God’s grace and power are available for us to use. But God enables us, or gives us an anointing of the Holy Spirit, to do what He tells us to do.
Sometimes after He has prompted us to go another direction, we still keep pressing on with our original plan, while actually asking Him to help us do what He said not to do!
“God, help me—I’m so close to finishing—Lord, just help me do a little more, and I’ll be done!” If we are doing something He has not approved, He is under no obligation to give us the energy to do it.
We are functioning in our own strength, rather than under the control of the Holy Spirit, because we are doing something God has told us not to do! Then we get so frustrated, stressed or burned out, we lose our self-control, simply by ignoring the prompting of the Spirit.
I believe a major reason many people are stressed and burned out is from going their own way instead of God’s way. They end up in stressful situations when they go a different direction from the one God prompted.
Then they burn out in the midst of the disobedience and, struggling to finish what they started outside of God’s direction, beg God to anoint them.
God is merciful, and He helps us in the midst of our mistakes. But He is not going to give us strength and energy to disobey Him continually.
We can avoid many stressful situations and living “tied up in knots” simply by obeying the Holy Spirit’s promptings moment by moment.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods and attitudes. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.
Joyce hosts a TV and radio show, Enjoying Everyday Life, which broadcasts worldwide to a potential audience of 4.5 billion people. She has authored 100 books, which have been translated into more than 100 languages. More than 12 million of her books have been distributed free of charge around the world, and each year millions of copies are sold.
Joyce conducts close to a dozen domestic and international conferences every year, teaching people to enjoy their everyday lives. For 30 years, her annual women's conference has attracted more than 200,000 women from all over the world to St. Louis for specifically themed teachings by her and guest speakers.
Through her teachings, God has provided opportunities to meet the needs of the suffering and bring the Gospel in a practical way. Joyce's passion to help hurting people every day is foundational to the vision of Hand of Hope, the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. These outreaches around the globe include feeding programs, medical care, homes for orphans, and programs combatting human trafficking. In her hometown of St. Louis, Joyce and Dave, her husband, founded the St. Louis Dream Center (SLDC) in 2000. The SLDC serves the inner city through hands-on programs targeted at reaching the lost and hurting with the love of Christ.
Over the years, God has provided Joyce with many opportunities to share her testimony and the life-changing message of the Gospel. Having suffered sexual abuse throughout her childhood, as well as just dealing with the struggles of everyday life, Joyce discovered the freedom to live victoriously by applying God's Word to her life and in turn desires to help others do the same.
Joyce is and continues to be an incredible testimony of the dynamic, redeeming work of Jesus Christ.