The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple...He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught]. The Lord God has opened My ear, and I have not been rebellious or turned backward.
(Isaiah 50:4-5)
The first step in hearing from God is to believe we can hear from Him. Many people want to hear from God, but they don't really expect to hear from Him. The say, "I just can't hear from God; He never talks to me."
These people have to much static in their "receivers" to hear Him clearly. Their ears are jammed with too many messages coming from ungodly sources. Consequently, they have a hard time discerning what God is really saying to them.
It doesn't do any good for God to speak to us if we do not believe we are hearing from Him. The deceiver, the devil, doesn't want us to think we can hear from God. He doesn't want us to believe, so he sends little demons to stand around and lie to us day and night, telling us we can't hear from God. But we can answer, "It is written, God has given me the capacity to hear and obey Him" (see Psalm 40:6). God's Word declares that all believers have the capacity to hear and obey God and to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus heard clearly from the Father all the time. Many people who were standing around Jesus when God spoke to Him heard only what they thought was thunder (John 12:29). If you are having trouble hearing from God, I encourage you to take a few moments every day and confess you faith in hearing from Him. As you confess what you believe in your heart, your mind will be renewed and you will begin to expect to hear from God.
GOD'S WORD FOR YOU TODAY: Instead of feeling pressured to hear from God, just trust Him to speak to you.
Page 210
Hearing from God Each Morning
By: Joyce Meyer
Please always remember God loves you.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
First Priority
When setting our priorities, it is important to understand that Jesus is the holding power of all that is good in our lives, according to Colossians 1:17. He should always be our first prioity because He holds everything together.
A couple cannot have a good marriage if Jesus is not holding it togther. In fact, people have difficulty having good personal relationships with anybady if Jesus is not leading and influencing individuals to love each other. Our finances are usually a mess without Jesus. Our thoughts are clouded and confused without Jesus. Our emotions are out of control without Him.
Colossians 1:18 tells us that Jesus is the head of the church body; therefore, He alone, in every respect, should occupy the chief place in our lives. If Jesus is not first in our lives, then we need to rearrange our priorities. Matthew 6:33 says if we seek "first of all" the kingdom of God and His righteousness, other things will be added to our lives. The Amplified Bible defines this righteousness a "His way of doing and being right."
Seeking the kingdom means finding out how God wants things done; finding out how He wants us to treat people; finding out how He wants us to act in situations and circumstances; finding out what He wants us to do with our money; finding out what kind of an attitude we should have; even finding out what kind of entertainment Jesus approves of.
Our lives will not be blessed if we keep God in a little Sunday-morning box and let Him have our priority attention for only forty-five minutes once a week during a church service. As long as we are here in this world, we will have to resist becoming like the world. Life in our world can be a daily battle, but the key to victory is the remember that Jesus holds everything together and that we need to keep Him first in our lives.
Page 1965
The Everyday Life Bible
The Power of God's Word for Everyday Living
Amplified Version
Featuring Notes And Commentary
By: Joyce Meyer
And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together). [Prov. 8:22-31.] He also is the Head of [His] body, the church; seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place [stand first and be preeminent].
(Colossians 1:17-18)
Please aways remember that God loves you.
A couple cannot have a good marriage if Jesus is not holding it togther. In fact, people have difficulty having good personal relationships with anybady if Jesus is not leading and influencing individuals to love each other. Our finances are usually a mess without Jesus. Our thoughts are clouded and confused without Jesus. Our emotions are out of control without Him.
Colossians 1:18 tells us that Jesus is the head of the church body; therefore, He alone, in every respect, should occupy the chief place in our lives. If Jesus is not first in our lives, then we need to rearrange our priorities. Matthew 6:33 says if we seek "first of all" the kingdom of God and His righteousness, other things will be added to our lives. The Amplified Bible defines this righteousness a "His way of doing and being right."
Seeking the kingdom means finding out how God wants things done; finding out how He wants us to treat people; finding out how He wants us to act in situations and circumstances; finding out what He wants us to do with our money; finding out what kind of an attitude we should have; even finding out what kind of entertainment Jesus approves of.
Our lives will not be blessed if we keep God in a little Sunday-morning box and let Him have our priority attention for only forty-five minutes once a week during a church service. As long as we are here in this world, we will have to resist becoming like the world. Life in our world can be a daily battle, but the key to victory is the remember that Jesus holds everything together and that we need to keep Him first in our lives.
Page 1965
The Everyday Life Bible
The Power of God's Word for Everyday Living
Amplified Version
Featuring Notes And Commentary
By: Joyce Meyer
And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together). [Prov. 8:22-31.] He also is the Head of [His] body, the church; seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place [stand first and be preeminent].
(Colossians 1:17-18)
Please aways remember that God loves you.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Father Knows Best
Seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
Matthew 6:33
God wants us to seek righteousness, peace, and joy, which is His Kingdom (see Romans 14:17). He wants us to deeply desire right behavior and do all that we can to pursue it, and when we do He promises to add the things we need and desire. He wants us to seek Him, and when we do He is pleased to bless us.
When we have a desire, we should simply ask God and trust Him completely; however, we should avoid lusting after things. I believe we are lusting when we want something so much that we feel we cannot be happy without it. I once heard a woman say that she just could not be happy if God did not give her children. I have also heard single ladies make the same comment regarding their desire to be married. Attitudes like this are wrong and offensive to God. Anything we feel that we must have in order to be happy besides God is something the enemy can use against us, so be sure to keep your desires balance.
It is much better to pray and let God provide than to torment your self trying to make things happen yourself. Always remember that God is good and He wants to be good to you, so keep your eyes on Him and His Kingdom and look forward to His providing the things that are right for you.
GOD'S WORD FOR YOU TODAY: Anything you have to have to be happy is something the devil can use against you.
Page 200
Hearing from God Each Morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
Please always remember God loves you, and He is always there for you, all you have to do is call on him.
Matthew 6:33
God wants us to seek righteousness, peace, and joy, which is His Kingdom (see Romans 14:17). He wants us to deeply desire right behavior and do all that we can to pursue it, and when we do He promises to add the things we need and desire. He wants us to seek Him, and when we do He is pleased to bless us.
When we have a desire, we should simply ask God and trust Him completely; however, we should avoid lusting after things. I believe we are lusting when we want something so much that we feel we cannot be happy without it. I once heard a woman say that she just could not be happy if God did not give her children. I have also heard single ladies make the same comment regarding their desire to be married. Attitudes like this are wrong and offensive to God. Anything we feel that we must have in order to be happy besides God is something the enemy can use against us, so be sure to keep your desires balance.
It is much better to pray and let God provide than to torment your self trying to make things happen yourself. Always remember that God is good and He wants to be good to you, so keep your eyes on Him and His Kingdom and look forward to His providing the things that are right for you.
GOD'S WORD FOR YOU TODAY: Anything you have to have to be happy is something the devil can use against you.
Page 200
Hearing from God Each Morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
Please always remember God loves you, and He is always there for you, all you have to do is call on him.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Guard Your Mind, Watch Your Mouth
This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and so according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
(Joshua 1:8)
Joshua had plenty of enemies to confront on his journey. As a matter of fact, it seemed there was a never-ending parade of them. But please notice that Joshua was instructed by the Lord to keep the Word, not the problem, in his mouth and in his mind.
Like Joshua, if you and I are to make our way prosperous and have good success in this life, we will definitely need to put our thoughts and words on something other than the problem that faces us. We need to stop thinking about the problem, talking about the problem, and sometimes, we even need to stop praying about the problem. If we have prayed, God has heard. I am not saying there is not a time for importunity; but often we say we our fellowshipping with God, when in reality we are fellowshipping with our problem.
In Mark 11:23 Jesus instructed His disciples to speak to the mountain. He did not say, "Talk about the mountain." If there is a purpose in talking about it, then do so. Otherwise, it is best to keep quiet about it. Words stir up emotions that ofter cause upset because of excessive focus on the circumstance. It is valuable to go out and do something enjoyable while you are waiting for God to solve your problem. You may not feel like it, bu do it anyway. It will help you! Get your mind-and you mouth-off the problem!
Page 194
New Day New You
366 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life
By: Joyce Meyer
#1 New York Times Bestselling author
Also please remember that God loves you.
(Joshua 1:8)
Joshua had plenty of enemies to confront on his journey. As a matter of fact, it seemed there was a never-ending parade of them. But please notice that Joshua was instructed by the Lord to keep the Word, not the problem, in his mouth and in his mind.
Like Joshua, if you and I are to make our way prosperous and have good success in this life, we will definitely need to put our thoughts and words on something other than the problem that faces us. We need to stop thinking about the problem, talking about the problem, and sometimes, we even need to stop praying about the problem. If we have prayed, God has heard. I am not saying there is not a time for importunity; but often we say we our fellowshipping with God, when in reality we are fellowshipping with our problem.
In Mark 11:23 Jesus instructed His disciples to speak to the mountain. He did not say, "Talk about the mountain." If there is a purpose in talking about it, then do so. Otherwise, it is best to keep quiet about it. Words stir up emotions that ofter cause upset because of excessive focus on the circumstance. It is valuable to go out and do something enjoyable while you are waiting for God to solve your problem. You may not feel like it, bu do it anyway. It will help you! Get your mind-and you mouth-off the problem!
Page 194
New Day New You
366 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life
By: Joyce Meyer
#1 New York Times Bestselling author
Also please remember that God loves you.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Legalism Is Finished
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30)
When Jesus spoke from the cross, saying, "It is finished!" He meant that the system of legalism was finished, that now, not only the religious high priests could enter God's presence, but that all people could enjoy His presence, speak to Him, and hear His voice.
Before Jesus died on our behalf, the only way to receive God's promises was to live a perfect, sinless life (by being very legalistic), or to offer a blood sacrifice for sin, the sacrifice of slain animals. When Jesus died and paid for the sins of humankind with His own blood, He opened up a way for every person to enjoy the presence of God. When Jesus said, "It is finished," He invited us to a life of freedom rather than fear. One in which we could be led by the Holy Spirit instead of rules and regulations. Ordinary people who don't do everything right all the time can now enter freely into the presence of God.
Freedom from legalism is not a call to lawlessness or laziness. It is responsibility for each of us to learn God's Word and to hear from God for ourselves, which is what God has always wanted from the beginning of time.
GOD'S WORD FOR YOU TODAY: God loves you and wants you to enjoy your life.
Page 197
hear from GOD each morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
Please love God with all your heart, mind, emotions, and your soul.
When Jesus spoke from the cross, saying, "It is finished!" He meant that the system of legalism was finished, that now, not only the religious high priests could enter God's presence, but that all people could enjoy His presence, speak to Him, and hear His voice.
Before Jesus died on our behalf, the only way to receive God's promises was to live a perfect, sinless life (by being very legalistic), or to offer a blood sacrifice for sin, the sacrifice of slain animals. When Jesus died and paid for the sins of humankind with His own blood, He opened up a way for every person to enjoy the presence of God. When Jesus said, "It is finished," He invited us to a life of freedom rather than fear. One in which we could be led by the Holy Spirit instead of rules and regulations. Ordinary people who don't do everything right all the time can now enter freely into the presence of God.
Freedom from legalism is not a call to lawlessness or laziness. It is responsibility for each of us to learn God's Word and to hear from God for ourselves, which is what God has always wanted from the beginning of time.
GOD'S WORD FOR YOU TODAY: God loves you and wants you to enjoy your life.
Page 197
hear from GOD each morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
Please love God with all your heart, mind, emotions, and your soul.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Open Your Heart
Jesus wept. (John 11:35)
Many people do not feel godly emotions because they have endured so much pain in the past that they simply "turned off" their feelings. People who have refused to feel anything for a long period of time are afraid to begin to feel again because all they can remember about feelings is pain.
Eventually, emotional pain must be dealt with in order to let godly emotions flow in our lives again. Allowing ourselves to feel again will turn a hard heart into a tender one, but i requires patience and a willingness to work with God to get those feelings turned back on.
Now matter what has caused you pain or how terrible it was, don't stay in the bondage of hard-heartedness. That will only treat symptoms, not roots, of your pain. It will not protect you from further pain, but it will hinder your ability to hear God's voice. Hard-heartedness is not from God; He created us to have feelings. According today's verse, even Jesus wept.
Anytime you allow yourself to feel, you will be vulnerable to pain, but it will be different when you have Jesus the Healer living inside of you.
If you have turned off your emotions, please realize that you have compromised your ability to hear God's voice. Open your heart to Him; ask Him to tenderize your heart and heal you so you can hear His voice and enjoy intimate fellowship with Him.
GOD'S WORD FOR YOU TODAY: If you build walls to keep people out of your life, you will live behind those walls in a self-made prison.
Page 193
hearing from GOD each morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
And please always remember God love you.
Many people do not feel godly emotions because they have endured so much pain in the past that they simply "turned off" their feelings. People who have refused to feel anything for a long period of time are afraid to begin to feel again because all they can remember about feelings is pain.
Eventually, emotional pain must be dealt with in order to let godly emotions flow in our lives again. Allowing ourselves to feel again will turn a hard heart into a tender one, but i requires patience and a willingness to work with God to get those feelings turned back on.
Now matter what has caused you pain or how terrible it was, don't stay in the bondage of hard-heartedness. That will only treat symptoms, not roots, of your pain. It will not protect you from further pain, but it will hinder your ability to hear God's voice. Hard-heartedness is not from God; He created us to have feelings. According today's verse, even Jesus wept.
Anytime you allow yourself to feel, you will be vulnerable to pain, but it will be different when you have Jesus the Healer living inside of you.
If you have turned off your emotions, please realize that you have compromised your ability to hear God's voice. Open your heart to Him; ask Him to tenderize your heart and heal you so you can hear His voice and enjoy intimate fellowship with Him.
GOD'S WORD FOR YOU TODAY: If you build walls to keep people out of your life, you will live behind those walls in a self-made prison.
Page 193
hearing from GOD each morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
And please always remember God love you.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The Truth About Doubt
Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you halt and limp between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
1 Kings 18:21
When We read in 1 Kings 18:21 about halting and limping "between two opinions," we can interpret that phrase quite simply a "doubting." I once heard a story that offers valuable insight into the doubt that so often affects Christians.
There was a man who had a financial need and was confessing God's Word over his life, quoting Scriptures, and believing that God had already provided a way for him. He was just waiting for his breakthrough to become a reality. While doing so, he was intermittently attacked with thoughts of doubt. After he had suffered a particularly difficult time and was beginning to get discouraged, God opened his eyes to the spiritual world. This is what he saw: a demon (an evil spirit) speaking lies to him, telling him that he was not going to get the help he needed and that confessing God's Word was not going to work. But he also saw that each time he confessed the Word, light would come out of his mouth like a sword, and the demon would cower and fall backward.
As God showed him this vision, the man then understood why it is so important to keep speaking the Word. He saw that he did have faith, which was why the evil spirit was attacking him with doubt.
Doubt is not something God puts in us. Romans 12:3 says that God gives every man the "measure of faith" (KJV). God has placed faith in our hearts, but the devil tries to negate our faith by attacking us with doubt.
Doubt comes in the form of thoughts that are in opposition to the Word of God. This is why it is so important for us to know the Bible. If we know the Word, then we can recognize when the devil is lying to us. Be assured that he lies to us in order to steal what Jesus purchased for us through His death and resurrection.
I encourage you to be like the man who sought help from the Lord: speak God's Word because His Word is true, and because confessing the truth sends the demons of doubt away!
Page 551
The Everyday Life Bible
The Power of God's Word for Everyday Living
Amplified Version
Featuring Notes and Commentary By: Joyce Meyer
1 Kings 18:21
When We read in 1 Kings 18:21 about halting and limping "between two opinions," we can interpret that phrase quite simply a "doubting." I once heard a story that offers valuable insight into the doubt that so often affects Christians.
There was a man who had a financial need and was confessing God's Word over his life, quoting Scriptures, and believing that God had already provided a way for him. He was just waiting for his breakthrough to become a reality. While doing so, he was intermittently attacked with thoughts of doubt. After he had suffered a particularly difficult time and was beginning to get discouraged, God opened his eyes to the spiritual world. This is what he saw: a demon (an evil spirit) speaking lies to him, telling him that he was not going to get the help he needed and that confessing God's Word was not going to work. But he also saw that each time he confessed the Word, light would come out of his mouth like a sword, and the demon would cower and fall backward.
As God showed him this vision, the man then understood why it is so important to keep speaking the Word. He saw that he did have faith, which was why the evil spirit was attacking him with doubt.
Doubt is not something God puts in us. Romans 12:3 says that God gives every man the "measure of faith" (KJV). God has placed faith in our hearts, but the devil tries to negate our faith by attacking us with doubt.
Doubt comes in the form of thoughts that are in opposition to the Word of God. This is why it is so important for us to know the Bible. If we know the Word, then we can recognize when the devil is lying to us. Be assured that he lies to us in order to steal what Jesus purchased for us through His death and resurrection.
I encourage you to be like the man who sought help from the Lord: speak God's Word because His Word is true, and because confessing the truth sends the demons of doubt away!
Page 551
The Everyday Life Bible
The Power of God's Word for Everyday Living
Amplified Version
Featuring Notes and Commentary By: Joyce Meyer
Monday, July 9, 2012
Keeping Our Priorities Straight
And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together). He also is the Head of [His] body, the church; seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place [stand first and be preeminent].
(Colossians 1:17-18)
I believe that one of the reasons people lose their peace and fail to have the things they want is because they get their priorities out of line. There are so many projects to which people can give their time and attention. Some of the choices we have are bad options and are easy to recognize as something to avoid, but many of our options are good. Yet even good things can get our priorities all messed up. What is a top priority for somebody else could be a problem for us. So we have to be careful that we don't just do what everybody else is doing. We need to do what God is leading us individually to do.
When setting our priorities, it's important to understand that Jesus is the holding power of all that is good in our lives. That is why He should always be our first priority. Jesus holds everything together. A couple can't have a good marriage if Jesus isn't holding it together. In fact, people can't have a good personal relationships with anybody if Jesus is not leading and influencing individuals to love one another. Finances are a mess without Jesus. Our thoughts are clouded and confused without Jesus. Our emotions are out of control without Him.
Jesus is the head of the church body; therefore, He alone, in every respect, should occupy the chief place, stand first, and be preeminent in each of our lives. That means if Jesus is not first in our lives, then we need to rearrange our priorities.
Page 191
New Day New You 366 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life
By: Joyce Meyer
#1 New York Times Bestselling author
Please remember God loves you, and He is all ways there for you.
(Colossians 1:17-18)
I believe that one of the reasons people lose their peace and fail to have the things they want is because they get their priorities out of line. There are so many projects to which people can give their time and attention. Some of the choices we have are bad options and are easy to recognize as something to avoid, but many of our options are good. Yet even good things can get our priorities all messed up. What is a top priority for somebody else could be a problem for us. So we have to be careful that we don't just do what everybody else is doing. We need to do what God is leading us individually to do.
When setting our priorities, it's important to understand that Jesus is the holding power of all that is good in our lives. That is why He should always be our first priority. Jesus holds everything together. A couple can't have a good marriage if Jesus isn't holding it together. In fact, people can't have a good personal relationships with anybody if Jesus is not leading and influencing individuals to love one another. Finances are a mess without Jesus. Our thoughts are clouded and confused without Jesus. Our emotions are out of control without Him.
Jesus is the head of the church body; therefore, He alone, in every respect, should occupy the chief place, stand first, and be preeminent in each of our lives. That means if Jesus is not first in our lives, then we need to rearrange our priorities.
Page 191
New Day New You 366 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life
By: Joyce Meyer
#1 New York Times Bestselling author
Please remember God loves you, and He is all ways there for you.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Take Time For God
Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
Isaiah 40:31
We live in a time-crunched world and just about everything we do seems to be urgent. The enemy has been extremely successful in his scheme to keep people from praying and spending time in the Word by keeping us so terribly busy. We live under incredible pressure and we run from one thing to the next to the next to the next-to the point that we often neglect the things that are really important in life: God, family and other relationships, our health, and building up our spiritual lives. Then we get more and more stressed out-and the only way to deal with that and get life back in order is to get with God and listen to what He says to us. It's true; we really cannot handle life apart from Him. We cannot handle the pressure, the confusion, and the stress without Him. Our marriages will suffer, our children will suffer, our finances will get messed up, our relationships won't thrive-if we do not spend time in the Word and in prayer. God will strengthen us and enable us to handle life peacefully and wisely if we start praying about things instead of merely trying to get through the day. When we take time with God and listen to His voice, He renews our strength and enables us to handle life and not be weary. But we have to start by using the time we have wisely by always putting God first.
God's Word For You Today: Take time to hear God's voice every day.
Page 184
hearing from GOD each morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
And please always remember God loves you.
Isaiah 40:31
We live in a time-crunched world and just about everything we do seems to be urgent. The enemy has been extremely successful in his scheme to keep people from praying and spending time in the Word by keeping us so terribly busy. We live under incredible pressure and we run from one thing to the next to the next to the next-to the point that we often neglect the things that are really important in life: God, family and other relationships, our health, and building up our spiritual lives. Then we get more and more stressed out-and the only way to deal with that and get life back in order is to get with God and listen to what He says to us. It's true; we really cannot handle life apart from Him. We cannot handle the pressure, the confusion, and the stress without Him. Our marriages will suffer, our children will suffer, our finances will get messed up, our relationships won't thrive-if we do not spend time in the Word and in prayer. God will strengthen us and enable us to handle life peacefully and wisely if we start praying about things instead of merely trying to get through the day. When we take time with God and listen to His voice, He renews our strength and enables us to handle life and not be weary. But we have to start by using the time we have wisely by always putting God first.
God's Word For You Today: Take time to hear God's voice every day.
Page 184
hearing from GOD each morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
And please always remember God loves you.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Keep the Devil on the Run
When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.
(John 8:44)
The devil lies to us, and if we aren't aggressive against him and don't stop listening to his lies, he will run our lives. He goes about like a roaring lion (see 1 Peter 5:8), but we have the Lion of Judah-Jesus, inside us. We are the ones who should be doing the roaring!
We should keep ourselves so spiritually attuned that when the devil makes one move toward us, we pick up exactly what he's trying to do and back him down immediately. It should take only a few seconds.
The devil is always trying to come against us. As long as we back down, he keeps on coming. If we make one move against him in the authority Jesus made available to us, the devil has to back down.
We need to continue standing in our authority against him. If we stop, he will start moving against us, backing us up. The devil is a liar, a bully, a bluff, a deceiver. He comes like a lion, but he is not the lion. We believers in Jesus Christ have the power of the Greater One inside of us. "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4 KJV)
Know the Word well enough that the minute a thought comes into your head that doesn't line up with God's Word, you can say to the devil, "Liar! No, I'm not listening to you." You can spend your life backing up and hiding from the devil, or you can spend it forcing him to back up.
Page 179
New Day New You
366 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life
By: Joyce Meyer
#1 New York Times Bestselling author
(John 8:44)
The devil lies to us, and if we aren't aggressive against him and don't stop listening to his lies, he will run our lives. He goes about like a roaring lion (see 1 Peter 5:8), but we have the Lion of Judah-Jesus, inside us. We are the ones who should be doing the roaring!
We should keep ourselves so spiritually attuned that when the devil makes one move toward us, we pick up exactly what he's trying to do and back him down immediately. It should take only a few seconds.
The devil is always trying to come against us. As long as we back down, he keeps on coming. If we make one move against him in the authority Jesus made available to us, the devil has to back down.
We need to continue standing in our authority against him. If we stop, he will start moving against us, backing us up. The devil is a liar, a bully, a bluff, a deceiver. He comes like a lion, but he is not the lion. We believers in Jesus Christ have the power of the Greater One inside of us. "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4 KJV)
Know the Word well enough that the minute a thought comes into your head that doesn't line up with God's Word, you can say to the devil, "Liar! No, I'm not listening to you." You can spend your life backing up and hiding from the devil, or you can spend it forcing him to back up.
Page 179
New Day New You
366 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life
By: Joyce Meyer
#1 New York Times Bestselling author
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Be Bold!
The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous are bold as a lion.
(Proverbs 28:1)
One of the main reasons people do not pray and that they are reluctant to ask God for what they need and want is that they do not feel worthy. They do not feel good about themselves; they do not feel that they are spiritual enough, so they don't believe God would listen to them anyway. We all make mistakes and when we do we should receive God's forgiveness and mercy, which allows His blessings to flow even when we have made mistakes.
When we talk to God and make requests of Him, we must understand our position as sons and daughters of God who are made righteous through the blood of Jesus, Otherwise, we may not hear His voice clearly or perceive His answers accurately.
You see, we so often think our righteousness is based on doing things "right" -saying the "right words, behaving the "right" ways, or having the "right" attitude. The truth is that we cannot make ourselves righteous. True biblical righteousness is not based on what we do right, but it is based on what Jesus did for us. His righteousness becomes ours by faith, and once we believe that, then we progressively display more and more right behavior. But, we must always remember that God answers our prayers because He is good, not because we are. We can approach Him boldly in prayer and expect to hear from Him daily.
God's Word For You Today: God will turn your mistakes into miracles if you trust Him and pray boldly.
Page 178
Hearing from God Each Morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
(Proverbs 28:1)
One of the main reasons people do not pray and that they are reluctant to ask God for what they need and want is that they do not feel worthy. They do not feel good about themselves; they do not feel that they are spiritual enough, so they don't believe God would listen to them anyway. We all make mistakes and when we do we should receive God's forgiveness and mercy, which allows His blessings to flow even when we have made mistakes.
When we talk to God and make requests of Him, we must understand our position as sons and daughters of God who are made righteous through the blood of Jesus, Otherwise, we may not hear His voice clearly or perceive His answers accurately.
You see, we so often think our righteousness is based on doing things "right" -saying the "right words, behaving the "right" ways, or having the "right" attitude. The truth is that we cannot make ourselves righteous. True biblical righteousness is not based on what we do right, but it is based on what Jesus did for us. His righteousness becomes ours by faith, and once we believe that, then we progressively display more and more right behavior. But, we must always remember that God answers our prayers because He is good, not because we are. We can approach Him boldly in prayer and expect to hear from Him daily.
God's Word For You Today: God will turn your mistakes into miracles if you trust Him and pray boldly.
Page 178
Hearing from God Each Morning
365 Daily Devotions
By: Joyce Meyer
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