Be Filled with the Holy Spirit and Give in to God's Temptations

**Joyce Meyer

We all know that Satan tempts us to sin, and in a way, you could say God also 'tempts' us. God tempts, or prompts, us to do good. And when He does, Satan often attacks our mind, causing us to reason our way out of doing it. When we fall for that, he steals from us the opportunity to do good and be blessed.

It seems that we're better at resisting the temptation to do right than we are at resisting the temptation to do wrong. But it doesn't have to be this way.

James 4:7 (AMP) says, "Be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you." It's a twofold thing. You can't resist the devil without submitting to God. And you can't submit to God without resisting the devil.

Ephesians 5:18 tells us to "ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit." When you're full of the Spirit, you are submitted to God and you can resist the devil and win the battle.

Prayer Starter: God, fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I submit myself to You and want to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit to do good and bless people today.

Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Live at Peace with Everyone

**Joyce Meyer

An important lesson I've learned is to "bend so I will not break." The Bible says to "readily adjust yourself to [people, things]. And, if possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:16, 18 AMP).

Before I made the Word of God a priority in my life and decided to live an obedient life, I had to have my own way. I wasn't adaptable. I wanted everyone else to adapt to me. Of course, that resulted in more strife and stress.

I've now learned to bend. It's not always easy on the flesh to give in and do things differently than I had planned, but it's easier than being upset and miserable.

If you want to have peace in your relationships, you will need to be willing to be flexible. Pushing for your own way all the time will only hurt and offend those around you. But when you take to heart Paul's encouragement to 'live at peace with everyone,' the Holy Spirit will fill your relationships with His joy and peace.

Prayer Starter: Holy Spirit, help me to bend so that I will not break. I want Your peace in my relationships, so I choose to be flexible today.

Romans 12:18

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Facing the Truth Brings a Happier Life

**Joyce Meyer

Nobody can be set free from a problem until they're willing to admit they have one. An alcoholic, drug addict or anyone who's lost control of their life is doomed to suffer until they're able to say, "I've got a problem, and I need help with it." 

Even though our problems may have been brought upon us because of something done against our will, we have no excuse for allowing the problem to persist, grow and even take control over our entire life. Our past experiences may have made us the way we are, but we don't have to stay that way. We can take the initiative by taking positive steps to change things, and we can ask for God's help. 

Whatever your problem may be, you must face the truth and assume some personal responsibility. The Bible says we must evaluate ourselves. That might seem daunting, but Jesus Christ is in you and can help you through any past problems and issues.

Face the truth, it can be the beginning of a happier life!

Prayer Starter: Holy Spirit, I don't want to live in denial and fear of my problems. I choose to evaluate myself and get to the bottom of these issues because I know that You can help me work through them to have a happier life.

2 Corinthians 2:5

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?

The Danger of Jealousy

**Joyce Meyer

Anger caused by jealousy is one of the first negative emotions mentioned in the Bible. Genesis 4 tells us that Cain killed his brother Abel because he was jealous to the point of being angry. Although this is one of the more extreme results of jealousy, it reminds us of how dangerous jealousy can be. 

In today's society many people feel their status is dependent on their job or position in the church. Because of this mindset, they're afraid someone else may get promoted ahead of them. Jealousy causes them to try to be important in the eyes of man. 

If you have this problem, understand that God has you where you are for a reason. He knows what's in your future, and He may have you in training for it right now. 

Don't despise the days of small beginnings. Our rewards come from obeying the specific callings He's placed on our lives, not from jealously trying to achieve things that you think will impress people. Don't let jealousy grow in you. Trust God to place you where you need to be.

Prayer Starter: God, jealousy is dangerous and I don't want to have any part of it. My status isn't dependent on worldly positions and recognition.

James 3:16

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

From Seedtime to Harvest

**Joyce Meyer

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that there is a season for everything. We don't all live in the same season at the same time. You should never be jealous of someone who is enjoying harvest while you're still in the planting season. Remember, they had to go through a season of planting just as you are. 

Seedtime represents learning the will of God. Each time I choose God's will instead of my own, I'm planting a good seed that will eventually bring a harvest in my life.

Between seedtime and harvest comes a time of waiting. Roots shoot down, digging their way through the ground. It takes time for this to happen, and it takes place underground. Above the ground, you can't tell anything is happening. 

After we plant seeds of obedience, we feel like nothing is happening, but all kinds of things are happening inside where we can't see. And like the seed that finally bursts through the ground with a beautiful green shoot, our seeds of obedience will finally break forth into a beautiful manifestation of God in our lives. 

Prayer Starter: Lord, because seedtime is necessary for harvest time, I won't get discouraged while I'm waiting and feeling like nothing's happening. I will continue to obey and trust You, knowing that You will bring me into my harvest at just the right time.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens

A Perfect Heart

**Joyce Meyer

Time and time again in my life, the Lord has reminded me that He doesn't look for perfect performance from us, but perfect hearts. 

A lot of people think God won't use them until every area of their life is perfected. That type of thinking keeps people from allowing God to use them. He uses us in spite of us, not because of us. 

People usually love you based on your performance. If you do what they want you to do, they accept you; but if you don't, they reject you. God's love is based only on God. He loves you and accepts you as you are.

This doesn't mean we should have a loose attitude and not desire to live a holy life. A person whose heart is perfect toward God is always going to earnestly and zealously desire to please God in all things, yet they understand that God will never reject us because of our weaknesses or mistakes. He wants to love us and help us when we're weak.

Let God love you, and in return, give Him your love with a perfect heart!

Prayer Starter: God, I know that you love me despite my weaknesses and flaws. I thank You for this love and turn my heart to You, knowing that You can use me when I follow You with a perfect heart.

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.

Wait for the Wisdom of God

**Joyce Meyer

People often ask me, "How can I know for sure whether I'm walking in the truth or walking according to my feelings and emotions?" I believe the answer is found in patience. 

Emotions urge us to hurry, telling us that we must do something and do it right now! But godly wisdom tells us to wait until we have a clear picture of what it is we are to do and when we are to do it. Godly wisdom tells us to seek wise guidance and counsel before we rush into decisions.

We need to be able to back off and view our situation from God's perspective. We need to make decisions based on what we know rather than what we feel. We need to receive His wisdom and the wisdom of the trusted people He's placed in our lives.

When faced with any difficult decision, wait until you have a clear answer before taking a step that you may regret. Emotions are wonderful, but they must not be allowed to take precedence over wisdom and knowledge. Seek God's guidance and let Him show you what to do.

Prayer Starter: God, I won't rush into decisions and be led by my emotions. I commit to seeking Your wise guidance for the choices I make.

Proverbs 11:14

For lack of guidance of nation falls, but victory is won through many adviser.

Hope: The Happy Anticipation of Good Things

**Joyce Meyer

I define hope as "the happy anticipation of good things." When we anticipate the goodness of God in our lives, it opens the door to greater happiness. So are you aggressively hoping for something good to happen to you?

As long as we live, you and I are always going to be heading somewhere. God created us to be goal-oriented visionaries. Without a vision, we become bored and hopeless. And "hope deferred makes the heart sick," according to Proverbs 13:12, "but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life." 

God wants us to live by His hope so that we can enjoy life.

You're not going to be happy if you don't have hope. The more hope you have in God, the happier you become. Hope believes everything is going to turn out all right, hope is positive! To enjoy life you must maintain a good, hopeful attitude. God is positive, and He wants positive things to happen to each of us, so fill yourself with His hope today and live with the happy anticipation of good things.

Prayer Starter: God, I make the choice today to happily anticipate Your goodness in my life. And as my hope increases, I know that my joy will increase too. Lord, I put my hope in You!

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Press on and Enjoy Your Progress

**Joyce Meyer

It's true that we all still have a long way to go. I used to get discouraged about how far I had to go, and it seemed like I was reminded of it every day, sometimes every hour. I carried a constant sense of failure, a feeling that I just wasn't who I needed to be, I wasn't doing enough and I needed to try harder. Yet, when I did try harder, I only failed again. 

I've now adopted a new attitude: "I'm not where I need to be, but thank God I'm not where I used to be. I'm OK, and I'm on my way!" I now know with all my heart that God isn't angry with me just because I haven't arrived yet. He's pleased that I'm pressing on and staying on the path. 

If you and I will just "keep on keeping on," God will be pleased with our progress. He has promised to light the path before us. We may not know the way, and we may stumble from time to time, but God is faithful. He sees your progress, He's proud of you, and He's going to help you stay on the right path! 

Prayer Starter: God, I won't get discouraged about where I am. You've already brought me so far, and I know that You will continue to light my way.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Overcoming the Fear of Lack

**Joyce Meyer

One of the biggest fears that people face is the fear of lack. It's the fear that your needs won't be met - that you'll run out of resources and that God won't come through for you in time. 

You may be in a situation of lack that you've never been in before, in desperate need of finances or other resources to simply meet your basic needs. Maybe you're facing an emotional or spiritual lack. The spirit of fear might be attacking you, telling you that God cannot meet your needs and that you won't make it. 

You need to know today that the enemy is a liar, and God cares about your situation. He has a plan and He is working on your behalf to provide what you need at the right time. Even when it seems like nothing is coming your way, God always knows how to miraculously provide.

Whatever your needs may be - financial, physical, emotional, spiritual - you don't have to fear lack. God will provide for you, comfort you, nourish you and bring you back to a place of strength. Trust in His provision.

Prayer Starter: God, Your Word says that You will supply all my needs, so I won't give in to the fear of lack. I believe that You love me and that You will come through and provide for me.

Philippians 4:19

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

God Can Use Your Greatest Trials for Good

**Joyce Meyer

God spoke this to my heart awhile ago: "Joyce, you see to the end of your nose (which isn't very far), and you assume that anything that doesn't feel good isn't good. But I see from beginning to end because I am The Beginning and The End, and I know many things you don't know." 

We know in part, but God knows all.

In Genesis 50:20, Joseph is speaking to his brothers, who had severely mistreated him. When they threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery, they thought they were working against him, but really, God had a plan to use those trials to promote Joseph to a place of great influence.

Sometimes the very things we think are awful turn out to be a great blessing. The greatest trial can develop in you the greatest faith. You might be at the bottom of a pit, but God has a plan to use that pit to promote you in His call on your life. Remember, God can see all, and He will use those trials for your good.

Prayer Starter: God, I can't see 'past my nose,' but I trust You because I know that You see all. I believe that You can take my trials and bring good out of them.

Genesis 50:20

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Receive God's Grace

**Joyce Meyer

Grace is the power of God to live the way He's called you to live. God, however, won't give us the grace to be disobedient. If He's telling us not to do something that we decide to do anyway, we'll experience the painful loss of His anointing.

Grace equals ability. God gives us grace to match our call. When we do our own thing, we do it on our own. When we follow His leading, He always supplies the grace and the energy to do what He's calling us to do.

The best part is that while we do have to choose to receive His grace, we don't have to do anything to earn it. When you choose to follow God's call, He's ready and willing to help you. Jesus died to cover your sins so that you can walk righteously before God with access to the Holy Spirit who can help you navigate everyday life.

I urge you today to make sure you're in a position to receive His grace and ability. If you're trying to pursue your own path, tell God that you want to follow Him and ask Him for help. He will always be faithful to provide His grace to you.

Prayer Starter: Holy Spirit, I can't live life successfully without Your grace in my life. I want to follow Your call, and I ask You to help me to daily live the way You want me to live.

Romans 5:15

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

Love Yourself So You Can Love Others

**Joyce Meyer

It's tough to enjoy life when you don't like yourself. People who haven't learned to accept and get along with themselves tend to have more difficulty accepting and getting along with others. 

I personally spent years having a hard time getting along with people, until I finally realized through the Word of God how my difficulty with other people was actually "rooted" in my difficulties with myself. 

The Bible says a good tree will bear good fruit, and a rotten tree will bear rotten fruit. Likewise, the "fruit" of our lives comes from the "root" within us. If you're rooted in shame, guilt, inferiority, rejection, lack of love and acceptance, etc., the fruit of your relationships will suffer. 

However, once you have a revelation of God's unconditional love for you and begin to accept yourself and others, eventually these new roots will produce good fruit, and your relationships will thrive. 

What are your roots planted in? Examine your heart today and pray that God will firmly plant you in the soil of His love, so that you can genuinely love yourself and then love others. Make sure you are rooted in Him today.

Prayer Starter: God, I want to be rooted in Your love for me. Without Your love, I can't love myself or others, so I receive it today.

Mark 12:31

The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.

Do Unto Others

**Joyce Meyer

I'm sure we lose a lot of blessings we never even know about simply because we fail to do for others what we would like to have done for us. We always want to be blessed by others, but do we take the initiative to unselfishly bless them first?

If your marriage, family, or friendships aren't what you would like them to be, you could literally turn them around by adopting this one principle right now. 

You may have been waiting for your spouse to do something for you. Maybe you have even been stubbornly refusing to help a friend because you want them to help you first. Living this way can be selfishly comfortable, but things will never change until you decide to actively change them. It's time to swallow your pride and save your relationships.

Instead of sitting around, focusing on yourself, waiting for blessings to come your way, it's time to actively make sacrifices and serve the people God has placed in your life. Be a servant and make others the focus.

Instead of feeling rejected and ignored, you'll be amazed at how your relationships improve when you treat others the way you want to be treated.

Prayer Starter: God, I have nothing to gain by living a selfish life. Instead of waiting for people to be good to me, I'm going to be good to them first, treating them the way I want to be treated.

Matthew 7:12

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Courage to Be Yourself

**Joyce Meyer

Are you tired of playing games, wearing masks or trying to be someone other than yourself? Wouldn't you like the freedom to just be accepted for who you are, without the pressure to be someone you really don't know how to be? Would you like to learn how to embrace your uniqueness and resist the pull to be like everyone else?

If you're going to overcome insecurities and be the person God's called you to be, you must have the courage to be different. Unhappiness and frustration happen when we reject our uniqueness and try to be like each other. 

You're going to have to take a chance on not being like everyone else. You must ask yourself, am I a people pleaser or a God pleaser? It's not worth it to try and please man, because God didn't make you to live for other people's approval. 

God knew what He was doing when He made you. You are a unique individual, God created you the way you are! It's time that you dare to accept yourself as different and stop being insecure about who you are. 

Prayer Starter: God, I will not fear man. You did not design me to live for the approval of others. Today, I dare to be different. I want to be a God pleaser, living as the unique individual You created me to be.

Psalm 56:4

In God, whose word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

The High Cost of Low Living

**Joyce Meyer

Satan tempts us to live a low life, but God tempts us to come up higher. One of the worst mistakes we can make is to get complacent, thinking that what we have right now is okay. A mindset of low expectations holds us back because God can only do through us what we believe for.

Be careful not to get in an 'okay place' spiritually. I don't want to be average because I don't serve an average God. God is a God of excellence, and I want to follow His example. And like the scripture below says, we can gain all the world has to offer and end up forfeiting the blessed life He has for us.

Low living has a high cost. Nothing is worth giving up the wonderful, peaceful, joyful, righteous, holy life we can have in Christ here on earth. If you spend your life resisting the will of God and living your way, you're living the low life.

God wants you to be blessed, but He doesn't want you trying to provide it for yourself. He doesn't want you to seek things or put things ahead of Him. Remember that as we seek first God and His kingdom, all of the blessings He has in store for us will come. And that's living the high life!

Prayer Starter: Lord, I don't want to settle for a low life. Help me to keep my focus on You, so that I can live the high life of Your kingdom today.

Matthew 16:26

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Confess your faults to people you trust

**Joyce Meyer

Why don't we ever talk about our faults and weaknesses? Why don't we want to bring things like that into the open? It is because we are afraid of what people will think. We are afraid of being rejected, misunderstood, or unloved by those we care about or that they might have a different opinion of us if they really knew all about us.

But confessing our faults is important for emotional healing. The Bible says that all hidden things will eventually be disclosed, so we might as well share our hurts and weaknesses today with people that we trust.

When I finally worked up the courage to share with someone about the abuse from my past, it was incredibly difficult emotionally. But now when I talk about my past, it is as though I am talking about somebody else's problems. The process of confessing the pain and weaknesses in my life brought healing and restoration.

Pray and ask God to show you who you can trust, and then commit yourself to a relationship of openness and honesty with them. As you share together, you will bring God's healing to each other.

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, show me who You have placed in my life that I can share my faults, weaknesses and hurts with. I want to open the door to greater healing in my life and in theirs.

Luke 8:17

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Be in the world, not of it!

**Joyce Meyer

Many people today are living in a perpetual state of overloaded, stretching themselves to the limit. As a result, they are on the verge of collapse. Even the atmosphere seems to be charged with all kinds of stress, pressure, discouragement and negativity.

But the good news is that, as Christians, although we may be in the world, according to John 17, we are not of the world. Our attitude and approach should be entirely different. The world responds to difficulties by being upset and discouraged, but Jesus said in John 14:27 (AMP) that we should stop allowing ourselves to be agitated, disturbed or upset.

This verse indicates that our attitude can be different from the world's. I have noticed that the right attitude and approach can completely turn a situation around. The right attitude opens the door for God to work supernaturally and help you. The right attitude is what allows you to be in the world but not of it, even when you are surrounded by it.

Remember that Jesus has deprived the world of its power to harm us, and because we are in Christ, we are able to approach the challenges we face in life in a calm, confident manner.

Prayer starter: God, You said that even though I am in the world, I do not have to be of it. I choose Your attitudes and mindsets today. Even in the midst of this world, I choose to respond with Your peace and the mind of Christ.

John 17:15-16

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.