May Devotions: Aligning Your Emotions with God’s Truth
Photo by Wherda Arsianto
MONDAY
Peace for Your Emotions When You Can’t “Feel” God
Romans 8:15 (TPT): You did not receive the “spirit of religious duty,” leading you back into the fear of never being good enough. But you have received the “Spirit of full acceptance,” enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as he rises up within us, our spirits join him in saying the words of tender affection, “Beloved Father!”
Do you ever have days or weeks (or longer) when it seems like you can’t “feel” God? In these times, prayer is hard, and you might get the sense you’re doing something wrong, but you don’t know what.
Sometimes this happens for an unexpected reason. It could be that somewhere along the way, we started listening to a voice that’s telling us we’re not good enough for the Lord. This is a common lie from the enemy that many people struggle with. When we believe this lie, we have a hard time connecting with truth.
The truth about you is Romans 8:15. That is your story, and you can accept it as truth whenever your heart feels cut off from the Lord. He loves you and He fought to have you.
Today’s journaling question: Do you sometimes feel like you can’t “find” God? Is there something in your thoughts that needs to change? Ask the Lord to reveal the truth about Romans 8:15 to your heart.
May your Monday be blessed, and may you come to know the Lord’s abundant love for you.
TUESDAY
Peace for Your Emotions When You Worry You Need to Do More for God
Matthew 10:42 (NOG): I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives any of my humble followers a cup of cold water because that person is my disciple will certainly never lose his reward.
God loves the small things you offer to Him in worship. If you worry that you’re too small for Him, that you have to earn His acceptance, or that you have to be a certain way or He won’t be pleased—maybe you should take a moment and recalibrate your thinking. What is the truth about God? What does the Bible say about His love for the people He created for Himself? What is the truth about His heart for you?
Your heavenly Father loves you, and sometimes love is best seen in the small things. Your love for God is a big deal to Him. He sees it clearly and does not belittle it. It is a treasure to Him.
Today’s journaling question: Do you feel like you need to be a certain way so God will be pleased with you? Ask Him to show you how He really feels about you.
May your Tuesday be blessed, and may you come to realize your worth in God’s sight.
WEDNESDAY
Peace for Your Emotions When You Feel Worthless
Psalm 55:19 (TPT): God himself will hear me!
God-Enthroned through everlasting ages,
the God of unchanging faithfulness…
Malachi 3:6 (NKJV): For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
God doesn’t change, and His heart for you doesn’t change. Don’t let wavering emotions tell you what’s true about God. Sometimes your emotions will confirm what is real—that you are loved beyond anything you could hope for or imagine—but at other times, they will talk about despair, heartache, or what’s going wrong.
The truth about God remains true even when you feel scared, alone, fearful, rejected, worthless, condemned, or forgotten. You are loved then. You are fully accepted then. In the “dark times,” stand up and declare what is true, understanding it is still true, even if your heart is trembling.
Today’s journaling question: Do you feel like God’s love for you is changeable? Or like it’s moody? Ask Him to show you what He wants you to know about Psalm 55:19 and Malachi 3:6.
May your Wednesday be blessed, and may you come face to face with Jesus’ heart.
THURSDAY
Peace for Your Emotions When You Need to Forgive Yourself
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV): God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Philippians 3:8–9 (NET): That I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.
Your past looks like the righteousness of God. Jesus bore your shame for you on the cross—He’s the One who carried it, so you wouldn’t have to. He completely rubbed it away until there is nothing left. There is only Jesus and His righteousness.
Today, because of Jesus, one word that describes you is righteous. When the enemy reminds you of the past and tries to get you to reject yourself, stand on the truth. “No. I am a child of God, and Jesus carried all my sin and shame for me. My past looks like His righteousness! I choose to forgive myself for the things I’ve done wrong, because He’s forgiven me. The Lord loves me, and He has accepted me completely.”
Today’s journaling question: Where do you need to trust the Lord’s love for you? Where do you need to believe that He really did take care of your sin for you?
May your Thursday be blessed, and may your heart rejoice in the freedom God has poured out on you, because you’re His child.
FRIDAY
Peace for Your Emotions When You Worry God Isn’t Pleased with You
John 10:4–5 (ESV): When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
You don’t need to listen to any voice other than God’s. Not fear or shame. Not worry. You don’t ever need to play mind games with yourself (“What if…?”) or compare yourself to other people. Whenever those things come up, you can take your thoughts captive, set the unholy ones aside, and put your focus on Jesus. He is love and truth, both at the same time.
The enemy’s voice is very sneaky, and we don’t always realize we’re hearing it. The next time you’re afraid—that God doesn’t love you, that you’re not good enough, that you don’t measure up—understand you’re listening to a voice that is not Jesus’ voice and choose to let the fear go.
Today’s journaling question: Where are you afraid? What are you worrying about? Take that fear or worry to Jesus, and let Him wash it away in His love.
May your Friday be blessed, and may your confidence in the Lord’s love for you rise up strong.
SATURDAY
Peace for Your Emotions When You Think You Need to Earn God’s Love
Galatians 5:23 (ESV): Against such things there is no law.
Romans 8:1–3 (TPT): So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. For the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated us from the “law” of sin and death. For God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish, because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature.
As a believer in Jesus, you don’t have to worry about “following the rules” of Christianity. It isn’t about rules. You don’t have to perform or earn things from God—this is a simple, full-of-rest, full-of-peace, love relationship with Jesus. There are no expectations set on your performance. Just the love of God.
Sometimes we struggle because we start thinking there are things we “have” to do for God in order to be accepted. But His love is enough for you, and you will never need to earn that love. It is already completely yours, and you get to rest in Him.
Today’s journaling question: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you adopt a mindset where His love is enough. Learn how to think from that place.
May your Saturday be blessed, and may you truly understand that God’s love is enough.
SUNDAY
Peace for Your Emotions When You Worry About Being Rejected
2 Corinthians 12:9 (AMP): But He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.
Do you ever worry that maybe you’re not “enough” for God? Or that maybe He doesn’t approve of your relationship with Him as it looks right now? A lot of believers live with the worry that God may not be pleased with them.
But in your daily relationship with the One who made the stars, you never need to be afraid of “getting it wrong” with Him. You don’t need to worry about how He’ll react to you or that maybe you aren’t living up to His expectations.
Instead, you can take a deep breath, let it out, and accept in faith that you’re loved, just the way you are. He is fully aware of your weak places and shortcomings, and He still has not rejected you. He thinks of you as a delight.
Today’s journaling question: You may need to continuously draw yourself out of a works mentality and learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice. Do you feel like that idea applies to you? If so, ask the Holy Spirit to come and show you the truth about His affection for you. Ask Him to reveal to your heart that you really are His delight.
May your Sunday be blessed, and may your heart overflow with the love of God.
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize. Check out these other devotions:
To learn more about God’s love for you as you prepare for marriage, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.