And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. (John 3:19 NLT)

—

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And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. (John 3:19 NLT)
—
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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

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. (John 3:19 NLT)

Accustomed to the Dark | John 3:19

“So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it.” (Psalm 106:15 NLT)

 

The psalmist’s words in Psalm 106:15 remind us that prayer isn’t something to be taken lightly. Referring to God’s response to the complaints and cravings of the Israelites, who were freed from slavery in Egypt but then proved unfaithful in their trek to the Promised Land, the psalmist writes, “So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it” (Psalm 106:15 NLT).

Having a direct line of communication with the Creator of the universe is not a privilege to be taken for granted. God’s Word has much to say about prayer, and it all begins with the right attitude.

I sometimes hear people say, “I’ve been wrestling with God in prayer.” My first thought always is “I hope you lost.” If you’re trying to bend God your way with your prayers, you might as well save your breath. That’s not how prayer works. Prayer gives us the opportunity to bend God’s way.

That’s a lesson that’s probably been driven home to you time and time again if you keep a prayer journal. If you look back on some of your prayer requests, perhaps when you were a new Christian, you probably see some efforts to get God to come around to your way of thinking. To get Him to substitute your will for His will. And chances are, you cringe when you see them and rejoice that God had a better plan.

I’m certainly glad that God didn’t say yes to every prayer I ever prayed. When I look back on some things I’ve prayed for, I realize that if the Lord would have allowed them, they could have destroyed me. They were not the right things or the right situations. So, God graciously and lovingly said no.

Maturing as a believer includes learning how to pray—and especially, what to pray for. In John 15:7, Jesus gives an incredible promise regarding answered prayer. He says, “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (NLT). From the original language, this verse could be understood as, “If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My Word is at home with you, I command you to ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires, and it will be yours.”

When I read a promise like that, I gravitate immediately toward the part that says I can ask whatever my heart desires and it will be mine. But before that, Jesus said, “If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My word is at home with you. . . .” If this is happening in your life, then you’re going to want what God wants. If you’re maintaining a living communion with God and His words are at home in your heart, then your outlook, desires—and in time, your prayers—will change.

And when you unleash the full power of prayer in your life, it will never be the same.

 

Reflection question: What would a living communion with God look like 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;So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it.&rdquo; (Psalm 106:15 NLT)
&nbsp;
The psalmist&rsquo;s words in Psalm 106:15 remind us that prayer isn&rsquo;t something to be taken lightly. Referring to God&rsquo;s response to the complaints and cravings of the Israelites, who were freed from slavery in Egypt but then proved unfaithful in their trek to the Promised Land, the psalmist writes, &ldquo;So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it&rdquo; (Psalm 106:15 NLT).
Having a direct line of communication with the Creator of the universe is not a privilege to be taken for granted. God&rsquo;s Word has much to say about prayer, and it all begins with the right attitude.
I sometimes hear people say, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been wrestling with God in prayer.&rdquo; My first thought always is &ldquo;I hope you lost.&rdquo; If you&rsquo;re trying to bend God your way with your prayers, you might as well save your breath. That&rsquo;s not how prayer works. Prayer gives us the opportunity to bend God&rsquo;s way.
That&rsquo;s a lesson that&rsquo;s probably been driven home to you time and time again if you keep a prayer journal. If you look back on some of your prayer requests, perhaps when you were a new Christian, you probably see some efforts to get God to come around to your way of thinking. To get Him to substitute your will for His will. And chances are, you cringe when you see them and rejoice that God had a better plan.
I&rsquo;m certainly glad that God didn&rsquo;t say yes to every prayer I ever prayed. When I look back on some things I&rsquo;ve prayed for, I realize that if the Lord would have allowed them, they could have destroyed me. They were not the right things or the right situations. So, God graciously and lovingly said no.
Maturing as a believer includes learning how to pray&mdash;and especially, what to pray for. In John 15:7, Jesus gives an incredible promise regarding answered prayer. He says, &ldquo;But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!&rdquo; (NLT). From the original language, this verse could be understood as, &ldquo;If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My Word is at home with you, I command you to ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires, and it will be yours.&rdquo;
When I read a promise like that, I gravitate immediately toward the part that says I can ask whatever my heart desires and it will be mine. But before that, Jesus said, &ldquo;If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My word is at home with you. . . .&rdquo; If this is happening in your life, then you&rsquo;re going to want what God wants. If you&rsquo;re maintaining a living communion with God and His words are at home in your heart, then your outlook, desires&mdash;and in time, your prayers&mdash;will change.
And when you unleash the full power of prayer in your life, it will never be the same.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would a living communion with God look like 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>

When you live in communion with God, He will give you what your heart desires.

A Living Communion | Psalm 106:15 

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12 NLT)

 

Often, people’s reputations precede them. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Sports heroes and other celebrities are welcomed and celebrated in most places. Sometimes, however, it’s not such a good thing. If you’ve ever been in a social setting in which everyone suddenly got quiet when a certain person walked in, you know what I’m talking about. Some people are doomed to be remembered for the lowest point in their lives or for the worst decision they ever made or for the time they didn’t come through for someone else.

That can be a tough pill to swallow. What makes it even tougher is when the person doing the remembering is the person whose reputation was ruined. The reality is that many people find it hard to forgive themselves.

But that attitude runs counter to the message of Scripture, where forgiveness is found in abundance. The story of the paralyzed man whose friends brought him to Jesus for healing is well-known as an illustration of friendship, determination, and faith. When the friends couldn’t get to Jesus because of the crowd, they cut a hole in the roof and lowered the paralyzed man to Him.

Jesus did indeed heal the man’s physical paralysis. But first He did something more amazing and more profoundly important. “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, ‘Young man, your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 5:20 NLT).

The word forgiven, in this context, has the basic meaning of sending or driving something away. “Your sins are driven away from you” is what Jesus essentially said. Genuine confession involves more than simply saying, “Oops, my bad”; it also involves repentance, a turning away from the sin. Likewise, genuine forgiveness involves more than simply saying, “No problem”; it also involves a cleansing, a removal of the sin from our lives.

King David wrote, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 AMPC). You can’t get much farther apart than that. As we saw in an earlier devotion, David had very personal reasons to celebrate God’s complete removal of sin.

In Hebrews 8:12, God says, “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (NLT). If God wipes our sins from His memory, who are we to hold on to guilt and shame over our wrongdoing? There’s no reason for us to have a longer memory than God when it comes to our failings.

If you’re guilty of sin, confess it and repent of it. Turn away from your wrongdoing and ask God to forgive you. Then embrace His gracious forgiveness. Release any grudge you may be holding against yourself. Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you—covered by the righteousness of Christ, spotless before Him.

 

Reflection question: Where do you need to be reminded that you’ve been forgiven? 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;He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.&rdquo; (Psalm 103:12 NLT)
&nbsp;
Often, people&rsquo;s reputations precede them. Sometimes that&rsquo;s a good thing. Sports heroes and other celebrities are welcomed and celebrated in most places. Sometimes, however, it&rsquo;s not such a good thing. If you&rsquo;ve ever been in a social setting in which everyone suddenly got quiet when a certain person walked in, you know what I&rsquo;m talking about. Some people are doomed to be remembered for the lowest point in their lives or for the worst decision they ever made or for the time they didn&rsquo;t come through for someone else.
That can be a tough pill to swallow. What makes it even tougher is when the person doing the remembering is the person whose reputation was ruined. The reality is that many people find it hard to forgive themselves.
But that attitude runs counter to the message of Scripture, where forgiveness is found in abundance. The story of the paralyzed man whose friends brought him to Jesus for healing is well-known as an illustration of friendship, determination, and faith. When the friends couldn&rsquo;t get to Jesus because of the crowd, they cut a hole in the roof and lowered the paralyzed man to Him.
Jesus did indeed heal the man&rsquo;s physical paralysis. But first He did something more amazing and more profoundly important. &ldquo;Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, &lsquo;Young man, your sins are forgiven&rsquo;&rdquo; (Luke 5:20 NLT).
The word forgiven, in this context, has the basic meaning of sending or driving something away. &ldquo;Your sins are driven away from you&rdquo; is what Jesus essentially said. Genuine confession involves more than simply saying, &ldquo;Oops, my bad&rdquo;; it also involves repentance, a turning away from the sin. Likewise, genuine forgiveness involves more than simply saying, &ldquo;No problem&rdquo;; it also involves a cleansing, a removal of the sin from our lives.
King David wrote, &ldquo;As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us&rdquo; (Psalm 103:12 AMPC). You can&rsquo;t get much farther apart than that. As we saw in an earlier devotion, David had very personal reasons to celebrate God&rsquo;s complete removal of sin.
In Hebrews 8:12, God says, &ldquo;And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins&rdquo; (NLT). If God wipes our sins from His memory, who are we to hold on to guilt and shame over our wrongdoing? There&rsquo;s no reason for us to have a longer memory than God when it comes to our failings.
If you&rsquo;re guilty of sin, confess it and repent of it. Turn away from your wrongdoing and ask God to forgive you. Then embrace His gracious forgiveness. Release any grudge you may be holding against yourself. Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you&mdash;covered by the righteousness of Christ, spotless before Him.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: Where do you need to be reminded that you&rsquo;ve been forgiven?&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>

As Far as the East Is from the West | Psalm 103:12

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.” (Psalm 91:4–5 NLT)

 

I read a story about a farmer who watched in dismay as his farm burned to the ground. After the fire, he walked around the charred rubble of his farm and found the body of a hen that had been burned in the fire. Frustrated, the farmer gave the hen a kick with his boot, and it turned over dead. But underneath was a little chick, who was still alive. When the fire ignited, the mother hen scurried over to her chick and wrapped her wings around him to protect him. She lost her life in the process, but her chick lived.

The psalmist uses similar imagery to describe the safety and refuge that God’s people find in the Lord: “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day” (Psalm 91:4–5 NLT). The picture of a mother bird hovering around her young may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider your relationship with the Lord. But it’s a valid description—and a comforting one. God’s people can take refuge in the Almighty. He will put His wings around us. He will protect us.

That means we can have courage, even when the world around us seems hostile and frightening. That courage comes not because of who we are, but because God is with us. His truth is our shield. He is always present to guide and protect us.

Psalm 91:5 says, “Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day” (NLT). God will be with us day and night, come hell or high water, through thick and thin.

Take special note of the psalmist’s use of the word arrow. The apostle Paul also uses it in Ephesians 6:16, where he warns us of “the fiery arrows of the devil” (nlt). In biblical times, arrows played a significant role in battle. Soldiers often would light their arrows and barrage their opponents with them. They would fire hundreds, even thousands, of flaming arrows. If you wanted to live, you had to protect yourself from those fiery missiles.

Spiritually speaking, the devil fires flaming arrows at us as well. Some might be flaming arrows of fear. Others might be flaming arrows of impure thoughts or flaming arrows of hatred. Whatever the case, God promises to protect us from all of them. We will still suffer difficulties in life, of course. But God promises that He will be with us no matter what we go through.

He will shield us, so we have no reason to fear.

 

Reflection question: What kind of arrows does the devil fire at you? 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;He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.&nbsp;Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.&rdquo; (Psalm 91:4&ndash;5 NLT)
&nbsp;
I read a story about a farmer who watched in dismay as his farm burned to the ground. After the fire, he walked around the charred rubble of his farm and found the body of a hen that had been burned in the fire. Frustrated, the farmer gave the hen a kick with his boot, and it turned over dead. But underneath was a little chick, who was still alive. When the fire ignited, the mother hen scurried over to her chick and wrapped her wings around him to protect him. She lost her life in the process, but her chick lived.
The psalmist uses similar imagery to describe the safety and refuge that God&rsquo;s people find in the Lord: &ldquo;He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.&nbsp;Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day&rdquo; (Psalm 91:4&ndash;5 NLT). The picture of a mother bird hovering around her young may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider your relationship with the Lord. But it&rsquo;s a valid description&mdash;and a comforting one. God&rsquo;s people can take refuge in the Almighty. He will put His wings around us. He will protect us.
That means we can have courage, even when the world around us seems hostile and frightening. That courage comes not because of who we are, but because God is with us. His truth is our shield. He is always present to guide and protect us.
Psalm 91:5 says, &ldquo;Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day&rdquo; (NLT). God will be with us day and night, come hell or high water, through thick and thin.
Take special note of the psalmist&rsquo;s use of the word arrow. The apostle Paul also uses it in Ephesians 6:16, where he warns us of &ldquo;the fiery arrows of the devil&rdquo; (nlt). In biblical times, arrows played a significant role in battle. Soldiers often would light their arrows and barrage their opponents with them. They would fire hundreds, even thousands, of flaming arrows. If you wanted to live, you had to protect yourself from those fiery missiles.
Spiritually speaking, the devil fires flaming arrows at us as well. Some might be flaming arrows of fear. Others might be flaming arrows of impure thoughts or flaming arrows of hatred. Whatever the case, God promises to protect us from all of them. We will still suffer difficulties in life, of course. But God promises that He will be with us no matter what we go through.
He will shield us, so we have no reason to fear.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What kind of arrows does the devil fire at you?&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>

God will shield you from the devil’s attacks.

Accustomed to the Dark | John 3:19

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