Joseph Prince (April-26-2024) Daily Devotional: The Roaring Lion

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Isn’t it interesting in the above passage that the devil has to seek out those whom he may devour? This means that he can’t devour everyone. Don’t surrender your authority to him and be found among those whom he can devour! Also, did you notice that he roams about like, or as, “a roaring lion”?

I asked the Lord why the devil goes about as a roaring lion and not some other creature. He led me to Proverbs 19:12, which says, “The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion”.

The devil is an imposter who goes about as a roaring lion because he is imitating the King of kings, our Lord Jesus, the real lion of Judah. He wants people to think that our King is full of wrath, anger, and rage against us. He comes at us roaring with the voice of condemnation, accusation, and shame.

Satan wants you to have the impression that you have failed God, and that He is not only disappointed with you, but is also downright furious with you. Now, if you believe that about God, would you be taking refuge under the shelter of His wings? Would you be taking your rightful place of authority, power, and strength? Of course not. In fact, you will flee from God!

Believers who are under a cloud of condemnation won’t pray the prayer of protection. They feel unworthy of God’s promises and, in fact, are expecting punishment and judgment from God.

That is exactly where the devil wants you to be. When you run away from God, you are running straight into the devil’s snare. You abdicate your place of authority when you abdicate your place of intimacy with God.

Beloved, you need to know this: You are loved. God is not mad at you. In Christ, you can have the confident assurance that you are forgiven, loved, and righteous (Eph. 1:7, Rom. 8:37, 2 Cor. 5:21). The Lord Jesus has taken all your punishment at the cross so that today, you can enjoy His undeserved, unearned, and unmerited favor. God sees you in Christ, who is completely spotless and without blame.

Based on our own deeds, none of us qualify for His protection. But because of what our Lord Jesus has done for us on the cross, we can all come boldly to His throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). Because of what He has done, we qualify to dwell in the secret place with the King of kings, where the phony “roaring lion” has no power over us!

Joseph Prince (April-25-2024) Daily Devotion: The Good Life Without the Sweat

Matthew 6:26 - Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Most people are of the opinion that the good life does not happen without hard work and buckets of sweat. They believe that to achieve success, you first need to have this educational certificate, that professional qualification, this particular job and that many years of hard work. I have good news for you: God has a better way.

We all must work, but the world wants you to believe that there is a natural process of sowing, reaping and gathering, accompanied by waiting, toiling and stress, before the good life actually comes. But God says, “My people do not need to go through this natural process to enjoy the good life for they are not of this world’s system. They can operate out of My economy and I can give them the good life straightaway!”

In the same way that God feeds the birds which do not go through the sow-then-reap-then-gather system of the world, He wants to and will do much more for you!

Your heavenly Father wants you to know the generosity of His heart toward you and how much He wants to make you successful. A case in point is what happened to a church member who believed this truth. After leaving his previous job, he trusted God to provide him with a better one. Within just four months, he found himself heading two companies.

His newly formed distribution company not only clinched a major project in Singapore, but was also made the principal distributor in Southeast Asia for a popular line of products from the United States. His second company, which provided consultancy services, was given two projects by a Korean and a Hong Kong company for a six-figure consultancy fee in US dollars.

Today, God wants you to know that you are not of the world’s system. You are of the kingdom of God—the same kingdom that feeds the birds that do not toil, but simply trust their Creator for all their provisions in life. Be convinced that you are of more value to your heavenly Father than the birds, and let Him give you the good life without the toiling and laboring of the world.

Joseph Prince (April-24-2024) Daily Devotion: Let Jesus Wash Your Feet

John 13:8 - Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Can you imagine the Lord wanting to wash your feet? Peter could not. His shocked reaction—“Lord, how can you wash my feet!”—would probably be ours too.

I want you to notice what the Lord said to him: “Peter, if I don’t wash your feet, you have no part with Me.” What the Lord was actually saying to Peter was, “Peter, you cannot flow together with Me, you cannot walk together with Me in ministry, in service and in effectiveness, if you don’t let Me wash your feet.” So Peter said, “Lord, [wash] not my feet only, but also my hands and my head” (John 13:9)!

But Jesus answered him saying, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean” (John 13:10).

Once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are bathed all over, and cleansed by His blood once and for all eternity! His blood has perfected us forever (see Hebrews 10:14), and we only need to wash our feet because we walk in the world and our feet pick up dust and dirt, causing us to stumble.

So how is Jesus washing our feet today? Ephesians 5:25–26 tells us that “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word.”

We, the church, are cleansed with the washing of water by the Word. The more we come under anointed teaching that unveils Christ through the Word, the more the cleansing goes on. And as our feet are washed, instead of stumbling, we will be walking and even running!

Today, though high and lifted up in heaven, Jesus is dressed in a robe with a golden girdle around his chest (see Revelation 1:13). Like a servant who uses his girdle as a towel to serve, Jesus wants us to sit down and let Him serve us—by washing our feet with a deeper revelation of Himself through His Word. Beloved, this is what gives us victory in our daily walk!

Joseph Prince (April-23-2024) Daily Devotion: START USING YOUR MEASURE OF FAITH

Romans 12:3 …God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

As children of God, we should never say, “I don’t have any faith.” To say this is to say that God is a liar because His Word already tells us that “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

Why then does the faith of some seem to be stronger than others?

Well, faith is like muscles. We are all born with a measure of muscles. But some of us develop our muscles better than others. Bodybuilders, for example, exercise their muscles very regularly to make them grow bigger and stronger.

Likewise, your measure of faith grows when you feed and use it. Each time you hear or read God’s Word, you are feeding your faith. When you confess God’s Word and expect good things to happen to you, you are using it. And the more you use it, the more your faith grows.

So use your faith. You could start with headaches, for example. When you have a headache, instead of always running straight for your painkillers, use your faith. Ask God for healing, and trust and thank Him for the healing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking medicine. And if you have to go to the doctor, don’t feel condemned either. Just start using your faith at a level you are comfortable with. If you need to go to the doctor, then go in faith, praying, “Abba Father, I am going to the doctor. I am asking You in Jesus’ name to give the doctor wisdom to give me an accurate diagnosis. My trust is not in him but in You.”

And when you take your medicine, don’t just pop in the pills. In faith, say, “Lord, sanctify this medicine,” then take it. This is because some medicines have negative side effects. So when you ask God to sanctify it, He blesses that medicine. And what will be developing in you, growing bigger and possessing your body until it is too widespread, is divine health!

Beloved, you have been given a measure of faith. Start using it, believing that it is this measure of your faith that causes you to draw from the inexhaustible power of a faithful and loving God!

Joseph Prince (April-22-2024) Daily Devotion: WHEN IT IS MORE BLESSED TO RECEIVE

Luke 10:42 ...Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.

If Jesus comes to your home, what would you do? Would you ask Him to sit down and then start serving Him? Or would you sit down and start drawing from Him? Would you let Him serve you and fill you up?

Jesus walked into the home of two sisters, Martha and Mary (see Luke 10:38). Martha saw His weariness. She knew that Jesus had been walking for miles, going about doing good, healing the sick and meeting the people’s needs. Obviously, He must be tired, she thought, so she saw Him as someone she had to care for.

Mary, however, saw beyond Jesus’ external weariness into His divinity. She saw that He was someone she needed to draw from. And by doing that, she made Him feel like God—the Savior who had come to serve her and not to be served by her (see Matthew 20:28). Jesus even commended her for choosing the better portion!

Our human minds just find that hard to believe. Some people tell me, “But Pastor Prince, the Bible says that it is more blessed to give than to receive” (see Acts 20:35). When it comes to man, that is true. But when it comes to God, He wants to give. In fact, unless you learn how to receive from God, you will have nothing to give to man.

Which sister gave Jesus the sweeter feast and filled Him up? Martha who was busy preparing food for Him? Or Mary who sat still and drew deeply from Him? It was Mary. She made Jesus feel a sense of His divine glory. She allowed Jesus to be the giver, to be God.

Like Martha, we always reverse the roles. We somehow think that God needs our service, but He actually wants to fill us first. Mary’s ears and heart were more precious to Jesus than Martha’s hands and feet.

We use our ears and hearts to draw from Jesus. We use our hands and feet to serve Him, and there is a place for that. But our sense and appreciation of God’s divine fullness is more precious to Him than all the service we can render Him. And when you draw from Him, you cannot help but become a great giver and server.

Joseph Prince (April-21-2024) Daily Devotion: SEEK FIRST GOD’S KINGDOM

Matthew 6:31–33  -  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

As a child of God, know that it is your Father’s pleasure to meet all your needs. Jesus Himself tells us, “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” But God does not want you to seek after things. He wants you to seek first His kingdom. And when you do that, all the things that you need will be added to you!

So your first priority every day is to seek His kingdom. The word “first” in verse 33 is the Greek word proton, which means “first in order or importance, holding the highest place in all our affections.” My friend, God wants us to seek first His kingdom, and all things will fall gloriously in place.

We are not to seek after things the way Gentiles do. The word “seek” in “the Gentiles seek” (verse 32) is the Greek word epizeteo. It means “to seek with all their might with much sweat or with much stress.” However, the way God wants us to “seek” in “seek first the kingdom of God” is the Greek word zeteo, which means “to hunger, to desire to worship.” It is simply a hungering, a desiring for the kingdom of God, without any labor or toil.

But what is the kingdom of God? Romans 14:17 tells us that it is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And the kingdom of God dwells within you because the Holy Spirit indwells you. So the kingdom of God is His righteousness, peace and joy in you.

Beloved, if you want to have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit flowing inside you, then seek every day to be conscious of your righteousness in Christ, not your own righteousness, but His righteousness given to you as a gift. Pursue Jesus first. Spend time with Him and listen to His Word. And when you do these things, you are seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, and all the things that you need will be added to you

Joseph Prince (April-20-2024) Daily Devotion: COUNT ON GOD’S FORGIVENESS.

Hebrews 10:2  ...For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

What are you more conscious of today? Your sins or the fact that you have been forgiven? My friend, don’t be conscious of your sins. Be conscious instead of Jesus and His finished work. The Lamb of God has taken away all your sins at the cross, so count on the fact that you are a forgiven child of God!

No matter what has happened or what you have done, God wants you to know that because of His Son’s finished work, He will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more (see Hebrews 8:12).

That is why you should not be conscious of your sins. In fact, when you are sin-conscious, the devil brings in condemnation, and the more you receive it and condemn yourself, the more you will find yourself unforgiving toward yourself and even others.

I was told by a pastor friend that when a lady, who had cancer on her face, asked for prayer for healing, the Lord revealed to him that it was self-hatred that was keeping her from receiving her healing. She could not forgive herself and was full of self-condemnation.

When she realized her problem, she counted on the fact that God was merciful to her unrighteousness and that she was already forgiven. She received the love of God. Then, right before the pastor’s eyes, her whole face changed—she received her healing that very moment!

Something happens when you believe that you are forgiven. That is why God says to you, “I want you to believe that all your sins I will remember no more. I want you to believe that you are My child enjoying My mercy and that you can always count on My forgiveness.”

Beloved, remember that all your sins have already been paid for by Jesus on the cross. And the more you count on the fact that you have the Father’s forgiveness and that He does not condemn you because of Jesus’ finished work, the more sin and its effects—sickness, hatred, lack and so on—will lose their grip on you. You will find yourself walking in a greater measure of God’s grace and blessings!

Joseph Prince (April-19-2024) Daily Devotional: He Gives His Angels Charge over You

For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. - Psalm 91:11–12

What a wonderful promise we have in the above passage! Did you know that angels are surrounding us and protecting us today, because God has given them charge over us to protect us! When we choose to make Him our habitation, He charges His angels to watch over us and to surround us with His divine protection.

Now, did you know that Psalm 91:11–12 was quoted by the devil when he tried to tempt our Lord Jesus? He brought our Lord to the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” To this Jesus replied, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Matt. 4:5–7).

The temptation of our Lord Jesus in the wilderness is the only instance in the Bible where the devil is recorded quoting Scripture. But the devil deliberately misquoted verse 11. The devil misquotes the Bible because he is the father of lies. Verse 11 actually reads: “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

I asked the Lord why the devil left out the words “to keep you in all your ways” and He directed me to Proverbs 3:6–7, which says: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.”

You see, the devil didn’t want to say the words “to keep you in all your ways” because that would be tantamount to reminding believers of Proverbs 3:6–7—to acknowledge God in all our ways. So he conveniently left out that whole portion.

But praise the Lord, we know that this is what the Lord has promised: “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways”. Our part is to simply acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He shall direct our paths, protecting us along the way!

Joseph Prince (April-18-2024) Daily Devotion: PRAYERS THAT PROCLAIM.

Luke 13:12 - But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”

When you have a need, do you pray or do you plead? Do you begin your prayers with words like, “Please God, please! God, I beg You to have mercy!”

Prayers that plead and beg imply that your heavenly Father is not willing to do it. Yet, He is far more gracious and willing to give to you than you are willing to ask, think or imagine (see Ephesians 3:20). He desires above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers (see 3 John 1:2).

In fact, long before you have a need, God has already met that need. Long before you knew you needed a Savior, He sent His Son to be your Savior. This is your God! He is a good God. So when you beg Him for something, you are actually saying that He is reluctant to give and needs to be persuaded strongly before He will move. Yet, He is not like that.

Jesus knew the heart of the Father. When He saw the woman bound with a spirit of infirmity, He did not pray, “Oh Father! She has been suffering for 18 long years! I beseech You, Father, have mercy on her. Please, please heal her!” No, when Jesus saw her, He immediately proclaimed, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity,” because He knew the heart of the Father. He knew that the Father wanted her delivered from her crippling condition.

At the end of a church service, I don’t stand and pray, “Oh God, please bless Your people. Oh God, do keep them. Oh God, be ever so gracious to them!” Instead, I proclaim, “The Lord bless you. The Lord keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you!”

Beloved, when you pray, proclaim your healing, protection and provision because your Father’s heart overflows with love for you. And when you declare it, He sanctions it. When you declare it, He establishes it!

Joseph Prince (April-17-2024) Easter Daily Devotion: THE REASON FOR THE RESURRECTION.

Romans 4:25 - who [Jesus] was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

 The Bible tells us that Christ was delivered up for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification. You may already know why Jesus died for our sins, but do you know the significance of God raising Him from the dead?

Let me give you an illustration to help you understand the significance of Jesus’ resurrection.

Let’s say that you are living in a foreign country. One day, you happen to break a major rule of the land. You appeal to the king for mercy. He says, “A rule is a rule. I cannot bend the rule for you. What will others say about my integrity? However, if you can find a substitute to take your punishment—three months in jail—I will allow it.”

By God’s grace, you find a willing substitute. He goes to prison on your behalf and you don’t see him for some time. Days, weeks and months pass by.

Now, how or when will you know that your crime has been fully paid for? When will you be able to rest easy regarding your crime? It is when you see your substitute walking free again! When you see him out of prison, you will know that the sentence has been fully served. You will know that you are now justified and no one can bring a charge against you for your old crime. No longer will you be afraid of the king or his guards coming after you because you know that the one who was punished in your place is now walking free.

Beloved, Jesus, your substitute, paid the debt you could not pay. On the cross, He bore the sins of your entire life. God put it all on Jesus and then He punished Jesus for every single one of those sins until He was fully satisfied. And because He was so pleased with what Jesus had done, He raised Him from the dead.

Today, Jesus’ tomb remains empty. He is not there for He has risen! His resurrection and empty tomb will forever be our assurance that we have been fully justified. You no longer have to be afraid of God judging you for your sins. His justice is on your side today!

Joseph Prince (April-16-2024) Daily Devotion: RECEIVE THE WORD GOD HAS SENT TO HEAL YOU

Psalm 107:20 - He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Your Bible will do you no good if you leave it on your bedside table, gathering dust. It will do you no good if you hold it like a teddy bear when you are facing your “giants.” But God’s Word will do you a lot of good when you receive it as truth and speak it as truth! Then, you will see your healing and deliverance from every evil condition that has been sent to destroy you!

The Bible says that “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Now, when God wants to heal you, what does He do? He sends His Word. Before God delivers you from your destruction, He sends His Word.

Are you still waiting to experience the blessing of healing that Jesus died on the cross to give you? Don’t feel condemned. Your Father in heaven loves you and wants you well. But how does your healing come? By you receiving His Word on healing that He has already sent you. His promises of healing are all there in your Bible. But have you received them?

During one of our church services, a lady took out her cell phone and started sending text messages of every scripture and almost every key point that I was preaching that day to her friend who was at home dying of cancer. I was telling the congregation to keep confessing the healing scriptures over their bodies, no matter how bad their conditions were. I pointed them to Isaiah 53:5, which says, “By His stripes we are healed.” The lady got so excited that she told her friend to keep believing and confessing it every day!

Her friend, on reading the text messages, simply received the Word of God and confessed it by faith. That very same week, when she went back to the doctor, the doctor could not find a single trace of cancer in her body!

Never underestimate the power of God’s Word. The lady’s friend was healed because she received God’s Word by faith. She gladly read the messages that her friend had sent her, was encouraged by the Word, confessed it and received her miracle. God sent His Word and healed her, and saved her from her destruction

Joseph Prince (April-15-2024) Daily Devotion: TAUGHT BY GOD HIMSELF.

Hebrews 8:11 - None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.

As a parent or someone serving in Sunday school, you may think that the children under your care are too young to know the Lord. And you wonder if you are wasting your time reading Bible stories and singing hymns to them.

Or you may have been buying Mandarin and Hokkien sermon CDs for your dialect-speaking parents or grandparents, and you wonder if the Bible teachings are too difficult for them to understand.

My friend, don’t underestimate the Holy Spirit. Many elderly folks in our Mandarin and Hokkien services, who first heard about Jesus through the recorded messages given to them by their children, are now born again and attending church regularly. And they are so full of Jesus that they cannot stop talking about Him to their relatives and friends.

Even for a young child like my daughter Jessica, when she was one year old, she would spontaneously raise her hands whenever she heard Christian songs, but not secular ones. My wife Wendy and I had never taught her how to recognize Christian songs. The only explanation we have is that Jessica was taught by the Lord Himself (see Isaiah 54:13).

When Jessica turned two, she surprised us again. Wendy was tucking her in bed one night when Jessica looked at her and said, “Jesus died for Jessica because Jesus loves Jessica.” No one taught her to say that. But I remember looking at her when she was younger and by faith saying, “You know, darling, Jesus died for Jessica.” She just looked at me and I did not know whether she understood me then. I just believed that the Holy Spirit is a better teacher than I am.

So don’t limit the Holy Spirit by saying things like, “The children are too young…My grandparents are not well-educated…My atheist friend won’t be interested…” Just send God’s Word into their lives by faith, and trust the Holy Spirit to do the teaching and imparting. For God says that no one has to teach anyone to know the Lord because all shall know Him, from the least, including little children, to the greatest!

Joseph Prince (April-14-2024) Daily Devotional: It Is Written

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” - Matthew 4:10

When negative thoughts come your way, you must not give them time to take root in your heart. This correlates with the wise saying that you can’t stop birds from flying over your head, but you can surely stop them from building a nest on your head.

We can’t stop the enemy from attacking our minds, but we can surely defend ourselves with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). God’s Word is infallible, unshakable, and everlasting (Isa. 40:8, 1 Pet. 1:25).

Our Lord Jesus Himself showed us what to do when we are under attack by the devil. Three times He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Each time, His response was the same—He quoted the written Word of God. Against each attack, His response was to say, “It is written” (Matt. 4:1–11).

I know of believers who say, “God spoke to me and told me that He will do that for me.” I want to encourage you not to go by what you think the Lord said to you. You cannot fight the devil by saying, “God spoke to me,” apart from the written Word. Please understand that I am not at all against God speaking to you, but coming against the enemy and his attacks with “God spoke to me” is not what our Lord Jesus did.

My friend, if you want to combat the enemy’s attacks, stick to the pattern that our Lord Jesus showed us. In the first temptation, the devil challenged our Lord Jesus to prove His identity, saying, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (Matt. 4:3).

Don’t you think it is interesting that our Lord did not rely on what His Father had audibly spoken over Him at the River Jordan? A voice had come from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17).

Yet, the Lord did not point Satan to the spoken word of God. Over and over again, He declared, “It is written.” Now, if the Son of God used “it is written” to defeat the devil, how much more you and I need to.

When fear grips your heart or evil thoughts plague your mind, quote His written Word!

Joseph Prince (April-13-2024) Daily Devotion: GOD WANTS YOUR HOUSEHOLD SAVED.

Acts 16:31 - So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

When God got you saved, He didn’t just have you in mind. He had your whole family in mind. That is why His Word says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Now, this does not mean that once you believe in Jesus, your family members are automatically saved. What it means is that you have opened a big door for God to move into your family’s life and to touch every member of your family!

So don’t worry about your unsaved parents or grandparents. God knows how to reach out to them. A relative of mine spoke only Cantonese, and could not go to church because she was very old and her legs were weak. But Jesus appeared to her in a vision and spoke to her in perfect Cantonese! She had never encountered Jesus, but knew that it was Him and understood what He said to her. After that, those who visited and spoke with her were amazed by her knowledge of Jesus.

Even up to the very last moment, God will reach out to your unsaved family members. This happened to my late maternal grandfather who used to make fun of me being a Christian. On his deathbed, he was gasping for air and in great discomfort. He couldn’t die peacefully. My mother, who was with him, told him, “Dad, just say, ‘God, forgive me.’ Call on Jesus.” My grandfather remained hardened and in great pain. But at the very last moment, he cried out, “Jesus, forgive me!”

You see, my grandfather had no time to pray the sinner’s prayer. But God says that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). Jesus will find every excuse to save a person. My mother saw the peace of God come upon my grandfather’s face after he had called out to Jesus, and he passed away peacefully.

My friend, God’s desire is for your entire household to be saved. Right now, your family may be giving you a hard time, but because you are a Christian, a big door has been opened for your Daddy God in heaven to touch them!

Joseph Prince (April-12-2024) Daily Devotional: Get Your Life Back

And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. - Luke 6:19

Trembling at the thought of being seen and stoned by the crowds, the man with leprosy crouched beneath one of the many stone slabs dotting the slopes of the picturesque hills that framed the Sea of Galilee. He had come to see the man they called Jesus, Who he had heard was a healer.

People had talked about how Jesus healed—how everyone who had gone to Him for healing received their healing. He turned none away. Whatever their conditions—fevers, paralyses, deaf ears, or demonic oppression—He healed them all.

All. That little word gave him hope that perhaps even he might be made whole. By the time he reached the hills, a large multitude had gathered on the slopes to listen to Jesus teach. This poor diseased man couldn’t see Jesus from where he was hiding in fear, but because of the unique acoustics of the hills, he could hear every word that Jesus was speaking to the multitudes:

“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you” (Matt. 6:28–30 NLT).

He listened attentively—the timbre of Jesus’ voice and every word He spoke carried an immeasurable depth of understanding and empathy for his everyday fears. Embers of hope that he had thought long dead suddenly flared to life, fanned by the authority of Jesus’ words. Whereas he had initially trembled from fear of being exposed, now he began trembling with a different emotion that made him listen even more fervently.

As the meaning of Jesus’ words sank in, the man with leprosy began to weep. For the first time in years, he wondered, Is this possible? That God wants to be a Father to me? A heavenly Father Who would clothe me much better than the lilies, which are better clothed than Solomon in all his glory, if I put my trust in Him? Is it possible that God is reaching out to me with kindness, acceptance, and love, and inviting me to taste and receive His goodness? After all the years of being rejected and living as an outcast, something deep within his heart broke at these new thoughts and brought on a fresh flood of tears.

Galvanized by the unmistakable compassion in Jesus’ voice that caused hope to race along every still-intact nerve in his body, the man crawled out of his makeshift shelter the moment Jesus finished speaking. All thoughts of staying hidden were gone. All he wanted to do was to go to Jesus and ask Him to take his disease away.

As he began to make his way to Jesus, there, coming down the hill, a man walking slightly ahead of a few others caught his eye. He realized it was Jesus, coming straight toward him.

Instead of having gone straight down to the crowds after preaching to them, the Lord had turned another way to go toward the lone, afflicted man, as if He already knew all about the man’s need and where he was. Unable to hold back his feelings, the man fell at Jesus’ feet and worshiped Him.

In a voice still choked with tears, he whispered, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Without hesitation, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” He said, with the same compassion and warmth the man had heard earlier in His voice. “Be cleansed” (Matt. 8:2–3).

As he felt the touch of Jesus’ warm hands, the man closed his eyes involuntarily and his body shuddered under that touch. It had been so long since he had felt the touch of another human being, let alone a warm and loving touch.

Then he opened his eyes to look at Jesus, and found Him smiling at him with love in His eyes. Sensing that something was different about his body, the man looked down at his hands, which a moment ago had been covered with open sores and had ended in stubs for fingers. His eyes beheld healthy hands with fingers fully formed and skin completely whole.

Like one in a dream, he began lifting the sleeves and hem of his robe and watched in amazement as the cloth rolled upward to reveal smooth, unblemished skin covering his arms, legs, and feet. He was cleansed! The power of Jesus had, in an instant, swallowed up his uncleanness.

He looked up into the face of the One Who had made him whole, overcome with gratitude. Even as he turned to go, the man knew he would never forget the compassion and encouragement he had seen in our Lord Jesus’ face, nor His warm and affirming touch.

He has not just healed and cleansed me, the elated man thought as he walked away in wonder. He has given me back my life!

Joseph Prince (April-11-2024) Daily Devotional: Don’t Confuse Faith with Emotions

For we walk by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7

Some years ago, the wife of one of my key leaders was diagnosed with a cyst in her womb that the doctors said had to be removed by surgery. She was told they might even have to remove her whole womb. Of course, this couple was very affected by the news. I met with them to pray with them and to partake of the holy Communion.

Honestly, I didn’t feel any faith when I prayed for them. In fact, I felt quite helpless. But I heard the Lord telling me to rest. I heard Him telling me not to even try to use faith and to simply rest in His faith. So I simply said, “Growth, I curse you to your roots in Jesus’ name. Be plucked out by your roots and be thrown into the sea.” At the same time, I also prayed the Lord would cause her youth to be renewed like the eagle’s.

A few days later, she had a final scan before her surgery. And guess what? Her gynecologist said the whole growth had simply disappeared and that it was a miracle! But the Lord didn’t stop there. Her monthly period had actually stopped for some time, but soon after I prayed for her, it returned. The Lord had renewed her womb and her youth. Hallelujah!

I felt no faith when I prayed for her, but her healing was not dependent on what I felt about my faith. Don’t look at your own faith and think, I don’t have enough faith for the breakthrough I need. Faith is nothing more than looking to Jesus.

There were only two individuals in the Gospels whom Jesus described as having “great faith”: the centurion who believed Jesus only had to speak a word and his servant at home would be healed (Matt. 8:5–13) and the Syro-Phoenician woman to whom Jesus said, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matt. 15:21–28).

And neither of them was conscious of their own faith.

Do you want to know what they were conscious of? They were conscious of Jesus. They saw Him as the One who was faithful and powerful. They had a great estimation of His grace and goodness. And as they saw Him in His grace, He saw them in their faith!

Don’t worry about whether or not you have enough faith. Just look to Jesus. Spend time in His presence. Watch or listen to sermons that are full of Jesus. When you touch Jesus, you touch faith because He is the author and finisher of faith (Heb. 12:2). The Bible declares He is faithful, and He will not allow you to go through more than what you can bear (1 Cor. 10:13). He will carry you through.

Joseph Prince (April-10-2024) Daily Devotional: The Priceless Gift of Righteousness

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20

Beloved, understanding the purpose of the law is critical to your relationship with God. He gave the law for one purpose: that you would have the knowledge of sin and recognize your need for a Savior.

Without the law, there would be no sin (Rom. 4:15). For example, if there is no law on how fast you can drive on a particular road, that is, if there is no speed limit, the state trooper cannot stop you and give you a ticket for speeding. In simple terms, no law equals no sin. No recognition of sin equals no need for a Savior!

The law was thus given to bring man to the end of himself so that in his despair, he would see his need for Jesus. Because of the law, no man can say that he is not a sinner and no man can say that he doesn’t need Jesus. That is the purpose of the law. It was not designed to make you godly, but to expose your ungodliness.

What the devil wants to do is keep the law over your head all the time so that you constantly feel condemned and guilty. That is how he keeps you trapped in a cycle of defeat. The devil is the master legalist who constantly reminds you of how unworthy you are of God’s blessings. Known as the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), here are some of his common attacks:

You call yourself a Christian? You are a hypocrite!

Forget about praying. God will never listen to your prayers.

Look at your life. How dare you step into church?

My friend, these are lies, all lies! The devil is using the law to make you conscious of all your shortcomings. But through Jesus Christ, you are no longer under the condemnation of the law. The devil has been disarmed by the power of the cross!

Jesus, who knew no sin, was condemned on your behalf on the cross. Through Jesus Christ, you are now made righteous apart from the works of the law.

So when you hear the voice of the accuser condemning you, remind yourself that you are the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Declare it out loud! Come on, say it with me three times, each time louder than the first:

I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ! I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ! I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ!

Righteousness is a gift. It is not a reward for perfect obedience to the law. You are clothed today not in your own righteousness, which is self-righteousness, but with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God sees you as righteous as Jesus Himself. This is your permanent, eternal standing before Him because of what Christ has done for you.

And hey, when you are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness, any obstacle that tries to obstruct you from living your life to the fullest, whether it’s an addiction, sickness, fear, or depression, has to go!

Joseph Prince (April-09-2024) Daily Devotional: Not Self-Occupied but Christ-Occupied

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

To see the power of right believing in your daily life, I want to show you some practical ways in which you can be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Right believing is all about renewing your mind and uprooting the wrong beliefs that shape your thinking and behavior. That’s why the Word of God says, “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” (Rom. 12:2 NLT).

God wants to change the way we think by shifting our thoughts from self-occupation to Christ-occupation. Our human tendency is to be focused on ourselves. We are prone to excessive self-introspection and are easily susceptible to becoming preoccupied with ourselves rather than with Jesus.

Many of our greatest pains, struggles, failures, and miseries stem from us being “I” centered. Oftentimes, we are engrossed with thoughts such as, “Have I done enough?”, “What is wrong with me?”, and “Why do I have so many weaknesses?” Unfortunately, when we become overly occupied with self, we become obsessed, oppressed, and inevitably depressed.

My friend, is your mind filled constantly with thoughts of how you have failed, how you have missed it, and how unworthy you are? That is symptomatic of someone who is clearly self-occupied.

Thoughts like that cause a person to develop an inferiority complex. People who suffer from this are ever ready to condemn themselves. Their minds are clouded with negativity and pessimism.

But self-occupation can also manifest at the other end of the pendulum’s swing as a superiority complex. There are people who think they are always better than everyone else. They are painfully arrogant, and they think their perspectives and opinions are always right. Whether you are feeling superior or inferior, your focus is still on yourself, and in the end that causes you great pain, misery, and heartache.

Only in Christ will you experience true transformation and walk neither in pride nor in false humility. When you are Christ-occupied, the flesh in you becomes inconsequential and you begin manifesting all the lovely, wholesome, and beautiful attributes of Jesus unconsciously.

The fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, and kindness, flow through you effortlessly when your mind is renewed and occupied with the person of Jesus. It’s an inevitability! You cannot touch His grace and not become holy any more than you can touch water and not get wet.

Joseph Prince (April-08-2024) Daily Devotional: God Is Not Present to Find Fault with You

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. - Proverbs 3:6

Something very unique and precious happens when you see that the Lord is with you. Trust the Lord to open your eyes to see Him in your situation, and the more you see Him, the more He manifests Himself.

If you are in the midst of committing to an important business agreement, I assure you that if you can see the Lord there with you, His wisdom will flow through you, and He will give you supernatural insight to locate any loopholes, details, or exit clauses that are missing from that contract that you are about to sign.

Once you involve Jesus and acknowledge His presence, you will sense Him intervening in any decision you are about to make, through the absence or presence of His peace. Sometimes, everything can appear to be in order on the surface, but somehow, you may sense a discomfort rising up in you every time you think about your decision. My advice to you would be to not rush into it.

You see, once you have involved the Lord, the lack of peace that you feel is often His leading to protect you. You can even be in the midst of an argument with your spouse, but the moment you become conscious of the Lord’s presence, your words will change. Somehow, there will be a supernatural restraint that you know is not from yourself. That is also the Lord!

Beloved, it is important for you to eradicate the notion that the Lord is present to find fault with you. You may have been raised in an environment where your parents were constantly picking on your faults and pointing out your mistakes, but don’t project this characteristic onto the Lord.

God knows every idiosyncrasy about you, yet He loves you perfectly because He sees you through the lens of the cross, where His Son has removed every failing from your life. This means that even your current argument with your spouse is washed by the blood of Jesus.

The Lord’s presence is with you not to judge you or smack you on the head with a giant bat the moment you fail. No, my friend, His presence is with you to direct you, guide you, lead you into becoming more like Christ, and to make you a success in every endeavor you undertake.

Joseph Prince (April-07-2024) Daily Devotional: Jehovah Shalom Is Your God

Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. - Romans 15:33

I’m sure you want the Lord to manifest Himself as the God of peace when you are fearful. So let’s go deeper into what the “God of peace” means.

Don’t forget that Paul was Jewish, so when he said “the God of peace be with you,” he was saying “Jehovah Shalom be with you.” “Jehovah Shalom” is Hebrew for “the God of peace.” Now, the first appearance of the name Jehovah Shalom is in the Old Testament story of Gideon in Judges 6.

As we read Gideon’s story, we discover that the Midianites terrorized Israel day and night, descending upon them like a swarm of marauding locusts and destroying their crops and pillaging their livestock. Fearful of their cruel enemies, the Israelites hid in dens and caves in the mountains.

It is no wonder Gideon was petrified and hid himself at the bottom of an abandoned winepress to thresh the measly stalks of dry grain he had somehow managed to scavenge. He was bound by fear and overcome by all the news of terror that surrounded him.

In the midst of Gideon’s fear, “the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’” (Judg. 6:12).

When you find the expression “the Angel of the LORD” in the Old Testament, it usually refers to our Lord Jesus in His preincarnate state. Jesus Himself appeared to Gideon when he was in the pit of fear and called him a mighty man of valor. Isn’t that amazing?

Are there moments when you feel besieged by fear? When you hear reports of terror or exposure to some virus, do you feel fearful and anxious? Has fear driven you into hiding? The truth is, regardless of how you feel, when our Lord Jesus looks at you right now, He sees you as a mighty man or mighty woman of courage.

Isn’t it amazing how our Lord looks at us? It’s not how we see ourselves that defines us; it is how our Lord Jesus sees us that defines us. That’s why we read His Word. We read it to discover what His Word says about us. My friend, no matter what state you are in right now and how messed up your life might be, the Lord Jesus sees the best in you.

He sees your potential, your gifting, your call, and your destiny to do great things in this life! And as the ending of Gideon’s story shows, He will guide you and cause you to be a testimony of His protection as you trust in Him and see yourself and your situations through His eyes.