Have you been stuck expecting the worst—even in your walk with God?

Over the last few days, we’ve been confronting pessimism through the life of Thomas, the disciple forever nicknamed “doubting Thomas.” But Dr. Michael Youssef reveals the deeper issue beneath Thomas’ doubt—and ours: a distorted understanding of who Jesus truly is. With patient love, Christ led Thomas from skepticism to victory, and that same resurrection power can transform you too.

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, you’ll discover:

why doubt often grows from an incomplete view of Christ,

how Jesus personally frees us from pessimism, and

what genuine transformation looks like after we encounter the living Savior.

Thomas’ change wasn’t merely intellectual—it reshaped his entire life. After meeting the risen Christ, he became bold and mission-minded, taking the Gospel into difficult regions such as Nineveh and India. Dr. Youssef reminds us that when we truly grasp God’s calling and His unconditional love, pessimism gives way to Spirit-empowered hope—pessimistic to visionary, uncertain to confident, and hopeless to joyful.

If you’re tired of negative “what ifs,” chronic doubt, or spiritual hesitation, this devotional will point you back to the One who has the final word over every fear:

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Scripture Focus: John 8:36

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
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💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
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If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

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Do you ever feel your faith shrink after a setback—like hope is slipping through your fingers?

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef continues the journey of overcoming pessimism by revealing the next steps toward steady confidence in Christ. While yesterday’s foundation was knowing who you are in Jesus, today tackles what happens when fear, opposition, or disappointment hits your “hot buttons” and you start expecting the worst.

Through the life of Thomas, Dr. Youssef highlights how Jesus overpowers pessimism in real time:

How to handle setbacks without losing confidence (John 11): Thomas assumed following Jesus to Bethany would end in death—but Jesus shattered that fear by raising Lazarus, proving His authority even over the grave.

How Christ’s resurrection defeats chronic doubt (John 20:25–28): Thomas demanded proof—until the risen Jesus stood before him. Encountering the living Christ transformed him from skeptic to worshiper: “My Lord and my God!”

Why your hope is never tied to circumstances: Jesus is alive, reigning at the right hand of the Father, and still redeeming situations that look beyond repair.

If you’ve been bracing for disappointment, stuck in “realistic” negativity, or quietly wondering if God will come through—this devotional will help you remember what Thomas learned firsthand: the resurrected Christ changes what’s possible.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 66:5

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care

💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com

If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

❤️ Support Leading The Way:
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Pessimism is one of the quietest threats to a growing faith—because it often sounds like wisdom. We rename it “discernment,” “caution,” or “being realistic,” but Scripture exposes what it truly is: a lack of faith in God’s power or His promises.

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef takes you to Mark 9, where a desperate father says to Jesus, “If you can…”—revealing the real issue wasn’t Jesus’ ability, but the father’s unbelief. Christ’s reply still challenges us today: faith changes what we believe is possible.

Dr. Youssef also points to Thomas, famously labeled “doubting Thomas,” to show that pessimism doesn’t have to be permanent. Jesus overcame Thomas’ unbelief by anchoring him in a life-altering truth: you are chosen, called, and unconditionally loved by God’s grace.

If you’ve been battling negativity, doubt, or a constant expectation of the worst, this devotional will help you:

identify pessimism for what it is,

bring your unbelief honestly to Jesus, and

rest in the security of God’s steadfast love and calling.

Scripture Focus: 1 John 3:1

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care

💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com

If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

What are you drawing on for strength—your circumstances, your abilities, or the power of Christ?

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds us that only Christ’s resurrection power can truly satisfy the empty heart, defeat temptation, and exchange our weakness for His strength. Earthly assets and “wins” may look impressive, but they’re nothing compared to the transforming power of Jesus.

This devotional also sounds a loving warning: when life is going well, it’s easy to drift back into independence and forget the Source of real joy. That’s why we must stay alert to spiritual stagnation and choose growth—even when growth stretches us.

You’ll be encouraged by Scripture’s call to keep pressing forward:

Run with perseverance, throwing off sin and fixing your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1–2).

Press on toward the goal, forgetting what’s behind and straining toward what’s ahead (Philippians 3:13–14).

If you’ve been tempted to coast, quit, or rely on comfort instead of Christ, this episode will re-center your heart on the One whose power never runs out—and whose grace meets you in the struggle.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 147:5

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care

💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com

If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

Everyone has weaknesses—but not everyone knows what to do with them.

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef exposes a subtle trap the enemy uses to keep believers restless: refusing to confront our weaknesses. Whether your struggle is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, unresolved weakness can breed discontentment and quietly drain your joy—unless you apply God’s grace to the very places that hurt.

Dr. Youssef takes you to Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” and the breakthrough lesson God taught him:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

You’ll discover why the most important part of any trial isn’t the struggle itself—but how you respond to it. If you’ve ever felt like God’s grace “isn’t enough,” this episode helps you diagnose what’s really happening: either you’re fixated on the problem instead of His grace, or you’re avoiding the issue entirely. The way forward is not denial or despair—it’s honest dependence on Christ.

You’ll also be reminded that Jesus is not distant from your struggle. He understands your weakness with compassion—and He invites you to come to Him for strength and mercy (Hebrews 4:15).

Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 12:9

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care

💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com

If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

Everyone has weaknesses—but not everyone knows what to do with them.

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef exposes a subtle trap the enemy uses to keep believers restless: refusing to confront our weaknesses. Whether your struggle is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, unresolved weakness can breed discontentment and quietly drain your joy—unless you apply God’s grace to the very places that hurt.

Dr. Youssef takes you to Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” and the breakthrough lesson God taught him:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

You’ll discover why the most important part of any trial isn’t the struggle itself—but how you respond to it. If you’ve ever felt like God’s grace “isn’t enough,” this episode helps you diagnose what’s really happening: either you’re fixated on the problem instead of His grace, or you’re avoiding the issue entirely. The way forward is not denial or despair—it’s honest dependence on Christ.

You’ll also be reminded that Jesus is not distant from your struggle. He understands your weakness with compassion—and He invites you to come to Him for strength and mercy (Hebrews 4:15).

Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 12:9

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care

💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com

If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

Has “grace” lost its wonder?

In this episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef challenges the modern misconceptions that have watered grace down into mere politeness—or made it unnecessary in an age of self-sufficiency and “rights.” The Truth is far more stunning: we are sinners who could never earn our way back to God. Only Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His righteousness credited to us can justify us before the Father (see John 3:16).

Dr. Youssef then brings this Gospel reality into your everyday battles. When trials hit, anxiety rises, or temptation threatens your fellowship with God, grace becomes more than a doctrine—it becomes your lifeline. Through prayer, God steadies you with peace and security, goes before you into life’s battles, and provides victory that doesn’t come from your strength, but from His.

If you’re facing pressure, fear, or exhaustion, this devotional will lift your eyes to the promise you can cling to today: God’s grace is sufficient—and His power is revealed in your weakness.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 20:7

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care

💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com

If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate

Where do you draw strength when you feel pressured to stay silent about Jesus?

In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef points to the apostle Paul’s unwavering confidence in the Gospel: “The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17). From Habakkuk to the New Testament, God’s message remains the same—faith isn’t a one-time decision; it’s the way God’s people live.

Dr. Youssef walks through how faith anchors every part of the believer’s life:

Past: You trusted Jesus and were saved by grace—rescued from hell to heaven.

Present: You rely on Christ daily for provision, wisdom, victory over sin, and strength to obey.

Future: You live with confidence that when you leave this world, you will be with Jesus forever.

And then comes the challenge: Are you ever tempted to be ashamed of the Gospel? When someone calls your faith narrow-minded—or labels the exclusivity of Christ as offensive—this devotional will remind you to return to your true power source and move forward in obedience, love, and faith.

Scripture Focus: Romans 1:17

Listen now and rediscover the awe-inspiring grace that saves, sanctifies, and secures you for eternity.

The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today’s devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

🙏 Pastoral Care & Prayer Teams
Our trained prayer partners and pastoral care team are available to pray with you and offer Biblical support.
https://ltw.org/care

💬 Receive personal answers to your faith questions—anytime, day or night—at:
https://myfaithassistant.com

If you’ve been blessed by this podcast, please consider a tax-deductible donation to help extend this ministry—so another person can be encouraged, prayed for, and pointed to Christ.

❤️ Support Leading The Way:
https://www.ltw.org/donate