“AS MY LIFE WAS SLIPPING AWAY, I REMEMBERED THE LORD.”JONAH 2:7, NLT

14/07/23

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD.”
Jonah 2:7, NLT

Remember Who You Are
God told the prophet Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and tell them to repent, but he disobeyed. He ended up at sea in the middle of a huge storm, was thrown overboard, then was swallowed by a big fish. Even when we make mistakes, even when we bring trouble on ourselves, God is merciful to provide a way of escape. Jonah was dying inside that fish when Scripture says he remembered the Lord. He was saying, in effect, “I was just about done when I remembered who I am.” He started thanking God in a situation that looked impossible, and God caused the fish to spit him up on dry ground and gave him a second chance.

You may have made mistakes, but that’s not who you are, that’s what you did. You are still a child of the Most High God. You are forgiven, redeemed, restored, called, equipped, chosen, and anointed. Nothing you’ve done has changed who you are. Trust Him, and He will get you to where you’re supposed to be.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that when I make a mistake and bring trouble upon myself, You cover me with mercy and give me second chances. Help me to remember You and that I am still Your child when I mess up. I believe You will get me to where I’m supposed to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

PART 2

When we read about the story of Daniel found in Daniel 6, we see that Daniel made a habit of praying three times a day. Now, depending on how established you are in God’s grace, you can interpret that as a religious routine, or you can see his dedicated prayer time as an outward expression of his intimate relationship with the Lord. Please be clear about this. I am not saying that if we want to be protected like Daniel, we have to pray three times a day. What I am saying is that protection is a result of closeness and intimacy with the Lord.

There are no formulas, steps, or shortcuts to walking in divine protection. Simply walk close with the Lord and you will unconsciously be under the shadow of His wings. Don’t just pursue the protection, seek the Protector! You can recite Psalm 91 fifty times a day, but if you have no relationship with Jesus, there will be no results. The prayer of protection is not transactional; it is relational.

You’ve missed the point if you have to ask how many times a day you should pray. That is equivalent to asking your spouse, “How many times a day must I kiss you?” I wouldn’t want my wife, Wendy, to ask me that! Relationships are birthed from the heart. They are not governed by formulas, rules, or algorithms. You kiss your spouse because of love. It is not an obligation; it is a privilege and pleasure. In the same way, don’t mechanize your relationship with God. Every day, you can choose whether or not to meditate on His love for you. Daniel chose to do it three times a day. We can learn from that without turning it into a dry formula.

What Daniel had was an intimate relationship with the Lord. I pray that you will have this too. The Bible tells us that in his daily prayers, Daniel was always giving thanks to God. It is so good to live with thanksgiving in your heart toward the Lord. Each and every day, there are so many things that our Lord protects us from that we are not even aware of. Give thanks to Him for His love for you. Praise Him and set your mind daily toward Him. Be so conscious of how close you are to Him and how utterly loved you are—and enjoy the protection that comes from being found in the shadow of His wings!

https://www.josephprince.com/meditate-devo/seek-the-protector