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)
—
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
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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

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” (Luke 14:28 NLT)

 

In this week’s devotions, we’re going to talk about facing and managing your fears. And we’re going to start by talking about how to anticipate fearful situations.

As a Christian, it’s not a matter of if you’ll face circumstances that unsettle or even frighten you; it’s a matter of when. The apostle Paul wrote, “You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:11–12 NLT).

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will suffer persecution. There’s no avoiding that reality. So, as believers, we can either live in fear of the inevitable persecution we’ll face, or we can prepare for it.

We can prepare for it by rethinking our response to persecution. Instead of giving in to our fears and doing everything we can to avoid or end persecution, we can embrace it for what it is. That’s not to say we need to welcome it or seek it out—or to pretend that it doesn’t hurt and frighten us. But we mustn’t ignore the fact that persecution identifies us with Christ.

Jesus explained to His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18–19 NLT).

Living in a place where you’re hated is a scary proposition. Being able to turn to Jesus—who knows exactly what it’s like to live in such a place—makes it less scary.

And that’s what these warnings of inevitable persecution are intended to do: make us turn to the Lord. The good news is that we don’t have to wait for fear to get a foothold in our life before we do something about it. We can be proactive in dealing with it.

We can pour out our hearts to God in prayer. We can tell Him what makes us uneasy. We can ask for His comfort and courage.

We can come to grips with what to expect as followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself warned His disciples, “Don’t begin until you count the cost” (Luke 14:28 NLT). The cost of following Jesus includes facing some frightening experiences. Acknowledging that reality is a key step in preparing for it.

We can arm ourselves with comforting and encouraging truths from Scripture. For example, God promises in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (NLT).

You can’t eliminate fear from your life, but you can anticipate and manage it with God’s help.

 

Reflection question: How can you be proactive in dealing with your fears? 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;But don&rsquo;t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?&rdquo; (Luke 14:28 NLT)
&nbsp;
In this week&rsquo;s devotions, we&rsquo;re going to talk about facing and managing your fears. And we&rsquo;re going to start by talking about how to anticipate fearful situations.
As a Christian, it&rsquo;s not a matter of if you&rsquo;ll face circumstances that unsettle or even frighten you; it&rsquo;s a matter of when. The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra&mdash;but the Lord rescued me from all of it.&nbsp;Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution&rdquo; (2 Timothy 3:11&ndash;12 NLT).
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will suffer persecution. There&rsquo;s no avoiding that reality. So, as believers, we can either live in fear of the inevitable persecution we&rsquo;ll face, or we can prepare for it.
We can prepare for it by rethinking our response to persecution. Instead of giving in to our fears and doing everything we can to avoid or end persecution, we can embrace it for what it is. That&rsquo;s not to say we need to welcome it or seek it out&mdash;or to pretend that it doesn&rsquo;t hurt and frighten us. But we mustn&rsquo;t ignore the fact that persecution identifies us with Christ.
Jesus explained to His disciples, &ldquo;If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you&rdquo; (John 15:18&ndash;19 NLT).
Living in a place where you&rsquo;re hated is a scary proposition. Being able to turn to Jesus&mdash;who knows exactly what it&rsquo;s like to live in such a place&mdash;makes it less scary.
And that&rsquo;s what these warnings of inevitable persecution are intended to do: make us turn to the Lord. The good news is that we don&rsquo;t have to wait for fear to get a foothold in our life before we do something about it. We can be proactive in dealing with it.
We can pour out our hearts to God in prayer. We can tell Him what makes us uneasy. We can ask for His comfort and courage.
We can come to grips with what to expect as followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself warned His disciples, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t begin until you count the cost&rdquo; (Luke 14:28 NLT). The cost of following Jesus includes facing some frightening experiences. Acknowledging that reality is a key step in preparing for it.
We can arm ourselves with comforting and encouraging truths from Scripture. For example, God promises in Hebrews 13:5, &ldquo;I will never fail you. I will never abandon you&rdquo; (NLT).
You can&rsquo;t eliminate fear from your life, but you can anticipate and manage it with God&rsquo;s help.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you be proactive in dealing with your fears?&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>

You can’t eliminate fear from your life, but you can anticipate and manage it with God’s help.

Fear Is Inevitable | Luke 14:28 

“And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:52 NLT)

 

Imagine that you bought a new car, drove it around town for a few days, and really liked the way it performed for you. But suddenly it started sputtering and not running as well as it had in the beginning. Finally, it just chugged to a stop and wouldn’t go any further.

“What’s the problem here?” you ask. “I just bought this car. I don’t even have a couple of hundred miles on it yet.”

You have your stalled-out new car towed back to the dealer, demanding an explanation. “Hmm,” the mechanic says, slipping the key into the ignition and trying to start it a couple of times. “Uh, sir, do you see this little light on your fuel gauge? It means you’re out of gas. You need to fill your car with gas every now and then.”

“Oh,” you say. “I never thought of that.”

“Yes, sir. You see, you’ve got to keep refilling your car over and over if you want it to keep going.”

The same is true in life. You’re cruising along, enjoying life and the scenery, experiencing peace and success in your family, your marriage, your business, and your ministry. Suddenly, however, problem after problem starts cropping up, and life suddenly doesn’t seem to be working very well.

Maybe you need a refill. Maybe you need to ask the Lord to give you the power of His Holy Spirit to be a better husband—or a better father, a better grandmother, a better witness, a better student, a better employee, or a better whatever He has called you to be.

Sometimes you need refills more often than you expect. You may ask and receive the filling of the Holy Spirit in the morning, but by the time late afternoon comes along, you may find yourself relying on your own strength again and needing His fresh empowerment.

The apostle Paul wrote, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV). God wants us to come to Him again and again, asking Him to fill and empower us afresh. The fact is, we have a never-ending need, and He has an inexhaustible supply.

The Christians featured in the book of Acts certainly understood the importance of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Peter led thousands of people to Christ at Pentecost after he was filled by the Holy Spirit. Stephen, the first known Christian martyr, preached one of the most powerful sermons ever recorded because he was filled with the Spirit’s power. The apostle Paul vividly describes being disheartened, discouraged, and lonely before God refueled and restored him.

Whenever you start to feel spiritually run-down, ask the Lord to refill you with the power of His Spirit. And then watch what He does.

 

Reflection question: How do you know when you need a spiritual refill? 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;And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.&rdquo; (Acts 13:52 NLT)
&nbsp;
Imagine that you bought a new car, drove it around town for a few days, and really liked the way it performed for you. But suddenly it started sputtering and not running as well as it had in the beginning. Finally, it just chugged to a stop and wouldn&rsquo;t go any further.
&ldquo;What&rsquo;s the problem here?&rdquo; you ask. &ldquo;I just bought this car. I don&rsquo;t even have a couple of hundred miles on it yet.&rdquo;
You have your stalled-out new car towed back to the dealer, demanding an explanation. &ldquo;Hmm,&rdquo; the mechanic says, slipping the key into the ignition and trying to start it a couple of times. &ldquo;Uh, sir, do you see this little light on your fuel gauge? It means you&rsquo;re out of gas. You need to fill your car with gas every now and then.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; you say. &ldquo;I never thought of that.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Yes, sir. You see, you&rsquo;ve got to keep refilling your car over and over if you want it to keep going.&rdquo;
The same is true in life. You&rsquo;re cruising along, enjoying life and the scenery, experiencing peace and success in your family, your marriage, your business, and your ministry. Suddenly, however, problem after problem starts cropping up, and life suddenly doesn&rsquo;t seem to be working very well.
Maybe you need a refill. Maybe you need to ask the Lord to give you the power of His Holy Spirit to be a better husband&mdash;or a better father, a better grandmother, a better witness, a better student, a better employee, or a better whatever He has called you to be.
Sometimes you need refills more often than you expect. You may ask and receive the filling of the Holy Spirit in the morning, but by the time late afternoon comes along, you may find yourself relying on your own strength again and needing His fresh empowerment.
The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit&rdquo; (Romans 15:13 NIV). God wants us to come to Him again and again, asking Him to fill and empower us afresh. The fact is, we have a never-ending need, and He has an inexhaustible supply.
The Christians featured in the book of Acts certainly understood the importance of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Peter led thousands of people to Christ at Pentecost after he was filled by the Holy Spirit. Stephen, the first known Christian martyr, preached one of the most powerful sermons ever recorded because he was filled with the Spirit&rsquo;s power. The apostle Paul vividly describes being disheartened, discouraged, and lonely before God refueled and restored him.
Whenever you start to feel spiritually run-down, ask the Lord to refill you with the power of His Spirit. And then watch what He does.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How do you know when you need a spiritual refill?&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>

If you feel spiritually run-down, ask the Lord to refill you with His power.

Free Refills | Acts 13:52

“But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.” (Acts 12:5 NLT)

 

If you watched a lot of old Westerns back in the day, as I did, you know that the outlaws (who usually wore black hats) riding furiously across mountainous terrain with the stolen loot from the stagecoach robbery would frequently get tripped up by geography.

At some point, someone in the pursuing posse (who usually wore white hats) would shout, “We have ’em now! They’ve ridden into a box canyon!” And everybody knows there’s only one way out of a box canyon.

There are box canyons in life, too—seemingly impossible situations that seem to offer no workable way out and nowhere else to turn. In a box canyon, surrounded by insurmountable obstacles, you find yourself temporarily paralyzed, not knowing what to do. These are the very times when God invites us to pray.

In Acts 12, we find the story of how God took a tragic, even hopeless, situation and turned it around. More to the point, the turnaround was initiated by the power of prayer—the kind of prayer that reverberates throughout the throne room of God and gets an answer.

James and Peter, two key figures in the early Christian church, had been imprisoned for doing God’s work. Tragically, James was put to death. But Peter was still incarcerated, awaiting his fate. All doors to his freedom were closed, except one: the door of prayer.

His fellow church members recognized that “we use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT).

Prayer was and is the church’s secret weapon. Although the devil struck a blow against the church in the death of James, the church gained victory through prayer as Peter was miraculously released. Chained between two Roman soldiers, Peter was awakened in his cell by an angel of the Lord. The chains on his wrists fell to the floor. The angel led Peter past the guards posted in the jail and through the iron gate that separated it from the outside world. The people of the church prayed for Peter’s release, and Peter literally showed up at their door (see Acts 12:6–19).

Prayer still carries the same potential. That’s why it’s essential that Christians learn how to pray effectively. The reality is that all of us will face difficulties, hardships, problems, and more than a few box canyons. We need to discover what God can do through the power of prayer.

Prayer for the Christian should be second nature, like breathing. We should automatically lift our needs and requests before the Lord. Jesus said that we should always pray and not lose heart (see Luke 18:1). Prayer is something we should never avoid and never grow tired of. Prayer should be woven through our day like a bright gold thread woven through a piece of fabric. The more we pray, the more we will see the kingdom of God break through the darkness of seemingly impossible situations.

 

Reflection question: What seemingly impossible situation in your life might be changed by 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;But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.&rdquo; (Acts 12:5 NLT)
&nbsp;
If you watched a lot of old Westerns back in the day, as I did, you know that the outlaws (who usually wore black hats) riding furiously across mountainous terrain with the stolen loot from the stagecoach robbery would frequently get tripped up by geography.
At some point, someone in the pursuing posse (who usually wore white hats) would shout, &ldquo;We have &rsquo;em now! They&rsquo;ve ridden into a box canyon!&rdquo; And everybody knows there&rsquo;s only one way out of a box canyon.
There are box canyons in life, too&mdash;seemingly impossible situations that seem to offer no workable way out and nowhere else to turn. In a box canyon, surrounded by insurmountable obstacles, you find yourself temporarily paralyzed, not knowing what to do. These are the very times when God invites us to pray.
In Acts 12, we find the story of how God took a tragic, even hopeless, situation and turned it around. More to the point, the turnaround was initiated by the power of prayer&mdash;the kind of prayer that reverberates throughout the throne room of God and gets an answer.
James and Peter, two key figures in the early Christian church, had been imprisoned for doing God&rsquo;s work. Tragically, James was put to death. But Peter was still incarcerated, awaiting his fate. All doors to his freedom were closed, except one: the door of prayer.
His fellow church members recognized that &ldquo;we use God&rsquo;s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT).
Prayer was and is the church&rsquo;s secret weapon. Although the devil struck a blow against the church in the death of James, the church gained victory through prayer as Peter was miraculously released. Chained between two Roman soldiers, Peter was awakened in his cell by an angel of the Lord. The chains on his wrists fell to the floor. The angel led Peter past the guards posted in the jail and through the iron gate that separated it from the outside world. The people of the church prayed for Peter&rsquo;s release, and Peter literally showed up at their door (see Acts 12:6&ndash;19).
Prayer still carries the same potential. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s essential that Christians learn how to pray effectively. The reality is that all of us will face difficulties, hardships, problems, and more than a few box canyons. We need to discover what God can do through the power of prayer.
Prayer for the Christian should be second nature, like breathing. We should automatically lift our needs and requests before the Lord. Jesus said that we should always pray and not lose heart (see Luke 18:1). Prayer is something we should never avoid and never grow tired of. Prayer should be woven through our day like a bright gold thread woven through a piece of fabric. The more we pray, the more we will see the kingdom of God break through the darkness of seemingly impossible situations.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What seemingly impossible situation in your life might be changed by 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>

Prayer can change even seemingly impossible situations.

Accustomed to the Dark | John 3:19

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