Promises for Your Everyday Life

[Aeliana]

Getting Rid of Unrealistic Expectations

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God.

Mark 10:18


Unrealistic expectations can quickly steal our peace and joy. We usually visualize a perfect day, with perfect people, and ourselves being perfectly happy in our perfect little world, but we all know that isn't reality. In reality, only God is perfect and the rest of us are under construction. The devil knows what steals our peace and he sets us up to get upset when our unrealistic expectations fall apart. After years of letting the devil steal my peace, I finally got it: Life is not perfect, and things are going to happen that we did not plan for and would rather not go through.

My new attitude has become, "Oh well, that's life!" I have discovered that if I don't let those things impress me, then they can't depress me. Everyone has to deal with inconveniences, but we can deal with them and avoid a bad attitude. Remember today that only God is perfect and trust in Him. He can always lead you past disappointing circumstances, strengthening you and helping you to hold on to your peace.

Prayer Starter: God, only You are perfect. I am so glad that even when people and circumstances fail, You never do. Instead of putting my hope in things that will disappoint, I choose a life of peace that only comes from putting my hope in You.

Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional

 

[Aeliana]

Living for God Is All That Matters

We don’t dare put ourselves in the same class with those who think they are so important. We don’t compare ourselves to them. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing.2 Corinthians 10:12

It takes boldness to follow God instead of the crowd. Being excessively concerned about what others think leads only to torment. Although all of us enjoy being well thought of, it is not possible to be liked by everyone all the time.In God's economy, we usually have to be willing to lose something we have in order to gain what we really want in life, and that means we have to stop comparing ourselves to other people's standards and start living for God.People who are real friends will help you be all God wants you to be. They won't judge you for following God's call.

Real friends will encourage you to make God number one in your life. Even if everyone else walks away from you, He promises to never leave you or forsake you. Life gets too complicated, confusing and frustrating when we try to please both God and people. You don't have to compare yourself to anyone and worry what people think about you. Live life for God and be free to be who He made you to be.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I make a decision right now live for You alone. Living by other people's standards and expectations for me will get me nowhere. You are the only One who matters, and I will be the person You've made me to be.



Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional

 

[Aeliana]

Give Him Your Cares and Follow Your Heart

casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7

"To thine own heart be true," the old saying goes. It remains a timely and relevant life lesson that all of us would do well to remember. When we veer off the course that our heart is advising us to follow, we can make our lives very difficult. Now I'm not talking about selfish desires.

I'm talking about pursuing the desires that God puts in your heart. What do you want out of life? What do you believe is God's will for you? Are you pursuing it? Some people have too many cares and worries that keep them from stepping out and following what's in their heart. They've decided it's out of their reach. The Bible says we should cast all our cares upon God for He cares for us. Whatever worry you have that is keeping you from following your heart, you need to give it to God and let Him take care of it.

He wants you to follow the desire He's placed in you. Let God take care of your cares and follow your heart. You can trust Him. He cares for you!

Prayer Starter: God, sometimes I don't pursue what You've placed in my heart because of my worries and cares, so today, I give them to You. I know You can handle them, and You want me to be free to follow my heart.

Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional

 

[Aeliana]

Be Decisive!

But above all, my fellow believers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be [a truthful] yes, and your no be [a truthful] no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
James 5:12

Indecision is a miserable state to be in and certainly is not a fruit of the simple life. The apostle James said the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Never making a decision because you're afraid you'll make the wrong one will get you nowhere. How much time do you think we waste when we can't make up our minds? We often labor over the choices before us when we just need to make a decision and let it stand.

This may be a simple example, but think about it: When you stand in front of your closet in the morning looking at all your clothes, just choose something and put it on. Don't go back and forth until you make yourself late for work! Let me encourage you to start making decisions without second-guessing yourself or worrying about the choices you make. Don't be double-minded or wishy-washy because doubting your decisions after you make them will steal the enjoyment from everything you do. Make the best decisions you can and trust God with the results.

Prayer Starter: Holy Spirit, thank You for showing me that indecision doesn't really get me anywhere. Help me to let my "yes" be "yes," and my "no" be "no." I know I can't go wrong when I make decisions the best I can and simply trust You with the results.


Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional

 

[Aeliana]

Wisdom Is Calling Out to You

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,
Before the earth was.
Proverbs 8:23

Along the way on our journey through life, we will have to make many decisions, and we will always get into trouble if we make them emotionally or according to what we think or want. God wants us to make wise decisions. I believe having wisdom is choosing to do now what we will be happy with later. Proverbs says that wisdom is calling out to us.

You must walk in God's wisdom and realize that the choices you make today will affect your tomorrow. So many people never enjoy life because they're always dealing with messes resulting from a lack of wisdom. Don't do something selfish, gambling that things will turn out right. Wisdom does not gamble, it invests in the future.

Wisdom doesn't settle for a cheap thrill. Instead, it follows God into a better tomorrow. So what about you? Are you walking in wisdom today? If you're not, the good news is that wisdom is already calling out to you. God's ready and willing to provide you with His wisdom. Just ask Him for it and make the decisions that will invest in a godly future.

Prayer Starter: God, I want to enjoy life, not constantly clean up problems that result from a lack of wisdom. Thank You for providing Your wisdom for me. I choose to receive it and make godly decisions for my future.

Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional

 

[Aeliana]

Discernment Is the Key to a Clear Conscience

In view of this, I also do my best and strive always to have a clear conscience before God and before men.
Acts 24:16

It's critical to keep your conscience clear because nothing will keep you from enjoying life as much as guilt. In Acts, Paul said that he pursued discipline and avoided worldly desires so that he could walk blameless and guilt-free before God. The same applies to us. Walking in the confidence of a clear conscience will keep us free and happy.

That sounds easy when it comes to clear-cut, right and wrong issues, but what about the 'gray' areas of life? How do we keep our conscience clear when we're unsure what the right or wrong choice is? What if we accidentally sin without realizing it? I've found that God's discernment solves this problem.

Discernment is spiritual understanding, and it's the key to living with a clear conscience. It takes practice, but it simply involves paying attention to your heart. God will let you know when you shouldn't do something that will bring guilt later on. I encourage you to live in a way that will keep your conscience clear. Don't do things you know you shouldn't, and rely on God's discernment when you're facing an issue you're not sure about. He will never lead you wrong.

Prayer Starter: God, thank You for Your discernment. Help me to pay attention to Your still, small voice speaking to my heart so I can live in a way that will keep my conscience free and clear before You.


Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional

 

[Aeliana]

Do Your Best!

so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ;
Philippians 1:10

God is excellent. As His representatives, we should be too. So it's important that we do our best in everything that we put our hands to. We must be motivated to do our very best in whatever we set out to accomplish. Paul urges us to "learn to...prize what is excellent and of real value."

As we make excellence a way of life, we will sense God's joy and be good examples to the world. You must sow excellence in order to reap an excellent harvest. We can't expect excellent results in life when we don't live a life of excellence. The Bible teaches us to develop diligence, steadfastness and determination, all of which will help us live lives of excellence. So I encourage you to do your best with any project or activity that God places in your path.

Be diligent. Don't leave things undone, but finish what you start to the best of your ability. Set your mind to be steadfast and determined. Commit yourself to excellent results. God honors an attitude of excellence. Choose to do your best, and He will always work alongside you.

Prayer Starter: God, I want to live a life of excellence. Strengthen me and help me to do my best in every situation with steadfastness, diligence and determination.

Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional

 

[Aeliana]

Be Generous and Cheerful

Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7

As Christians, we should be generous people, giving whatever we can whenever we can. And that doesn't just mean money, we can give help, encouragement, time, talents and forgiveness. This means we can't let selfishness get in the way. A lot of people are stingy, clinging to what they have and afraid to give it up.

Others aren't stingy in their actions, but they are stingy in their hearts, giving because they feel obligated, not because they really want to. But this isn't the way God calls us to give. Second Corinthians 9:7 tells us, "God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, 'prompt to do it') giver [whose heart is in his giving]."

If you think about it, when we give our lives to God, everything we have is His anyway, it no longer belongs to us. We should be givers, using our resources the way He wants us to. Give cheerfully today. It pleases God, and those who give cheerfully are happy, fulfilled, and highly effective.

Prayer Starter: God, I make up my mind and purpose in my heart right now to be a cheerful giver. Show me how I can generously give to You and the people in my life today.


Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional

 

[Aeliana]

Are You Hopeful?

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

When you think about the future, are you hopeful? Or do you struggle with a sense of dread? People who have seen God's faithfulness in the past tend to be very hopeful about the future. They know a bad situation can turn into a wonderful testimony in a matter of minutes.

On the other hand, people who have lost all hope view life from the perspective of dread.

A close cousin to fear, dread steals the ability to enjoy ordinary life and makes people anxious about the future. Hope is the opposite of dread, and a close relative of faith. When we have faith in God, it leads to hope, and our outlook on life and the future is positive.

Hope allows us to leave our unanswered questions in God's hands; it empowers us to remain at peace, and it enables us to believe the best about the days to come. You can have hope when you trust in God's love. He has the power to provide for you and lead you through every situation.

Prayer Starter: God, I choose to put my faith in You, knowing that it will turn into hope. I don't have to dread, because You have the ability to care for me, so I put my hope in You.



Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional