Trusting God Day by Day

[Aeliana]

Always Start with Prayer

[And Nehemiah prayed] Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity.
NEHEMIAH 4:4

In Nehemiah 4:4, we find three words that are vitally important to remember when we are trying to stand through a storm: “And Nehemiah prayed.” How did he respond to all the attacks that came against him—the laughing, the anger, the rage, the judgment, the criticism, being told his desired goal was impossible? He prayed!

Let me ask you: What would happen if you prayed every single time you felt afraid or intimidated? What if you prayed every time you were offended, or every time someone hurt your feelings? What if you prayed immediately every time some kind of judgment or criticism came against you? Would your life be different? Would you be able to withstand those storms better? Of course you would.

We can learn an important lesson from Nehemiah’s prayer: “Hear, O our God,” he said, “for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity.” Notice that Nehemiah didn’t go after his enemies himself; he asked God to deal with them. His attitude was, “I’m doing Your will! You told me to build this wall and I am busy building it. You will have to take care of my enemies!”

Many times, God tells us to do something or gives us an assignment and we begin doing it. But then the enemy comes against us, and when we turn to fight him, we turn away from God. Suddenly, the enemy has all of our attention. We spend our time fighting him instead of praying and asking God to intervene.

Nehemiah knew better than to let his enemies command his focus. He was aware of them, but he kept his eyes on God and the job God called him to do. And he simply prayed and asked God to deal with those who were attacking him.
Trust in Him What do you need to pray about? When the enemy attacks, don’t take your focus off the task God has placed before you. Pray! And trust God to take care of the enemy.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

Love Finds a Way

But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any. Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated.
MATTHEW 12:43–44

It is very important that we fill our lives with godly activity and make decisions to work for God, making a positive difference in the world. Many people don’t realize that indifference is a decision. Right and wrong are not the only decisions we make. A decision to do nothing is still a decision, and it is one that makes us weaker and weaker. It gives the devil more and more opportunities to control us.

Empty space is still a place, and the Word of God teaches that if the devil comes and finds emptiness he quickly occupies the space. Inactivity indicates that we are in agreement with and approve of whatever is going on. After all, if we are doing nothing to change it, then we must think whatever is happening is fine.

We have taken various people on mission trips to minister to desperately needy people, but they don’t all respond the same way. Everyone feels compassion when they see the terrible conditions in which people live while in the remote villages in Africa, India, or other parts of the world. Many cry; most shake their heads and think these situations are terrible, but they don’t all decide to do something to change the conditions.

Many pray for God to do something and are glad that our ministry is doing something, yet they never think to seek God aggressively about what they can personally do. I would venture to say that most of them return home, get busy with their own lives again, and soon forget about what they saw. But thank God there are some individuals who are determined to find ways to make a difference. Indifference makes an excuse, but love finds a way. Everyone can do something!

Trust in Him When have you seen a need and decided to do nothing? Don’t settle for the status quo any longer. Trust God to show what you can do to make a change.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

Pray Prayers God Can Answer

So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:20

Learning how to pray prayers God can answer is very important. I spent lots of years in my morning prayers telling the Lord what I needed Him to do for me, but finally I learned to also pray: “God, what can I do for You today?” We are Christ’s ambassadors, His partners in helping people and bringing them to know Him.

I would like to suggest something for you to add to your daily prayers. Each day, ask God what you can do for Him. Then as you go through your day, watch for opportunities to do what you believe Jesus would do if He were still on earth in bodily form. He lives in you now if you are a Christian, and you are His ambassador… so make sure you represent Him well.

Recently, I was asking God to help a friend who was going through a very difficult time. She needed something, so I asked God to provide it. To my surprise, His answer to me was, “Stop asking Me to meet the need; ask Me to show you what you can do.”

I have become aware that I often ask God to do things for me when He wants me to do those things myself. He doesn’t expect me to do anything without His help, but neither will He do everything for me while I sit idly by.

God wants us to be open to being involved. He wants us to use our resources to help people, and if what we have isn’t enough to meet their needs, then we can encourage others to get involved so that together we can do what needs to be done.

I encourage you to pray prayers God can answer. You and He are partners, and He wants to work with and through you.

Trust in Him Don’t expect God to do everything for you. He made you His ambassador so that He could work through you. Ask Him to show you what you can do for Him, and trust in and depend on Him to give you not only the creativity, but also the resources to do it.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

10 Minutes to “the Good Life”

… He knows [enough] to refuse the evil and choose the good.
ISAIAH 7:15

I believe in having a “think session” every day. If we were to sit down regularly and say to ourselves, “I am going to think about a few things for ten minutes,” and then deliberately think about some of the things the Bible tells us to think about, our lives would improve dramatically. In just ten minutes we’d experience more of “the good life” that God has for us.

Disciplining ourselves to think properly by having on-purpose “think sessions” will train us to begin thinking properly in our everyday lives. One of the things all believers need to think every day is this biblical truth: I am in right-standing with God, through Christ. Thinking this will help you live in the reality of who God has made you to be. Why not think something on purpose that will benefit you rather than merely meditating on whatever happens to fall into your mind?

We use our thinking abilities every day, but most of us need to change the content of our thoughts. Instead of thinking, I’m no good; I mess up everything; I never do anything right, we can use our mental energy to think about how much God loves us and how we are in a right relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

As you spend more time thinking correctly, great transformation will take place in your life. You might have to put notes around your house that say, “What have you been thinking today?” You might have to put a note in your car to remind you to think right thoughts today—or even write out what those thoughts are and post them on a mirror or on your computer screen.

This type of exercise would not be uncommon for a college student facing final exams. They do everything they can to keep the right answers in front of them prior to the test to assure that they pass. If you will discipline yourself to remind yourself to spend time thinking right thoughts on purpose each day, you will find things improving so radically you will be absolutely amazed. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying the good life God has predestined for you. It is important to think thoughts that are in agreement with God’s will for your life.
Trust in Him How can you work a ten-minute “think session” into your daily routine? Trust God to radically transform your life by thinking about His word on purpose.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

Break Up with Bad Habits

But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.
PSALM 1:2

Habits are actions we do repeatedly, sometimes without even thinking about them, or things we have done so often that they become our natural responses to certain situations.

I found thirty-four references in the Amplified Bible for the word habitually. That tells me that God expects us to form good habits. The psalmist David said the man who wants to prosper and succeed needs to habitually ponder and meditate on God’s Word by day and by night (see Ps. 1:2, emphasis mine). This tells me that establishing the habits necessary for success takes discipline and consistency, especially in our thought lives. With enough discipline and consistency, we can break bad habits and new ones can be formed.

Think about breaking a bad habit like you would break up with a bad boyfriend or girlfriend. Interestingly enough, we could miss the boyfriend or girlfriend even though we knew we did the right thing in breaking up with them. We might feel lonely for a while and be tempted to go back to that person, but if we remain firm in our resolve, we will eventually no longer miss that person and find someone else that provides a healthy relationship for us.

In like manner, we may break a bad habit and might miss it for a while, even being tempted to go back to old ways. This is the time to set your mind and keep it set in the new direction because you don’t want to remain in bondage to the old thing and miss the good, new thing God has for you.

Doing the right thing once or even a few times does not equal success, but habitually doing right will produce a life worth living. It may not be easy, but it will be worth the effort. The person who never gives up always sees victory.
Trust in Him What good habits do you need to develop in your life? Trust God to help you break bad habits and form good


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

You Can Do All Things Through Christ

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].
PHILIPPIANS 4:13

One thought that has the power to transform your life is simple: I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ. In other words, I can handle whatever life hands me. I wonder—do you believe you can do whatever you need to do in life? Or are there certain things that trigger dread, fear, or cause you to say, “I could never do that!” when you think about them?

Whether it’s suddenly losing a loved one, facing a serious unexpected illness, having your adult child with two toddlers move into your clean and quiet house after you’ve had an “empty nest” for years, going on a strict diet because your life depends on it, putting yourself on a budget to avoid foreclosure on your home, or suddenly having to care for a disabled elderly parent—most people have some kind of circumstance that truly seems impossible to them, something they aren’t sure they can or could handle.

The fact of the matter is, while some situations may be intensely undesirable or difficult for you, you can do whatever you need to do in life. I know this because God tells us in His Word that we have the strength to do all things because Christ empowers us to do so. He doesn’t say everything will be easy for us, He doesn’t promise we will enjoy every little thing we do, but we can enjoy life in the midst of doing them.

We must understand that Philippians 4:13 does not say we can do anything we want to do because we are strong enough, smart enough, or hardworking enough. No, in fact, it leaves no room at all for human effort or striving of any kind. The secret to being able to do what we need to do is realizing that we cannot do it alone; we can only do it in Christ.

Trust in Him What in your life do you need to begin to believe you can do? Remember, you can do all things in Christ. You can trust Him to empower you to do anything He asks you to do.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

Christ Is Your Strength

How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.
MATTHEW 12:34

The Bible says that out of the heart the mouth speaks. We can learn a lot about ourselves by listening to ourselves. Do your thoughts and words reflect your complete dependence on God, realizing that His abilities (not your own) empower you to do anything you need to do in life?

I had to examine my own thoughts and words and ask myself if I portrayed a person who had faith in God, and I encourage you to do the same. I didn’t like all of my answers, but the exercise in self-examination did open my eyes to understanding that I needed to make some changes. Realizing we are wrong in an area is never a problem. The problem comes when we refuse to face truth and continue making excuses.

Be willing to face anything God wants to show you and ask Him to change you. If you are trusting in your own strength, begin to trust God instead. If you are trying to do things out of your own human abilities and growing frustrated, tell God you want Him to work through you and let His sufficiency be your sufficiency (see Phil. 4:13).

When challenges arise, I encourage you to develop a habit of immediately saying, “I can do whatever I need to do through Christ Who is my strength.” Remember that words are containers for power, and when you say the right thing, it will help you do the right thing. Don’t fill your containers, (words) with things that disable you, for truly you are able to do all things through Christ. God will ask you to do things you’d never be able to do in your own strength, but He will give you His strength to do them.

As you meditate over and over on the thought, I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ, you will find that you are not as easily overwhelmed by situations that arise. Each time you roll that thought over in your mind or speak it, you are developing a healthy mind-set that enables you to be victorious.

Trust in Him How often do you say, “This is too hard for me” or “I just can’t do this”? What will you now begin to say to reflect your trust in God’s ability to help you do whatever you need to do?


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

Yes You Can

Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may [unanimously] with united hearts and one voice, praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
ROMANS 15:5–6

This Scripture says God supplies us with encouragement. Encouragement says, “You can do it!” But perhaps you have heard the words “You can’t” repeatedly throughout your life. Many people are good at telling us what we cannot do. Other people may not be against us, and may even have good intentions, but they’re not so sure we can do it, either.

Parents, teachers, coaches, friends, family members, and leaders of church groups or social activities often fail to realize the power of their words over young lives. Many children and teenagers grow up thinking, I can’t, when that isn’t true at all! No matter how many times you have heard someone say to you, “You can’t,” I want to say to you, “Oh, yes, you can!” I believe miracles come in “cans”—our belief that we can do whatever we need to do through Christ Who is our strength.

I believe in you; God believes in you; and it’s time for you to believe in yourself. Today is a new day! Put the past and all of its negative, discouraging comments behind you. Negative words and words that speak of failure come from the enemy, not from God. So decide right now to not allow the power of “you can’t” to influence you anymore.

God tells you to have courage, so always remember if you feel “discouraged,” that is from the enemy and if you feel “encouraged,” that is from God. Choose to agree with God and say to yourself, “I can!” And let the power of your positive thoughts and words outweigh the power of the negative words anyone else has ever spoken to you.

Trust in Him Complete this sentence: Yes, I can __________________. Trust God to give you the strength and encouragement to see your situation through.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions

 

[Aeliana]

Exchange Your “I Can’ts” for “I Cans”

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 ESV

Have you ever walked into a store before with something to exchange? Maybe it was an article of clothing that you decided you didn’t like, a pair of shoes that were uncomfortable, or a gadget that didn’t do what you’d expected. You entered the store with something that didn’t work for you, exchanged it, and left with something that did work for you. You had to trade what was not effective for something that was.

The same principle applies to your thinking. If you exchange your “I can’t” thoughts for “I can” thoughts, you will see remarkable changes begin to happen. If you build into your character the thought that, with God’s help, you can do whatever you need to do in life, you will have more zeal and enthusiasm about facing every day. I have found that I even have more physical energy when I think “I can” thoughts. It helps me to not dread anything, because dread is an energy drainer.

It’s never too late to begin saying, “I can.” Say things like: “My marriage has problems, but it can work”; “My house is a mess, but I can clean it so it will bring me joy and relaxation when I come home from work”; “I can get out of debt”; “I will own a home or have a new car”; or, “I have some problems right now, but I can still enjoy my life.”

Some of the challenges you face may be very difficult ones; however, God never allows more to come on us than we can bear. With every temptation, He always provides a way out. I challenge and encourage you right now to consistently believe you are able to do anything that comes your way, with God’s help.

Trust in Him Which “I can’t” belief in your life do you need to exchange for an “I can”? Trust God to not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability and to always provide a way out.


Joyce Meyer, Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions