And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. – Romans 8:26 (NLT)

Let’s talk about anger. Have you noticed how it can often feel overwhelming when you think about trying to defeat anger in your life? It’s especially true when you have lots of good reasons to be angry.

Regardless of what’s been done to you or how you’ve been treated, Jesus wants you to live a life of freedom and hope. When anger is left to rule in your life, it controls you. It traps you and it leaves you without freedom.

That’s why the Bible talks a lot about anger. Because God wants the best for you and His best is freedom from the trap of anger.

If you’ve struggled with anger, there is hope in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is there to help you. He wants to guide you and help you walk in freedom from anger.

So go to Him. Pray, ask for help defeating anger in your life. Jesus wants you walking in freedom from anger.

The last part of today’s verse says, “you are mine”. Aren’t those words encouraging? To know that you’re God’s? You’re not an accident, regardless of what others say. You are God’s. That gives you dignity.

So no matter what people have said about you, you can hold your head high. You know that God loves you and calls you His. He will be with you and help you in every trouble that you face. He’s there to comfort you, protect you, provide for you, and meet any physical or emotional need you have.

But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. – Isaiah 43:1

So go out today to your world on purpose. Know that you’ve been created for this time and on purpose. Let the world see how good God is through you. God wants to do big things through you!

Today’s Truth: I am God’s.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

Have you ever thought about God being your source of hope and joy? Many times it’s easy to look to other people and think they will bring us fulfillment. We can think that if we were dating the right person we’d be happy. We can think that if we had more friends or if we were more popular then we’d be happy.

However, none of those things will truly fill us. We need the joy and the peace that God gives us when we put our trust in Him. The reason that God can be our source of hope is that He’s the only person that won’t let us down. He won’t leave us, He can’t lie. God is constant and always good. He’s looking out for your best interests at all times.

Today’s Truth: Let God be your source of peace and joy!

It’s up to us to choose to put our trust in Him. We have to decide to let Him be where we find joy. We have to choose to let Him be where we find peace. When we do that, we find that we have true peace and joy!

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. – Luke 12:7

Have you ever felt like no one gets you? Maybe you feel like your parents or friends just don’t seem to understand what you’re going through. It can be really difficult in those times to know you should turn to for help.

Today’s Bible verse helps us know where to turn to in difficult times. This verse shows us that God really gets you more than anyone else. He gets you because He created you. That means He knows all about you, and knows the number of hairs on your head. God loves you in a deeper way than anyone else can, because  He made you who you are. Because He knows you so well and understands you, you can turn to Him when things get tough.

Today’s Truth: Your Value Comes From God

So on days when you feel like no one gets you or you feel like you’re not worth much, remember today’s verse. You can take comfort knowing that God loves you so much!

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud – 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT)

There’s nothing harder sometimes than having to wait for something. Maybe you have a friend that takes forever to do her homework. And it drives you crazy working with her because she takes forever to get it done. Or perhaps you’ve got stuck behind a bunch of people walking slowly in the halls of your school. You want more than anything to shove them out of your way so that you don’t show up late to class.

Have you ever been so frustrated with someone going slow that you said or did something that was unkind out of frustration? Being patient with others can be extremely challenging at times.

So what are some ways you can be patient with the people who drive you crazy? First of all, begin to speak life-giving words over yourself. If you struggle with being impatient, and you’d like to change that, begin speaking daily to yourself that you’re patient. Changing your talk can greatly help you on your path to becoming a person of patience.

Today’s Truth: To change your habits, change what you speak. There’s power in positive words.

Also, take an honest look at your life. Some of the moments I’m the most impatient are those that I’ve overscheduled myself or overcommitted. If you’ve overscheduled your day, and are stressed, you’re more likely to be impatient.

Choose today to practice patience in your dealings with others. Choose to show others the love of God by being a person who is patient with others.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time. – Proverbs 17:17 (HCSB)

Have you ever needed a friend when you were going through a difficult time? Maybe your grandparent passed away, or you’re dealing with low self-esteem, or maybe you’ve just got a bad case of the Mondays. Whatever the case may be, there are times when we just need a good friend.

Good friends are sometimes hard to come by. Many people don’t really stick by you when things get tough. At the first sign of difficulty, friends often leave. However, when you find a true friend, you know you’ve found a special thing.

Even if you feel like you don’t have a good friend, you can practice being a good friend to others. Go out of your way to do something nice for someone that might be having a bad day. Buy some candy for the student who failed his algebra test. Practice kindness and be a true friend to the people God has placed in your life.

Today’s Truth: Practice kindness and be a true friend to the people God has placed in your life.

As you give to others, you’ll be blessed as well. So choose today to be a good friend to the people in your life. Choose to be there for them when they’re going through difficult situations. Pray for them when they don’t know what to do. Ask God how you can make a difference to them. He’ll show you lots of great ways you can help those around you if you’re open to it.

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, – Psalm 91:9

Where do you go when you’re upset? Do you have a place you like? When I was a little kid, I loved going into my closet where it was dark to hide when I was upset. It helped me calm down and it was nice to just have a place where I felt no one could find me.

In this Bible verse, we are encouraged to think of God as a refuge. We are to think of Him as a safe place, where we can get away from our problems and find peace. Its interesting though how often we forget about God’s ability to be our shelter in tough times. We often turn to friends, our room, a TV show, or even over eat when we’re upset. The best place we can turn in tough times is to God.

God is willing to be your refuge from the troubles of life. Will you make Him your safe place? The next time you experience trouble, take a moment to think about God. Give Him a chance to be your safe place, your refuge from your trouble.