Pastor Joel Osteen Daily Devotionals Today June 8 2023.

SCRIPTURE: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, TPT “Encourage the hearts of your fellow believers and support one another, just as you have already been doing.” 

There are times when people need you to stand in the gap when they’re down, even if they’re off course, not making good decisions. It’s easy to criticize and find fault. “Why did they do that? They should have known better.” They don’t need your judgment; they need your faith. Try a different approach. Pray for them. Ask God to show them mercy, to get them back on course. You can be the one who pushes them past the discouragement, who lifts them back on their feet.

God is counting on you to be a friend with faith—not a friend with criticism, a friend with judgment, a friend with jealousy. Be a lifter, be an encourager. Tell them that you’re praying for them, that you love them, that you believe in them. Your faith can be what lights their passion. Your faith can be what breaks the addiction. Your faith can be what God uses to propel them into their destiny. And you’ll discover that when you help others in need, there’s no limit to how high God will take you.

“Father, thank You for all the people You have placed in my life. Thank You that I can stand in the gap for the ones who are down and need my faith, my prayers, my encouragement. Help me to have a heart of compassion and to be a lifter of others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”