Devotionals by Dr. Michael Youssef
June 16, 2026
One of Those Days
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
We all have days when it seems like everything is working against us. Your son missed the school bus; your daughter left her lunchbox at home; you had one meeting after another at work; you stood in line for 20 minutes at the grocery store; and you fought rush-hour traffic on the way home. Days like that can be frustrating, and in those moments, it’s easy to lose patience with situations and the people around us.
We may seek to be patient, but we cannot generate a long-suffering spirit apart from the Spirit of God. It is not within our own capacity to be this patient. It is when the Spirit of God is pouring patience into our hearts that it becomes a defining characteristic of our souls rather than simply something we futilely strive to practice in our own strength.
In fact, we can only manifest the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control—when the heat is on, in times of trouble. If you try to manifest the fruit of the Spirit when everything is going fine, that fruit won’t be evident. How can you exhibit joy in your life unless you are thrust into a joyless situation? How can you exhibit the peace that surpasses understanding unless you are in a scenario where it doesn’t make sense? How can you manifest patience unless someone is trying your patience? The fruit of the Spirit can only be exhibited when the fullness of the Holy Spirit is leading your life day by day, moment by moment. The Holy Spirit never fails to produce fruit in the life that is abiding in Christ, the life that is totally committed to Him.
Christian patience, kindness, goodness, and the other fruit of the Spirit are based upon the absolute, unshakeable belief that God is sovereign and that He is at work in the lives of His children. We will bear this fruit when we trust that we are never forgotten nor forsaken by God no matter our circumstances.
Prayer: God, thank You that no matter what comes my way, You have not forgotten nor forsaken me. Help my life to exhibit Christian patience even in the most trying circumstances. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Spirituality That Heals, Patience: LISTEN NOW
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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.
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