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

Before beginning His public ministry, Jesus entered the wilderness for forty days and nights to face Satan’s temptation. Hungry and physically weakened, Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread—but He responded with the Word of God: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains that Scripture is not optional nourishment for the believer—it is the only food that can truly sustain the soul. Just as our bodies need daily, nutritious food, our spirits need the living Word of God for strength, encouragement, discernment, and endurance.

Dr. Youssef warns that much of the Church is suffering from spiritual malnourishment. We work hard to feed our bodies, educate our children, maintain our health, and build our lives—yet too often we try to survive spiritually on crumbs of Scripture. But if Jesus Himself relied on Scripture in the face of temptation, how much more do we need the Word daily?

The Bible is our spiritual bread and our power for living. This devotional calls believers to return to the Word of God—not occasionally, not casually, but daily—with gratitude, hunger, and obedience.

Prayer: Father, forgive me for neglecting Your Word. I know it is to my detriment because Your Word is life. Give me a deeper understanding of Your Word by Your Spirit, that I might grow in faith to the glory of Your name. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”’” (Matthew 4:4).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series Defending a Lion: 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.

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Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
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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.

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There was a time when many people in the Western world—believers and non-believers alike—knew the Bible’s stories, teachings, and moral foundations. But today, Biblical knowledge is fading as postmodern thinking declares truth to be personal, shifting, and based on feeling. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds believers that God’s Word does not bend to culture, opinion, emotion, or circumstance.

Throughout history, people have loved the Bible, hated it, believed it, rejected it, tried to change it, and attempted to destroy it. Dictators and rulers have sought to silence it, yet the Word of God still stands. The tragedy is that many believers now neglect this incomparable treasure, missing the joy, power, wisdom, and strength that come from reading and obeying Scripture.

Dr. Youssef encourages Christians to become like the men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what God’s people should do. In a world saturated with postmodern ideas, a few hours of church each week will not be enough to neutralize the pressure of the culture. Believers must immerse themselves daily in the Word of God.

When you open your Bible, you are choosing God’s Truth over the world’s confusion. As Scripture renews your mind and strengthens your heart, you will become less at home in this world—and better equipped to recognize and withstand the attacks of Satan. God’s Word is your greatest weapon in the fight, and it always prevails.

Prayer: Lord, help me cherish Your Word and feast on it so I remain healthy, strong, and faithful. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“. . . from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; . . .” (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series Defending a Lion: 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

Many people today are racing after careers, success, possessions, status, or even the achievements of their children. But in today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds believers that Christians are running a far greater race—one that is not about personal glory, but about God’s glory and the advance of the Gospel.

The apostle Paul understood this race well. He was willing to go any distance, endure any hardship, and sacrifice personal comfort in order to win people to Christ. Paul knew that in the end, what matters most is what we have done for the Lord.

Unlike worldly races, the Christian race is not a competition against other believers. We run against obstacles, temptations, spiritual opposition, and the enemy of our souls. God does not desire only one of His children to win—He wants every believer to run faithfully and receive the imperishable crown.

Dr. Youssef explains that running well requires self-control and spiritual discipline. Like an athlete who trains his body through sacrifice, believers must discipline their desires, choices, habits, and priorities. If you feel weary, defeated, or disqualified, do not believe the enemy’s lie. You can get back into the race. God wants you to be victorious in His Son.

Prayer: Jesus, give me the strength, will, and focus to run after You. I know You are the one who sustains me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Stewardship Is Gospel Justice: 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

Today, many people talk about social justice, but not every vision of justice reflects the way of Jesus. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef points believers back to the Biblical foundation of true justice: God owns everything, and His people are called to manage what He has entrusted to them for His glory.

Our bodies, money, possessions, time, and gifts do not ultimately belong to us. We are stewards—managers serving God and His Kingdom. When we resist giving to Gospel ministry, it may reveal that we have not yet experienced the joy of stewardship or that we still believe our possessions are truly ours.

Dr. Youssef reminds us that citizens of God’s Kingdom are called to die to self and live for Christ. True generosity does not come from guilt, pressure, or compulsion. It flows from understanding the incredible inheritance we have in Christ and trusting that our reward is in heaven.

Paul modeled this surrendered life when he said, “I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” He gave God command over his body, time, money, words, gifts, and life for the sake of the Gospel. When God takes hold of everything we have, we stop clinging to our “fair share” and begin living out His loving purposes for the blessing of others and the glory of Christ.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a good steward, completely focused on Your Kingdom mission so that many might come to You and grow in faith as You grow mine. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” (1 Corinthians 9:19).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Stewardship Is Gospel Justice: 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

In Christ, believers are free—but Christian freedom must never become a stumbling block to others. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef continues in 1 Corinthians 8, where Paul addresses the issue of eating meat that had been offered to idols.

The mature believers in Corinth knew they were free to eat the meat with a clean conscience. But some younger or weaker believers, remembering their former life in idolatry, could not eat it without spiritual distress. Paul’s instruction was clear: love must override rights. Even when something is not morally or spiritually wrong in itself, it becomes wrong when exercised carelessly in a way that wounds another believer’s conscience.

Dr. Youssef gives three reasons believers must exercise restraint. First, knowledge is not enough—sound doctrine must be joined with mature love. Second, not every Christian has the same understanding or level of maturity, so right belief must lead to right relationships. Third, wounding another believer’s conscience through carelessness is sin, and mature Christians are called to sacrificial love.

In Christ, we are free—not free to sin, but free to love. When God takes charge of our freedom, we learn to humble ourselves, serve the body of Christ, and trust Him to satisfy us completely, even when love requires sacrifice.

Prayer: Father, thank You for setting me free from my sin and selfishness. May I lay aside my own preferences to lift others up according to Your will. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Knowledge Must Bow to Love: 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

First Corinthians 8 addresses a question that was not explicitly forbidden in Scripture: whether believers should eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains how Paul guided the Corinthian church through an issue that required wisdom, conscience, and sensitivity to others.

In first-century Corinth, much of the available meat had previously been offered to idols. Some mature believers understood that idols were nothing and ate with a clear conscience. Others, especially those recently converted from pagan worship, could not eat without violating their conscience. Neither group was necessarily sinning—but both needed to walk in love.

Dr. Youssef reminds us that while the cultural issues may differ today, the principle remains the same. Believers must avoid both legalism and license. Legalism measures spirituality by man-made rules, while license twists Christian liberty into permission to sin. But Biblical freedom is never freedom to sin—it is freedom to serve Christ and love others.

Gray areas should not divide the body of Christ. Those who enjoy freedom in Christ must not flaunt that freedom before weaker believers, and those with more sensitive consciences must not treat secondary issues as matters of salvation. God has given His people a Spirit-filled life—not a rule-bound life—so we can walk in humility, wisdom, and love.

Prayer: Lord, I rejoice in the freedom I have in You. Help me pursue righteousness toward my brothers and sisters in Christ through humility and love. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that ‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Knowledge Must Bow to Love: 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

The early Christians lived under intense pressure and persecution, yet Paul urged them to live with urgency, clarity, and devotion to the Lord. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reflects on Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “The time is short.”

Paul wanted believers then—and believers now—to live with singleness of heart and action. When we surrender our personal agendas and allow God’s purposes to rule in our lives, He works mightily in us for His name, His Kingdom, and our good.

Dr. Youssef reminds us that this world in its present form is passing away. That means we must not allow sorrow to consume us, happiness to become our ultimate pursuit, worry to control us, possessions to possess us, or physical needs to dominate our focus. Wherever God has placed us, we are called to love Him, serve Him, and seek His Kingdom first.

What would it look like for God to take hold of your time? What would it mean to live completely focused on Christ? The time is short—so let’s make the most of it for the glory of God.

Prayer: Jesus, forgive me for living a routine that neglects You and Your mission. May I see that the time is short; help me use the days You have given me to proclaim Your goodness and Your Kingdom in word and deed. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; . . .” (1 Corinthians 7:29).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Called to Contentment in Christ: 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

Society is on an endless search for happiness, training us to believe that the next product, relationship, lifestyle, or change in circumstances will finally satisfy us. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains why every earthly substitute eventually disappoints: we were created to find our joy and satisfaction in God alone.

This truth applies not only to material things, but also to marriage and singleness. Singles should not believe a spouse will complete them, and married believers should not assume escape from difficulty will bring the happiness they long for. Paul understood the blessing of singleness as a life of undivided service to the Lord, while also affirming marriage as a gift of God for sanctification, companionship, and Christlike love.

Dr. Youssef reminds us that contentment comes when God takes hold of our marriage, our singleness, and every season of life. The secret to peace is not getting our preferred circumstance—it is listening to God, obeying Him, and trusting that His will is good.

When you face decisions, questions, challenges, or deep desires, begin by going to God’s Word. Seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit first, and allow godly counsel to confirm what He is teaching you. Whether married or single, contentment is found in discerning and following God’s will for your life.

Prayer: Lord, take hold of my life. I trust You with my situation, remembering You have ordained it and will bring good from it. I will put my hope in You and follow Your way. Lead me, Father. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches” (1 Corinthians 7:17).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Called to Contentment in Christ: 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

Fire in the fireplace is warm, beautiful, and life-giving—but fire in the wrong place becomes destructive. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef uses this picture to explain God’s design for sexual intimacy: a good and holy gift to be enjoyed within the covenant of marriage.

Paul reminds believers in 1 Corinthians that our bodies are not our own. We have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ, set apart for God, and called to honor Him with our whole being. This means what we do with our bodies matters deeply to the Lord.

Dr. Youssef turns to Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7, where the apostle addressed a culture filled with sexual confusion, broken vows, distorted views of marriage, and false ideas about spirituality. Against that backdrop, Paul pointed back to God’s wisdom from Genesis: man and woman were created to complement one another physically, emotionally, and spiritually in marriage.

Within God’s design, sexual intimacy is not shameful—it is a holy expression of covenant love, companionship, partnership, and selfless service between husband and wife. This devotional calls believers to reject the world’s confusion, honor the Lord with their bodies, and receive God’s good gifts according to His Word and His glory.

Prayer: Lord, may I use my body in the way You have intended. Help me set it apart for Your will so that it might be a source of blessing. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:3).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Honor God with Your Body: 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

A young man once discovered a stack of old comic books worth millions of dollars while cleaning out what others dismissed as garbage. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef uses this surprising story to point believers to something infinitely more valuable: the body of every Christian as the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Paul warned the Corinthian believers because they were treating their bodies as if they had little spiritual value. But Scripture declares that those who belong to Christ are not their own. The Holy Spirit Himself dwells within them, making their bodies sacred places where the presence of God resides.

Dr. Youssef reminds us that our bodies were designed by God for more than biological function. They are meant to serve Him now and for all eternity. One day, believers will receive glorified, resurrected bodies—but even now, what we do with our bodies matters deeply to God.

Because our bodies belong to the Lord, we are called to honor Him with our whole being. This devotional challenges every believer to reject sin, obey God’s Word, and offer the body as an instrument of worship for the glory of Christ.

Prayer: Father, help me to remember that my body is a temple for Your very presence. May my hands and feet bring You honor and praise as I live righteously by Your Spirit. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; . . .” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Honor God with Your Body: 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