Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: daily devotion
Joyce Meyer (December-20-2021) Daily Devotion: God is Always with You.
A deep wound in the soul influences the way we think about ourselves, the way we perceive others, and the way we relate to God. When we’ve been deeply hurt, we can develop a poor self-image and fall into self-rejection. We may also feel that other people are rejecting us (even when they aren’t).
At times, we may tell ourselves that God is not interested in us or has forgotten about us. That is exactly what the enemy wants us to think, and it’s the opposite of how God really feels about us. God wants us to know that He loves us unconditionally—no matter how we’ve failed, no matter how much pain we’re in, no matter what other people have done to us or what we may have done to ourselves. We can always go to Him just as we are and not be afraid that He will judge, criticize, or reject us. We can count on Him to deal with us lovingly and mercifully.
The devil wants to use our pain to drive us away from God, but we should choose to let it drive us deeper into Him instead. The devil tries to tell us God is the source of our pain, but in reality, He’s the only one who can heal us. The Word of God never promises a pain-free life, or a life without disappointments and challenges, but it does guarantee that God is always with us (see Joshua 1:5), that He will never fail or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5), that He fights our battles for us if we let Him (see 2 Chronicles 20:17), and that He will use our pain and difficulties for good (see Romans 8:28). I’ve said many times, “Your worst day with Jesus will be better than your best day without Him ever was!”
God spoke to His people through the prophet Isaiah, “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me” (see Isaiah 49:16). Think about this. If you were to write a note on your hand, you would see it often and that would keep it on your mind. God says He has engraved you on the palms of His hands. He cannot forget you. He will not forget you. No matter how the enemy tries to convince you that God doesn’t care about you, know that you could never get away from His love—He is always thinking of you (see Isaiah 49:16).
Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for always being for me. Please help me remember that in every moment, especially when I’m hurting or feel forgotten, that You’re with me and are working things together for my good. In Jesus’ name, amen.
John Hagee (December-18-2022) Daily Devotion: Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
As we look forward to a new year, many of us can honestly say that we really do not know where we are going. As long as we are focused on the One Who does, we can trust that we are headed in the right direction.
Scripture reminds us to trust in the Lord with all of our hearts. Our feelings reside in our hearts, but our faith must take precedence over our feelings. To put our hope and confidence in God, we must hand our hearts over to Him.
Proverbs goes on to warn us not to lean on our own understanding. We process and store an overwhelming amount of information in our minds. And it is here that the Enemy aims his fiery darts!
He attempts to persuade us of lies that are contrary to God’s truth. Our understanding becomes our crutch. Instead of focusing on the Lord’s reliability, we trust in our own instincts which lead us astray.
Instead, we must acknowledge God. We must remember and rely on His guidance in every path we take. We must listen for His words to direct the choices that we make. We must take His hand like a child and follow where He leads – into a new year bright with hope and promise.
Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May His Word illuminate your steps. May God lead you in paths of righteousness all of your days.
Today's Bible Reading:
- Old Testament: Habakkuk 1:1-3:19
- New Testament: Revelation 9:1-21
- Psalms & Proverbs: Psalm 137:1-9, Proverbs 30:10
John Hagee (December-17-2022) Daily Devotion: Hebrews 11:11 - By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
By faith, many of us received the promises of God and have believed for the fulfillment of His word to us. We have held on until we are exhausted and disheartened – with no answers in sight.
Sarah must have stood in that same place. After years of suffering the devastation of infertility, she laughed when God promised her a son. Then, He waited 25 years to fulfill that promise! She was well past childbearing age, and Abraham also was “as good as dead” (Hebrews 11:12).
But something in her refused to lay down hope. She judged God faithful. She considered Him reliable; she trusted that He would be true to His word. In spite of what others said, in spite of the evidence in her own body, in spite of God’s delay…she believed.
And God not only kept His promise, but He gave her the strength that she needed to conceive, carry, and deliver the long-awaited son. True to God’s word, their descendants were as numerous as the starry host and the sand along the seashore.
If God promised a baby, paint the nursery. If He said that wayward child would come home, save a seat for her on Sunday. Like Sarah, judge Him reliable. He is the Faithful and True.
Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. As you delight in the Lord, may He grant your heart’s desires. May your righteous reward shine like the dawn.
Today's Bible Reading:
- Old Testament: Nahum 1:1-3:19
- New Testament: Revelation 8:1-13
- Psalms & Proverbs: Psalm 136:1-26, Proverbs 30:7-9
Joyce Meyer (December-16-2021) Daily Devotion: You Have Value
Worth - that property or those properties of a thing that render it useful or estimable
The fact that God sent His only beloved Son to die a painful death to buy our freedom assigns tremendous value to us, and lets us know God loves us immensely.
The Bible says we are bought with a price, a price that is precious—the blood of Jesus (see 1 Peter 1:19). He paid for all our sins, secured our justification, made our account with God balanced, and absolved us from all guilt (see Romans 4:25). Jesus is our substitute. He stood in our place, taking the punishment that we deserved, and freely gave us what He deserves—every kind of blessing.
So the next time you feel you have no value, remember all that Jesus did out of His great love for you. He gave everything to be in relationship with you…because you’re everything to Him.
Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for paying such a high price for my freedom. When I forget that or start to feel worthless, please help me remember Your love for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Joel Osteen (December-15-2020) Today's Word: Guard Your Sense of Value
Today’s Scripture: Galatians 1:10, NIV - Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Today’s Word: If somebody did you wrong, rather than internalize it and wonder if there is something wrong with you, have you ever thought that they hurt you because they were messed up? Maybe they felt so badly about themselves, so unlovable, that they tried to project it onto you. How they are treating you flows from their own insecurities, fears, hurts, wounds, prejudices, and dysfunctions. Hurting people end up hurting other people. Messed-up people can mess you up. If you base your value on what they're giving you, you can end up dysfunctional.
Don't let what others say about you define who you are. Don't let what you didn't get from them make you feel as though you're to blame. Quit letting how people treat you make you feel inferior. You have to go to your heavenly Father. They're not your Savior. You already have a Savior. He's on the throne. Go to Him and not to people.
Prayer for Today: "Father, thank You that I can come to You for all the approval and love that I need to live securely. Help me recognize that hurting people hurt others and guard my sense of value when I come under attack. Thank You for being my Savior. In Jesus' Name, Amen."
Joyce Meyer (December-15-2021) Daily Devotion: Trust God’s Perfect Timing
It’s a human tendency to want good things to happen, but too often we want them now, not later. When the good things we want aren’t happening in what we think to be a timely manner, we’re tempted to ask, “When, God, when?”
Most of us need to grow in the area of trusting God and shrink our focus on the “when” question. If your mind feels constantly worn out from reasoning, you’re not fully trusting Him. I spent a large part of my life feeling impatient, frustrated, and disappointed because there were things I didn’t know and didn’t have yet. God had to teach me to leave things in His hands. After many years of prayer and practice in this area, I finally learned to trust the One Who knows all things, and began to accept that some questions may never be answered. We prove our trust in God when we refuse to worry.
Trusting God often requires not knowing how He’s going to accomplish what needs to be done, and not knowing when He will do it. We often say, “God is never late,” but generally He isn’t early, either. He uses times of waiting to stretch our faith in Him, and to bring about change and growth in our lives. We learn to trust Him more by going through many experiences that require trust. By seeing God’s faithfulness over and over, we gradually let go of trusting ourselves and place our trust in Him.
Looking at it this way, it’s easier to see how timing plays an important part in learning to trust God. If He did everything we asked for immediately, we would never grow and develop into the people He wants us to be. If you’re waiting on something right now and you feel frustrated, I want to encourage you to ask God to help you grow in trust, and learn to be okay not knowing all the details…He’s working them out.
Prayer Starter: Father, I want to trust You more; please help me let go of any wrong expectations I might have of when certain things will happen. Thank You for caring about me, and for working it all out in Your perfect timing. In Jesus’ name, amen.
John Hagee (December-14-2022) Daily Devotion: 2 Corinthians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight.
To take that proverbial leap of faith and place our trust firmly in God, we often must overcome two very significant adversaries: feelings and facts.
Our feelings fluctuate depending on what is happening around us. One moment, we are brave; the next, we are shaking in our boots. One moment, we are quiet and content; the next, we are spewing rage and dissatisfaction.
We cannot rely on feelings, because they lead us astray. Jeremiah declared that our hearts are deceitful, that no one can truly comprehend how wicked we are (17:9). We must live according to the truth found in God’s Word, not by what we see or feel.
Facts can fool us too. Statistics are not stacked in our favor. The diagnosis is dire. The future appears futile. However, faith says we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us.
Faith tells us that, with God, all things are possible. Our faith often does not align with our feelings. It will lock horns with the facts. But we can fix our faith on a God Who never fails!
God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity. He empowers us to be bold, loving, and sound in mind (II Timothy 1:7). No need to be overwhelmed with negative feelings! No need to be dragged down by opposition to God’s truth! We walk by faith in an unfailing God.
Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May your faith grow ever deeper and richer as you walk step-by-step and arm-in-arm with Christ Jesus our Lord.
Today's Bible Reading:
- Old Testament: Jonah 1:1-4:11
- New Testament: Revelation 5:1-14
- Psalms & Proverbs: Psalm 133:1-3, Proverbs 29:26-27
Joyce Meyer (December-14-2021) Daily Devotion: Accepted, Not Rejected
Jesus didn’t always enjoy the acceptance or approval of most people while He was on earth. He was despised and rejected by countless people, but He always knew His heavenly Father loved Him. He was sure of who He was, and it gave Him confidence.
Everything that Jesus endured and suffered was for our sake. He went through rejection so that when we face it, we can go through it and not be damaged by it—or if we’ve already been damaged, then we can completely recover. Knowing that He loves us gives us the ability to be bold and confident (see Ephesians 5:29-30; John 6:37-39).
There will always be some people who won’t accept you, but their acceptance isn’t what ultimately matters. God loves you unconditionally; He always approves of you and accepts you. His love is complete, unchanging and will never leave you, no matter what.
Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for loving me completely, no matter what. Please heal me from the pain of others’ rejection, and help me receive and remember Your love in every moment. In Jesus’ name, amen.
John Hagee (December-13-2022) Daily Devotional: Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
If we are going to receive the unexpected, overwhelming, beyond-what-we-can-imagine goodness of God, we must willingly make a leap of faith into the hand of a God Who will never fail us.
God has already proven that He will do whatever it takes to rescue us – even to the extreme of sending His cherished Son to save us from our sins. He has already demonstrated that He is a generous provider – opening the windows of heaven to pour out overflowing blessings.
He has shown us that He will deliver His own – from a worldwide flood to a fiery furnace to midnight chains in a prison cell. He did it in the past, so we know He will do the same in the here and now.
As we prepare to turn our calendars, we expect that the goodness of God is already waiting for us in the coming twelve months. We have no need to be anxious, no need to fear what the future may bring. He has already proven His unfailing faithfulness.
When our faith is firmly fixed in Christ Jesus, all things are possible. No matter what lies ahead, He has made us more than conquerors!
Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Our faithful God will shower you with unexpected blessings, because He withholds no good thing from those who diligently seek Him. Open your heart and hands to receive!
Today's Bible Reading:
- Old Testament: Obadiah 1:1-21
- New Testament: Revelation 4:1-11
- Psalms & Proverbs: Psalm 132:1-18, Proverbs 29:24-25
Joyce Meyer (December-13-2020) Daily Devotion: Purity Leads to Power
In order to live in freedom, it’s important that we make up our minds to live for God no matter what. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to throw off every sin that entangles us; it’s virtually impossible to grow and succeed spiritually with known, willful sin in our lives. I don’t mean to say that we have to be absolutely perfect in order for God to use us, but I am saying that we must have an intentional, vigilant attitude about keeping sin out of our lives.
When God says something is wrong, then it is wrong. When He points sin out to us, we don’t need to discuss, theorize, blame, make excuses, or feel sorry for ourselves. We need to agree with God, thank Him for showing us where we’ve strayed off the right path, ask for forgiveness, and work with the Holy Spirit to get whatever it is out of our lives. Purity leads to power, and with God’s help, we can live abundant, powerful lives.
Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for showing me the sin in my life so that I can move away from it and live in freedom from it. Today, please help me set aside any sin that’s holding me back so I can live a pure, holy, power-filled life for You. Thank You for giving me the wisdom and grace I need to stay on the path You have for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
