SEPTEMBER 29
Good morning (or whatever time of day you’re reading this)!
I am praying for you today. I’m asking the Holy Spirit to fill you with wisdom, to fill you with peace, and to fill you with a deep sense of His comfort.
As we get closer to the finish line, I want to share one of my favorite prayers with you. Today’s prayer is going to be from the book of Psalms. We didn’t have enough time to go through a lot of them, but I encourage you some time to pray your way through the Psalms.
Before we look at the prayer, I have something to share…
This season of life has been very hard for me. I know it has been for you as well. Even though I am an 8 on the Enneagram, there is still a part of me that likes to make people happy. I love to do things that surprise people, show them love, and help them succeed.
When I’m at my best, I’m coming alongside other people serving them, coaching them and helping them accomplish their goals.
The last 6 months it has been more challenging to do this. One reason is that people are harder to make happy right now. There are a lot of reasons for this, and we don’t have time to pick that apart.
More than any other time in my life, I have been brought face-to-face with the reality that you can’t make everybody happy. You can’t please everyone. There are people in your life that will not be pleased with you no matter what you do. You can live your life trying to please them, and in the process, make yourself miserable.
As one of my mentors says: “you have to give your desire to please everyone a funeral.”
So today, we are going to have a funeral together. Let’s together crucify that old desire, and resurrect a new desire. Our new aim is to please God!
You can’t please everyone, but you can please God!
Today, you can live for the pleasure of God.
Psalm 19:14:
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
I love this prayer!!! Would you ask God today to help you live a life that is pleasing to His heart? Ask Him to help you speak life over others. Ask Him to help you be a blessing. Ask Him to fill you with His praises. Ask Him to help you live for His glory.
You might pray something like this…
“Father, I recognize that I can’t please everyone. At times, in my efforts to please everyone, I know that I can disappoint you. Please help me today to live for your pleasure. I make it my aim this day to please you. I give you my heart and my soul. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you.
I stand on you as my Rock. Thank you for redeeming my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Have a great day!
See you back tomorrow for our last day in this month of prayer.
With love,
Pastor Andy
Share your prayer or response to this devotional in the comments below!
Grow your prayer life with others through a virtual prayer group.
Get these prayer devotionals straight in your inbox each morning here.
Thank you Andy. This reminded me this passage in Romans.
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
I so need His Spirit to set me in the right place.
As an Enneagram 9, this speaks straight to my heart ? It’s about pleasing God, not man. Also, thank you Pastor Andy for being real with us and an amazing leader in the most difficult leadership season in modern history. We have all been so blessed by you, including how you’ve poured into writing these daily encouragements. Praying for more of the Bay (and beyond) to be transformed through Echo’s ministry!!
These words and prayer really helped me today specifically. I am dealing with family issues where I feel guilty that OTHER people think that I have not done enough. I need to know that I have done my best for my family and for God. God knows what is in my heart, and how I feel and how I help the best I can. Thank you for this refocus.
“Even though I am an 8 on the Enneagram, there is still a part of me that likes to make people happy.” :)))
It is very true!
Better to invest our efforts in pleasing God.
He will show us what to do and what not to do.
After all, we are not called to please others, but to live a life that brings glory to him.
That is my desire and effort every day.