“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.” (2 Samuel 22:26 NLT)

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.” (2 Samuel 22:26 NLT)
—
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.” (2 Samuel 22:26 NLT)

A Long-Standing Habit Continued | 2 Samuel 22:26

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT)

 

Worry is an obstruction that keeps us from seeing the bright future on the horizon. Yet it’s an obstacle that we put in our own way, for no good reason. Of all the things we worry about, how many are within our control? If we’re honest with ourselves, the answer is probably very few.

Martin Luther had the right idea when he wrote in a letter to his wife, “Pray, and let God worry.”God isn’t going to worry, of course. But we still need to pray, because worry is persistent. It keeps popping up unless we bring it to God.

Some people try to elevate worry to a virtue. They say things like, “I worry because I care.”But is worry actually a virtue? I don’t think so. In fact, I think worry can be a sin. I’m not saying that all worry is sin, but I am saying that it can be. And I would readily admit that worry is a sin I’ve committed.

I have unnecessarily worried about things. I have fretted and been filled with anxiety. So why is it potentially a sin? Because it’s evidence of a lack of trust in God. When we worry, we’re essentially saying, “God isn’t in control. He isn’t taking care of me in this situation. I’m not trusting in the providence of God.”

But if you’re a Christian and believe the Bible, then you know God is in control of all the circumstances that surround you. There are no so-called accidents in the life of a believer. Nothing that touches the life of a believer is outside God’s knowledge, care, or control.This is an important truth to remember because worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it instead empties today of its strength.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT).

Turn your worries into prayers. The next time you’re gripped by fear and worry, turn it into a prayer like this one: “Lord, I don’t know what to do, but I trust You. You are in control, and I commit this to You right now.” Look to the Lord and let Him give you His peace.

Your future is secure in Him. Don’t let worry convince you otherwise. Jesus asked, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:27 NLT). Worry can’t change anything. Prayer can move mountains, transform lives, produce soul-deep comfort, and reveal God’s wisdom. Choose prayer.

 

Reflection question: What worry do you need to turn into prayer? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.&nbsp;Then you will experience God&rsquo;s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.&rdquo; (Philippians 4:6&ndash;7 NLT)
&nbsp;
Worry is an obstruction that keeps us from seeing the bright future on the horizon. Yet it&rsquo;s an obstacle that we put in our own way, for no good reason. Of all the things we worry about, how many are within our control? If we&rsquo;re honest with ourselves, the answer is probably very few.
Martin Luther had the right idea when he wrote in a letter to his wife, &ldquo;Pray, and let God worry.&rdquo; God isn&rsquo;t going to worry, of course. But we still need to pray, because worry is persistent. It keeps popping up unless we bring it to God.
Some people try to elevate worry to a virtue. They say things like, &ldquo;I worry because I care.&rdquo; But is worry actually a virtue? I don&rsquo;t think so. In fact, I think worry can be a sin. I&rsquo;m not saying that all worry is sin, but I am saying that it can be. And I would readily admit that worry is a sin I&rsquo;ve committed.
I have unnecessarily worried about things. I have fretted and been filled with anxiety. So why is it potentially a sin? Because it&rsquo;s evidence of a lack of trust in God. When we worry, we&rsquo;re essentially saying, &ldquo;God isn&rsquo;t in control. He isn&rsquo;t taking care of me in this situation. I&rsquo;m not trusting in the providence of God.&rdquo;
But if you&rsquo;re a Christian and believe the Bible, then you know God is in control of all the circumstances that surround you. There are no so-called accidents in the life of a believer. Nothing that touches the life of a believer is outside God&rsquo;s knowledge, care, or control. This is an important truth to remember because worry doesn&rsquo;t empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it instead empties today of its strength.
The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.&nbsp;Then you will experience God&rsquo;s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus&rdquo; (Philippians 4:6&ndash;7 NLT).
Turn your worries into prayers. The next time you&rsquo;re gripped by fear and worry, turn it into a prayer like this one: &ldquo;Lord, I don&rsquo;t know what to do, but I trust You. You are in control, and I commit this to You right now.&rdquo; Look to the Lord and let Him give you His peace.
Your future is secure in Him. Don&rsquo;t let worry convince you otherwise. Jesus asked, &ldquo;Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?&rdquo; (Matthew 6:27 NLT). Worry can&rsquo;t change anything. Prayer can move mountains, transform lives, produce soul-deep comfort, and reveal God&rsquo;s wisdom. Choose prayer.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What worry do you need to turn into prayer?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Turning Worry into Prayer | Philippians 4:6–7

“Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.” (1 Samuel 2:3 NLT)

 

Long ago, when prognosticators and science fiction writers envisioned life in the twenty-first century, few anticipated the outsize role that a culture-wide sense of entitlement would play. And by “a sense of entitlement,” I mean the idea that you don’t have to work hard and that everything should be given to you because you’re so wonderful.

I was born in the generation known as the Baby Boomers. My generation thought the problem with the world was low self-esteem. As a result, a lot of emphasis was given to, and a lot of money was spent on, the self-esteem movement. That started the snowball effect.

The downhill slope has led to our current influencer culture, where self-esteem has curdled into narcissism. Millions of people now believe that even their most trivial thoughts and actions are worthy of being documented on video and shared with the world.

Exposure, fame, and social media clout have become currency. People who have those things celebrate their “wealth” with jaw-dropping displays of entitlement. Because their social reach is so enormous, this sense of entitlement has become normalized in younger generations—and among older generations as well. People expect to be rewarded, celebrated, and admired regardless of their performance.

This trend doesn’t bode well for the future. God’s Word makes it clear that a sense of entitlement has no place in our relationship with the Lord. First Samuel 2:3 says, “Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions” (NLT).

The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:3–4 NLT).

He also wrote, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).

And therein lies the key to “disentitling” ourselves. Our number one goal must be to know God and then to find His plan and purpose for our lives. This is the only foundation strong enough for our future.

Fame is fleeting. The public’s attitude is fickle. Entitlement is an illusion. Only God’s plan and purpose will last. They must be our priority.

The good news is that God will work His plan and purpose in the life of anyone who asks Him to. All we have to do is humbly approach Him, admit that our efforts aren’t enough, and ask Him to guide us.

He offers a 24/7 helpline through prayer and His Word. We have nothing to lose but our uncertainty and entitlement by aligning our goals with God and entrusting our future to Him.

 

Reflection question: How can you avoid a sense of entitlement in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don&rsquo;t speak with such arrogance! For the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.&rdquo; (1 Samuel 2:3 NLT)
&nbsp;
Long ago, when prognosticators and science fiction writers envisioned life in the twenty-first century, few anticipated the outsize role that a culture-wide sense of entitlement would play. And by &ldquo;a sense of entitlement,&rdquo; I mean the idea that you don&rsquo;t have to work hard and that everything should be given to you because you&rsquo;re so wonderful.
I was born in the generation known as the Baby Boomers. My generation thought the problem with the world was low self-esteem. As a result, a lot of emphasis was given to, and a lot of money was spent on, the self-esteem movement. That started the snowball effect.
The downhill slope has led to our current influencer culture, where self-esteem has curdled into narcissism. Millions of people now believe that even their most trivial thoughts and actions are worthy of being documented on video and shared with the world.
Exposure, fame, and social media clout have become currency. People who have those things celebrate their &ldquo;wealth&rdquo; with jaw-dropping displays of entitlement. Because their social reach is so enormous, this sense of entitlement has become normalized in younger generations&mdash;and among older generations as well. People expect to be rewarded, celebrated, and admired regardless of their performance.
This trend doesn&rsquo;t bode well for the future. God&rsquo;s Word makes it clear that a sense of entitlement has no place in our relationship with the Lord. First Samuel 2:3 says, &ldquo;Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don&rsquo;t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions&rdquo; (NLT).
The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be selfish; don&rsquo;t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don&rsquo;t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too&rdquo; (Philippians 2:3&ndash;4 NLT).
He also wrote, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God&rsquo;s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect&rdquo; (Romans 12:2 NLT).
And therein lies the key to &ldquo;disentitling&rdquo; ourselves. Our number one goal must be to know God and then to find His plan and purpose for our lives. This is the only foundation strong enough for our future.
Fame is fleeting. The public&rsquo;s attitude is fickle. Entitlement is an illusion. Only God&rsquo;s plan and purpose will last. They must be our priority.
The good news is that God will work His plan and purpose in the life of anyone who asks Him to. All we have to do is humbly approach Him, admit that our efforts aren&rsquo;t enough, and ask Him to guide us.
He offers a 24/7 helpline through prayer and His Word. We have nothing to lose but our uncertainty and entitlement by aligning our goals with God and entrusting our future to Him.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you avoid a sense of entitlement in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Our number one goal must be to know God and then to find His plan and purpose for our lives.

The Cure for Entitlement | 1 Samuel 2:3

“‘I have made no trouble for Israel,’ Elijah replied. ‘You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.’” (1 Kings 18:18 NLT)

 

In yesterday’s devotion, we talked about the impossibility of knowing what lies ahead and the importance of trusting an unknown future to a known God. But there’s an important exception to the Bible’s warnings about not knowing what the future holds. In fact, in a general sense, some things are quite predictable.

The apostle Paul explained it this way: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7–8 NKJV).

This message of reaping what you sow was at the heart of the prophet Elijah’s warning to the evil King Ahab. Elijah had declared, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” (1 Kings 17:1 NLT).

When Elijah encountered Ahab again, the king asked, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” (1 Kings 18:17 NLT). But Elijah answered, “I have made no trouble for Israel . . . You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead” (verse 18 nlt). In other words, Elijah was saying, “You brought this on yourself, King Ahab, because you turned to false gods.”

It’s always amazing to me how people will break God’s commands over and over again, resist His loving warnings, and then blame Him when hardship hits, often because of their own actions. They demand to know, “Why did God let this happen to me? Why did God do this?”

I’m not suggesting that this is always the case when bad things happen. But often there is cause and effect. When we do wrong things, we reap the consequences. There’s no need to scratch our heads and wonder why.And there’s certainly no need to blame God when we reap the bad things we’ve sown.

A better option is to embrace the notion of reaping what we sow by sowing good things. Paul put it this way: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith” (Galatians 6:9–10 NLT).

What kind of spiritual crop will you harvest?

 

Reflection question: What are you sowing now that you will one day reap? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;&lsquo;I have made no trouble for Israel,&rsquo; Elijah replied. &lsquo;You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.&rsquo;&rdquo; (1 Kings 18:18 NLT)
&nbsp;
In yesterday&rsquo;s devotion, we talked about the impossibility of knowing what lies ahead and the importance of trusting an unknown future to a known God. But there&rsquo;s an important exception to the Bible&rsquo;s warnings about not knowing what the future holds. In fact, in a general sense, some things are quite predictable.
The apostle Paul explained it this way: &ldquo;Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for&nbsp;whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.&nbsp;For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap&nbsp;everlasting life&rdquo; (Galatians 6:7&ndash;8 NKJV).
This message of reaping what you sow was at the heart of the prophet Elijah&rsquo;s warning to the evil King Ahab. Elijah had declared, &ldquo;As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives&mdash;the God I serve&mdash;there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!&rdquo; (1 Kings 17:1 NLT).
When Elijah encountered Ahab again, the king asked, &ldquo;So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?&rdquo; (1 Kings 18:17 NLT). But Elijah answered, &ldquo;I have made no trouble for Israel . . . You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead&rdquo; (verse 18 nlt). In other words, Elijah was saying, &ldquo;You brought this on yourself, King Ahab, because you turned to false gods.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s always amazing to me how people will break God&rsquo;s commands over and over again, resist His loving warnings, and then blame Him when hardship hits, often because of their own actions. They demand to know, &ldquo;Why did God let this happen to me? Why did God do this?&rdquo;
I&rsquo;m not suggesting that this is always the case when bad things happen. But often there is cause and effect. When we do wrong things, we reap the consequences. There&rsquo;s no need to scratch our heads and wonder why. And there&rsquo;s certainly no need to blame God when we reap the bad things we&rsquo;ve sown.
A better option is to embrace the notion of reaping what we sow by sowing good things. Paul put it this way: &ldquo;So let&rsquo;s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don&rsquo;t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone&mdash;especially to those in the family of faith&rdquo; (Galatians 6:9&ndash;10 NLT).
What kind of spiritual crop will you harvest?
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What are you sowing now that you will one day reap?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

A Long-Standing Habit Continued | 2 Samuel 22:26

In 1 playlist(s)

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips