When we get hurt

When we get hurt, we must realize that every person has a free will and we can't control that free will - even through prayer. We can pray that God will speak to people who may hurt us; we can ask Him to lead them to do right instead of wrong, but the bottom line is that He must leave them to make their own choices. If someone makes a choice that hurts us, we shouldn't blame it on God and become bitter toward Him. God's word for you today: If you get hurt, don't ever blame God. He is the best friend you have.

Faith for powerful prayers

God's power is released when we pray in faith, trusting and believing Him, because faith pleases Him. Expectancy is an attribute of faith that carries its own kind of power - the power of hope. Faith reaches out into the spiritual realm and expects God's supernatural power to show up and do what no person on Earth could do. Doubt, on the other hand, is afraid nothing good will happen; it does not please God and is not something He is able to bless. We are powerless when we live with doubt, disappointment, and a lack of confidence in God.

Start with praise and worship

Whatever you are praying for, one of the best ways to start is with praise and worship. They will keep your heart right before God and make a way for you to hear His voice and for change to take place. God's word for you today: When you need to hear God's voice, praise and worship Him.

Do what youvare good at

If we do what we are good at doing, we will sense God's anointing (presence and power) on our efforts. We will know we are operating in our gifts and that doing so honors God and ministers life to others. God speaks to us through this anointing, giving us peace and joy to know we are fulfilling His plan for our lives. God's word for you today: Do what you're good at - it's God's gift to you.

Prayer in the spirit

I find that when I pray Spirit-led prayers, they are usually simpler and shorter than mine would be. They are direct, straightforward, and to the point. I feel satisfied that the task is complete when I pray God's way instead of my own way. When we pray our own way, we often focus on praying for carnal things and circumstances, but if we are led by God we will find ourselves praying for eternal things like the purity of our thoughts and motives and a deeper relationship with God. Ask God to teach you how to pray His prayers instead of your own and you will enjoy prayer much more.

Pray and Give Thanks

Giving thanks is so important to being able to hear God's voice because, like praise and worship, it is something God responds to. It's something God loves, something that warms His heart. Anytime we give God pleasure like that, our intimacy with Him increases - and that makes for a better relationship with Him. If we are not thankful for what we have, why should He give us something else to murmur about? On the other hand, when God sees that we genuinely appreciate and are thankful for the big and little things, He is inclined to bless us even more. According to Philippians 4:6, everything we ask God for should be preceded and accompanied by thanksgiving. No matter what we pray for, thanksgiving should always go with it. A good habit to develop is starting all of our prayers with thanksgiving. An example of this would be: "Thank You for all You have done in my life. You are awesome and I really love and appreciate You." I encourage you to examine your life, to pay attention to your thoughts and your words, and see how much thanksgiving you express. If you want a challenge, just try to get through an entire day without uttering one word of complaint. Develop an attitude of thanksgiving in every situation. In fact, just become outrageously thankful - and watch as your intimacy with God increases and as He pours out greater blessings than ever before. God's word for you today: Speak words of thanksgiving, not words of complaint. From the book Hearing from God Each Morning by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2010 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Difficulties mean growth

For a period of time in my life, I rebuked whatever I didn't want because I thought it must be from the devil. I say that I rebuked until my "rebuker" was just totally worn out. But then I discovered that a lot of what I was trying to rebuke was from God. Many of the things I did not like or want were things God had allowed for my growth and development. The writer of Hebrews said that we must submit to the discipline of God. He chastises us only because He loves us. Don't try to resist what God intends to use for your good. Ask the Lord to do a deep and thorough work in you so you can be all He wants you to be, do all He wants you to do, and have all He wants you to have. During my years of resisting anything that was painful or difficult, the simple truth is that I did not grow spiritually. I kept going around and around the same old mountains (problems). Finally, I realized that I was trying to avoid pain, but I had pain anyway. The pain of staying the way we are is much worse than the pain of changing. Our personality is our soul (mind, will, and emotions), but often it has been wounded by our experiences in the world. God promises to restore our souls if we will cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in us. I had a broken soul, one that had no peace or joy, but God has made me whole and He wants to do the same for you. God's word for you today: Open your soul to God and ask Him to heal every wound and bruise.

he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3 NIV
https://psalm.bible/psalm-23-3