Daily Readings From Every Day a Friday. By Joel Osteen, Pastor of Lakewood Church
I wrote Every Day a Friday after reading about a number of studies related to the positive effects of happiness. One showed that people are happier on Fridays.
Another showed that Mondays are so stressful for some that more heart attacks occur on that day than others. There were also a number of reports about the positive impact of happiness and optimism on mental and physical health.
After reading all this research, I wanted to encourage people to see every day of the week as a gift from God, and to live each day with gratitude, good humor, and faith.
Daily Readings from Every Day a Friday is designed to help you do just that, one day at a time.
This collection of ninety daily devotionals contains excerpts from the original book that emphasize positive, inspiring, and faith-building messages, along with additional supportive and encouraging material in the form of key Bible verses, daily prayers, and daily thoughts.
Daily Readings from Every Day a Friday is divided into seven key parts. Each part is designed to build on the others.
The goal is for you to take just a brief time each day to read and reflect, to put the events and circumstances in your life in perspective, and to receive a mental, emotional, and spiritual lift.
Each of the daily readings was selected to emphasize one of the seven keys. I’ve added several other features to help you apply and live out the truth that God wants you to know. Therefore, each daily devotional includes:
• A suggested Scripture reading: These passages will sometimes relate directly to the key being described, and in other instances the reading will provide necessary background for accurately understanding the truth for that day. Please don’t neglect these brief selections from God’s Word if you want to gain the full benefit of this book.
• Key verse(s): A verse or verses chosen from the Bible reading that expresses a theme of the devotional.
• A devotional excerpt from Every Day a Friday: A brief story or lesson that I believe will encourage and uplift you.
• Today’s Prayer: A daily prayer that can serve as a model to help you express your prayer requests, desires, gratitude, and fresh commitments to God. Feel free to adapt these prayers and make them your own. Have a personal conversation with your heavenly Father.
• Today’s Thought: These are points meant for you to consider thoughtfully after each daily reading. God’s Word tells us that our thinking patterns become our acting patterns. The way we talk to ourselves greatly influences our actions. The Today’s Thought sections also are meant to encourage you to agree with what God thinks of you throughout each day.
These ninety readings should be read at a one-each-day pace so that they carry you through three months or so. My dream is that, day by day, you will grow stronger in your gratitude, your happiness, your faith, and your well-being.
Joel Osteen
