Leading The Way - Devotional for April 22
April 22, 2026
God Urges Us to Remember
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
Do you have people in your life who only talk to you when they want something? Conversations that revolve around the other person’s needs or demands make it hard to develop true fellowship. These one-sided relationships can make us feel used and manipulated.
Often, that is exactly what many of us do to God when we only approach Him in prayer with a need or desire. We give Him our laundry lists of prayer requests without spending any time praising Him, thanking Him for our past blessings, or seeking a relationship with Him. We pray for future events without acknowledging His help in the past. Our forgetfulness is an indication of our ingratitude toward God, and it renders our prayers ineffective.
Yet, none of this shocks God. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows we are a forgetful people. He knows our capacity for ingratitude. He knows our capacity for reinventing the Truth. He knows our capacity for taking credit for His provision.
Throughout the Scriptures, we see God reminding His people of His blessings. He often urged them to set up visible memorials of His past provision that would lead them to rejoice in and worship their Almighty God. Without these reminders, the people would forget God’s faithfulness. We forget the source of our victory; we too easily take credit for what only God could have done. So we must set up ebenezer stones in our lives—Hebrew for the stone of help. This stone is where we will experience an individual revival inside us—experience restoration and renewal. It’s the memorial that leads us to rededicate ourselves to Christ and remember afresh the love and goodness of God.
What kind of memorial is God calling you to set up today? Ask for God’s help to remain focused on Him throughout the day, that you may abide in Him and pray without ceasing.
Prayer: Father, forgive me for forgetting to take the time to praise and adore You. You have been so faithful to me. Thank You for loving me and saving me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon What Is Your Ebenezer?: WATCH NOW
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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.
