Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Greg Laurie
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Christianity
  • Updated daily

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.  *The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

  1. 1 hr ago

    Navigating Life’s Storms | Jonah 1:14

    “Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. ‘O Lord,’ they pleaded, ‘don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.’” (Jonah 1:14 NLT)   The possibility of a spiritual revival in Nineveh was almost too terrible for Jonah to contemplate. So, he booked passage on a ship headed in the opposite direction. Before we go any further into his story, though, I want to point out that Jonah would have scoffed at the nonsensical claim that the God of the Old Testament is angry, harsh, and judgmental while the God of the New Testament is merciful and loving. The whole reason Jonah was on the lam from his prophetic duties is that he was afraid that God would show mercy and love toward his enemies, the Ninevites. When Jonah ran away, God could have just said, “Okay, that’s it, Jonah. I’m done with you. I’m going to get somebody else.” But the Lord loved Jonah. He had a plan for him. He was going to give him a second chance—and God still gives second chances today. So, the Lord sent a storm into Jonah’s life. In this case, it was an actual, meteorological storm. Often, however, the Lord sends storms into the lives of His people in the form of hardships or difficulties. There are three kinds of storms we face as Christians. First, there are perfecting storms. These are trials, tribulations, circumstances, and situations that cause us to grow spiritually as we endure them. In the book of Job, as Job struggles with the tragedies that have befallen him, he says of the Lord, “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (Job 23:10 NLT). He was navigating a perfecting storm. Second, there are protecting storms. According to John 6, after Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, the people who witnessed the miracle were so excited that they wanted to make Jesus their king. His disciples, by extension, would rule with Him. Rather than give credence to such talk, Jesus loaded His disciples onto a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. During the crossing, a great storm arose. It was a protecting storm. Jesus was protecting His disciples from a temptation that would have been very damaging to their lives. Finally, there are correcting storms. Jonah 1:14 says the sailors on Jonah’s ship, “cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. ‘O Lord,’ they pleaded, ‘don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons’” (NLT). Correcting storms are circumstances that we effectively bring upon ourselves. But here’s the good news. God won’t abandon us in our storm. In fact, His sending of the storm is a reminder of His love. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child” (NLT). Jonah emerged from the storm corrected and ready to fulfill his calling. The lesson for us is that if we stay strong in the storms of life, we’ll experience a personal revival, which can lead to something bigger and more widespread. There’s no limit to what God can do with one renewed and recalibrated believer.   Reflection question: How can you discern when you’re facing a correcting storm? Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."   All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  2. 1 day ago

    Outside Your Comfort Zone | Jonah 1:1–2

    “The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.’” (Jonah 1:1–2 NLT)   Throughout this month, we’ll be addressing the need for revival in our nation. To help frame our discussion, I want to look back at one of the greatest revivals in human history. This week we’ll be talking about what happened in the Assyrian city of Nineveh, as recorded in the Old Testament book of Jonah. The first thing we need to understand is that one of the greatest revivals in human history began with one person who was willing to step out of his comfort zone. Okay, maybe Jonah wasn’t exactly willing at first. But after a short stay in the digestive tract of a giant fish, he was quite willing. By the way, if the idea of a person being swallowed by a giant sea creature seems far-fetched to you, you should read the story of Michael Packard, a veteran lobster diver from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. One day, while Packard was in the water, he was washed into the mouth of a humpback whale. He recalled, “All of a sudden I felt this huge shove, and the next thing I knew it was completely black.” After about 40 seconds, the whale spit him out. The same thing happened to Jonah—it just took about three days longer in his case. Jonah ended up in the belly of a giant fish because he wanted to stay in his comfort zone. Jonah 1:1–2 says, “The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are’” (NLT). But Jonah refused. The Ninevites were enemies of Israel and were known for their wickedness and cruelty. The idea of God forgiving and showing mercy to them was far outside Jonah’s comfort zone. He had no concern for the souls of the Ninevites. He took comfort in the notion that God would judge Nineveh. He wanted the Ninevites to suffer for all the suffering they had caused Israel. But God didn’t call Jonah to make himself at home in his comfort zone. He called Jonah to leave his comfort zone far behind and do something that must have felt not only out of character but also beyond his ability. That’s how revivals begin: ordinary people respond to an extraordinary call. They step outside their comfort zone and place their trust in God to accomplish what He would have them do. Are you willing to leave your comfort zone to reach people who need Jesus? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are of a different political persuasion than you are? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are of a different race than you are? Are you willing to build bridges to people who are just different from you? Don’t forget—that’s how revivals get started.   Reflection question: What would it look like in your life to reach out to someone who is different from you? Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."   All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  3. 3 days ago

    It Only Takes a Spark | Acts 1:8

    “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NLT)   Years ago, I was staying at a friend’s cabin in Virginia. He informed me that the cabin was heated by a fireplace and a stove. That meant I had to build a fire in each one using kindling and wood, and then keep the fires stoked. I asked him where I could buy kindling. In the very nicest way possible, he asked, “What’s wrong with you? You don’t buy kindling. You just pick it up off the ground.” (I should point out that I’m from California and he’s from North Carolina.) After he showed me how to find kindling, he explained that I would need to empty the ashes from the stove and fireplace using a metal bucket that he kept on a concrete surface. When the embers cooled, I would need to throw them out so I could reuse the bucket. I told him I understood. Hours later, after he was gone, I got up in the middle of the night to put more wood on the fire. I needed to clean out some of the ashes, but the bucket was full. I assumed that the embers had cooled because they’d been sitting in the bucket for a long time. So, I went outside where it was very dark and very cold and threw the ashes off the porch into the yard. But along with the ashes came some still-burning embers. And each one started a small fire when it hit the grass and leaves. I almost had a heart attack. I ran out into the yard and started picking up the embers and throwing them up onto the gravel driveway. Then I found a bucket—an extremely small bucket—and started filling it with water to put out the little fires. I was terrified that I’d started a wildfire that was going to burn down the entire area. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. But that’s the nature of fire. A single spark can ignite something massive. It’s only fitting that on this momentous day we point out that this is the nature of revolution as well. The “shot heard ’round the world” that began the Battles of Lexington and Concord started a revolution that changed the world as we know it. And it’s also the nature of revival. As Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 make clear, spiritual revival starts local and spreads, like a fire. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (NLT). So, start local. Feed the flames of revival in yourself. Ask God to intervene in your life in a powerful way. Ask Him to reboot your spiritual system, to refresh and reenergize you. And then let that spiritual fire spread to those around you. You’ll be amazed at what God can do with a single spark.   Reflection question: In what area of your spiritual life do you most need a spark? Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."   All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  4. 4 days ago

    A Source of Hope | Romans 15:13

    “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 NLT)   Hope is a precious commodity in today’s world. Our 24-hour news cycle feeds us story after story of events and tragedies that are far beyond our control. Many people spend hours online “doomscrolling,” obsessively searching for content that reinforces their negativity or triggers their anxiety. As a nation, we’ve certainly faced our share of dark times before. For many, there was little hope to be found during the years of the Civil War or in the struggle for civil rights. But our current culture feels different. The algorithms that drive social media seem to reinforce a sense of hopelessness. And the occasional piece of content that momentarily offers hope often turns out to be AI-generated. So when people encounter genuine hope, the results are often profound. That’s why the apostle Paul wrote, “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 NLT). Believers understand that with God, there is no such thing as hopelessness. Andrew Jackson understood that. In a letter to his wife he wrote, “I trust that the god of Isaac and of Jacob will protect you, and give you health in my absence, in him alone we ought to trust, he alone can preserve, and guide us through this troublesome world, and I am sure he will hear your prayers. We are told that the prayers of the righteous prevaileth much, and I add mine for your health and preservation untill we again meet.” The overflowing hope that Paul spoke of springs from a spiritual passion. That’s why revival is essential to the lifeblood of believers and to the lifeblood of our nation. For believers, revival involves recapturing the first bloom of a love relationship with Jesus Christ. Sometimes when we’ve been walking with the Lord for a while, our spiritual passion begins to fade. Our zeal begins to erode. We lose some of our initial excitement about our relationship with Him. Revival is how we get it back. When we as Christians restore the passion and fervor to our relationship with Christ, good things happen—in and around us. That renewed passion and fervor feeds on itself. Hope fills and then overflows our lives and then splashes all over the people around us. That’s how revival spreads. I was speaking once with Chuck Smith, who is regarded as the father of the last great spiritual awakening in our country—an event known as the Jesus Movement. I asked him, “Chuck, do you think we’ll ever see another Jesus Movement?” His answer was this: “I don’t know, Greg. I don’t know if we’re desperate enough.” It’s time for God’s people to rediscover our passion, our hope, and our desperation.   Reflection question: What would renewed spiritual passion, hope, and desperation look like in your life? Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."   All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  5. 5 days ago

    Original Condition | Psalm 80:19

    “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!” (Psalm 80:19 NKJV)   Before we get too deep in our discussion of revival in our country, we should probably define the term. What is revival exactly? Too often believers mystify the word without understanding its true meaning. Revival is simply another word for “refreshment” or “restoration.” A psalmist wrote, “Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6 NLT). Another psalm says, “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!” (Psalm 80:19 NKJV). Revival carries with it the idea of returning something to its original condition. Think of someone who buys a beat-up old car from a junkyard. They do bodywork on it. They repaint it. They drop a new engine in it. They put new tires on it. And when you see it cruising down the road, you can hardly believe it’s the same car. That’s called a restoration. Think of a plant that’s beginning to wither. You give it some water and take it out into the sunshine, and it comes back to life again. Think of the fatigue you experience when you work out in the hot sun all day. Then think of the feeling you experience when you come inside an air-conditioned house and drink some cool water. Revival is the spiritual equivalent of that kind of restoration and refreshment. A spiritual revival is when God’s people come back to life again because they’ve been refreshed. They’ve been refilled. They’ve been restored to their original condition. The United States experienced a remarkable revival a few decades before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The impact of that revival reverberated powerfully in the founding of our nation. Being restored to that original condition could look like many different things in our country. Noah Webster, often referred as the Father of American Scholarship and Education, offered a starting point when he said, “The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. . . . All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.” For the church, which is the spiritual center of our nation, being restored to the original condition would resemble the description of Paul and Silas found in Acts 17:6: “These who have turned the world upside down” (NKJV). The church is meant to impact the world, not be impacted by it. It’s meant to disrupt the status quo and not to settle for it. The church is meant to shine a light on the darkness of this world and not to ignore it or make excuses for it. Revival encourages us to embrace the full extent of our God-given potential. It compels us to do the hard work to become the best possible versions of ourselves—as individuals, as a church, and as a nation.   Reflection question: What would a spiritual refreshing or restoration look like in your life? Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."   All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  6. 6 days ago

    An Urgent Wake-Up Call | Romans 13:11–12

    “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.” (Romans 13:11–12 NLT)   This month, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation. And this month’s devotions will tie into that celebration. They will also tie into our nation’s greatest need at the quarter-millennium mark in our history: the need for revival. Let me start with a few questions. Think of the last time you got a phone call in the middle of the night. Did the person begin the conversation with the question, “Did I wake you?” If so, did you have the urge to say, “No, I was already awake”? Sometimes when I watch television with my wife, she will pick a show that I don’t find very interesting, like some British baking show. And before long, I’ll fall asleep. And when I open my eyes, I’ll find my wife staring at me. “You were sleeping,” she’ll say. And my first instinct is to say, “No, I wasn’t,” even though I woke myself up with my own snoring. What is it about human nature that causes us to deny that we’re sleeping? Maybe we see tiredness as a weakness. Maybe we’re reluctant to admit that we’re not bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and fully alert every second of the day. It’s one thing to be physically asleep and not own up to it. It’s quite another thing to be spiritually asleep and deny it—and not just for an individual believer. A nation can be spiritually asleep, and I think that’s the condition the United States finds itself in right now. This week we will celebrate the grace that God has shed on our country. We will recount the many blessings He has bestowed on us over the past 250 years. Our celebrations will be marked by loud music and fireworks. Yet even then, we will go on spiritually sleeping. So as the Fourth of July approaches this year, I will be praying for a revival for our nation. And revival begins with a spiritual awakening—a profound awareness of our distance from God and our need to close that distance. I will be praying for a sense of spiritual urgency among God’s people. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living” (Romans 13:11–12 NLT). It’s time to sound the alarm. The time for revival has come.   Reflection question: How can you be a “spiritual alarm clock” to the people God has placed around you? Experience the Harvest Crusade on July 11 when you watch online! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."   All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  7. 30 Jun

    One Way | 1 Timothy 2:5–6

    “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6 NLT)   One of the costs of following Christ is not being able to join in the feel-good consensus that claims, “All paths lead to God.” Believers don’t have the option of nodding in agreement when people say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere in your beliefs.” We don’t have the option because the Bible doesn’t offer it. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT). And the apostle Paul wrote, “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone” (1 Timothy 2:5–6 NLT). These passages leave exactly no room for other spiritual claims or belief systems, no matter how prevalent the idea of religious inclusiveness becomes. The teaching that Jesus Christ is the only way to God has never been popular. But it’s probably safe to say that it’s never been more controversial than it is today. If you want to get someone’s blood boiling, then quote Jesus’ words in John 14:6 or Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 2:5–6. The “Coexist” bumper sticker on the person’s car will spontaneously catch fire. The idea that you would have the audacity to say that Jesus is the only way is, in effect, saying that other religions aren’t true. That’s the way the logic works itself out, and people don’t like it. It’s acceptable to say that Jesus is a way to God. But when you dare say that He is the only way, then you can be certain that you’ll get some pushback. You might even be accused of being narrow-minded or worse. But here’s what it comes down to: As believers, we must say what the Bible says, whether it’s popular or not. We have no authority to edit the message of the Bible. We’re called simply to deliver it, without watering it down or sugarcoating the words to fit what the audience wants to hear. To do otherwise would be like a doctor discovering a very serious problem with a patient’s health but then being unwilling to say what that problem is—because it might make that patient uncomfortable. We must tell people the truth about their real spiritual condition, which happens to be sinful, and then seek to save them, which is to point them to Jesus Christ as the only solution. If this means we are falsely accused of exclusivity or some other social media no-no, then so be it. God’s truth is too important to be edited for content.   Reflection question: How can you help people get past their desire to be inclusive and understand that Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life?   Harvest Crusade tickets are fully claimed—but it’s not too late to participate and witness what God does on July 11. Invite your loved ones to watch online with you and make sure you join the waitlist in case more tickets become available. — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."   All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  8. 29 Jun

    Not Home Yet | Hebrews 13:14

    “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT)   I heard a story about an old missionary couple who had been serving in Africa for years and were returning home to retire. Their health was broken down, and they had no pension. As it turned out, the same steamer ship they were traveling on had a very well-known passenger, President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning home from a hunting expedition. As the passengers disembarked, a crowd of admirers gathered around. They were all there to greet the president of the United States. A band was playing, and the cheers of the crowd were deafening. But when the missionary couple came ashore, there was no band playing for them. There was no applause. There was no one to welcome them—not a single soul to meet them. Discouraged, the husband buried his face in his hands and moaned, “God, I didn’t expect a band or a parade, but someone could have seen to it to welcome us home.” Hearing this, his wife looked at him and said, “Now, honey, we are not home yet.” One of the costs of following Christ is the challenge of living in a place that’s not our home. This creates an inescapable tension. We can’t ignore our earthly responsibilities. We must involve ourselves in many different aspects of life on this planet. At the same time, we can’t become too comfortable in our earthly environment. We must keep the prevailing attitudes and priorities of this world at arm’s length. And we must keep one eye trained on our forever home so that we never lose sight of our ultimate destination. God’s Word makes it clear that believers are not home yet, but one day we will be. The author of Hebrews wrote, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT). We have no say in the timing of our eventual homecoming. God will call us home according to His timetable. Our job, until that day, is to be faithful with the opportunities and resources He has given to us. There are some people who simply “go for it” as Christians. They take risks for God. They want to do great things for Him. They give it everything they have. Then there are others who want to serve the Lord, but in a more cautious, careful manner. Some people are setting the world on fire while others are still looking for a match. God has equipped us for our sojourn in this world. We must focus on being faithful to Him and using the gifts, opportunities, and resources He’s given us. This world may not be our home, but while we’re here, we can make a big difference in it.   Reflection question: How do you deal with the challenge of living day to day in a place that isn’t your home? Harvest Crusade tickets are fully claimed—but it’s not too late to participate and witness what God does on July 11. Invite your loved ones to watch online with you and make sure you join the waitlist in case more tickets become available. — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."   All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min
See All (100)

Hosts & Guests

About

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.  *The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Information

You Might Also Like