Bible study and stuff

06/24/2026

How to Think About Yourself
God thinks you are wonderful, and it’s important that you learn to think about yourself the same way He does. This verse states that two cannot walk together unless they agree, and we cannot walk with God unless we learn how to agree with Him.

People generally tend to think about all their faults more than they do their strengths, but we need to consider both. We don’t want to ignore our weaknesses and pretend that they don’t exist, but we can become easily discouraged, and perhaps even depressed, if we don’t also consider the good things about us.

The apostle Paul warned us not to think more highly of ourselves than we should (see Romans 12:3), but he didn’t say we are to think “lowly” of ourselves. Think like this: I have talents, gifts and abilities that God has given me, and I am thankful for them. I intend to use them for His glory. I also have weaknesses, but I trust God to show His strength through them. Jesus came for weak people, for those who need Him, and I definitely need Him. I am nothing without Christ, and I can do nothing without Him, but I can also do all things through Him.¹

I can honestly tell you there was a time when I simply didn’t like myself. All I saw were my faults, and I constantly compared myself to others. I so badly wanted to be extra sweet and friendly like my pastor’s wife…or become the perfect homemaker like my next-door neighbor. However, God didn’t create me to be exactly like them—He created me to be me. When I finally learned to love and value myself the way God does, it changed everything!

Life can get difficult when all we see is everything that is wrong with us and the things we can’t seem to do right. Don’t spend too much time thinking about your faults, and don’t compare yourself with other people, thinking you need to be like them. Begin focusing on what God thinks about you and you’ll be a much happier person!

We may not love everything we do, because we all sin and make mistakes, but we can love the person God has created us to be, the one we are always in the process of becoming through Christ.

Make the Mind Connection: How you think about yourself is vitally important to your self-image and affects every area of your life.

Adapted from The Mind Connection by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2015 by Joyce Meyer. Reprinted with permission of FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

06/23/2026

Enjoying Life Begins with a Choice
Although we don’t always have the power to change every unpleasant circumstance in our lives, we do have the power to change our outlook. Nobody enjoys a troubling or painful circumstance, but I’ve found if we look at it in a hopeful, faith-filled way, we can watch God work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28).

Enjoying life begins with the thoughts you choose to think. Yes, it is that simple! No matter what is going on in your life today, if you will choose happy, hope-filled thoughts based on God’s Word, you will feel happier. Our thoughts are intricately connected to our feelings, so if we want to feel better, we need to think better.

Think of the mind like the gas tank in your automobile. Your automobile will run well, or perhaps not even run at all, depending on what kind of fuel you put into it. In the same way, when you choose your thoughts carefully, your quality of life will improve in amazing ways!

I used to be an extremely negative and critical person. My motto was, “If you don’t expect anything good to happen, then you won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t.” I thought I was protecting myself, but in reality, I was preventing myself from truly enjoying my life and God’s good plan for me. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing…” (AMP) When we choose to be positive and expect and believe God to do great things, it releases joy into our lives!

Sure, there are some people who are born with a temperament that makes it easier for them to look on the bright side of life than others, but even they have to make choices about their thoughts and attitudes toward life.

Be honest with yourself and think about what you have been mentally focusing on and how you have been feeling emotionally and even physically. I feel certain you will see a definite connection. Nothing good comes from thinking sour, critical, and negative thoughts, but something good always comes when we think according to God’s plan for our life.

Make the Mind Connection: Enjoying your life begins with the thoughts you choose to think.

Adapted from The Mind Connection by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2015 by Joyce Meyer. Reprinted with permission of FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30‬:‭19‬ ‭

06/22/2026

The Key to Transformation
Transformation means “a thorough change,” and that is exactly what Jesus offers us through His death and resurrection. He offers us a new way of living; however, a new way of thinking will always precede this new way of living. Right thinking and right attitudes are roadmaps that allow us to reach our potential and fulfill God’s plan for our lives.

Romans 12:2 is so important for us to understand. This verse tells us that God has a good, acceptable, and perfect plan for you and me, and the way we can experience it is to not think like the world thinks, but to be changed by learning to renew our mind with His Word and think the way God thinks. In other words, if you want to have what God wants you to have, learn to think like God thinks!

It’s important to pay attention to the thoughts going through your mind because they will influence and energize the rest of what you do. Your mind, mouth, moods, attitudes and behavior are all connected.

The enemy will try to get to your thoughts early in the day. Some mornings I wake up and, before I ever get out of bed, I begin having all sorts of negative thoughts about people and situations. I have to talk to myself and say, “Joyce, you’re not going there!” Then I make a decision to think and say the right things…things that line up with the Word of God.

I encourage you to jump-start your day by thinking and speaking good things from God’s Word. This exercise only takes a few minutes, but it will be valuable to you all day. Speak out things like: “Today, I am creative and energetic. I am thankful for all that God has done for me, and I enjoy being a blessing to others. This is the day God has made, and I can handle whatever comes my way because Christ is my strength.”¹

Make the Mind Connection: Thinking godly thoughts will influence your words, moods and attitudes…and bring transformation to every area of your life.

Adapted from The Mind Connection by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2015 by Joyce Meyer. Reprinted with permission of FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭28‬-‭31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

06/20/2026

• I am complete in Him Who is the head over all rule and authority—of every angelic and earthly power (Colossians 2:10).
• I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
• I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
• I am far from oppression, and will not live in fear (Isaiah 54:14).
• I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18).
• I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16).
• I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5).
• I have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
• The Spirit of God, who is greater than the enemy in the world, lives in me (1 John 4:4).
• I have received the power of the Holy Spirit and He can do miraculous things through me.
• God supplies all of my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
• I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ Jesus who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).
• I am born again—spiritually transformed, renewed and set apart for God’s purpose—through the living and everlasting word of God (1 Peter 1:23).
• I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works that He has prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10).
• I am a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• The light of God’s truth has shone in my heart and given me knowledge of salvation through Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
• I am a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me (Romans 8:37).
• I have everything I need to live a godly life and am equipped to live in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).
• I am an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).
• I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• I am chosen by God, forgiven and justified through Christ. I have a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness and patience (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12).
• I am redeemed—forgiven of all my sins and made clean—through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7).
• I am healed and whole in Jesus (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
• I am saved by God’s grace, raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6; Colossians 2:12).
• I am greatly loved by God (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4).
• I humbly submit myself to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus (James 4:7).

06/19/2026

Conversations with God
Simplifying the Mystery of Prayer

Joyce Meyer
4 min read

Prayer is one of the most powerful forces on earth. James 5:16 (AMPC) says, The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

Yet I’ve spoken to countless people who aren’t satisfied with their prayer lives. They are longing for a deeper, richer, more dynamic relationship with God, but they’re just not sure how to do it.

For years, my approach to prayer was complicated. If my behavior wasn’t very good, I was convinced I couldn’t pray because I didn’t deserve God’s help. Or if I did pray, then I was certain I must not have prayed long enough for it to really matter. I thought, Did it count? Did God really hear me?

The good news is, God never intended for prayer to be complicated! He wants prayer to be like breathing—something that feels easy and natural...something we can do anywhere, anytime.

Especially when our prayers seemingly go unanswered, we can begin to struggle with doubt and frustration. But prayer is really simple. It’s just talking to God and listening as He talks to us.

Prayer Is a Personal Matter
God made us to have an intimate and distinct relationship with Him. Therefore, He will teach us how to pray according to who He has made us to be. Yes, there are principles of prayer that apply to everyone, but God will lead you and me according to who we are and the season of life we are in. For instance, the young mother with several small children will not be able to devote the same amount of time to prayer as someone whose children are grown.

Years ago, I heard of a woman who got up at 5 a.m. every morning and prayed for four hours. I thought, That’s what I need to do. So, the next day, I set my alarm, woke up early and began to pray. I prayed for my marriage, family, church and every single thing on my list. Then I looked over at the clock and noticed that only five minutes had passed; I think I eventually fell asleep. I was so discouraged!

Thankfully, God helped me to learn that I am free to be myself, and I don’t need to do what someone else is doing. That means some days I may pray for twenty minutes and other days for an hour. But we are free to let God lead us.

Remember, God has a personalized plan just for you, and He loves spending time with you. You don’t have to pray for a certain amount of time to earn His love or approval. Prayer is about relationship. It’s simply talking with God, receiving His love, thanking Him for His goodness, and allowing Him an opportunity to speak to your heart and give you the wisdom and direction you need for your life.

Prayer Is Based on Relationship
I believe one key to effective prayer is approaching God as His friend. When we don’t know God as a friend, we are reluctant to ask Him for anything because we don’t feel we’ve “earned it” with good behavior. Or if we do ask, we lack the confidence that He hears us and wants to help.

Hebrews 4:16 (AMPC) teaches that we can come before God without fear. It says, Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s important to approach God with reverence and respect for Who He is—remembering He is holy—but He doesn’t want us to be afraid of Him or feel like He is unapproachable. When you and I see ourselves as close friends with God, we’re more eager to spend time talking to Him, eager to follow every instruction He gives us and unafraid to ask for help with everything!

Friendship is based on mutual, regular times of sharing—openly and honestly. We can make a habit of talking with God as we’re getting ready for our day, driving our car, shopping in the grocery store, walking the dog or cooking dinner. He really wants to be involved in every area of our lives!

The more time and energy you and I invest in developing an intimate friendship with God, the more powerful and exciting our communication, or prayer life, will be as a result.

I encourage you to take some time each day to read God’s Word and talk to Him in prayer—even if it’s just for a few minutes. Throughout the day, talk to Him like He’s your best friend. Ask Him for help with little things, big things and everything in-between.

As you do, you’ll begin to develop an intimate, fulfilling relationship with Him…and He’ll lead you into the greatest adventure of your life.

06/18/2026

How to Get Comfortable with God
Embracing the Intimate Relationship God Desires with You

Joyce Meyer
3 minute read

Do you know how much God loves you?

God proved His love for us through His Son, Jesus, who died for our sins. But for some reason, it's hard to carry on a conversation with Him. We can be so distant or believe God is far away, somewhere up in the sky where we can never reach Him.

But Jesus didn’t die so He could give us religion; He gave His life so we can have a close, personal, intimate relationship with God.

We need to get comfortable with God. I don’t mean we should ever be disrespectful, but we should be confident that He loves us and that He wants us to spend time with us.

The Importance of Spending Time with God
First Corinthians 8:6 says that God created us to live for Him. He's given us the gift of life and He wants us to enjoy it!

You can have a joyful, fulfilling life by living in close, personal relationship with God. But in order to get there, you have to spend time with Him. God doesn't want to just be the button we push when we have an emergency.

Whether we know it or not, we all desperately need God all the time. Without Him operating in our lives, helping and protecting us, there isn't one of us who knows one iota about anything we're doing!

Unlimited Time, Unlimited Blessings
You and I can spend as much time as we want with God. We have an open invitation to invite the Creator of the universe into our life each day. We get to speak to Him personally and discover who He really is as we study the Bible, which is our instruction book for life.

The devil doesn't like that. That's why he works so hard to tell us that we have to be perfect for God to love us and accept us. But the truth is we aren't ever going to be perfect in this life. That's why Jesus went to the cross for us!

Hebrews 4:16 says, Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God loves us unconditionally and accepts us just as we are. As we spend time with Him, He works in our hearts and changes us little by little, so we can become everything He created us to be.

James 4:8 says, Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.... The moment you accepted Christ into your heart, God made His home in you. So kick up your feet, get cozy and enjoy the company.

06/17/2026

Will God Show Up to Help Me?
Trusting God's Power in the Midst of Challenges for Daily Peace

Joyce Meyer
3 min read

Will God Show Up To Help Me
Can you be in God's will and be miserable?

Well, yes. But you can also be in tremendous peace.

For people who are saying, "I'm in a tough situation right now because I believe it's where God wants me, but I'm miserable, frustrated and unhappy," there's good news.

When God asks us to stay in a difficult situation, He provides a special grace for us to get through it. It's the kind of grace that leads others to look at us and think: Wow! I can't believe they're dealing with this and still have such peace! That's faith.

When we say things like, "I just don't think I can make it," we're essentially giving up, when we could just as easily trust God to help and sustain us.

Learning to trust God for His grace on a daily basis will help you keep your thoughts and words in line with His Word.

What Trusting God Can Do for You
I've heard grace defined as God's riches at Christ's expense, and that's a good definition. But to be honest, it's just a little bit too spiritual for me.

I like to define grace as God's power to help us do whatever we need to do.

Grace is power. And it all comes to us through faith, which God also gives us. In fact, Romans 12:3 warns us not to think too highly of ourselves, because God is the one who gives us our faith.

You need to ask yourself: What am I doing with my faith?

Are you trying to change things that you have no ability to change? Are you trying to get yourself promoted instead of just doing your best to please God? If so, you're probably burning out because you're focusing on works.

When we simply do what God asks us to do, His grace flows through.

Faith Isn't Just for the Finish Line
To learn how to trust God for His grace, I used to put up signs around my house that said things like, "Works of the flesh equal frustration."

Every time I became frustrated, the signs helped me to remember God was with me

One thing I learned is that His grace isn't just for last minute miracles. God doesn't just throw you a Hail Mary pass at the last minute when you're all worn out and ready to give up, and then say, "Okay, now go make the touchdown."

God's grace is something on which you can constantly rely.

How to Have Peace in the Now
Because grace is available to you right now, there's no reason to struggle with your circumstances, trying to figure them out—or even fight your way out.

Galatians 5:16 tells us to …walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit…then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (AMPC).

Notice how it doesn't say "conquer the flesh so you can walk in the Spirit."

When we concentrate on the Spirit, we won't fulfill the lust of the flesh because we will be focused on our relationship with God and His love for us.

The same way we receive Christ is the same way we are supposed to live each day of our life—in total, complete dependence on Him.

Your circumstances don't have to control you, because you have the power of God's grace in your life. And it's available to you in whatever amount you need, right now.

06/15/2026

We Can’t Rely on Emotions to Lead Us the Right Way
A Practical Guide to Discerning God’s Will and Managing Unstable Feelings

Joyce Meyer
4 min read

We Cant Rely on Emotions to Lead Us the Right Way
It’s easy to make decisions based on what we want, think and feel―or what our emotions tell us is the right thing, right now. But we have to be very careful not to be led by emotions. We need to follow something much wiser and much more dependable―and that is the Word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing soul and spirit and judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. In other words, God’s Word gives us wisdom to know right from wrong, and keep our thoughts and attitudes in control.

Even after years of study we may still not be able to apply every bit of wisdom God’s Word has for us, but we will have made considerable progress―and we’re covered by God’s grace and mercy as we continue to learn and grow.
How to Know God’s Will from Your Own
It’s challenging sometimes to discern if what we want is in line with what God wants for us because when we feel strongly about something, we can easily deceive ourselves into thinking it’s God’s will―and the devil will help us do it. He will even lead us to take Scripture out of context if it will keep us deceived and living in sin.

First Corinthians 2:14 says that to those in the world, truths revealed by the Spirit sound like foolishness. Only spiritual people can understand the things of the Spirit. And sometimes it’s even very difficult for spiritual people to do!

I can tell you that when you’re truly being led by the Spirit, your head can have a hard time understanding what God’s doing because He often seems unreasonable. He will do many things in your life that you just cannot understand.

I used to be so confused about some of the things God allowed to happen in my life. But when I look back at them today, I can say, “Now I know why that had to happen. Now I know why that took place.”

God knows more than we know, His ways are above our ways, and He has a better plan for our lives than we do. Instead of being led by our feelings, we need to be led by God, even when we don’t understand.
How to Manage Unstable Emotions
If we want to improve in this area, we have to let God show us some truth about ourselves. We need Him to reveal the root of our problem because if we see it, we can deal with it, and then we can avoid the feelings that come from it. So we can pray for God to reveal those things to us. But feelings are unpredictable by nature, so we also need to learn how to manage them when they change unexpectedly.

It’s amazing how you can straighten up your attitude just by having a little chat with yourself. Your family may not be everything you’d like them to be, but you have a family. Your house might not be everything you’d like it to be, but you’re not on the street. You may not like your job, but somebody out there wants it. You may not even like your spouse, but I guarantee you there’s someone out there who would be happy to take them off your hands.

Victory is pretty much impossible until we learn how to live beyond our feelings.

They can change so quickly! Feelings make us cry one hour and laugh the next. They behave better when circumstances are good, and they act up during periods of waiting and change. I want you to master your feelings. I want you to own your emotions, not let them own you.

Colossians 3:2 says we should set our mind and keep it set on things above. If you will make a decision today to live by the Word instead of how you feel, I guarantee that a year from now you will be a different person―and I hope, very pleased with your progress.

06/14/2026

Just Pray the Word
There is power in praying God's Word

Joyce Meyer
4 min read

Just Pray the Word
Prayer is such a privilege. Prayer literally brings the power of heaven to earth!

We are so blessed to serve a God Who loves to hear our prayers, then answer them in His timing, in His wisdom, and in His way. So, what types of things should we ask for?

Well, first, we can ask for anything His Word tells us we can have. For instance, I always know that I can ask the Lord for things like His grace, mercy, strength, favor, and peace because these are things He promises us in His Word—it is His will for us to have these things.

In addition, we can pray for those things that the Holy Spirit places in our hearts. There are times when God will place a desire inside of us to ask Him for something specific or to pray for someone else at that very moment. And what the Lord puts in our hearts won’t always make sense to our natural mind.

For instance, a few years ago, during my prayer time, I sensed the Holy Spirit prompting me to pray for something pretty big. At first, I thought, I can’t pray for that. But I realized it was God Himself leading me to pray for this thing. So, out of obedience, I prayed:

“Lord, I believe this is You leading and guiding me, so I am going to ask. I pray that You’ll allow me to help every single person on the face of this earth.”

In that moment, I believe God used my prayer to initiate something. Although my request seems almost impossible in my mind, I know that we serve the God of the impossible!

One of the great things about God is that you can pray about anything at any time. If you’re not sure, just ask! You can always trust that He knows best—He’ll never give you something that’s not His will for you or not in His perfect timing.

In addition, the Bible teaches us about the value of praying God’s Word. Isaiah 62:6 says, ...you who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence (AMPC).

God tells us to put Him in remembrance and pray His Word back to Him. A great study assignment would be to look up all of the scriptures that instruct us to speak, declare, or confess God’s Word over our lives and about our situations.

The word confess literally means to “say the same thing as.” So, when we confess God’s Word in prayer, we are saying what He says—we are getting in agreement with God!

I’ll give you a practical example. Maybe your young son or daughter is having trouble sleeping at night because of nightmares or something else that is interrupting their rest. If so, you can look up what the Bible has to say about it.

Psalm 127: (AMPC) says that God ...gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep. In addition, Proverbs 3:24 (AMPC) says, When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

You can use these verses when you pray. You can say, “Lord, as we go to sleep for the night, I pray for Your supernatural peace and rest for my child. Your Word says that You give us blessings in our sleep and that when we lay down, we won’t be afraid, but our sleep will be sweet. Thank You for watching over us tonight. Thank You so much for Your blessings and protection. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

There is power is praying God’s Word. Isaiah 55:11 says that His Word never fails, but it always accomplishes what it has been sent to do!

As Christians, we have such an amazing privilege to be able to go to God in prayer—to bring our needs and the needs of others before Him. And the Lord is always ready, willing and able to meet us where we’re at and help us when we need it the most.

Psalm 46:1 (AMPC) says that God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

So, do you have a need? Do you know someone else who can use some “well-proved help” right now? If so, it’s time to ask. God loves to hear your prayers, and He delights in helping you with every single part of your life.

06/13/2026

You’re Stronger Than You Think
Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit

Joyce Meyer
5 min read

You're Stronger Than You Think
I think every single one of us can use more strength in life. We can use emotional strength, mental strength, and greater ability to handle life’s problems and unpredictable situations.

Maybe you’re dealing with something right now that seems too big to handle. If so, I have good news for you—God wants to be your strength.

The Strengthener
I love John 16:7 in the Amplified Bible. In this verse, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to be “in close fellowship” with us. He uses several different words to describe the incredible work of the Holy Spirit, including “Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby.”



So, what does this mean? It means when we need help—when life gets difficult and we need more strength—we literally have The Strengthener living on the inside of us, and He will give us all the strength we need!

Just think about it: the Holy Spirit is always with you, and He’s ready, willing and able to help at any moment. Any time you’re tempted to give up—whenever you begin to think, I can’t do this. I can’t take this anymore—that’s when it’s time to pray, “Holy Spirit, strengthen me!”

This applies to every situation—big or small. Maybe you’re getting ready to meet with someone who tends to frustrate you or get on your nerves. Beforehand, take a few moments to simply pray, “Holy Spirit, I can’t do this without You. Please give me the strength to be sweet and love this person.”

Or maybe you’re facing a situation that threatens to overwhelm you. For instance, years ago I battled breast cancer which required surgery. It was a scary time, and fear immediately tried to grip my heart. But God used this time to help me keep my eyes on Him and cling to Him for strength and comfort—day by day, even hour by hour.

I really want you to read 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) with me. God has used this scripture to help me tremendously over the years. It says:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Now, just think about it: Whatever you’re facing today, God will never allow more to come on you than you can bear. In fact, He promises to always provide a way out of every temptation and difficult spot at just the right time.

This may sound funny, but I believe we can get to the point where we actually learn to appreciate our difficult times. Why? Because if we trust God and lean on Him for strength, He will use our trials to make us stronger and build our character.

So many times, I’ve gotten to the end of a tough situation and realized God did something wonderful inme and through me. Nothing is ever wasted with God—He’ll even use our painful experiences to benefit us if we’ll let Him.

Change Your Perspective
When we’re going through a trying time or facing a tough situation, it’s so important to pay attention to what we think and say.

I think we spend way too much time thinking and talking about our problems. Now, there’s nothing wrong with talking through an issue with a friend or family member, especially someone who can give us wise counsel. But we should fight the temptation to call everyone we know and just keep rehashing it.

When all we do is focus on the problem, we make it bigger than it really is! All this does is lead to worry and anxiety. But I love what it says in the Book of Psalms—it says we should “magnify the Lord” (Psalm 34:3).

What does this mean? To magnify the Lord means to focus on Him and make Him “bigger” in our eyes. As we do, our faith begins to grow because we’re focused on how mighty and able God is to solve our problems. As a result, our negative circumstances don’t seem so overwhelming—they are no match for Almighty God!

The truth is, there is no situation in life that’s too hard for God. In every situation, He wants us to cry out to Him for strength and trust He has everything under control. He wants us to truly believe that He’s greater than any problem we will ever face.

That’s why the Bible is such a treasure chest. As we take time to get to know what God’s Word says, we get to know God! Soon, our hearts begin to fill with faith and we find ourselves responding differently to people and situations.

Whatever you’re dealing with today, I encourage you to look at it with a fresh perspective. Instead of saying, “This is too hard,” choose to say what God’s Word says about your situation. Say things like, “God is taking care of my problem” and "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Remember, a situation may be too big for you to handle, but it’s not too big for God! The Holy Spirit longs to help you, encourage you and strengthen you when you need it the most. And He’s always just a prayer away.

You are stronger than you think. Do you believe that? God is your s...