Are you taking some time to slow down, rest, and get refreshed? It’s always a good time to focus on your relationship with God and His purpose for your life.
Think about, and even journal about, the things you’d like to do and the person you want to be. What has God done in your life? What promises does He still want to fulfill? What goals are you still striving to accomplish?
As a born-again Christian, you are a partner with God in pursuing the dreams and plans He’s put in your heart. And working with Him, you can make a whole lot of progress in a short amount of time!
Philippians 1:6 encourages us in our transformation, saying, And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
After 40 years of studying and teaching the Word, I’ve come a long way, but I’ll never run out of things to learn! Sometimes I get a little weak in certain areas and the Holy Spirit will bring it to my attention. He’s the best helper and counselor we can ever have!
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby. He teaches us and guides us into truth… and He even brings the things we learn back to our remembrance as we need it (see John 14:26).
Any time you try to gain spiritual ground, opposition will come. We have an enemy who wants to keep us captive to fear and doubt, constantly questioning God’s love for us and the authority we’ve been given in Christ. But you don’t have to let him! Always remember you’ve been given Christ’s authority over the enemy (see Luke 10:19), and you’re fighting from a place of victory, not trying to get there (see John 16:33).
Isaiah 54:17 says, But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord….
This is an amazing promise from God that we can experience if we will do our part. Have a little meeting with the Holy Spirit, and ask Him:
Are you taking some time to slow down, rest, and get refreshed? It’s always a good time to focus on your relationship with God and His purpose for your life.
Think about, and even journal about, the things you’d like to do and the person you want to be. What has God done in your life? What promises does He still want to fulfill? What goals are you still striving to accomplish?
As a born-again Christian, you are a partner with God in pursuing the dreams and plans He’s put in your heart. And working with Him, you can make a whole lot of progress in a short amount of time!
Philippians 1:6 encourages us in our transformation, saying, And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
After 40 years of studying and teaching the Word, I’ve come a long way, but I’ll never run out of things to learn! Sometimes I get a little weak in certain areas and the Holy Spirit will bring it to my attention. He’s the best helper and counselor we can ever have!
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby. He teaches us and guides us into truth… and He even brings the things we learn back to our remembrance as we need it (see John 14:26).
Any time you try to gain spiritual ground, opposition will come. We have an enemy who wants to keep us captive to fear and doubt, constantly questioning God’s love for us and the authority we’ve been given in Christ. But you don’t have to let him! Always remember you’ve been given Christ’s authority over the enemy (see Luke 10:19), and you’re fighting from a place of victory, not trying to get there (see John 16:33).
Isaiah 54:17 says, But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord….
This is an amazing promise from God that we can experience if we will do our part. Have a little meeting with the Holy Spirit, and ask Him:
• What does God think about me and my situation?
• How should I pray?
• What can I say as a confession of my faith?
• How can I take a step of faith and put the enemy under my feet?
It won’t always be easy to do what God leads you to do, but it will always be worth it—and He will always equip you to do it (see Philippians 4:13).
A few years ago, I was struggling with not having enough energy for the work I needed to do. So, I prayed for energy. But what God gave me was a desire to start walking every day. He showed me something I could do, and then He gave me the grace to do it.
Whatever God puts in your heart to do, I encourage you to be wholehearted and go for it! And if there’s any area of your life that you haven’t surrendered to Him…give it to God completely. Set your mind to press in to God through prayer and Bible study for the change you want to see. As you do, there’s one thing I really want you to get…
Don’t try to do it all by yourself. I spent a lot of years in complete frustration because I was trying to change myself… and I just kept getting worse! God gave me this little phrase, and I put it up in my house:
WORKS OF THE FLESH = FRUSTRATION
Any time I begin to feel frustrated, I know I’ve slipped over into “works of the flesh”—trying to do something in my strength that only God can do.
Galatians 3:2-3 encourages us to lean on God in every good work, saying, Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?] Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?
The Holy Spirit is your helper and He lives in you! Trade your trying for trust in Him.
Life’s exciting when we’re abiding in God, allowing the Holy Spirit to show us where we need help, and leading us to another great breakthrough. If you get off track, just pick up where you left off. In time, you can become everything God created you to be!
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.