Joseph Prince (April-09-2026) 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-08-2026) 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-07-2026) 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.

Joseph Prince (April-06-2026) Daily Devotional: This Is Our God!

God is love. - 1 John 4:8

How we see God is important because a faulty perception of God can result in a lifetime of fear and bondage. Too many people have a wrong impression of God because for generations people have portrayed Him as hard, angry, unfeeling, and condemning, just waiting for man to trip up.

These portrayals of God cause many sincere people to have an unhealthy fear of God. And when they believe that God is against them and out to punish them, they find it impossible to break out of their sins, addictions, anxieties, and fears.

My friend, if you’ve been shown a God of judgment and anger all your life, let the Scriptures reveal to you His true nature:

• “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ps. 86:15 NIV).
• “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving” (Dan. 9:9 NIV).
• “O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your loving-kindnesses . . . they are from of old” (Ps. 25:6).

This is our God! Our God is love! He is slow to anger, gracious, and patient. He is full of forgiveness, loving-kindness, and tender mercies. Thank God we can go to the Holy Word for the truth!

If you want to further understand the true nature of God, just look at Jesus. He said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father. . . . The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14:9–10).

Have you ever seen Jesus provoked and angry with sinners, prostitutes, or tax collectors? Did He berate the woman at the well who had five husbands, or the woman who was caught in adultery?

Now, He was at times angry with the self-righteous, hard-hearted, grace-resisting scribes and Pharisees, but He was always kind and loving toward the sinners and outcasts of society. That’s the nature of your heavenly Father!

Jesus demonstrated such graciousness that His haters sarcastically labeled Him “a friend of sinners” to cast aspersions on His integrity (Matt. 11:19). But what was intended to be a derogatory label is really a beautiful picture of His grace.

Grace doesn’t shun the sinner; grace pursues the sinner. Grace doesn’t picket against those who fall short; grace embraces them into wholeness and brings about real inward transformation for them. Grace does not condemn those struggling against sin; grace produces holiness in them.

Sinners found hope, joy, and liberty in Jesus. He showed them His grace and His grace transformed them from living a life of sin to living a life of holiness. He never condoned their sins. A thousand times no. How could He, when He gave His life to save them from their sins!

We see an example of our Lord’s love for sinners when He befriended the corrupt tax collector, Zacchaeus. He invited Himself over to Zacchaeus’s home, loved him, and showed him grace. Before the night was over, Zacchaeus stood in the presence of all his dinner guests and said to Jesus, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

That’s the power of grace! Grace changes people’s lives from the inside out. Jesus gave Zacchaeus no commandments, no condemnation, no laws . . . just grace, grace, and more grace. And Zacchaeus’s heart was forever transformed. Grace produces true holiness.

Joseph Prince (April-05-2026) Daily Devotional: The Power of God’s Word

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow. - Hebrews 4:12

The Bible declares that the Word of God is the opposite of death—it is living and powerful. No wonder our Lord Jesus, when explaining the parable of the sower, tells us that when the sower sows the Word, “Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15).

Did you notice that the enemy comes immediately? Jesus was referring to the seeds that “fell by the wayside,” but the principle I want you to see is that the enemy wants to steal the Word from our hearts because he does not want you to “believe and be saved” (Luke 8:5, 12).

The devil knows that if you receive the Word and believe it, you will be saved. This is why he will do all he can to stop the Word of God from taking root in your heart. He knows that if it stays long enough, it will be your victory and his defeat!

The word used for saved in the original Greek is the word sozo, which means “to save one from injury or peril; to save a suffering one from perishing, for example, one suffering from disease; to make well, heal, restore to health.”

The enemy knows how potent the Word of God is. Do you?

No matter what channel you use to spend time in His Word, make sure you are well watered with the Word. As you keep yourself drenched and watered with the Word of God, I believe you will unconsciously and effortlessly get stronger and stronger, healthier and healthier.

While the healing you are believing for may not be immediate, believe that it is on its way. If you have been waiting for a while for your healing and you are feeling discouraged, let this promise from God strengthen you:

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” —Isaiah 55:10–11
 

God’s Word of healing is so powerful that it will not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish His purpose. Maybe you have partaken of the Communion, and you have prayed, but nothing seems to be happening. You may even feel like you are just going through the motions because discouragement has set in. What do you do?

Keep on watering the seed of the Word of God with the rain of His Word. Don’t give up. The harvest is coming!

Joseph Prince (April-04-2026) Daily Devotional: The Reason for the Resurrection

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

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-03-2026) Daily Devotional: Meditate on Jesus and Experience Good Success

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God [Christ]. - Romans 10:17

Under the new covenant, we get to meditate on the person of Jesus when we meditate on the Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh and as you meditate on His love for you, on His finished work, on His forgiveness, and on His grace, God guarantees that you will have good success.

You can just take one verse and meditate on Jesus’ love for you. For example, you can begin to mutter Psalm 23:1 under your breath: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” As you meditate on this simple verse, you begin to realize that the Lord is (present tense) your shepherd.

A shepherd provides for his sheep, feeds them, and protects them. Because Jesus is your shepherd, you shall not be in want for anything. You shall not lack wisdom, direction, provision—anything. You begin to see that Jesus is present with you, providing for you, watching out for you, and making sure that you and your family will have more than enough.

Now, right at that moment, in that short period of meditating on Jesus, faith is imparted and your heart is encouraged with the reality that Jesus is with you, even when you are facing some challenges.

Whether you are a homemaker, salesperson, or business owner, your soul will be nourished and strengthened when you meditate on Jesus. In fact, every time you meditate on God’s Word, Jesus will propel you into success without you even realizing it! Without you having to scheme, devise, or make all sorts of plans, Jesus will direct your steps, lead you to the place that you are supposed to be at, and cause doors of opportunity to supernaturally open wide for you.

When you meditate on Jesus, your ways always become prosperous. Now, don’t be afraid to use the word “prosperous.” It’s God’s promise in the Bible. When you meditate (mutter) on Jesus day and night, the Bible says that “you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Josh. 1:8)!

Some people think that they are prosperous once they have made their first million. But when you examine their lives, you find that somewhere along the way in their struggle to make more and more money, they have lost the very things that are really important.

They may have built up an impressive investment portfolio, but their children want nothing to do with them anymore and they have hurt the people who once loved them. That is not true prosperity or good success.

When God blesses you with prosperity, financial blessings are included, but only as a small part of the whole. Good success from Jesus will never take you away from your church. It will never take you away from your loved ones.

Most of all, it will never take you away from yourself. You will not wake up one day in the midst of your pursuit of success and find that you no longer know the person looking back at you in the mirror.

My friend, learn to meditate on the person of Jesus. He is your good success. When you have Him, you have everything.

The Bible tells us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The word for “God” here in the original Greek text is Christos, referring to Christ. In other words, faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of Christ.

Faith does not come just by hearing the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing the Word of Jesus and His finished work.

In the same way, meditating on God’s Word is about meditating, muttering, and hearing about Jesus. This does not mean that you read only the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. No, every page of the entire Bible from cover to cover points to the person of Jesus!

If you desire to experience good success in your life, then I encourage you to meditate on messages preached by ministries that are all about exalting the person of Jesus, His beauty, His unmerited favor, and His perfect work for you on the cross.

Listen to new covenant ministries that do not mix law and grace, but which rightly divide the Word of God and preach the unadulterated gospel of Jesus. The more you hear of Jesus and the cross, the more faith will be imparted to you and you will experience good success in your life!