Devotionals by Dr. Michael Youssef
June 15, 2026
Receiving Divine Peace
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
In 1970, I worked for the telephone company in Sydney, Australia. I had only been in the country for a few months, and I had arrived with only one hundred dollars of borrowed money in my pocket. My boss at the phone company knew my impoverished state. One day, he came to me and said, “Michael, may I ask you a personal question? Tell me—why do you seem so peaceful and contented? You have almost nothing. You’re just scraping by. Yet, you never complain; you never seem worried; you seem to be at peace.”
“I am at peace,” I said. “I know that God is in charge of all the circumstances of my life. When I received Jesus as Lord of my life, I surrendered everything to Him—my plans and goals, my finances, my circumstances, even my worries and anxiety. I surrendered it all to Him, and in exchange for that, He has given me peace.”
My boss thought for a moment, then he said something that saddens me to this day: “I couldn’t do that, Michael. I could never surrender my will to anyone.” I had a number of talks with this man while I worked at the phone company. I found out that he knew the Christian Gospel and occasionally went to church—but he had never surrendered his life to the Lord. He was unwilling to put God in charge of his life.
He saw with his own eyes that surrendering to Christ had brought peace to my life—a peace that passes understanding, a peace that he himself could not understand. Though he wanted that peace, he refused to pay the price of surrendering himself to God.
Only Jesus can give you that peace, and it’s free—you can’t earn it or buy it. But to obtain this free gift, you have to surrender. You have to give up and let Jesus take over control of your life. You have to surrender your weapons.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know the only way to divine peace is to surrender to You, the God of peace. Help me to never resist Your call to give everything to You. Thank You for the free gift of Your peace. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon A Heart for God, Peace Beyond Reason: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
Want more devotionals from Leading The Way? Sign up for MY Devotional and have a devotional delivered directly to your inbox daily!
PARTNER WITH US
We are Leading The Way for people living in spiritual darkness, at home and around the world, to discover the light of Christ as we passionately proclaim uncompromising Truth. Visit us today at ltw.org.
Listen to Dr. Michael Youssef on today's broadcast of Leading The Way at OnePlace.com.
Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com.
About Leading The Way
Along with partners committed to changing the world, Dr. Michael Youssef is leading the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ. By passionately proclaiming uncompromising Truth through every available form of media, this international team of experts is uniquely providing hope that is revolutionizing lives around the world.
What began as a small local radio ministry in 1988 has grown into an international ministry reaching millions for Christ, including a vast audience in the Muslim world seeking Truth in closed countries. Dr. Youssef's Biblically-based programs are broadcast in more than 28 languages to audiences across six continents. His books, MY Journal magazine, and daily e-devotionals continue to minister to a global audience. Leading The Way utilizes cutting-edge technology to advance the Gospel. Its solar-powered Navigators are reaching into remote villages, and the ministry's KINGDOM SAT TV channel—launched by Dr. Youssef in 2009—is reaching into the Middle East with programming in English, Arabic, and French. Field Teams follow up with viewers, including those in restricted areas, to lead the lost to Christ, disciple new believers, and support the underground Church.
Dr. Youssef and the Leading The Way team are committed to proclaiming the Good News of Jesus with the lost and equipping believers to grow in Christ. Learn how you can partner with this unique ministry today.
About Dr. Michael Youssef
Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, a worldwide ministry that leads the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ through the creative use of media and on-the-ground teams. His Biblically-based teaching programs are broadcast more than 18,000 times per week in multiple languages around the world. He is also the Founding Rector of Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, and founder of the AWAKE America prayer movement.
Dr. Youssef was born in Egypt and lived in Lebanon and Australia before coming to the United States. In 1984, he fulfilled a childhood dream of becoming an American citizen. Dr. Youssef holds theological degrees from Moore College and Fuller Theological Seminary and a doctorate in cultural anthropology from Emory University. He has authored more than 50 books, including popular titles Saving Christianity?, Life-Changing Prayers, Is the End Near?, How to Read the Bible, Heaven Awaits, and God’s Final Call. He and his wife reside in Atlanta and have four grown children and 15 grandchildren.
Contact Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef
webmail@LTW.org
http://www.ltw.org
Leading The Way
P.O. Box 20100
(404) 841-0100
Toll-free line
(800) 337-5323