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Written by Kirstyn Mayden, a contemporary author, ministry coach, and speaker.

Finding joy each day is not an emotion, but a decision. When you wake up each day, you may be faced with many situations and circumstances that attempt to steal your joy. For instance, a misunderstanding, a rude driver, an aggressive co-worker, an unruly child, or an abrupt change of your plans. I often find myself letting a minor occurrence rub me so much the wrong way that I remain upset about it for the rest of the day.  Thankfully, God has shown me it’s not healthy and fruitful to allow my emotions to dictate my state of mind and outlook. He desires for me to seek the joy of the Lord. When your emotions consume you, you are allowing yourself to remain frustrated, exhausted, and generally not at peace. That’s why finding your joyful place is a daily commitment, where you make a conscious decision to let God be your peace and anchor every day.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. [Psalm 16:11]

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Written by Kyle Norman, a contemporary pastor, writer, speaker, and retreat leader.

Silence is a way to quiet the clamor of the frenetic world so that we can inwardly turn to that which is most important, most life giving. In silence, we meet the presence of the Lord who surrounds us each day, but for whom the frenzy of the world too often distracts us.  Cultivating this silent fellowship with the Lord is vitally important for a healthy spiritual life. Even Jesus himself cultivated this practice…Jesus was never driven by the list of tasks or demands before him; he followed not societal pressures of fame or prestige; Jesus walked with the heavenly Father, and he walked with the Spirit. And even though he was God incarnate, he still needed to step away from the noise of the world to listen to the voice of the Father, and to breathe in the Spirit deeply. Ultimately, silence is more an internal quality than an outward reality. It is defined by what we are invited into, what we receive from the Lord, not about what we abstain from. Turning off the television, putting down the phone, and sitting in the absence of noise isn’t enough. We must actively open ourselves to the presence of Jesus in our midst.  We seek him more than anything else. See, the purpose of silence is not to get anything out of the Lord; we seek not the answers to our questions, although that may come. We do not seek a particular mystical experience, although we may find ourselves enwrapped in one. The direction of our heart and our soul is simply to be with the one who is the lover of our soul, and our heart’s delight. Silence is about being with Jesus. 

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray. [Luke 5:16]

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Written by Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and Catholic writer.

Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true. The cure for this is first to show that religion is not contrary to reason, but worthy of reverence and respect. Next, make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is.

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. [Titus 2:7-8]

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Written by Dallas Willard(1935-2013), an American philosopher, speaker  and writer on spiritual formation. This is an excerpt from his book. This is an excerpt from his book “Life Without Lack.”

The steady stream of Christian Spirituality through our calling, vocation, and ordinary life flows down through the ages. We have only to step into it, to set ourselves to learn it, and we will see its radiant power at work on the “job,” where we are. Our challenge is to fill our hours, minutes, and actions from day to day with the appropriate amount of love for God’s creation and creating, and then work to produce more of the good he has put in this world. This is every person’s calling.

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. [1 Corinthians 7:17]

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Today’s devotion is based on Romans 14 and is from the Pray.com team.

In Romans 14, Paul calls us to be intentional peacemakers and deliberate encouragers…Peace doesn’t just happen; we chase it down. In a world of division and criticism, we’re called to be builders, not wreckers. Every interaction is an opportunity: Will we add to the peace or the chaos? Will our words build up or tear down? We are challenged us to evaluate our conversations, social media posts, and attitudes. Are we known for stirring up controversy or settling troubled waters? The Kingdom of God advances not through winning arguments but through winning hearts. When we prioritize peace and encouragement, we reflect our Prince of Peace.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.  [Romans 14:19]

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Written by John Newton (1725-1807), an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist.

The chief difference between us, and the disciples when our Savior was upon earth, is in this: They then walked by sight, and we are called to walk by faith…We conceive of him as at a distance; but when the heart is awakened, we begin to make Jacob’s reflection, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.” And when we receive faith, we begin to know that this ever present God is in Christ.

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. [Matthew 28:20]

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Written by John Eldredge, a contemporary author, counselor, and lecturer.  This is an excerpt from his book “Walking With God.”

I assume that an intimate, conversational walk with God is available, and is meant to be normal. I’ll push that a step further. I assume that if you don’t find that king of relationship with God, your spiritual life will be stunted. And that will handicap the rest of your life. We can’t find life without God, and we can’t find God if we don’t know how to walk initimately with Him…You need to do more than believe in him. You have to stay close to him. Listen to his voice. Let him lead.

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. [1 John 2:6]

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This prayer was written by John Calvin (1509-1564), a theologian and reformer.

Almighty God, you have borne witness by the law and the prophets to what is right so that we may live in obedience to your will. You have also given us by your Gospel a fuller knowledge of perfect righteousness.  Let us be governed by your Spirit and give ourselves to you. Help us to be guided by your word…and never deviate from it—neither to the right nor to the left. Enable us to acknowledge our folly and vanity and consent to be taught by your Word. May we prove to be truly obedient to you to the end of this life. Then we will reach that heavenly rest which has been obtained for us by the blood of your only Son.  Amen.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. [Colossians 1:9-10] 

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Written by George Mueller (1805-1898), a Christian evangelist and orphanage director. This is part of an address he gave to ministers and workers after his ninetieth birthday.

I was converted in November, 1825, but I only came into the full surrender of the heart four years later, in July, 1829. The love of money was gone, the love of place was gone, the love of position was gone, the love of worldly pleasures and engagements was gone. God, God alone became my portion. I found my all in Him; I wanted nothing else. And by the grace of God this has remained, and has made me a happy man, an exceedingly happy man, and it led me to care only about the things of God. I ask affectionately, my beloved brethren, have you fully surrendered the heart to God, or is there this thing or that thing with which you are taken up irrespective of God?

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. [Colossians 3:17]

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Written by Courtney Fallick, a contemporary writer.

Have you ever had a moment where everything seemed to fall apart at once? A door slammed shut, a relationship shifted, your plans unraveled—or maybe something small but strangely persistent kept tugging at your heart. Sometimes, in the middle of chaos or quiet, we wonder: Is God trying to get my attention? … If you’ve felt like you’re in a season of disruption or confusion, I want to encourage you to pause and ask: “Lord, what are you trying to show me?” God is not distant or indifferent. He sees you, He’s speaking—and He just might be using this moment to draw you closer. If you’re sensing that God might be trying to get your attention—don’t ignore that nudge. Whether it’s through a storm or a whisper, His pursuit is always fueled by love. He doesn’t chase us to shame us—He calls us to restore us. Take a moment today to lean in, listen, and respond. Ask Him what He wants to show you, and trust that whatever He reveals is meant to bring you closer to His heart. He’s not done with your story yet! Keep walking with the King.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. [James 1:2-3]

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