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

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:
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“Good works” are the backbone of every man-made religion—systems built on striving, earning, and self-improvement. But in today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef draws a bright line between human effort and the Gospel: Christianity is not about what you can do for God, but what God has done for you by grace.

Dr. Youssef shows why it’s a tragic—and eternally dangerous—mistake to assume, “I’ve lived a good life. I don’t need saving.” The Bible’s verdict is universal: we are all under sin’s curse and unable to earn heaven by morality, rituals, or religious performance. That’s why Paul’s words are so freeing: salvation is by grace through faith, a gift from God, so no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8–9).

And here’s the hope that lifts shame: no one falls beyond the reach of God’s grace. Romans declares that where sin increases, grace increases all the more—because through the obedience of Jesus Christ, sinners can be made righteous and receive eternal life (Romans 5:19–21). If you’ve been trying to “work your way” into peace with God, this devotional calls you to stop striving and come to Christ—who alone can forgive, redeem, and restore.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your extravagant grace demonstrated in the gift of Your Son. Thank You for doing for me what I could never do for myself. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” (Romans 5:15).

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

It’s part of human nature to perform—for God, for ourselves, and for others. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef identifies two common traps that quietly distort Christianity:

Dr. Youssef brings the focus back to the true Gospel: salvation is God’s work from beginning to end because He “so loved the world” (John 3:16). Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2). Faith itself is God’s gift (Ephesians 2:8–9), and God will sustain what He started in you all the way into eternity (Philippians 1:6).

If you’ve been exhausted by striving—or tempted to settle into spiritual autopilot—this devotional will help you rest in Christ’s finished work and live from grace, not performance.

Prayer: Father, at times I have focused more on doing good things and on the rituals of my faith than focusing on Christ, the only means of my salvation. Forgive me and help me to remember that faith is a gift prompted by Your grace. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

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

Whatever skeletons haunt your past—whatever memories shame you or condemn you—the resurrection declares that redemption is not only possible, it’s promised in Christ. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains why Jesus’ victory over death is the ultimate assurance that His cross truly atoned for sin and that God’s power is able to transform hearts.

Because Jesus rose, God’s power is at work to illuminate truth, renew desires, and change people from the inside out—selfishness to selflessness, despair to joy, defeat to victory. Scripture describes this resurrection transformation as putting off the old self and putting on the new (Colossians 3:9–10), becoming a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Dr. Youssef also points forward to what resurrection hope guarantees: comfort now, courage for tomorrow, and ultimate triumph when Christ returns in glory. The risen Jesus will raise the dead, make all things new, and bring history to its fulfillment—His resurrection standing as God’s pledge of complete redemption for all who surrender to Him and place Him at the center of their lives.

Prayer: God, thank You for the promise of resurrection. Thank You that I experience new life even now. I trust You for that day when all will be made new. Your mercy and goodness lift me up. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace . . .” (Ephesians 1:7).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon excerpt The Power of the Resurrection: WATCH 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

Imagine being a respected religious leader—immersed in Scripture, meticulous in keeping the law, admired by your community—yet still sensing a desperate emptiness. That’s the world Nicodemus lived in. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you into John 3, where Nicodemus approaches Jesus under cover of night—intrigued by Christ’s authority, yet fearful of what it could cost him.

Nicodemus recognized that Jesus was encountering the Kingdom of God in a way he was not (John 3:2). But Jesus dismantled the age-old misconception that eternal life is earned through performance. Humanity’s sin problem isn’t solved by better behavior or stronger willpower; it requires God’s supernatural work within us. That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again—a spiritual rebirth that comes through believing in Christ, staking your life on Him now and forever.

Dr. Youssef also highlights the evidence of real transformation: Nicodemus didn’t stay hidden forever. After the crucifixion, he publicly honored Jesus by bringing an extraordinary amount of burial spices—an unmistakable act of devotion and courage (John 19:39). The message is clear: dead ritual cannot save, but the living Christ can make you new.

If you’ve been trying to “work your way” into peace with God, this devotional is an invitation to stop striving and start trusting—the only One who is enough.

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

The rich young ruler didn’t just have wealth—he trusted it (Matthew 19:16–30). His money gave him a false sense of security and self-sufficiency, convincing him he was in control. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef shows why Scripture repeatedly warns against that trap and calls believers to live differently.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy is direct: don’t be arrogant, and don’t put your hope in wealth “which is so uncertain,” but in God who provides richly (1 Timothy 6:17). Jesus goes even further, urging us to stop stockpiling temporary treasures and instead invest in eternity—because what you treasure reveals what you truly worship (Matthew 6:19–21).

Dr. Youssef also exposes the deeper misconception behind the ruler’s mindset: thinking salvation can be earned, purchased, or donated into existence. No amount of rule-keeping, good deeds, or financial generosity can reconcile a sinner to God. Jesus makes the point unmistakably: what is impossible with man is possible with God (Matthew 19:26). Only God can change a sinful heart, and only the blood of Jesus can secure forgiveness and eternal life.

If you’ve been tempted to rely on resources, status, or self-effort for security, this devotional will redirect your hope to the only sure foundation: Christ alone.

Prayer: God, thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for me. Help me to remember to put my hope in You every day, not in my finances. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Encountering Christ, Arms Wide Open: 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

Since Babel, mankind has chased a self-made path to heaven—measuring life by achievement, control, and success. But Scripture teaches the opposite: the way to salvation is surrender.

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef walks through Matthew 19:16–30, where the rich young ruler asks Jesus, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16). Even after claiming obedience to the commandments, he still senses something missing: “What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20). His wealth, influence, and accomplishments couldn’t satisfy the deeper hunger of his soul.

Jesus exposes the real issue—not merely money, but the idol behind it. The ruler kept the law outwardly, yet had not humbled himself to yield everything to God. His grip on earthly treasure revealed his refusal to fully trust Christ for true spiritual riches. When confronted with surrender, he walked away sad—because he wasn’t willing to release what he loved most.

This devotional turns the question toward us:

And it ends with Gospel hope: the Father gave what mattered most—His Son—and Jesus humbled Himself all the way to the cross so you could be forgiven, restored, and led into life you could never earn.

Prayer: Lord, help me understand the infinite worth of life in Christ so that I do not cling to lesser idols. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things” (Philippians 3:8).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Encountering Christ, Arms Wide Open: 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

There’s so much to learn from Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman—and even the language He used reveals the difference between what the world offers and what Christ gives. The woman spoke of water like stagnant cistern water, but Jesus spoke of living water—a bubbling, ever-refreshing spring that becomes a continual source of life and purpose for every believer (John 7:37–39).

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef highlights how Jesus offers the only satisfaction that can reach the deepest thirst—fulfillment the world can’t provide, no matter how many pursuits promise joy but leave the soul empty. Then he turns to Jesus’ example of sharing the Good News with someone from a very different background: Christ lingered, asked questions, refused to condemn, refused to excuse sin, and offered hope as a gift of grace.

The result was transformation—repentance, cleansing, and a new future. And the promise extends to you: when you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, rivers of living water flow from within you—an inexhaustible fountain meant to bless others as you share Christ with the spiritually parched around you.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your offer of living water. Help me to remember that there are people all around me who are thirsty for that eternal life and love that only You can offer them. Give me courage and discernment to start those conversations that will lead people to You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:13-14).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Encountering Christ, Freedom from Bondage: LISTEN NOW | WATCH 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

Sometimes we feel unworthy of God’s love—and instead of running to Him, we hide, convinced our sin is too great to forgive. We try to earn His favor, but like Adam and Eve, our striving ends in failure and shame. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds us of a life-giving Truth: God’s love is greater than our sin, and He has already made a way to set us free.

Dr. Youssef takes us to John 4, where Jesus deliberately traveled through Samaria—crossing cultural and religious hostility—to meet a Samaritan woman whose life was marked by broken relationships and moral failure. She didn’t realize her greatest problem wasn’t men, marriage, or even adultery—it was a deep, unsatisfied thirst only Jesus could quench.

This devotional helps you see yourself in her story. Without Christ, we become more entangled the harder we fight sin in our own strength. But Jesus comes straight to the point of need—bringing truth to light, uncovering hidden struggles, and offering real freedom. The same Savior who met that woman at the well is ready to meet you today with living water—cleansing, restoring, and renewing all who come to Him.

If you need forgiveness, healing, or restoration, this episode is an invitation: come to Christ—and trust Him to make you new.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the ways I have tried to satisfy my heart-longings apart from You. May I be filled with Your living water today. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Encountering Christ, Freedom from Bondage: LISTEN NOW | WATCH 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

One of the most stunning portraits of Jesus’ love overcoming prejudice and meeting human desperation is found in John 4:4–26—the story of the woman at the well.

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains why Jesus’ decision to travel through Samaria was shocking. Many Jews would take a longer, harsher route just to avoid contact with Samaritans. Yet Jesus deliberately walked into Samaria, sat at the well, and waited—tired from the journey, but intentional in His mission.

The Samaritan woman was scorned on multiple levels: by ethnicity, by gender, and by her moral reputation. And still, the Son of God addressed her personally: “Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7). With one sentence, Jesus shattered social barriers and opened a door to saving Truth—showing that no person is beyond His reach and no stigma is strong enough to repel His mercy.

This devotional turns the spotlight toward your everyday life. The Lord has placed you at a “well” in your community—neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and people whose values or backgrounds differ from yours—so you can lovingly point them to the Savior who gave His life for them.

Prayer: Father, help me to have a desire to share Your love with everyone, no matter what their cultural background. Open my eyes to see those You have placed in my community who need to hear the Gospel. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Encountering Christ, Freedom from Bondage: LISTEN NOW | WATCH 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