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

God invites you to come to Him with every need—big or small. But in today’s MY Devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef challenges believers to move beyond “small” prayers that stay centered on comfort and into big prayers that seek God’s renown, praise, and honor among the nations (Jeremiah 33:9).

Dr. Youssef clarifies what makes these prayers powerful: they rise from hearts truly devoted to God—hearts that want Christ to be magnified, nonbelievers transformed, and the work of His Kingdom advanced. At the same time, he offers a sober warning: God sees every hidden motive. We can’t disguise selfish ambition as “for Your glory,” and we can’t pretend faith when we’re nurturing doubt.

As you grow in daily relationship with the Lord—learning His character and trusting His promises—your prayers naturally expand. You begin to pray with genuine faith because you know God is capable, willing, and faithful. And when your heart is clear before Him, Scripture says you can pray with confidence, receiving from Him as you seek to please Him (1 John 3:21–22).

This episode will help you realign your prayer life toward God’s glory—so you don’t just ask for outcomes, but for God to be seen, trusted, and honored through every outcome.

Prayer: God, help me to come to You with a heart that is in the right place. Help me pray big prayers that seek to glorify You and reveal Your majesty. May I seek You first and foremost. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Call on Me, Call on Me for Great Things: 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

Have you ever noticed that the moment you decide to pray, interruptions multiply—phone calls, doorbells, to-do lists, daydreams, even sleepiness? In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains why that’s not an accident. Prayer is sacred fellowship with your heavenly Father, and Satan will do whatever he can to disrupt it—because he knows prayer is a vital source of spiritual power.

Dr. Youssef reminds us that prayer is how we communicate with God, learn His heart, and grow in faith. It’s where we receive encouragement, strength, and the power to face life. That’s why Jesus urged believers—especially in chaotic times—to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). When prayer becomes only a crisis-response, we reveal we haven’t made prayer a daily relationship—thanking God in joy as quickly as we cry out in pain.

This devotional reframes prayer as more than requesting, persuading, or “getting God to act.” Prayer is the evidence of love, surrender, obedience, and sincerity—joyful, intimate communion with the Lord who wants to meet with you.

Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for neglecting prayer and time with You. Thank You for blessing me with an intimate relationship with You. Help me never to neglect my time with You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series Call on Me: 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

Do you ever find yourself praying like a sailor using a pump—only when the ship is leaking? In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef challenges the habit of “need-driven prayer,” where we pray furiously in crisis but neglect prayer when life feels stable.

Dr. Youssef offers simple, actionable guidance on how to take prayer seriously:

Give prayer adequate time: Relationships don’t grow through rushed check-ins and request lists. If we sow only a few minutes of prayer, we shouldn’t be surprised by shallow spiritual strength.

Give prayer adequate space: Jesus taught us to pray in a place where we can focus without distractions (Matthew 6:6). Undivided attention helps our hearts listen, not just speak.

Give prayer adequate attention: Effective prayer requires prioritization. Mark it on your calendar. Treat it as essential, not optional.

He also points to Jesus’ example of early-morning prayer—not as a rigid rule, but as a wise pattern that offers God the first fruits of your day. And even then, prayer doesn’t “end” after a quiet time; it continues through every situation because prayer is both discipline and lifestyle—the most important part of every day.

Prayer: Father, help me to take prayer seriously and to give You the time, space, and attention You deserve. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series The Prayer That God Answers: 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

Do you have someone in your life who only reaches out when they want something? That kind of one-sided relationship feels transactional—and it’s a powerful mirror for how many believers approach God.

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef challenges us to move beyond “laundry-list” praying—requests without worship, needs without thanksgiving, future-focused anxiety without remembering God’s past faithfulness. When we forget what God has already done, our prayers weaken because forgetfulness reveals ingratitude—and we begin taking credit for victories only God could have accomplished.

Dr. Youssef points to a pattern throughout Scripture: God repeatedly calls His people to remember—sometimes by setting up visible memorials of His provision. These “Ebenezer stones” (“stone of help”) become spiritual markers that spark renewal, revive gratitude, and draw us back into abiding fellowship with Christ. They remind us where our help truly comes from—and they re-center our hearts on God’s glory, not just our requests.

As you listen, ask yourself: What memorial is God calling you to set up today so you’ll stay focused on Him, abide in His presence, and learn to pray without ceasing?

Prayer: Father, forgive me for forgetting to take the time to praise and adore You. You have been so faithful to me. Thank You for loving me and saving me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon What Is Your Ebenezer?: WATCH 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

Have you noticed how quickly disappointment follows when expectations are placed on the wrong things—people, circumstances, plans, even your own strength? In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds us that only God’s promises can carry the full weight of our expectations.

Dr. Youssef takes us to Luke 2:25–35, where we meet Simeon—an ordinary man with extraordinary hope. Simeon had spent his life waiting for the Messiah, trusting God’s Word that he would personally see the Christ. After years of watching and waiting, Simeon finally held the infant Jesus in his arms and prayed with calm certainty: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised… you may now dismiss your servant in peace” (Luke 2:29–32). Simeon wasn’t shocked that God came through—he expected it, because his hope was rooted in the faithfulness of God.

This devotional will help you contrast Simeon’s steady confidence with the shaky expectations we often place on this world—and call you to re-anchor your heart in what never fails. God’s timing may stretch longer than you’d like and His methods may surprise you, but He will always fulfill His promises.

Prayer: God, help me to place my expectations in You, not in this world. I know that You will never disappoint me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Unrealistic Expectations, Hope That Will Not Disappoint: WATCH 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