart problem. Make changes now to live the kind of life God wants you to live. When you live  God's way, I can guarantee you will discover an overwhelming new level of peace in your life.


Prayer starter: Lord, show me the unsustainable areas of my life. I submit them to You. Lead me into Your rest and peace today, so that I can enjoy my life and serve You for years to come. 

**Joyce Meyer

Psalm 23:2

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

Boundaries have a purpose!

Exercising self-control and self-discipline, and establishing boundaries and borders in our life are some of the most important things we can do. A life that has no discipline is one that is filled with carelessness.


The word of God establishes the necessary boundaries to keep us in God's safety zone. It tells us what we can do, and what we better not do, to be safe.


As Christians we can think it is kind of exciting to live life on the edge. We like the image of "Yeah! That is me! Living on the edge!" It is become a popular way if looking at life. But to be honest, God does not want us living on the edge, because if we are living on the edge, then we have no margin for error.


Highways have lines, one on each side and one in the center. These lines provide margins for our safety while we are driving. If we go over the line on one side, we will go into the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle, we could get killed. We like those lines because they help keep us safe. 


It is like that in our personal lives, too. When we have boundaries, borders, and margins, we feel much better and experience God's peace. 


The key is to go to God's word, where He has laid out all the boundaries we need to live by. Let God direct your path every day.


Prayer starter: God, I recognize the need for boundaries in my life. As I read Your Word, show me how to apply Your healthy boundaries in my life today.

**Joyce Meyer

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.