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

There’s one essential Truth every believer must grasp: grace equals power—supernatural power that can raise a dead soul to life and carry you through the darkest seasons. In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef anchors your heart in God’s promise to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Dr. Youssef explains why thorns matter: without weakness, we would rarely see—or be able to testify to—the sufficiency of God’s grace. Grace is most clearly displayed when self-reliance collapses, when circumstances feel heavy, and when you realize you need God more than you need relief.

You’ll also be reminded of God’s steadfast commitment to finish what He started in you (Philippians 1:6), to empower you for godly living (2 Peter 1:3), and to keep you secure in His hands forever (John 10:28–29). No sin is beyond the atoning reach of Christ’s blood, and no trial is too dark for the Gospel’s sustaining hope (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

If you’ve been staring so long at the thorn that you can’t see the rose of grace, this devotional calls you to look up—remember God’s promises—and rejoice in the power of His sufficient grace.

Prayer: Lord, help me to take my eyes off my thorn. May my gaze instead be fixed upon Your throne. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series The Secrets of Positive Living: 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 slipped into self-sufficiency—trying to navigate life with your own wisdom, grit, and ingenuity—only to feel discouraged, depleted, or stuck? In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds you that God never intended you to live on human strength.

Paul learned this firsthand through his persistent “thorn,” pleading for relief—only to hear God’s life-changing answer: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Instead of viewing weakness as failure, Paul came to see it as the very place where Christ’s power rests most clearly—turning hardship into holy dependence and defeat into spiritual strength.

Dr. Youssef also highlights Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9–12, showing what God’s power is meant to produce in everyday life: deeper understanding of God’s will, a life that pleases the Lord, fruitfulness in good works, growing knowledge of God, and supernatural endurance marked by joyful gratitude. God doesn’t only want you to acknowledge Him as Creator—He wants you to know His power personally, especially when you feel weakest.

Prayer: Mighty God, thank You for Your power that is available to me personally. Forgive me for the times I have worked in my own strength instead of finding my rest in You. Help me to depend on Your power today so that I can serve You and those You have put in my life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series The Secrets of Positive Living: 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 feel constantly troubled by your sin—driven to create new “lines in the sand” just to feel good enough? In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef warns that when we try to earn God’s acceptance, we trade Gospel freedom for spiritual exhaustion—shackling ourselves with legalism and elevating our own rules to the level of God’s commands.

Jesus confronted this very mindset in the Pharisees, who were meticulous about external religious behavior while neglecting the weightier matters God desires—mercy, faithfulness, and justice (Matthew 23:23). Their outward appearance looked impressive, but Christ exposed the inner reality: hypocrisy and emptiness (Matthew 23:27–28). Dr. Youssef explains that legalism always leads to discontentment because it makes salvation feel like “grace plus something”—church attendance, rituals, moral checklists, reputation, or performance.

But the Gospel is better: Jesus did it all on the cross. Peace with God comes by grace through faith—God’s gift, not our achievement—so no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8–9). If a legalistic mindset has shifted your focus from God’s grace to man-made rules, this devotional calls you to repent of self-righteousness and rest in Christ’s finished work.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your grace. Help me to be on guard against legalism in my life, allowing You to sanctify me from the inside out instead of trying to change myself from the outside in. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series Got Freedom?: 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

When Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), He was not imagining separation from the Father. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef points to the staggering reality of the cross: in that moment, the sin of humanity was laid upon the sinless Son of God, and Jesus endured the judgment every believer deserved.

Dr. Youssef explains why Jesus addressed the Father differently in His anguish—seeing Him as Judge as our guilt was heaped upon Him. This is the center of the Gospel: every person will face God’s judgment, but those who receive forgiveness are those who trust that Jesus took their judgment upon Himself.

You’ll be led to reflect on the breathtaking exchange Christ accomplished:

He became sin though He never sinned, so we could be made righteous.

He died in darkness so we could live in light.

He was forsaken so we could be accepted.

He was rejected so we could be received.

This devotional is a call to pause, remember, and worship—because your salvation cost Christ everything.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for bearing my sin on the cross. Thank You for Your sacrifice. May I live wholeheartedly for You in the freedom You have secured for me. I want to bring You honor and glory, giving all praise and credit to You for any good You work in my heart. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“. . . walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Love Gives, Part 2: 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 if you truly believed God’s throne is no longer a place of judgment for you—but a place of help?

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef unpacks the invitation of Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence…” Through Jesus Christ, the door is open for every believer to come boldly to God—not to be shamed, but to receive mercy and find grace exactly when you need it most.

Dr. Youssef reminds us why this confidence is possible: Jesus is our Great High Priest—He understands us, sympathizes with our weakness, and was tempted in every way without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He is not waiting to condemn you; He is waiting to strengthen you—day after day—so you can overcome temptation, endure hardship, and walk in righteousness.

As you come to the throne by the blood of Christ, trusting Him for salvation and ongoing transformation, you are equipped to face whatever comes. The Holy Spirit indwells you and empowers you to say no to sin and yes to obedience—because grace isn’t merely pardon; it’s power.

Prayer: Great High Priest, thank You for allowing me to approach the throne of grace with confidence. May I never take such a gift for granted but humbly come before You daily with my praises and petitions. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon The Awesomeness of God’s Grace, God’s Grace Gives Us Confidence: 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