Joseph Prince (November-06-2024) Daily Devotional: Change Your Words, Change Your Life

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. - Psalm 141:3

Do you know what the opposite of speaking well is? It is to curse. When our Lord cursed the fig tree, what did He say? Did He say, “I curse you, fig tree”? No, He simply said, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again” (Mark 11:14). And the next day, when they passed by the fig tree again, Peter said, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away” (Mark 11:21).

Jesus never used the word curse when He spoke to the fig tree, but He also did not correct Peter because he was right—the negative words spoken were tantamount to a curse. Oh, I hope you got that! Many times people don’t realize that they are unintentionally cursing themselves and the people around them with the constant flow of negative words that they speak about themselves and others. Words of defeat, anger, bitterness, and complaint are toxic. Change your words, and change your life. Flush out the negative words in your life with the words of God’s grace, love, and power!

And take note that when Jesus spoke to the fig tree, it did not wither away instantly. This was because when our Lord spoke to the fig tree, it first dried up at its very roots before death reached the leaves. So don’t be discouraged when you speak to your challenge and nothing seems to be happening. Believe that you are speaking directly to the root of the problem and that the outward manifestation of your faith is on its way!

I received this wonderful testimony from sister Lorraine, who resides in Darby, England. It shows you the power of praying or speaking, and how change begins from the very first day you speak:

My son and his wife have been married for ten years, and were trying desperately for a baby with no success. Six years ago, they began undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments and have had at least seven unsuccessful treatments.

Last March, my sister gave me a copy of your devotional and the entry for March 19 was about pleading the blood of the Lamb of God over all that is ours and our families’. The verse in the devotional was Exodus 12:13—“And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” And you shared that what the nine plagues could not do, the blood did.

I was thrilled when I read this. So I prayed for my son and my daughter-in-law, pleading the blood of Jesus over their situation, and I was just so excited because I knew that something had happened in the spirit. A few weeks after I prayed, my son called to say that his wife was pregnant. I told him that I wasn’t surprised, as I had prayed for both of them recently. So what six years of medical treatment could not do, the blood of Jesus did! We all celebrated and were so thrilled.

A few Sundays later, our son called to say that she was exactly eight weeks pregnant. And it was exactly eight weeks from the day I prayed. Hallelujah!

Whatever you may be believing God for, I want to encourage you to open your mouth to speak His Word. Pray to your Abba and proclaim the blood of our Lord Jesus over your situation! The presence of blood means that there has already been a death. It signifies that a payment has already been made.

Today we can stand upon the unshakable foundation of God’s promises because the Lamb of God was sacrificed at Calvary and His blood is on the doorposts of our lives. We can declare that no plague, no death, no punishment, no harm, no danger, no evil can come near our dwelling because the full payment for our sins has already been made by our Lord Jesus. What wonderful assurance and peace we can have today—all because of the complete and efficacious work of Jesus!

Joseph Prince (November-05-2024) Daily Devotional: The Gift of No Condemnation

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, LORD.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:10–11

People often ask, “If believers know that they are free from all condemnation, won’t they go out and sin?” Well, they should talk to Katy, who is chaplain for a corrections facility housing female prisoners in Southern California. After she discovered the message of grace and experienced freedom from condemnation, her life was not the same. She even felt led by the Lord to share directly out of one of my books with the women at the corrections facility. This was the reception:

God is using this revelation of His grace to heal the broken-hearted and set the captives free. Physical healings are taking place. Wrong mindsets are being changed. The women are also experiencing freedom from addictions, and their hurting lives are also being transformed by His great unconditional love and the abundance of His grace!

Katy and the female prisoners who received the gospel of grace would tell you it is a lie to even suggest that freedom from condemnation would lead to sin. It is just the opposite! Hallelujah! The women began to reign in life over their sins and addictions and to be healed of their brokenness. And they are not alone—this is the constant refrain in the letters and emails this ministry gets from people all over the world who can’t wait to share their deliverance and victory over things that have kept them in defeat.

My friend, freedom from condemnation doesn’t lead you deeper into sin. It actually empowers you to break free from sin, from its painful consequences, and it causes you to fall more deeply in love with Jesus and His grace!

From today’s scripture, you will notice that our Lord clearly did not think that freedom from condemnation would lead to a life of sin. Now, pay close attention to the account of the woman who was caught in adultery: Jesus gave her the gift of “no condemnation” before He told her to go and sin no more. Yet, many places today reverse the order and say to women such as the ones in the correctional facility, “Go and sin no more first, and only then will we not condemn you.” Subtly or not so subtly, they are being told to get their lives together first, before they can be part of the church. That’s the reason they and others are shying away from places where they hear this. It is not because they are rebelling against Jesus. It is because they have not been introduced to the real Jesus who gives the guilty sinner the gift of no condemnation!

Too often, nonbelievers have only been introduced to Christianity as a set of rules that only judges and condemns them. But my friend, Christianity is not about laws. It is about Jesus and how He shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, for without blood,  the Bible says that there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22). That is why Christianity is a relationship based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ. His blood washed away all our sins and He fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf.

Let me ask you a question: was the woman brought before Jesus guilty? Yes, she was “caught in adultery, in the very act” (John 8:4). But instead of condemning her according to the law of Moses, which required her to be stoned to death, Jesus showed her grace and gave her the gift of no condemnation.

Do you think that this woman would go off, look for her lover, and jump back into bed with him after she had received the gift of no condemnation? No, of course not! It is obvious that Jesus believed that when someone really has a revelation that God does not condemn him, he would have the power to get out of the vicious cycle of sin. He would have the power to “go and sin no more”!

The truth is that Jesus’ grace swallows up sin. Let His words—“Neither do I condemn you”—transform your heart today and give you the power to “go and sin no more.”

Joseph Prince (November-04-2024) Daily Devotional: How to Be “Undevourable”

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

The devil doesn’t want you to be strong in the Lord’s love for you. Instead, he wants you to question God’s love for you. To accomplish this, one of his key strategies is to try to make you think that God is mad at you.

God’s Word tells us that the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. This means that he cannot just devour anyone. He must look for those whom he can devour. Some of us are “undevourable.” There may not be such a word, but it certainly describes a great place to be when the enemy is on the prowl for his next victim.

My friend, you can become “undevourable” to the devil. The secret is found in the preceding verse, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). Can you see it? The secret to being “undevourable” is to be carefree and not be bogged down by anxieties and worries! It is to laugh a lot, enjoy your life, and to take no thought for tomorrow.

To the legalistic mind, this sounds terribly irresponsible. However, in God’s mind, your greatest responsibility is to rejoice in the Lord always and to not worry about your past failures, your present circumstances, and your future challenges! Why? It’s because of what God’s grace has already done for you. And it’s because the One who has the power over death is caring for you and watching over you right this minute.

If you want to see victory over the enemy’s attacks, then learn to relax, to let go, and to release every oppressive thought, worry, and care into Jesus’ loving hands. Believe with all your heart that He cares for you and that you are not alone in this journey. You have a constant companion in Jesus on this great adventure called life.

Note that the devil walks about like a roaring lion. The devil is an impostor who tries to intimidate you through the impression that God is angry with you. Let’s be clear here: there is only one true lion and that is the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ (Rev. 5:5), the King of kings, and He is not mad at you today. His wrath is directed at anything that seeks to destroy you. You are not the object of His wrath; you are the object of His love. So be strong in His love for you. That’s how you resist the devil who will have no choice but to flee from you!

Joseph Prince (November-03-2024) Daily Devotional: Practice Jesus’ Presence and ‘Smell’ Like Him

Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.” 1 Samuel 16:18

David is a wonderful example of someone who talked to the Lord and practiced His presence all the time. Even as a young teenager taking care of his father's sheep in the fields, he would be singing psalms and hymns to the Lord and playing his harp.

In 1 Samuel 16, the Bible records that King Saul was very unsettled, and his servants told him that he was being troubled by a distressing spirit. They then advised him to bring David before him to play the harp for him, saying that evil spirits departed when David played the harp. One of the servants gave a glowing description of David as someone “who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.”

Do you know why David could cause Saul to become refreshed just by playing his harp? Do you know why David could have such accolades heaped upon him? I believe that the key is in the last part of the verse: “the Lord is with him.”

A few years after Wendy and I got married, an incident happened that I will never forget. I was on my way home one day and I had stepped into a cramped elevator. A group of ladies squeezed into the same elevator as it stopped on another floor and boy, their perfumes were overpowering!

Anyway, almost dizzy from near-suffocation, I got home and kissed Wendy with my usual “Hello darling, I’m back.” She looked at me and said, “That’s a female fragrance. I know that fragrance.” I told her, “Listen, darling, listen. . . honestly, just now. . .” And that’s why it’s so important to have trust in your marriage!

I am sure that you have experienced something similar before. Have you ever been in a room filled with cigarette smoke? You may not smoke, but your hair and clothes will smell of smoke even after you have left the room. In the same way, you cannot be in the presence of the Lord without His glory, His majesty, His beauty, His power, His love, and His peace rubbing off on you. You begin to “smell” like Jesus, be powerful like Him, and be filled with peace like Him!

No wonder Acts 4:13 records this about Peter and John: “Now when they [the rulers and elders of Israel] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

Beloved, choose to prioritize the presence of the Lord wherever you are. You will experience the undeniable evidence of His presence in your life.

Joseph Prince (November-02) Daily Devotional: The Holy Spirit Leads Us Through Peace

Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. - Genesis 8:11

Today I’d like to share with you the Hebrew word for “time”—eth, which first appeared in the phrase “in the evening” in  the Bible passage above. What do you see? The first mention of right timing has to do with the dove—that’s a picture of the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit who can guide you to be at the right place at the right time.

But look at what the dove has in its mouth—an olive leaf. When the flood during Noah’s time ended, God sent a message through the dove bearing a leaf that there would be no more such worldwide flooding and destruction (Gen. 9:15). It was a message of peace to men. It tells us that the message the Holy Spirit brings is one of peace.

My friend, the Holy Spirit leads us on the wavelength of peace. Sometimes, when you are about to do something, perhaps sign an agreement, plan a vacation, or take part in some activity, you might feel a lack of peace. If that happens, please stop and take time to pray about what you are about to do because the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the peace (or lack of it) He puts in us. He doesn’t speak to us through nagging or accusations. He leads us through peace. When there is no peace in your heart, it’s time for you to reevaluate your decision and listen to His leading.

There’s another beautiful truth hidden in the first occurrence of the word eth. Eth appears in the phrase “in the evening” not only in Genesis 8:11, but in other parts of the  Bible as well (Gen. 24:11, Josh. 10:27). When I studied it, I realized that evening time is the time of our Lord Jesus’ finished work at the cross.

The Old Testament priests had two daily sacrifices, one in the morning at 9 a.m. and the other in the evening at 3 p.m. Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m. and He died at 3 p.m., thus fulfilling the type of both the morning and evening sacrifices. At the time of the evening sacrifice, all of God’s judgment had fallen on the body of Jesus. The floods of God’s judgment were ended by the sacrifice of Christ.

The Holy Spirit comes to you speaking peace, telling you that there is now no enmity between you and God, because judgment has passed. You are not perfect but you can have peace with God, and you can ask Him for success and be confident of His covering in all that you do because all your sins have been judged in the body of Christ!

Joseph Prince (November 1, 2024) Daily Devotional: Abide in His Perfect Love

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. Psalm 91:9–10

I know it can be very hard to feel God’s love for you when you are faced with multiple symptoms in your body, mounting debts from your medical bills, and worries about your future. We live in a world where we are governed by our five senses, and there are times when it is hard to believe in the love of Someone we can’t see, touch, or hear.

But we cannot depend on feelings and outward circumstances (that can change) to be assured of God’s love for us. It is so important we fix our eyes, instead, on our Lord Jesus, whose love for us is perfect, never changes, and never fails.

May I share with you some of the things you can do that I believe will help to keep you in His perfect love?

Instead of allowing the enemy to feed you with lies that cause you to be fearful, keep listening to messages that will keep you in the consciousness of God’s love for you. Embrace His love to drive out every fear.

Every time the enemy tries to attack you with fears, plug into a sermon that magnifies the Lord’s goodness and love for you. Instead of giving in to the devices of the enemy, keep listening to sermons about Jesus’ finished work.

Instead of reading articles on the internet that tell you how serious your condition can become, or reading your medical report over and over again, read praise reports about the Lord’s love and faithfulness. Read scriptures about His love and healing promises. Garrison yourself with the Word of God and keep yourself in His love.

The  Bible tells us, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16).

It’s not enough to know verses about His love. Keep meditating on them until you believe He loves you.

When we keep ourselves in the consciousness of God’s love, we are abiding in God. In other words, we are making Him our dwelling place. That is so powerful because when the Lord is your dwelling place, you are in a place of safety and protection.

Read Psalm 91 and declare over yourself that no evil shall befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. As you abide in Him, the almighty God becomes your refuge and fortress.

It doesn’t matter how many people have died from the disease you have been diagnosed with. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you (Ps. 91:7). And even if you are already in trouble, the Lord is with you and He will deliver you.

Joseph Prince (October 31, 2024) Daily Devotional: The Law Demands, Grace Supplies

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8–9 NLT

In Luke 18, we read about a rich young ruler, who came to Jesus saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). I believe that through this story, the Lord wants to help us understand that we can be justified only by faith and not our works.

Justification by faith produces hope, peace, and joy and a heart for Jesus that results in good fruit. Attempting to be justified by works produces fear, anxiety, and an inability to produce lasting fruit.

When the rich young ruler came wanting to be justified by his works, the Lord gave him the law to bring him to the end of himself. Jesus said to the rich young ruler who thought he had kept all the laws, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

The rich young ruler was found lacking in one thing. The very first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:3). Yet money was his god—he walked away sorrowful when the Lord asked him to sell all that he had (Luke 18:20–23).

There is no record that he gave even one nickel to the poor. But look at what happened when Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus’s house. Not one commandment, just pure grace was given. And it resulted in Zacchaeus’s giving half his wealth to the poor and making a public commitment to repay fourfold to everyone he had stolen from!

The law demands, grace supplies.

The law demands, and it results in fear, guilt, and sorrow. Grace supplies, and it produces generosity, holiness, and inward heart transformation.

Now, you tell me, which gospel should we preach? Justification by works through the law? Or justification by faith through the power of God’s grace?

Unfortunately, there are many believers who after they have been saved are taught and believe, like the rich young ruler, that they can be justified before God only by their works. They end up conscious of failing Him and with a fearful expectation of God’s punishment and judgment.

Every bad thing that happens to them reinforces that fear. Even when things are going well, they are fearful of losing God’s blessings or protection because of a mistake they may have just made.

The result? Insecurity, dread, anxiety, and all kinds of fears become constant companions that rob them of the joy of living, let alone living life with boldness and confidence.

Beloved, no man can meet the demands of the law and be justified. We can be justified only by faith in the blood of the Lamb. If you are not anchored in this truth and if your conscience is not washed by the Lamb’s blood, you will always be fearful.

Our justification is from faith to faith, not faith to works. It is “accomplished from start to finish by faith” and faith alone (Rom. 1:17 NLT)!