What if the very thing you’ve begged God to remove is the tool He’s using to bless you?

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explores the mystery of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”—a lingering burden Paul pleaded with God to take away (2 Corinthians 12:7–9). While Paul could confidently say he counted everything as loss compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8), he still carried a private pain God chose not to remove.

Why? Dr. Youssef explains that God’s grace shines brightest through weakness—not self-sufficiency. Paul recognized his thorn kept him humble, dependent, and focused, making his life and message authentic under scrutiny. Even more, Paul’s obedience remained unconditional. Knowing suffering awaited him, he still pressed forward to fulfill God’s call, declaring his single aim: to finish the race and testify to the Gospel of grace (Acts 20:24).

This devotional will encourage you to:

• stop interpreting weakness as disqualification,
• view your “thorn” through the lens of God’s purpose and grace, and
• trust that God uses physical and emotional pressures to draw you nearer and prepare you for His work.

This episode closes with a short prayer.
Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

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.

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Have you ever felt stuck in a pattern you can’t break—like worry keeps winning, anger keeps resurfacing, or temptation keeps circling back? In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef warns that many Christians, without realizing it, have allowed Satan to establish strongholds—spiritual fortresses designed to block prayer, cloud discernment, and keep you from living out God’s will.

Dr. Youssef identifies a key root issue: carnality—when the old sinful nature dominates the new nature Christ has given you. Left unchecked, carnality builds power bases of self-centeredness that weaken your spiritual life from the inside out.

But there is hope—and a weapon God has already placed in your hands: prayer. Drawing from Paul’s words, Dr. Youssef reminds believers that we don’t fight with worldly tools. In Christ, we’ve been given supernatural, God-powered weapons that can tear down the enemy’s dark fortresses—whether they show up as obsessive fear, controlling anxiety, bitterness, hate, lust, or simmering rage.

If you’re ready to stop managing strongholds and start demolishing them, this devotional will point you to the Father’s unconditional love, your secure identity in Christ, and the spiritual authority God gives to overcome.

Prayer: Father, thank You that nothing can snatch me out of Your hands. I am Yours forever. Armed with this assurance, help me to break down Satan’s strongholds in my life as I surrender to Your Holy Spirit. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

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

Have you ever looked at the rubble of your own life and wondered, How could God ever use me?

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds you that spiritual transformation doesn’t come from striving harder—it comes through God’s grace. While we often fixate on what we are right now, God sees what we can become in Christ.

Dr. Youssef points to the apostle Paul, who endured trials, opposition, and a persistent “thorn” that kept him dependent on the Lord. Instead of hiding his weakness, Paul learned to delight in it—because it became the very place where Christ’s strength was most clearly displayed: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

If you’re facing hardship, feeling stretched thin, or hanging on by a thread, this devotional will encourage you to:

• stop measuring your future by your present weakness,
• humble yourself before God and trust His purposes, and
• thank Him in advance for what He can accomplish through your struggle.

Prayer: Lord, as I face difficulty in my life, give me the strength to continue by Your grace. I know You will accomplish Your will for my life even through my weaknesses as I trust in You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

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

Remember the pressure of school exams—how tests revealed what you truly knew and where you needed to grow? Dr. Michael Youssef says the Christian life has tests too, and they are far more serious because they point to eternal realities.

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Youssef draws from Paul’s closing charge in 2 Corinthians: “Examine yourselves… test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, believers are called to regular self-examination—not to live in fear, but to live in peace and assurance rooted in God’s unchanging Word.

Dr. Youssef also exposes a dangerous modern pattern: when people struggle, some respond by lowering the standard—in schools and, even worse, in churches. Instead of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen, some prefer to dilute Truth to avoid offense, treating people-pleasing as the goal. But Paul would tell us plainly: compromise leads to frustration and disappointment, while faithfulness to Scripture brings clarity, stability, and confidence in Christ.

If you’ve felt tempted to soften convictions, stay silent, or settle for “watered-down” Christianity, this devotional will challenge you to stand firm—starting with your own heart.

Prayer: God, help me to see where I have lowered standards in my own life. Forgive me for compromising and grant me steadfast faith for Your glory and my good. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

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

Have you ever wondered how believers like Moses kept going when they felt overwhelmed—or how Paul stayed steady when criticism, threats, and hardship pressed in?

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef addresses discouragement head-on and reminds you that even great heroes of the faith faced deep disappointment. Paul certainly knew what it meant to feel pressure—even the threat of death—yet he refused to quit because his eyes were fixed on Jesus, his source of strength and unshakable hope.

When you’re doing what God has called you to do, the world and the enemy often push back. But this devotional will encourage you to resist the voices of harassment, refuse to give up, and remember that God’s definition of victory isn’t worldly fame or financial success—it’s faithful obedience.

Dr. Youssef also points you to the reality of an eternal inheritance—a reward kept in heaven—and the “crown of life” promised to those who love the Lord. If you’ve been tempted to quit, this episode will help you trade short-term discouragement for long-term perspective and renewed courage to proclaim Christ’s love and forgiveness to a dying world.

Prayer: Father, help me look to You—my utmost treasure—when I am facing discouragement and disappointment. You are my very great reward, and I know I have nothing to fear because You have overcome the world. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

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

Our culture constantly tells us: get more—more money, more influence, more security, more success. But in today’s MY Devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef flips that message with Scripture’s radical Truth: the key to a faithful life isn’t acquiring—it’s giving God your all.

When you truly grasp the price of your salvation, generosity stops feeling like duty and becomes gratitude. Dr. Youssef points to Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:14–15, reminding us that Christ didn’t die so we could continue living for ourselves—He died and rose again so we would live for Him. Paul held tightly to two life-changing realities: Jesus took his place at the cross, and God called him as an ambassador to announce the cure for sin. That same Gospel motivation belongs to every believer today.

You’ll also hear why Paul urges Christians to offer themselves as living sacrifices—surrendering heart, mind, time, comfort, and resources to the Lord who is worthy of everything. If you’ve been chasing “success” the world’s way, this episode will recalibrate your priorities and reignite your passion for Christ-centered living.

Prayer: God, You have done so much for me. I want to give You all of me as a living sacrifice. Help me to keep these Truths about Your love for me and Your call on my life at the forefront of my mind so that I honor You rightly. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

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 easy for married life to become a nonstop routine—work, kids, responsibilities, and exhaustion—until one day you realize you’ve stopped truly talking. In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explains that when couples lose conversational intimacy (and become content with it), they quietly forfeit one of God’s greatest gifts in marriage: deep companionship and Christ-centered closeness.

Dr. Youssef identifies three common weak points where the enemy applies pressure to sabotage conversation and connection:

• Calendars: Even “good” activities can crowd out what’s essential. If you don’t schedule time to talk, it likely won’t happen.
• Children: Children are a blessing—but they should not replace the husband-and-wife priority. A secure family is built on parents who love each other well.
• Conflicts: A healthy marriage isn’t conflict-free. In fact, avoiding conflict often means avoiding conversation. But when handled wisely, conflict can become an ally that strengthens intimacy and growth.

Before implementing practical changes, Dr. Youssef gives a simple, powerful next step for couples: pray together—asking God to reveal weaknesses, renew love, and breathe new life into your marriage.

Prayer: Father, help me to prioritize with my spouse our calendars, children, and conversation according to what will strengthen our relationship and glorify Your name. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

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

Every marriage faces moments of hurt—some small, some storm-level. What determines whether those moments become distance or deeper unity? Forgiveness.

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef teaches from Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:21–22, where Christ calls believers to forgive “seventy-seven times”—not as a number to track, but as a lifestyle of grace. Dr. Youssef explains why the world may talk about forgiveness, but only those who know they’ve been forgiven much can extend forgiveness freely—especially in the most personal relationship of all.

You’ll learn three practical, biblical ways to cultivate forgiveness in marriage:

• Attack the insignificant: train your heart to forgive small offenses so you’re prepared for bigger trials,
• Arrest the incompatible: after choosing forgiveness, take lingering grudges captive before they gain a foothold,
• Hold fast to your true identity: remember how Christ forgives you again and again—and let that mercy shape how you respond to your spouse.

If bitterness has been building, if old wounds keep resurfacing, or if you’re trying to rebuild trust, this devotional will point you back to the only source of lasting freedom: forgiving as the Lord forgave you.

Today’s MY Devotional has been provided by Leading The Way.

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