God's Word Day by Day Archives - Page 34 of 36

“Want a More Powerful Prayer Life? Try Praying This Way” October 1

Oct 1, 2025

Do you ever start praying and realize you’re saying essentially the same things you said yesterday—and the day before that?

We know prayer matters. We know we should pray faithfully. But sometimes our prayers can become repetitive, focused primarily on immediate problems, or simply lacking direction.

Yet tucked into Paul’s letters are prayers that can change not only how we pray but what we ask God to do in our lives and the lives of those we love.

Instead of focusing primarily on changed circumstances, Paul prayed for believers to be strengthened spiritually, to grow in their knowledge of God, to understand the vastness of Christ’s love, to develop discernment, and to live lives that please Him.

What if we began praying those same things for ourselves, our spouses, our children, and others we love?

We’ll look at how to do that today and at other passages you can turn into powerful, Scripture-centered prayers.

But that’s not all. Isaiah will take us centuries before the cross and give us an astonishingly detailed picture of Christ’s suffering. And Proverbs will address something that may sound harmless but can leave deep wounds—sarcasm and mean-spirited joking.

“People-Pleasing: Are You Caught in the Fear-of-Man Trap?” September 30

Sep 30, 2025

How much does what other people think affect the choices you make?

We call it by many names: people-pleasing, peer pressure, co-dependency, keeping up with the Joneses, or being an approval junkie. But Scripture gives it another name—the fear of man—and Proverbs says it is a snare.

And it may affect us in ways we don’t immediately recognize.

It can make us say yes when we should say no, remain silent when we should speak, cover for someone’s sin, compromise our convictions, or spend hours replaying conversations and wondering what someone thinks about us.

But how can we know when a normal desire to be loved and accepted has become the fear of man? And how do we break free?

There’s another kind of bondage we’ll look at today, too. Our culture talks constantly about freedom—the freedom to live however we want and do whatever makes us happy. Yet, Scripture warns that some of the things we call freedom can actually enslave us.

So, could something—or someone—you think you need actually be controlling you? And could something that looks like freedom be leading you into bondage?

“Does God Really Promise His People Prosperity?” September 29

Sep 29, 2025

Does God want His children to prosper?

The answer might surprise you.

Psalm 1 says of the godly person, “whatever he does shall prosper.” And Psalm 112 begins, “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD.”

So, are prosperity preachers right after all? Does following Christ mean we can expect greater financial success, good health, answered prayers, and an easier life?

Not so fast.

There is such a thing as biblical prosperity. But it may look very different from the prosperity promised from some pulpits today.

And understanding the difference matters more than we might think.

Because what happens when you’ve been told that enough faith will bring health, wealth, success, or some other desired outcome—and God doesn’t give you what you expected?

Some begin questioning themselves. Others question God’s goodness. And some eventually walk away from Him altogether.

So, what does God actually promise His children? What does it mean when Scripture says the righteous will prosper? And could what God offers be infinitely better than the prosperity we’ve been taught to expect?

“Why Do Some People Have Peace While Others Live in Anxiety?” September 28

Sep 28, 2025

Worry, anxiety, distress, and depression seem to be everywhere. Yet even in a troubled world, some people possess a deep sense of peace and stability.

What’s the difference?

We often assume our peace—or lack of it—is primarily determined by our circumstances. If the difficult person would change, the financial pressure would ease, our health would improve, or the world weren’t such a mess, then we could have peace.

But Scripture points us in another direction.

Today’s reading raises an important question about the relationship between the choices we make, our willingness to obey God, and the peace—or distress—we experience as a result.

And there’s an even more sobering issue.

Jesus said there will be people who stand before Him convinced that they belong to Him, only to hear the terrifying words, “I never knew you.” Isaiah described people who called themselves God’s people but whose lives told another story.

So, is it possible to think we’re right with God when we’re not? And could the same truths that help answer that question also help us understand where genuine peace comes from?

“What Do You See in the Mirror of the Word?” September 27

Sep 27, 2025

When we look in a mirror, we expect it to tell us the truth—even when we don’t particularly like what we see.

James said God’s Word works much the same way. It shows us what is really going on in our hearts and where we need to change and grow.

And today’s reading in Galatians gives us a particularly revealing look in that mirror.

Paul gives us two very different lists: the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. At first glance, we may be pretty confident about which one describes us. After all, we may not be guilty of adultery, drunkenness, sorcery, or some of the other sins Paul names.

But keep reading.

Mixed right in with those sins are some attitudes and behaviors that can hit much closer to home—things like jealousy, anger, conflict, selfish ambition, and envy.

So, what happens when we stop looking at the sins that belong to other people and allow God’s Word to show us what’s going on in our own hearts?

And when we don’t like what we see, what does genuine repentance and change actually look like?

“Are You Raising Christians—or Just Rule Keepers?” September 26

Sep 26, 2025

Most Christian parents want their children to behave well. We want them to obey, tell the truth, be respectful, make wise choices, and stay away from things that could harm them.

And we’re right to teach and require many of those things.

But what if, in our desire to raise godly children, we inadvertently teach them the wrong lesson about Christianity?

What if our children learn all the rules, know exactly what will get them in trouble, and even become very good at outward obedience—without ever understanding what is going on in their own hearts?

Worse yet, what if they come to believe that Christianity itself is primarily about keeping a long list of rules?

There is a subtle form of legalism that can creep into even sincere Christian parenting. It happens when our household rules begin to carry the same weight as God’s commands and when changing our children’s behavior becomes more important than helping them see their need for genuine heart change and a Savior.

Could we be raising well-behaved little Pharisees instead of pointing our children to Christ?

And how can we tell the difference between biblical discipline and parental legalism?

We’ll look at that today in Galatians 4. We’ll also discover how we can practice idolatry without bowing before a statue and why Proverbs gives us two seemingly contradictory instructions about how to answer a fool.

“Are You Good Enough for Heaven?” September 25

Sep 25, 2025

Ask people whether they believe they’re going to heaven and many will say yes. But ask them why, and one answer comes up again and again:

“Because I’m a pretty good person.”

After all, they reason, I haven’t murdered anyone. I try to treat people right. I work hard. I love my family. Surely my good outweighs my bad.

It sounds reasonable. It may even sound humble.

But according to the Bible, it reveals a dangerous misunderstanding of the gospel.

And Christians can fall into a related trap. We may understand that we couldn’t earn our salvation, yet somewhere along the way begin acting as though it’s up to us to keep ourselves right with God.

So which is it? Are we saved by grace but kept by our performance? Can enough good works make us acceptable to God—or keep us acceptable once we’re saved?

Paul answers those questions powerfully in Galatians 3. And his answer should bring both conviction to anyone trusting in his own goodness and tremendous assurance to those who belong to Christ.

“How Did We Get Here? The Problem Isn’t Just Politics” September 24

Sep 24, 2025

It’s hard to remember a time when politics has been as contentious and divisive as it is today. We hear constant arguments about who is to blame, what needs to change, and which leaders or policies can fix what’s wrong.

But what if the real problem goes much deeper than politics?

In Isaiah 39, King Hezekiah was told that his choices and the accumulated rebellion of his generation would have devastating consequences—not just for the nation, but for his own children and grandchildren.

His response is startling. Instead of grieving over what was coming or calling the people to repentance, his attitude was essentially, “At least things will be all right in my lifetime.”

It’s easy to shake our heads at Hezekiah. And it’s easy to see that same kind of self-interest in politicians who seem more concerned about getting elected, staying in power, or avoiding difficult decisions than about what is right.

But could some of that same attitude exist in us?

Have we been so concerned about our own lives, families, finances, and comfort that we’ve failed to pray faithfully for our leaders, stand for biblical truth, and think seriously about what we are leaving to the generations coming behind us?

And when we look at everything happening around us, where are we placing our hope? In the next election? The right political leader? A change in government?

Isaiah 40 gives us a dramatically different place to look. It points us to the God who measures the waters in the hollow of His hand, weighs the mountains, numbers the stars, and calls each one by name.

The condition of our nation may be uncertain. God’s sovereignty is not.

So today we’ll ask two important questions: How did we get here—and what responsibility do we have as God’s people?

“Are You a Legalist Without Realizing It?” September 23

Sep 23, 2025

Legalism. Most Christians know it’s wrong, but we may not recognize it when it shows up in our own thinking.

Some people believe they can earn salvation by being good enough. Others understand that salvation is by grace but subtly begin to believe they must do certain things to keep themselves in God’s favor.

But there’s another form of legalistic thinking that’s even easier to miss:

If I do the right things, God owes me the outcome I want.

I go to church, so God should protect me from hardship. I raised my children in church, so they should follow Christ. I tithe, so God should prosper me financially. I live a healthy lifestyle, so God shouldn’t allow me to become seriously ill.

And surprisingly, that same thinking lies beneath much of the faith and prosperity gospel.

So what exactly is legalism? Is calling someone to biblical obedience legalistic? And could we be guilty of legalism without even realizing it?

“Is Your Faith Genuine? How Can You Know?” September 22

Sep 22, 2025

How can you know that you truly belong to Christ? Is it because you prayed a prayer, walked an aisle, were baptized, joined a church, or had an emotional experience years ago?

Paul told the Corinthians:

“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” —2 Corinthians 13.5

There is no more important question we can ask ourselves. Yet biblical self-examination isn’t about looking for enough good works to earn salvation. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

But genuine saving faith does produce something. A redeemed life begins to bear fruit—not perfectly and not all at once, but genuinely.

So what should we look for? How can we test ourselves without either trusting in our works or giving ourselves false assurance?

If you’re not sure where you stand with God, don’t leave it to chance.