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

How do you respond to fear—do you withdraw, distract yourself, or try to regain control? In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds believers that the right response to fear is neither surrender nor avoidance, but overcoming fear through faith and obedience to God’s Word.

Scripture paints the picture of a life anchored in trust: the one who puts confidence in the Lord is like a tree planted by water—steady in heat, resilient in drought, and fruitful no matter the season (Jeremiah 17:7–8). Dr. Youssef exposes one of fear’s most common roots: the loss of control. Whether it’s finances, relationships, health, or the future, we often try to fix fear by tightening our grip—only to discover that control never produces peace.

But Jesus offers a different kind of security: “My peace I give you… Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). And God promises a sure foundation for those who rely on Him—one that silences panic when everything else shakes (Isaiah 28:16). This devotional will help you trade anxiety for assurance by surrendering your circumstances to the God who is truly in control.

Prayer: God, help me to respond to fear with faith in You and obedience to Your Word. Help me to remember that I can rest in You because You are in control. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series Freedom from Fear: 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:
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We may wish maturity came instantly, but the truth is simple: growth takes work—and it requires patience, persistence, and sacrifice. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef compares spiritual formation to athletic training: no champion wins by coasting, and no believer grows into Christlikeness without intentional discipline.

Paul described his own commitment clearly—he refused to run aimlessly or fight without purpose. Instead, he practiced self-control so he would not be disqualified from the prize (1 Corinthians 9:26–27). Dr. Youssef warns that when we stop stretching, we don’t stay neutral—we stagnate. And when we choose deliberate disobedience, it reveals pride. But choosing obedience is the mark of humility, and God promises real fruit from that posture—riches, honor, and life (Proverbs 22:4).

This devotional also reassures you that submission is not weakness. When you humble yourself under God’s mighty hand, He will lift you up in His timing—and you can cast every anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6–7). As you trust His plan, even when it seems impossible, God will grow you to heights only He knew you could reach.

Prayer: Lord, help me resist the temptation to do what looks easiest and instead always obey Your voice. Strengthen me that I may fulfill Your work. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:38).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series Joseph: Portrait of a Winner: 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

A breathtaking monastery perched on a cliff in Portugal offers a stunning view—but reaching it requires being hoisted in a wicker basket by an aged monk. When a nervous visitor asked how often the rope was replaced, the monk replied, “Each time the old rope breaks.” That answer captures the dread many people live with every day: the fear that everything could collapse at any moment.

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef confronts that kind of anxiety—fear, doubt, and worry that can paralyze even believers. The liberating Truth is this: God holds the rope of your life. His protection is not flimsy, and His care is not distracted. Nothing is strong enough to pull you out of His shelter.

Dr. Youssef anchors this encouragement in Scripture: nothing—trouble, hardship, persecution, danger—can separate you from the love of Christ, and in Him you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:35, 37). Jesus also assures us that the Father’s care is so detailed that even the hairs on our head are numbered—and we are worth far more than sparrows (Matthew 10:30–31).

When anxiety rises, pause and remember: God is aware of you, He loves you, and He has purpose for your days. Seek first His Kingdom, trust Him fully, and ask Him to teach you to number your days with wisdom (Psalm 90:12).

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You have a wonderful plan for all my days. I lay my fear and anxiety down before You and receive Your peace today. May I serve Your Kingdom purposes with my every breath and know the joy of living for You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“[D]o not worry about your life, . . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series Psalms of Deliverance: 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

During World War II, Corrie ten Boom and her family risked everything to hide Jewish men and women from Nazi persecution—creating a secret refuge above her father’s watch shop. Eventually, most of the family was arrested and sent to a concentration camp, where Corrie endured brutal conditions and heartbreaking loss, including the death of her beloved sister.

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef highlights how Corrie wrestled with the same question many believers face in suffering: Has God forgotten me? Yet in the darkness of her cell, Corrie discovered something astonishing—her fellowship with Jesus became closer than ever. Though imprisoned, she could honestly say she was free.

Then, in a stunning turn, Corrie was released just one day before her scheduled execution—an unmistakable reminder that outcomes may vary, but God never abandons His children. As you walk through trials, this devotional anchors your heart in Paul’s perspective: even when outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly God is renewing us day by day—and our momentary troubles are producing an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:16–17).

Prayer: Lord, I know Your love for me drives the darkness of this world away. I know that You will never leave me! Thank You. Help me to find comfort in this Truth, no matter how dark the situation may be. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“[E]ven the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:12).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Joseph: Portrait of a Winner, Winners Don’t Always Look like Winners: 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

Every Christian lives by faith every day. Like a muscle, faith grows stronger when you exercise it—and it weakens when you default to self-reliance. In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains that while all believers must walk by faith to mature in Christ, some are also given a distinct gift of faith by the Holy Spirit.

This Spirit-gifted faith is marked by a remarkable steadiness: it views God’s purposes as if they are already accomplished. Dr. Youssef points to biblical examples:

Joseph held onto a God-given dream through betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and years in prison—because the dream was God’s, not his own.

Moses persevered through Pharaoh’s hardened refusals, trusting that God would deliver His people exactly as promised.

Nehemiah kept building despite opposition, intimidation, and doubt—because he believed God had called him to the work.

Not everyone will live the “headline” kind of life these men did—but God still gives the gift of faith to believers today, and their confidence becomes fuel for others to keep going. If you’re facing opposition, delays, or obstacles, this devotional will encourage you to keep exercising faith—and to thank God for those whose Spirit-given faith helps the Church press forward in victory.

Prayer: God, help me to discern Your will for my life and to walk by faith every day. May I grow in faith as I trust Your Word, leaning not on my own understanding. Spirit, grow the spiritual fruit of faith in my life as I fix my eyes on Christ, my Savior. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“[I]f you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Who, Me? Gifted?, Mountain-Moving Faith: 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