JOEL OSTEEN Daily Devotional 16th January 2024: Who Rules Within?

Today’s Topic: Who Rules Within?

Today’s Scripture: For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. – Romans 8:13, NIV

Today’s Word – Joel Osteen

there’s a battle taking place inside us between the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh represents our carnal nature that shows out in ways such as jealousy, pride, and compromise. It’s the easy way to live. You just do whatever you feel and don’t have to be disciplined. If someone’s rude to you, you’re rude back to them. If you don’t feel like having a good attitude, you go through the day sour. The flesh wants to rule and have control.

Today’s Scripture calls it living by the dictates of the flesh, which is described as a dictator that makes all the decisions for you. It tells you what to do and when to do it. You just follow orders. If you get stuck in traffic, your flesh will tell you, “Get upset.” If a coworker leaves you out of a meeting, the flesh says, “Get offended.” The problem is that if you keep obeying the flesh, “you will die.” That doesn’t necessarily mean physically, but your dreams will die, your relationships won’t flourish, and your gifts won’t come out as they should.

A Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You that I can choose to be disciplined and kind and say no to the flesh and its desires. Thank You that every day I can take my feelings off the throne and allow Your Spirit to control my life. Help me to live by the Spirit and do what’s right. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”