Jesus looked at him and loved him.—Mark 10:21 (NIV)
Is there someone in your life who is difficult to love? Instead of filling your heart with resentment or anger, ask Jesus to help you release your feelings and see this person as He sees them. Spend time in prayer asking for a bigger heart.
Heavenly Father, open my heart. Help me to love others like You love them.
The greatest among you will be your servant.—Matthew 23:11 (NIV)
C. S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” Every day you have an opportunity to imitate Jesus’ humility by seeking to serve God through helping others. The closer you grow to Him, the more you grow in His image.
Lord, teach me the power and ways of humility.
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.—Matthew 9:22 (NIV)
When you put your trust in God, life can dramatically change in a moment. Like the above verse and again in Matthew 17:18, God’s healing can take place instantly, in a moment’s time. If you are going through a hard time, reflect on His grace and His ability to answer your prayers in an instant.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your healing love, which strengthens me and gives me peace.
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”—Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)
To know Jesus is to live a life of joy. When you follow His path, you have the glory of feeling His joy. Of course, life has its ups and downs but because of Him, you can feel His love and His presence during the tough times. He is your shield. He is your joy!
Heavenly Father, You are my reason to celebrate!
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.—1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)
Today, treat yourself! Spend at least ten minutes nurturing yourself, whether it be drinking a cup of tea, relaxing in the sun, do something nice just for you. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. A life-well lived. Look forward to the blessings that will unfold in the day ahead.
Dear Lord, sometimes I forget to care for myself. Help me remember that I am important in Your eyes and should be important in my own.
Pray continually…—1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)
Today’s faith exercise is to pray throughout your day. Make an effort to consciously work God into your thinking. Invite Him into your mind, ask Him to show you opportunities and inspired ideas. Reach out and invite His amazing power to manifest in your life.
Heavenly Father, I want to talk with You about everything.
He must increase, but I must decrease.—John 3:30 (ESV)
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said, “Did it ever occur to you that you do not really own a thing, not a single thing? You are entrusted by the Lord according to your own ability to handle some of His goods for a while. If you use things selfishly for yourself, you will probably lose them and you will certainly lose the values that would come to you if you would use them for God.“
Heavenly Father, free me of selfish thoughts and deeds.
Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that You, Lord, are God, and that You are turning their hearts back again.—1 Kings 18:37 (NIV)
When Elijah was afraid and hiding in a cave, God’s voice came as a gentle whisper encouraging him to continue on. Do you hear God’s whispers in your life? A good way to tune your ear to His guidance is to take several moments throughout the day, be still and focus on Him. Invite Him into your heart.
Heavenly Father, help me to be quiet so that I hear Your whispers.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.—Psalm 37:23 (NLT)
It’s been said that man plans and God laughs, but it can be upsetting when it happens to you. Trust is the key to keeping your chin up when your best plans and the future you had mapped out suddenly take a sharp, unexpected detour. Only God knows what tomorrow holds. By developing a strong faith, you can confidently walk wherever God calls you to go.
Lord, I’m doing my best to be faithful and flexible, to follow Your lead anywhere it takes me.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways.”—Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
It’s not easy feeling thankful when you are aggravated by setbacks. No matter what you face, one thing remains the same—God. He is with you through life’s big and small problems. Thank Him for being there and trust Him to see you through.
Lord, help turn my complaints into praise. Praise for You!
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”—John 8:12 (ESV)
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said if you want to make a new start in your life put this verse in your mind and center your thoughts on it every day. Repeat, “I am the light of the world. Follow me and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.”
Heavenly Father, help me to see You as the One who walks with me, blessing my day and guiding me to live my life meaningfully.
Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes?—Matthew 6:25 (CEB)
Are you a chronic worrier? Do you agonize over big things and little things no matter how hard you try? If so, take Jesus’ words to heart. He tells you not to worry. Worry is a choice you have power over. Instead of feeding your anxiety, focus your trust on Him.
Dear God, I give You my worries so that You may give me Your peace.
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly…—1 CORINTHIANS 9:26 (NIV)
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.—PROVERBS 12:25 (NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— this is your true and proper worship.—Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.—Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.—Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.—Luke 6:27 (NIV)
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.—Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)
But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.—Jonah 1:3 (ESV)
Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite.—Judges 3:15 (NIV)
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.—Exodus 3:2 (NIV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.—Romans 3:23–24 (NIV)
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.—James 1:27 (NLT)
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.—Ephesians 6:16 (NIV)
I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.—Job 42:5-6 (NLT)
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.—Joel 2:13 (NIV)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”—Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.—1 Samuel 18:1 (ESV)
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”—Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.—John 15:12 (ESV)
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.—2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)
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