MY Devotional: Daily Biblical Encouragement & Prayer from Leading The Way

Habakkuk ministered in a tense moment in Israel’s history—when Babylon was rising and judgment was approaching—yet the heart of his book is deeply personal: moving from impatience and confusion to steadfast trust in God’s timing.

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef walks through Habakkuk’s prayer in chapter 3 and points to three features that can reshape your own prayer life when answers feel delayed:

Humility before God: Habakkuk begins by questioning God’s silence (Habakkuk 1:2), but ends with reverent awe—learning to submit his perspective to God’s sovereignty.

Adoration of God: Instead of using prayer only to get solutions, Habakkuk models prayer as worship—asking to know God more and responding in obedience.

Focus on God’s work: Habakkuk pleads for mercy and awakening—not because the people deserve it, but because he longs for God’s Name to be glorified.

Where many sink into anger, depression, or prayerlessness when heaven feels quiet, Habakkuk turns delay into discipleship—asking, in effect, “Lord, what are You teaching me? How can I trust You more?” This devotional will help you pray through waiting seasons with faith, perspective, and joy that isn’t dependent on circumstances.

Prayer: Father, may I set my heart on You, the God of grace, wisdom, and sovereign power. I believe Your promises and will wait on You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Scripture Focus: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). 

*This devotional adapted from Life-Changing Prayers by Michael Youssef © 2018. Published by Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI. Used by permission.

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Life-Changing Prayers, Part 4: LISTEN NOW

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.
🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care
💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com
If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.
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Jonah didn’t run toward God’s calling—he ran the other way. Sent to Nineveh, he fled to Joppa, boarded a ship for Tarshish, and ended up in the last place he expected: the belly of a great fish. Yet in that dark, desperate place, Jonah did one thing right—he prayed with everything he had.

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef invites you into Jonah 2:1–6, a prayer for anyone who feels trapped by a storm—whether that storm was caused by disobedience or came through no fault of your own. Dr. Youssef highlights a crucial detail: Jonah didn’t improvise empty words—he prayed the Scriptures back to God, echoing God’s promises (especially from the Psalms) when he didn’t know how, when, or even if deliverance would come.

This devotional will encourage you to:

pray God’s promises when your emotions are overwhelming,

trust God’s sovereign rescue even when you can’t see a way out, and

remember this hope-filled Truth: even if we forsake God, He never forsakes His people.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your steadfast love and forgiveness. Because of Your grace and mercy, I can face any storm, for I know You are with me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Scripture Focus: “To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit” (Jonah 2:6). 

*This devotional adapted from Life-Changing Prayers by Michael Youssef © 2018. Published by Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI. Used by permission.

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Biblical Compassion, Part 3: LISTEN NOW

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.
🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care
💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com
If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.
❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

As we conclude this series on Daniel’s effective prayers, Dr. Michael Youssef brings the focus to two essentials many believers overlook: knowing God’s Word and responding in obedience.

How can you be confident you’re praying God’s will—and not simply your own desires? Jesus gives the priority: seek first God’s Kingdom, and trust Him to provide what you need (Matthew 6:25–33). Dr. Youssef explains that the pathway to will-aligned prayer is immersion in Scripture: the more you know the mind of God, the more your requests begin to reflect His purposes. As you pray specifically, you learn to check those requests against God’s Word—because God will never lead you to pray against what He has already revealed.

This devotional also pulls together the pattern we’ve seen in Daniel:

Praise that magnifies God,

Confession that stays honest and humble,

Petition that asks God to act for His glory,

and then a crucial final step: listen and obey. God often accomplishes His purposes through individual believers who are willing to move from prayer into faithful action.

If you’ve felt weary in prayer or tempted to give up, Dr. Youssef anchors you with a promise of perseverance: don’t quit—God’s harvest comes at the proper time (Galatians 6:9). Keep praying, keep obeying, and keep trusting God’s timing.

Prayer: Father, help me spend more time in Your Word so that I will be better equipped to pray Your will. Help me respond in obedience when I sense You leading me to do something. And help me not give up! I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands” (Psalm 119:60).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon 12 Evidences of Faith, Releasing His Power Through Prayer: LISTEN NOW

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.
🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care
💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com
If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.
❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

As we continue learning from Daniel’s prayers, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds us that we are completely reliant on God’s love and forgiveness—and that Daniel’s approach is a blueprint for praying with spiritual power.

First, appeal for mercy. Daniel doesn’t present God with reasons he deserves an answer. Instead, he pleads on the basis of God’s covenant character: “We do not make requests… because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy” (Daniel 9:16–18). Daniel’s driving concern wasn’t comfort, success, or ease—it was the glory of God. This devotional calls you to pray the same way: acknowledge you don’t deserve God’s blessings, yet trust Him because He is merciful and faithful.

Second, petition for God to act. Daniel prays with urgency and clarity: “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act!” (Daniel 9:19). His requests aren’t selfish—they’re aimed at God being honored and His Name being vindicated. Dr. Youssef encourages believers to pray boldly for God to move in ways that most clearly display that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

If you’ve been hesitant to pray specifically or feel unworthy to ask for God’s intervention, this devotional will help you recover the right posture: humility before God, confidence in His mercy, and God-centered petitions that seek His highest glory.

Prayer: God, as I humble myself before You, I realize that I don’t deserve Your blessings, but I am grateful that You are a merciful God. Apart from You, I am nothing. God, I pray that You would take action, showing Yourself strong, so that You would receive all praise and glory. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture Focus: “Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name” (Psalm 119:132).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Life-Changing Prayers, Part 1: LISTEN NOW

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.
🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care
💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com
If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.
❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

What makes “the prayer of a righteous person” so effective? Dr. Michael Youssef points to Daniel’s plea in Daniel 9:4–19 as a clear model for believers today—and then highlights the key components you can practice immediately.

First, start with praise. Daniel doesn’t rush into requests; he begins by magnifying God as “great and awesome,” faithful to His covenant of love (Daniel 9:4). Prayer isn’t merely a tool to get what we want—it’s fellowship with God, cultivating an intimate relationship through adoration and thanksgiving.

Second, confess your sins. Daniel doesn’t minimize Israel’s guilt or make excuses. He owns it plainly: “we have sinned and done wrong… we have turned away” (Daniel 9:5). Dr. Youssef reminds us that honest confession isn’t self-condemnation—it’s God’s pathway to restore us to the fullness of right relationship with Him.

If you’ve felt stuck in prayer, distracted, or discouraged, this devotional will help you reset your approach: praise God for who He is, confess what He reveals, and pray from a heart that longs to be aligned with Him.

Prayer: God, I want to praise You today for Your love and for the gift of salvation. Thank You for giving us Your Word to provide examples like Daniel for us to follow. Forgive my sins, my Redeemer. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture Focus: “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!” (Psalm 18:46).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Life-Changing Prayers, Part 1: LISTEN NOW

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.
🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care
💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com
If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.
❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate