Joyce Meyer (June-26-2022) Daily Devotional: Doing the Word

As a Christian, for a long time I didn’t understand that believers could know what God wanted them to do and then deliberately say no. I’m not talking about those who turn their backs on Jesus and want nothing to do with His salvation. I’m talking about those who disobey in the seemingly little things and don’t seem to be troubled by doing so.

In verses 23 and 24, James went on to say that if we only listen to the Word, but don’t obey it, it’s like looking at our reflection in a mirror and then going away and forgetting what we saw. But a doer of the Word, he says, is like one who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience) (James 1: 25 AMPC).

Whenever Christians are faced with God’s Word, and it calls them to action, but they refuse to obey, their own human reasoning is often the cause. They have deceived themselves into believing something other than the truth. It’s as if they think they are smarter than God.

I’ve met people who seem to think that God always wants them to feel good, and if something happens to make them feel bad, they don’t believe it is God’s will for them. Or they dismiss what they read in the Bible by saying, “That doesn’t make sense.”

One woman, referring to Paul’s instruction to “be unceasing in prayer” (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17), said that verse kept coming to her every time she prayed.

“What do you think that means?” I asked her.

“Oh, I think it means that day in and day out, we are to pray when we feel a need or when we want something.”

Her words shocked me. “What about fellowship with the Lord?” I asked. “Isn’t that a good reason? Or maybe God just wants you to spend time reading His Word and praying about what you read.”

“I have too many things to do,” she said. “That’s fine for people who like to sit and read and pray for hours every day, but that’s not the way for me.”

In our brief conversation, I learned that her decisions about obeying God’s Word depended on whether or not it was convenient for her lifestyle. When she read things in the Bible that didn’t fit with the way she lived, she explained it to herself in such a way that she convinced herself God didn’t expect her to do that.

By contrast, I remember a very dignified woman who had been a member of a traditional church most of her life. She often spoke of the noise and confusion in charismatic churches (although she had not been to one). Then she visited one of the services where I spoke and was transformed. “I couldn’t believe that God would ask me to do something like clap my hands or sing loudly or even shout. But when I saw the joy on the faces of those in the congregation and heard you quote the Bible verse that commands us to clap our hands and shout, what else could I do? That was God speaking to me.”

She had exactly the right attitude. She didn’t try to reason it out or wonder why God commanded her to take that kind of action. She believed His Word and simply obeyed. When the Bible speaks about obeying the Lord, it is not a suggestion. His Word doesn’t ask, “Would you like to obey?” God commands us to take action by being a doer of His Word, and when we are obedient, He promises that we will be blessed.

Prayer Starter: Father, I thank You for the instructions found in Your Word. I may not always like what I read, and sometimes it may be difficult to follow You without hesitating.

Joyce Meyer - Watch Sermon: Through Christ I Can Do It. You never know what you really know until your tested. Pray for God to grant you grace to serve Him wholeheartedly despite circumstances

Joyce Meyer (June-25-2022) Daily Devotional: No Pain, No Gain

When moving to emotional wholeness, even with the Holy Spirit leading us, the pain of the healing process from emotional wounds can be more traumatic than experiencing physical pain. Because I experienced so much emotional pain early in my life, I grew weary of hurting. I was attempting to find healing by following the leadership of the Holy Spirit, yet I could not understand why the process had to be so painful.

The Lord revealed to me that I had been hiding behind many “doorways of pain.” I was deep in bondage, taking refuge behind false personalities, pretenses, and facades. I began to understand that when people are led out of bondage into freedom, they must pass back through similar doorways of pain to get on the other side of those doors. They pass through the emotional responses to their initial pain as the Lord leads them to face issues, people, and truths that are difficult. The good news is that we don’t have to face them on our own. He is always near to you, and He will bring you to a place of healing if you will let Him.

Prayer Starter: Thank You for healing the brokenhearted, opening prison doors, and setting the captives free! I no longer have to live in the pain of my past. Thank You, Lord!

Joyce Meyer (June-24-2022) Daily Devotional: Trust in God

Faith is the leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust. That means you need to lean all of yourself on God, believing that only He can accomplish His will and purpose in your life. Your only job is to abide in Him in faith.

John 6:29 (AMPC) says, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger].

 As you are quiet before the Lord at the end of your day, believe and lean your entire personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, I trust you to accomplish Your purpose in my life. Thank You for another day to do your will, amen.

Joyce Meyer (June-23-2022) Daily Devotional: Think What God Thinks.

Do you want to be emotionally stable and consistently content? Meditate on God’s Word and make sure your thoughts are in line with it. Stop concentrating on wrong things, and start thinking, No matter what is going on in my circumstances, I am able to remain calm and loving while I trust God to take care of everything.

Come into agreement with God and His Word. Think what He thinks and say what He says. Will you ever falter in your commitment to think and say positive things? Yes, you probably will, but Colossians 1:10 says we will steadily grow as we learn and do God’s will. Just remember, when you fall, all you have to do is get up and try again.

Prayer Starter: Lord, show me ways to be pleasing to You and to show me how to think as You think, amen.

Joyce Meyer (June-22-2022) Daily Devotional: Developing a Generous Mindset

We are never more like God than when we are helping others, showing His love to those who are hurting. If you are willing to share with others and meet their needs, God will not only meet your needs but He will give you an abundance of supply so you will always be able to give.

I encourage you to develop the mindset that you are a generous giver. Look for ways to give and for needy people to whom you can give. The more you reach out to others, the happier you will be.

Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us (see Matthew 26:11), and the Bible has more than two thousand Scriptures that deal with our responsibility to the poor and needy. Study what the Bible says about God’s provision and see yourself as one who meets needs rather than one who is needy.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank developing a generous nature in me and for giving me plenty of time, help and provision to give away, amen.

Joyce Meyer - Watch Message: God Will Place You Where He Needs You. Joyce Meyer joins Matt and Laurie Crouch on TBN's Praise. Listen as they discuss how God's perfect plan for your life works out in His perfect timing.

Joyce Meyer - Watch Sermon: Leaving "The Crowd" - Part 2. It's not easy to serve God when others aren't encouraging you. But are you willing to do whatever it takes to grow? Watch this episode of Enjoying Everyday Life!

Joyce Meyer (June-21-2022) Daily Devotional: Set Sail and Be Free

I once read that we believers are like ships that God wants to turn out to sea to sail wherever the wind and waves carry us. That sea represents the freedom we have in God, and the wind is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. But as new believers, we are tied to the dock because that is the only place we can avoid becoming shipwrecked until we learn how to follow Him. When we learn to follow those inner promptings of the Holy Spirit, we can be untied from the dock and sail the seas of life under His leadership without the fear of becoming lost.

God’s leading doesn’t contradict the laws that He ordained. When we are new believers, we learn to follow God’s laws that He defined in the Word. And as we mature, we develop the ability to be led by the Spirit of the living God. When the Spirit of God is in you, the law of God is written in your heart. You no longer have to memorize the law, because you can follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Who will lead you in the right direction.

Some people feel much safer following the law than being led by the Spirit. They think they are okay as long as they follow a prescribed plan that everyone else is following. But following the Spirit may lead people to do something a little differently from what everyone else is doing. They will need faith to leave the security of the crowd because God doesn’t lead everybody to serve Him in exactly the same place or at the same capacity.

We cannot follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit by simply obeying laws, rules, and regulations. God’s law is our tutor, but it is not to be our master. To live at ease and be full of joy, we must learn to prayerfully follow the Holy Spirit.

God wants you to set sail and be free from captivity. To do so, you must trust the leadership of the Holy Spirit when He speaks to your heart and leads you in the right direction.

Prayer Starter: Holy Spirit, I want to be free from captivity and free to set sail. Lead me and guide my in the right direction, so that I may grow up in You, amen.

Joyce Meyer - Watch Sermon: Leaving "The Crowd" - Part 1. Is God leading you away from "the crowd" you hang out with? Be encouraged to follow Him whatever the cost. Watch this episode of Enjoying Everyday Life!