Miracle Education Centre

Trust the One Who Made You and Saved You
By Rick Warren — 11/03/2025

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46-47 (NIV)

You are God’s idea. You are God’s invention. You are God’s product.

You didn’t create yourself. You were created by God. No one knows more about you than God does. He formed you, designed you, crafted you, constructed you, and built you for his purpose. God never makes anything without a purpose. His purpose is your destiny.

Not only did God create you, but he also saved you.

And you needed to be saved because, even though God has a destiny for your life, he doesn’t force you to follow it. And you didn’t. You went off and started doing your own thing. You followed your own plan for your life, and you messed up. You sinned. And because of that, God sent Jesus to come and die for your sins, to save you.

In fact, God sent Jesus to pay for the sins of everyone who has ever lived. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, relied on God as her Savior. When God sent an angel to tell Mary that he’d chosen her to mother his Son, Mary accepted God’s plan—and then she told us why.

In Luke 1, Mary says, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47 NIV). Mary is saying, “God didn’t just make me; he saved me. I’m not following God’s plan haphazardly or reluctantly or because I have to. I’m following it eagerly, expectantly, and enthusiastically. I’m rejoicing!”

In that moment, Mary knew what her purpose was; she knew why God had put her on the earth. And she chose to follow God’s plan, knowing that she could trust where her Savior was leading her.

When it comes to life planning, a lot of Christians act like atheists. They accept God for their salvation, but then they think, “I can just go out and plan my life any way I want to.”

Really? You think God put you on earth to live for yourself? I don’t think so.

God made you for his purpose. And who better to trust with your destiny than the one who made you and saved you?

Talk It Over

The one who created you also is the one who saved you. What does that truth mean to you?

In what ways have you acted like an atheist when it comes to planning your life?

Does it seem easier to follow your Creator or to follow your Savior? How?

Have you put your trust in Jesus as your Savior?

If you’ve never invited Jesus into your heart, I want you to have that opportunity now. Tell God you trust his promise of salvation through Jesus by praying this prayer:

“Dear Father, you have promised that if I trust in Jesus, I will be saved—not by my works, but by your grace alone. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I confess my sins and ask that you forgive me. And I surrender my life to him.

“Guide me, lead me, and help me to follow Jesus in faith and obedience. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Four Ways God Answers Persistent Prayer
By Rick Warren — 10/01/2025

"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers." Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

There is no such thing as unanswered prayer. God may not always answer the way you like, but he always answers prayer in one of four ways:

When your request is not right, God says, “No.”
God is not going to give you something that's harmful for you. He only gives you his best! He sometimes says “no” because your request does not match his best for you.

When you’re not right, God says, “Grow.”
Maybe God wants to give you something—maybe even a blessing so big you can’t imagine it—but you’re not ready for the responsibility. It could even cause stress in your life if he gave it to you now. Don’t stop praying! Keep reading God’s Word and making Christ your first pursuit.

When the timing is not right, God says, “Slow.”
The Living Bible paraphrase says, "The time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!" (Habakkuk 2:3). It's coming, but it's not here yet. God wants to take it slow, until you're ready to handle it. Growth often needs to be paced. And it always takes time.

When your request, your character, and the timing all line up, God says, “Go.”
Ephesians 6:18 says, "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers" (NLT). You don’t pray persistently in order to convince God. You pray persistently so that you’re ready when God says, “Go.”

Always believe that God is going to answer your prayer. It might not always be the answer you want or expect, but it will always be for your good and for God’s glory.

Talk It Over

When you’ve been waiting a long time for God to answer a prayer, how do you stay encouraged?

Do you trust God’s timing? Why or why not?

If you’re waiting on God to say “go,” what can you do to grow in spiritual maturity while you wait?

How to Give God Your Attention
By Rick Warren — 09/27/2025

"My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help. He will keep me from any traps." Psalm 25:15 (NCV)

When you were in junior high school, was there someone you thought about all the time who was totally oblivious to you? It’s hard to imagine that someone who occupied so much of your thoughts could hold no space for you in their own mind. But it’s happened to most of us at some point, and it can be a painful experience.

Now imagine this: The Bible says God is always thinking about you. But how often do you pause to think about him? He’s not distant—he’s near, waiting for your attention, not because he needs it, but because he loves you.

God wants your attention! But how do you give it to him? One way is to pray about something over and over.

God had a particular affection for King David, and one reason is because David gave God his attention all the time. David said, "My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help. He will keep me from any traps" (Psalm 25:15 NCV). That means David was persistent in prayer.

Like King David, you face unexpected traps every day. God is the only one who knows them in advance, and persistent prayer is the best way to show that you’re trusting him to keep you safe.

When you’re going up a mountain road, it’s always helpful to be able to anticipate what’s ahead. But if you're stuck behind a slow truck and can't see around the curve ahead, it can be really frustrating. At that moment, how helpful would a helicopter be to give you the “all clear” to pass?

God is like that helicopter. He can see what you can't see. He can see the traps you're going to have this week, this month, and this year. If you will give him your attention and focus, he’ll go ahead of you and show you how to navigate those traps.

The Bible says, "Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!" (Psalm 105:4 ESV). How often should you seek God? Continually. Prayer is not something to be checked off a list. It is an ongoing conversation.

Be persistent in your prayer. Keep seeking God for his direction and help. Don’t stop talking to him! He loves your attention, and he is ready and waiting to answer your prayers.

Talk It Over

We tend to be most persistent in our prayers when we are in deep pain. Why do you think this is so?

How is it possible to seek God continually? What is a practical way you can do this?

What are you anxious about? How does the act of prayer help give you peace over that situation?

The Power of Humble Confession
By Rick Warren — 09/17/2025

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

God isn’t moved by prideful complaining, but he does listen to humble confessing.

God responds to humility. Many people hesitate to admit their sins, but God already knows about all your sin! He knows every mistake you've ever made in your entire life. He just wants you to confess them. He wants you to show humility.

When you are humble before God, he doesn’t respond with punishment. He responds with forgiveness, mercy, and blessing. God’s not going to take you down—that’s what your pride does. When you humbly confess your sin, God is quick to forgive. He gives grace to the humble.

The Greek word for “confess” is homologeo. It combines homo, meaning “same,” with logeo, meaning “to speak.” So homologeo literally means to speak the same thing or to agree. You say to God, “You're right. That was a sin. I don't want to make excuses for it. You told me not to do it, but I did it anyway. It was wrong. It was rebellion against you.”

Daniel said, “We have sinned and done wrong”—but he didn't just stop there: “We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants . . . Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame” (Daniel 9:5-7 NIV).

Daniel got very specific with his confession, and you need to as well. Don’t lump all your sins from today together, as if you’re too busy or embarrassed or prideful to name them. God wants you to be specific, because he wants you to know what not to do again.

Knowing that the Israelites didn’t deserve God's blessing, Daniel threw himself on the grace of God. When you humbly confess your sin to God, you are surrendering your will to his. You are acknowledging your weakness and asking for God’s mercy. God’s answer is always grace.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).

Talk It Over

In what areas of your life do you need to humbly agree with God about your sin?

Why do you think you are sometimes hesitant to be specific with your confession?

How will you live out 2 Chronicles 7:14 and seek God’s face and confess your sin today?

Are you ready to receive God’s forgiveness and mercy?
You can do that by accepting his love and inviting Jesus into your heart right now. Start with this simple prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

"I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen."

A Gift You Can Give to God
By Rick Warren — 09/15/2025

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

Giving someone your attention is arguably the greatest gift you can give them. Why? Because your time is your life.

When you turn your face to someone and focus your eyes on them, it shows that you genuinely care and are interested in what they have to say.

You can do this with God—you can turn your face to him in prayer. Just look up! Show him that you’re checking in and ready to talk. Even though it’s a good way to pray, there's nothing in the Bible that says you have to close your eyes or bow your head. For me, when I close my eyes and get quiet, I go to sleep. Instead, I like to pray out loud and look up, because it gives me a physical reminder that I’m refocusing my attention on God.

Daniel did this when he needed God’s help and wisdom: “So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer” (Daniel 9:3 NASB).

God wants you to seek him—and the Bible is filled with promises for those who do:

“Seek me and live” (Amos 5:4 NIV). As you persistently seek God, you’ll start learning how to really live.

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me” (Proverbs 8:17 NIV). If you’re having trouble finding God, make sure you’re seeking him with the right motives—wanting to know him and not just wanting to get something from him.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). You're going to find God when you make spending time with him a priority—when you see it as critical to your daily life, not just something you might get around to in your spare time.

“God . . . rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Would you like God to reward your business, your finances, your relationships, and your future? Then seek him.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need” (Luke 12:31 NLT). When you pursue God first, the stresses and worries of the world will lessen their hold on you.

So give God your attention. Turn your face to him, and show him that he has first place in your life.

Talk It Over

Does it make a difference to you if you have someone’s full attention? How does it make you feel if they’re not looking at you when spending time together?

How does focusing on God give you the right perspective for your dreams, goals, and plans?

Why do you think God wants you to seek him?

Everything Starts as a Seed
By Rick Warren — 09/14/2025

“Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will.” Ecclesiastes 11:6 (CEV)

Everything in your life starts as a seed. There are many kinds of seeds—beautiful seeds like kindness, love, faith, and integrity. And then there are uglier seeds, like gossip and greed. But there are two things all seeds have in common. First, all seeds need time to grow. And second, you harvest whatever you have sown.

Think about literal, physical seeds. When you plant a seed in the ground, there is always a waiting time between planting and harvesting. You sow in one season, and you reap in another season. You don’t plant tomato seeds and pick a tomato an hour later. You have to wait.

It’s the same way in your life. Maybe you’ve planted seeds of kindness in a relationship. You don’t necessarily reap kindness immediately. You have to plant the seeds, trust God to grow them, and then wait.

Ecclesiastes says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. . . . A time to plant and a time to harvest . . . A time to scatter . . . and a time to gather” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 5 NLT).

Once the seeds have grown and are ready to harvest, you can trust that you will gather what you have sown.

If you plant seeds of gossip, the people in your life will likely gossip about you too. But if you plant seeds of kindness, people will be kind to you in return. If you plant seeds of faith, you will experience faithfulness.

So what do you do while you’re waiting on God—after you’ve planted seeds and are waiting on them to be ready to harvest? You keep sowing the kind of seeds you want to reap.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will” (Ecclesiastes 11:6).

Have you been waiting a long time for the harvest in your life? Let me give you a verse to encourage you. In Habakkuk 2, God says, “At the time I have decided, my words will come true. You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting— it will happen!” (Habakkuk 2:3 CEV).

The harvest may be slow in coming, but God says that, at the right time, it will. Keep waiting, trusting God, and sowing good seeds in your life. God will grow your seeds, and one day you will reap a harvest.

Talk It Over

When have you sown negative seeds and reaped a negative harvest?

When have you sown good seeds and reaped a good harvest?

What seeds are you sowing now that aren’t ready yet for harvest?

Ready to plant a seed of faith?
You can start by praying this prayer:

“Father, thank you for loving me and making it possible for me to spend eternity with you. I confess I don’t deserve it. I have sinned against you and lived according to my own selfish desires, and I ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay for my sins by dying in my place. Jesus, today I put my trust in you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for releasing me from judgment and making me acceptable to God. Thank you for offering me a fresh start and for giving me eternal life with you. Most of all, thank you for loving me. Jesus, I submit my life to you from this day forward. Amen.”

What’s Your Emergency Plan for Temptation?
By Rick Warren — 09/12/2025

“Run from all these evil things.” 1 Timothy 6:11 (NLT)

Do you have an escape plan for getting away when you’re tempted? Do you have preventative strategies to help you stay away from your biggest temptations? If you don’t have those things, you need them now!

First, when you find yourself tempted, you need a panic button—an emergency plan. The Bible is clear about what that emergency plan is: You run.

1 Timothy 6:11 says, “Run from all these evil things” (NLT).

The Bible says you need to move quickly out of any situation that causes you temptation. Never argue with a temptation. You’ll always lose. Emotions will take over, and emotions aren’t always logical.

No matter the temptation, you have to get away. It could be a temptation to cheat in business. It could be a sexual temptation. But your response should be the same: Get out.

But even better than running from temptation is to prevent temptation in the first place. Another way to say that is this: If you don’t want to get stung, stay away from the bees.

Years ago when I was a youth minister, I’d tell kids, “Don’t decide in the back seat of a car that you’re going to be sexually pure and save yourself for marriage.” You must make a preventative strategy in advance and not put yourself in the tempting situation—because hormones will kick in, and you’ll be overwhelmed.

The same principles apply throughout life.

If you know you get short-tempered with your children when you’re tired, develop a preventative strategy. Set an earlier bedtime for your kids or have some quiet time for everyone at the time of day that’s most difficult for you.

Don’t wait until you’re faced with a morally questionable deal to decide that your business will be above reproach. Build into your business plan accountability that prevents you from being tempted in the moment.

Take time today to develop preventative strategies for temptation. And when those don’t work out, have your emergency plan: Don’t resist temptation—run from it. That’s the simplest and surest way out.

Talk It Over

What’s the difference between a preventative strategy and an emergency plan for temptation?

What is one of your greatest temptations? What’s your preventative strategy for avoiding this temptation? What’s your emergency plan when you encounter it unexpectedly?

What temptation has continued to be a problem for you, despite your preventative strategies and emergency plans? Ask a trusted friend today to pray for you and hold you accountable to those strategies and plans.

What Your SHAPE Reveals About You
By Rick Warren — 09/10/2025

“Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you.” Jeremiah 1:5 (MSG)

Do you want to live a life of purpose and meaning? This might sound too simple, but think of what you do well—and find ways to do more of those things. Then think of what you don’t do well—and find ways to do less of those things.

God created you to be unique. He shaped you in a specific way for a special purpose only you can fulfill. In the Message paraphrase, God says, “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you” (Jeremiah 1:5).

No matter what, you can rest in the truth that God is working in your life and that he shaped you to succeed. He shaped you in advance for those plans. God’s plans for your life didn’t start the moment you were born. Those plans started before your birth, when the Bible says God shaped you in your mother’s womb.

But here’s the best part. The way God shaped you reveals how he wants to use you.

So how do you discover the unique way God made you?

I like to use the acrostic SHAPE—your Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. These are the five things that make you, you. And, by looking at each of these areas, you’ll begin to understand what God wants you to do with your life.

Spiritual gifts are God-empowered abilities for serving him that are given only to believers. For instance, some gifts motivate you for ministry—like serving, teaching, encouraging, leading, giving, showing mercy, or offering biblical insight.

Heart refers to the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections you have. It’s what you love to do and what you care about most.

Abilities are the natural talents you were born with. God wants you to do what you’re able to do.

Personality affects how and where you use your spiritual gifts and abilities. You’ll use your gifts in ways that are different from anybody else.

Experiences teach you lessons that help you mature. They also help you minister to others going through similar experiences.

My friend, when God made you, he broke the mold—there is no one else like you. My prayer is that you will find freedom and renewed energy as you live and serve according to your SHAPE.

Talk It Over

Consider what you do well and how God has wired you. What lessons can you draw from that about how God wants to use you for his work?

What things make it difficult for you to figure out how God has wired you? Ask God to give you discernment. Then ask some friends to share what they see in you—pieces that may reveal how God wired you.

What do you think about the truth that God had a purpose for you before he placed you in your mother’s womb? How might this change the way you live?

Anger Is a Choice
By Rick Warren — 10/11/2023
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“Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.”

Proverbs 29:11 (NLT)

If you want to tame your temper, you must resolve to manage it.

You have to quit saying, “I can’t control it!” and realize that you can. Just like love, anger is a choice. When you get angry, you choose to get angry. Nobody is forcing you to get angry.

People often say things like, “You make me so mad!” But the truth is that nobody can make you mad without your permission. Anger is a choice, and you must choose to control it if you want to be a loving person.

You have far more control over your anger than you may want to admit. Let me give you an example.

Let’s say you’re at home and you’re in an argument with somebody in your family. Your voices are raised, and you’re getting agitated. You’re upset. All of a sudden, the phone rings, and you answer sweetly, “Hello? Oh, yes! It’s for you, honey!”

What happened? You didn’t want to be embarrassed or have to explain, so you switched your anger off real quick. Anger is highly controllable!

The Bible says in Proverbs 29:11, “Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back” (NLT).

Do you want to be a foolish person or a wise person? How you respond to a situation is your responsibility and yours alone. Anger is a choice.

The time to decide to manage your anger is not when your blood pressure is rising, your adrenaline is shooting into your system, you can feel the flush in your face, and your muscles start to tense.

At that point, you’ve already lost the battle.

Instead, resolve to manage your anger before you go into that meeting or walk through that front door when you get home. Decide this: “Today, I’m just not going to get angry. I’m not going to let things get to me.”

You manage your anger by first resolving—deciding in advance—that you’re going to hold it back.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over

What strategies have you used in the past to keep your anger in check?
Think of a recent situation that has made you angry. What would be a better way to respond to that kind of situation? How can you get your message across without being foolish?
What is a loving way to respond to someone who will not control their anger?

What do you see???