Joyce Meyer

"Most of us have hoped and prayed for something to happen a certain way, but it didn't. And when this happened, we had a choice to make: to react with offense toward God or to trust Him anyway."

"I'm only going to stand before God and give an account for my life, not for somebody else's life. If I have a bad attitude, then I need to say there's no point in me blaming you for what's wrong in my life."

"If someone decides they're not going to be happy, it's not your problem. You don't have to spend your time and energy trying to cheer up someone who has already decided to stay in a bad mood. Believe it or not, you can actually hurt people by playing into their self-pity."

"Individuals need to be willing to face truth about their attitudes, behaviors, even what we want out of life."

"Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges."

"The devil is a peace stealer, and he works hard to set us up to get upset. But we can learn how to change our approach so we don't live upset all of the time. And Jesus gives us the best example to follow."

"Things in themselves have no life in them. A car can't comfort or encourage you. A house means nothing if there's no life and love inside."

"Words are powerful; if you change your words, you can change your life."

"Complaining is dangerous business. It can damage or even destroy your relationship with God, your relationships with other people, and even with your relationship with yourself."

"Education levels the playing field, allowing everyone to compete."

"Many sophisticated, intelligent people lack wisdom and common sense."

"Reproach is shame, blame, disgrace, disapproval and a disrespectful attitude toward yourself. When you're under reproach, your behavior shows it."

"Watch out for the joy-stealers: gossip, criticism, complaining, faultfinding, and a negative, judgmental attitude."

"When we trust God more than our feelings, it confuses the devil. I mean, when he throws you his best shot and he can't budge you from believing God, he won't know what to do with you anymore."

"Each time we cooperate with God, we take one more giant step forward. Because when God asks us to change, it means that He always has something better to give us - more freedom, greater joy, and greater blessings."

"Early on in my life, I had a broken soul. I was abused by my father, abandoned by my mother and ended up in a destructive first marriage. By the time I was 23, I was broken in my soul. I didn't know how to think right. I felt wrong about everything. But God stepped into my life, and I came out on the other side and didn't even smell like smoke."

"Getting stress out of your life takes more than prayer alone. You must take action to make changes and stop doing whatever is causing the stress. You can learn to calm down in the way you handle things."

"God's grace is amazing! We're saved by grace - God's undeserved favor - and we live by grace, which is also God's power in our lives to do what we could never do in our own strength. And it's all because God is love, and He loves us unconditionally, constantly and completely."

"I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you."

"I don't think even ungodly people realize what a society would be like that had no godly influence at all."

"I have learned from personal experience that putting trust in God means there will be some unanswered questions. That was a hard lesson for me because I naturally want to understand everything... to know what's going on so I can feel like I'm in control."

"I have learned that I really do have discipline, self-control, and patience. But they were given to me as a seed, and it's up to me to choose to develop them."

"I know from personal experience how damaging it can be to live with bitterness and unforgiveness. I like to say it's like taking poison and hoping your enemy will die. And it really is that harmful to us to live this way."

"I think the perception of peace is what distracts most people from really having it."

"I want to look my best for God. So many people have the attitude that if you're a Christian you've got to dress bad, wear an old color, not do anything to your hair, have nothing. It's no wonder that Christianity is not very attractive. I mean, how many people do you know in a Western culture that's going to go, 'Yeah, give me some of that?'"

"I wonder how many times people give up just before a breakthrough - when they are on the very brink of success."

"Instead of being critical of people in authority over you and envious of their position, be happy you're not responsible for everything they have to do. Instead of piling on complaints, thank them for what they do. Overwhelm them with encouragement and appreciation!"

"It's so important to realize that every time you get upset, it drains your emotional energy. Losing your cool makes you tired. Getting angry a lot messes with your health."

"Loving others always costs us something and requires effort. And you have to decide to do it on purpose. You can't wait for a feeling to motivate you."

"Many people feel so pressured by the expectations of others that it causes them to be frustrated, miserable and confused about what they should do. But there is a way to live a simple, joy-filled, peaceful life, and the key is learning how to be led by the Holy Spirit, not the traditions or expectations of man."

"No matter what has happened to you in the past or what is going on in your life right now, it has no power to keep you from having an amazingly good future if you will walk by faith in God. God loves you! He wants you to live with victory over sin so you can possess His promises for your life today!"

"Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting."

"Peace is one of the most precious gifts God has promised His children."

"People who don't know the true character of God - who don't believe He is merciful, gracious and slow to anger - can never have a close, personal, intimate relationship with Him."

"Prayer doesn't just change things - it changes us. If we are diligent in seeking God, slowly and surely we become better people."

"Prayer is such a basic foundation of a Christian's relationship with God. It's how we communicate and fellowship with Him. But a surprising number of people, young and old, new and even long-time Christians, say they're not satisfied with their prayer life."

"So many people live with anger and unforgiveness, and many of them are Christians."

"Some people have a hard time getting rid of stuff. If that's you, pray for God to give you the courage to get rid of things you don't really need or things He wants you to give away. This will help keep your surroundings organized and clutter-free."

"Stay active. Read the Word. Worship with other believers. Continue to give. Keep learning and growing. Your faith will be unleashed!"

"The eagle has no fear of adversity. We need to be like the eagle and have a fearless spirit of a conqueror!"

"The flesh, or human nature, is generally lazy and self-centered."

"The truth is God created us to have relationship with us. He wants to love us and take care of us, and He wants us to love Him. That's where our walk with Christ has to start."

"There are some hurts that we experience that can be forgiven but we won't forget them."

"We all face storms in life. Some are more difficult than others, but we all go through trials and tribulation. That's why we have the gift of faith."

"We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics."

"We want our marriage to be a triumph, not a tragedy."

"We will all fail in life, but nobody has to be a failure. Failing at a thing doesn't make you a failure. You are only a failure when you quit trying."