5 Verses to Pray that will Help You Have Joy One Day at a Time

I want to live one day at a time! Really, I do!

Jesus said, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.” Matthew 6:34

He also said, “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:11

I want that too! The overflowing joy of remaining in the love of Jesus.

But life distracts and details discourage and my joy heads south as my heart and mind fill with the regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow.

So, I’m going to the Lord in prayer and thought you might want to join me…

5 Verses to Pray that will Help You Have Joy
One Day at a Time

Psalm 32:5

I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Father, thank you! I have confessed and repented and You have forgiven me. My sin is gone and by Your grace, my guilt and regret can be gone too. I know I may have to live through some difficult things because of my failures but I trust that You will be with me and give me everything I need to live joyfully knowing I am redeemed and forgiven. All because of Jesus. Thanks and praise forever. Amen.

Psalm 103:11–13

For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.

Father, You love me! You really love me. So much that through Jesus I am washed clean. My sins are completely gone. Your forgiveness is complete. I am Your child and I can rest in Your tender, compassionate embrace. Whatever today brings … You hold me close. That alone is a reason to celebrate with joy! Thank you, Father. Amen.

Philippians 4:6–7

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Father, You tell me to bring every worry and trouble to You. You want me to tell you what I need because You care for me. Because You love me. You also invite me to thank you for past blessings. And as I remember with gratitude all You’ve carried me through … You fill me with that hard to understand peace; You fill my heart and mind with confident faith, knowing You are able to carry me through whatever tomorrow brings. I have You to help me face today and You are all I need. Amen.

Proverbs 3:5–6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
and He will show you which path to take.

Father, I surrender my heart, my mind, my life … my all to you today. Please guide me and show me the path You have prepared for me. By the power of Your Spirit, please help me focus on You when life tries to distract me. When guilt and regret taunt me and worries tempt me, call me back to Your Word of truth. Lead me. Fill me with Your Spirit. Show me Your will. I will seek to know Your will and by the power and with the help of Your Holy Spirit — I will follow where You lead. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Revelation 22:13

^“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End.”

Jesus, You are the Beginning and the End, the Word Made Flesh, the Author and Perfector of my faith, my Redeemer, my Good Shepherd, the Kind of kings, my Hope for the future, my Defender … You are the Great I AM, and Lord of all. You are my Lord and Savior.

Because You know the end from the beginning I can have peace when I think about the future. Nothing in my life comes as a surprise to You. You are with me, always. (Matthew 28:20) Your Spirit never leaves me. (John 14:16) You give me joy. (John 15:11) Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

It’s not easy to have joy one day at a time!

We’re busy and everything from stacked up little annoyances to great big joy-busting problems are trying to pull our attention in a million different directions.

It’s crazy how quickly I can obsess over something that happened yesterday and find myself anxious about something that may or may not happen tomorrow.

And the truth is … that ain’t no way to live!

Regret, guilt, worry, and anxiety are all tools the enemy uses to keep you and me from living with joy.

But God… (Oh, how I love those two words.)

But God is willing and able to give us everything we need to live today in His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Everything we need to live with joy one day at a time!

So, just for today, I will prayerfully carry these words in my heart…

This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:25

Without a doubt … that is the way to live!

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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The Best Way to Live One Day at a Time and Actually Enjoy It

7 / 30 / 18

Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.” Matthew 6:34

Solomon wrote, “Don’t brag about tomorrow since you don’t know what the day will bring.” Proverbs 27:1

Isaiah wrote, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Isaiah 43:18

Don’t worry. Don’t brag. Forget the past.

Live for today.

That’s what I want …. simple, faith-filled, focus on what God is doing in my life today. I want to let go of yesterday and leave tomorrow where it belongs—in the future!

But even though I want to faithfully live in the present, I fall short way too often. The enemy of my soul constantly taunts me with regrets and worries and my thoughts wander off to places that discourage and dishearten me.

Though I know I’m sacrificing peace, joy, contentment and so much more when I choose to focus on past or future “what ifs,” I still have days when I don’t feel well or circumstances don’t go the way I want challenging me to lose focus and retreat into the past and the future.

I need help.

I can’t do it on my own. I need God’s Holy Spirit to help me live one day at a time – free of regrets and worries.

I’ve made a list of “Just for Today” goals that I believe will help me. I’m hoping they will help you too…

10 Just for Today Goals to
Enjoy Life One Day at a Time

1. I will make healthy choices.

I will make every effort to eat a healthy diet, stay active, and get the rest I need with balance and without obsession.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. Corinthians 6:19–20

2. I will be kind to myself and others.

I will remember how much God loves me and wants the best for me. I will not sabotage His work in my life with unhealthy choices. And I will extend kindness and compassion to the people God places around me.

When we are outrageously kind to ourselves it’s easier to be kind to others. (Wow, I need to work on this one! I can say some terrible things to myself)

3. I will choose to find joy in every day.

With God’s help, I will live in this moment and look for reasons to be joy-filled and happy.

It’s so easy to focus on what’s wrong and what’s missing. I am trusting the Spirit to help me…

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

4. I will trust God’s plans for me and follow where He leads me.

If you’re like me, you make your plans and you’re sure they’re right. Changes and interruptions can be the beginning of my day heading south.

I love this quote from Shauna Nyquist…

“I’m practicing believing that God knows more than I know, that He sees what I can’t, that He’s weaving a future I can’t even imagine from where I sit this morning.”

And with His help, you and I can trust that His plans, even His interruptions, are for our good and His glory although we may not see it at the moment.

5. I will repent and confess my sins to God trusting that He faithfully forgives me.

I’m one of those people who will relive past mistakes and own the guilt again and again. Rev teases me for often taking the blame for things that aren’t even my fault or my doing. Talk about joy robbers!

So, I am committing myself to trust God’s promise…

But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

And remember that when I doubt His forgiveness I doubt His love.

When you and I trust Jesus’ sacrifice we must also trust its sufficiency to cover our sins.

6. I will forgive others the way God has forgiven me.

I will give the gift of forgiveness to those who hurt me. Jesus included our need to forgive each other in the prayer He taught…

Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Matthew 6:12

Sometimes the pain seems to great to forgive but I am trusting that because Jesus spoke of the importance of forgiveness, His Spirit will help me accomplish it.

This quote from Max Lucado is so good…

“Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice, it entrusts it to God.”

7. I will plan and prepare for my day asking God to guide me.

With God’s help, I will use today’s 1440 minutes intentionally.

I’ll admit, this one challenges me. I can so easily get distracted and unfocused. I want to strive to become a better steward of every moment of life God gives me.

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” ~Paul J. Meyer

8. I will not over-plan my day. I will leave time for stillness and rest.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ~Stephen Covey

I’ve written a personal mission statement. Having a mission statement makes it easier for me to know my priorities and schedule in a way that leaves me time to breathe. It also leaves time for God’s unexpected interruptions and best of all it makes time spent in His Word and in prayer a priority.

9. I will accept the unexpected … do what I can and trust God with the rest.

Whatever a day brings, I will trust that God is greater than my circumstances and live with confidence that He is able to give me the strength to endure.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38

I will trust His love!

10. I will refuse to worry.

Worry is a joy stealer! It is impossible to worry and experience joy!

And right after Jesus told His followers to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

He said…

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:33 –34

We can trust Him! With God’s help, we can simply do what we are given to do today, and leave tomorrow to the mercy and grace of God trusting that when we His Kingdom and live for His glory, He will supply everything we need to live … one day at a time.

And finally – I will count my blessings.

I began blessing counting during a time when my heart hurt so much it seemed impossible to see anything good. A discipline God used to strengthen me and fill me with hope. I’m a committed counter now.

Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” Luke 5:26

I want to pay attention! I want to see the amazing things God is doing and count every blessing one day at a time!

This quote from Ida Scott Taylor sums it all up beautifully…

“One day at a time- this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.”

What things do you do to help you live one day at a time and enjoy it?

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You Can Only Experience Peace One Day at a Time

9 / 21 / 169 / 21 / 16

If you and I want to experience peace, we must live one day at a time.

Peace can’t be tacked on to an agitated yesterday or pre-applied to tomorrow’s unknown.

Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and regretted wasting it on worry and anxiety?

I know I have.

No more.

I’m not sacrificing today’s peace and joy to the uncontrollable unknown.

Enough.

By God’s grace and with His help, I’m going to love my life by practicing peace.

5 Disciplines to Practice God’s Peace One Day at a Time

1. Celebrate today like it’s a bonus day.

Yesterday, Rev and I celebrated 9 years of bonus days. 3,288 days. Days together we didn’t think we’d have. September 20, 2007, Rev had a pericardial stripping, where a cardiac surgeon spent six hours chipping the thickened and hardened lining off his beating heart. (Read the story here.)

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today! Psalm 118:24

Treating each day like a gift, a bonus, helps me live intentionally. And intentional living today refuses to dwell on the past or the future.

2. Take every thought captive . . . reject guilt and worry.

I recently read a great idea to seal today off from yesterday and tomorrow.

Live in an airlock space. Imagine the door is closed to yesterday and you can’t open the next door until it’s time to move into tomorrow. Enter the space with thanksgiving and leave it with repentance. No guilt and no worry.

Today, in the airlock space, is more than enough to handle.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

3. Do what you are able to do today.

Have you taken on more than you can handle? There are so many expectations on our lives today. Just taking care of a family pushes the limits and when you add a job or volunteering . . . well, it’s no wonder most of us come to the end of the day long before we come to the end of our to-do list.

Remember to manage each day with grace. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to set priorities. In fact, it’s not only okay, it’s God’s will. You can’t do everything for everyone. So, spend time with God and ask Him to help you manage your time according to His plans and purposes for you.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

4. Trust God to meet your needs today.

Have you read the Bible account lately of the way God provided food for the Israelites in the Wilderness? Each morning manna appeared on the ground and they were to trust Him by gathering just enough for that day. If they saved it overnight it smelled bad and was full of worms. (Exodus 16)

Each day . . . there was just enough. Once a week, on Friday, they were to gather enough so they could rest from gathering on the Sabbath.

I love that!

God is able to meet today’s needs. He will meet today’s needs and even make it possible for us to take a Sabbath rest if we trust Him.

I often sense Him saying, “You have so little faith.”

With His help, I believe I can trust God’s ability to take care of me today.

Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. Matthew 6:26

5. Just breathe. Breathe in peace and breathe out conflict.

I have a dear one who often takes a deep breath and says, “In with the butterflies out with the bees.”

Great visual right?

When the moment is overwhelming and I’m tempted to make it worse by adding the past and the future, I have to stop and just breathe. Breathe out frustration, worry, and anxiety and breathe in God’s gift of peace through prayer. When I prayerfully remember His past faithfulness and lean on His promises I have everything I need to know He is able to get me through this moment as well.

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 15:3

It’s hard to live one day at a time.

Do you find it as hard to live in the moment as I do? Isn’t it hard to let go of yesterday and refuse to worry about tomorrow?

It’s funny, moment by moment is the way life is lived whether we like it or not. So, it’s up to us whether we will live those moments with peace or sacrifice them to regret and worry. The choice is ours.

Steve Maraboli said:

“Although time seems to fly, it never travels faster than one day at a time. Each day is a new opportunity to live your life to the fullest. In each waking day, you will find scores of blessings and opportunities for positive change. Do not let your TODAY be stolen by the unchangeable past or the indefinite future! Today is a new day!”

So celebrate each new day. Take peace-robbing thoughts captive, do what you are able, trust God, and breathe prayer.

You and I can live one day at a time with God’s help.

And finally, add one more question to gain perspective…

Will this matter a year from now?

It’s surprising how often the answer is, “no!”

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The Best Way to Live One Day at a Time

6 / 10 / 155 / 9 / 17

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:34

It’s hard isn’t it?

You and I know we sacrifice peace, joy, contentment and more when we choose to live with past or future “what ifs.” If only it was easy to consistently kick painful memories and anxious thoughts to the curb, but if you’re like me those days I don’t feel good or things don’t go well—it’s easy to add past and future thoughts to days struggle.

So, I’ve made a list:

The Best Way to Live One Day at a Time

1. For today – I will make healthy choices and be kind to myself.

[Tweet “When you are outrageously kind to yourself it’s easier to be kind to others. “]

I will remember how much God loves me and wants the best for me. I will not sabotage His work in my life with unhealthy choices.

2. For today – I will choose joy.

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

[Tweet “With God’s help I will live in this moment and look for reasons to be joy-filled and happy.”]

3. For today – I will trust God’s plans for me.

“I’m practicing believing that God knows more than I know, that he sees what I can’t, that he’s weaving a future I can’t even imagine from where I sit this morning.” ~Shauna Niequist

I will trust God’s plans are for my good and His glory even when I can’t see it at the moment.

4. For today – I will repent and trust God’s forgiveness.

But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

He is faithful to forgive. When I doubt His forgiveness I doubt His love. If I trust Jesus sacrifice then I must trust it sufficiency to cover my sins.

5. For today – I will forgive myself and others.

“Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice, it entrusts it to God.” ~Max Lucado

I will let go of what God has forgiven and give the gift of forgiveness to those who hurt me . . . trusting it is God’s will and that He will help.

6. For today – I will plan my day.

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” ~Paul J. Meyer

I will use today’s 1440 minutes intentionally. This one is a challenge for me. I definitely want to do better with time management.

7. For today – I will not over-plan my day.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ~Stephen Covey

I’m working on a mission statement and will share the process with you tomorrow. Having a mission statement makes it easier for me to know my priorities and schedule in a way that I have time to breathe.

8. For today – I will accept the unexpected.

Whatever the day brings, I will trust that God is greater than my circumstances and live with confidence that He is able to give me strength to endure.

9. For today – I will refuse to worry.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:34

I will do what I am able to do now, plan for today, and leave tomorrow to the mercy and grace of God.

10. For today – I will count my blessings.

Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” Luke 5:26

So, let me ask . . . what do you do to live one day at a time?