Month: February 2020

WORRY & FEAR:

“No weapon formed against me shall peosper, for my righteousness is of the Lord. But whatever I do will prosper for I’m like a tree that’s planted by the rivers of water.”

“No evil will befall me neither shall any plague come nigh my dwelling. For you have given your angels charge over me and they keep me in all my ways, and in my pathway is life and there is no death.”

“I am a doer of the Word of God and I am blessed in my deeds. I am happy in those things which I do because I am a doer of the Word of God.”

“I am of God and have overcome him (Satan). For greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.”

“I will fear no evil for thou art with me Lord, your Word and your Spirit they comfort me.”

“I am far from oppression, and fear does not come nigh me.”

“I am delivered from the evils of this present world for it is the will of God.”

“I take the shield of faith and I quench every fiery dart that the wicked one brings against me.”

“I am an overcomer and I overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of my testimony.”

“The devil flees from me because I resist him in the name of Jesus.”

“Great is the peace of my children, for they are taught of the Lord.”

“The Word of God is forever settled in heaven. Therefore, I establish His Word upon the earth.”

“Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Therefore, I forbid any sickness or disease to come upon this body. Every disease germ and every virus that touches this body dies instantly in the name of Jesus. Every organ and every tissue of this body functions in the perfection to which God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in this body, in the name of Jesus.”

I have written affirmations of biblical truths down on 4X6 index cards so I can verbally invoke them during my private time with God. I feel this empowers the Holy Spirit to do whatever it is I’m saying. I know in Scripture God says you do not have because you do not ask. I’m using the shotgun approach and asking for everything and trusting that God will give me what I need.  I also know that God wired us to believe and to become whatever we think and say over and over. You’ve heard the old saying “garbage in, garbage out”. Well, I’m trying to program my mind with “wisdom in, wisdom out”. I’ve broken my affirmations down into four categories, material needs, worry and fear, comfort and strength, and wisdom and guidance.

Material needs:

“Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Christ has redeemed me from poverty, Christ has redeemed me from sickness, Christ has redeemed me from spiritual death.”

“For poverty God has given me wealth, for sickness He has given me health, for death He has given me eternal life.”

“It is true unto me according to the Word of God.”

“I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him that created me.”

“I delight myself in the Lord and He gives me the desires of my heart.”

“I have given and it is given unto me good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, men given unto my bosom.”

“There is no lack for my God supplieth all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

“And I, having received the gift of righteousness do reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ.”

“With what measure I mete, it is measured unto me. I sow bountifully, therefore I reap bountifully. I give cheerfully, and my God has made all grace abound toward me and I having all sufficiency of all things do abound to all good works.”

“The Lord is my Shepherd and I do not want because Jesus was made poor, that I through His poverty might have abundance. For He came that I might have life and have it more abundantly.”

“The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant, and Abraham’s blessings are mine.”

The Bible is God’s wisdom so it’s imperative we read it, hear it and say it. We should study the Bible and read it every day so that the knowledge it contains becomes ingrained into our very being. The Bible should become such a part of us we cannot be separated from its teachings.  Pray first for God to increase your faith. God initially gives each person a little bit of faith, enough to believe in Jesus unto salvation, but it’s up to the individual to grow that faith through God’s Word.  Pray to God for the wisdom to apply His Word in your life.

One spiritual law is words have power. God spoke the universe into existence and He will end it the same way. Jesus will defeat Satan at Armageddon using only the words of His mouth. Spiritual law is set in motion by the words we speak.  Our faith is released by our words spoken from the heart. The power of binding and loosing on earth is given to man by the words we speak in faith. The creative power of the Word will come forth performing that which is spoken in faith.

Confess victory in the face of apparent defeat. Confess abundance in the face of apparent lack. We can have whatever we say as long as we keep saying it and have faith because the spoken Word will work for you as you confess it continually. The treasures of the heart cannot be hidden, but are manifest through words. Your faith is your voice of authority and all things know the voice of authority.

The faith in your heart (the spiritual man) is released by the natural man through the spoken word. This is one way the power of the spirit world is transferred to the physical world. It just has to agree with God’s Word and be spoken in faith.  We know that God has assigned angels to help us (guardian angels). These angels are activated in our behalf by faith-filled words that agree with God’s Word. It’s a spiritual law that a man will reap what he sows so be careful to sow only what is good for you.

The universe was created by God’s words. God spoke the universe into existence and it is still obeying God’s command. God’s word is creative power. If you notice in the Bible God never created anything without saying it first.  The power is in God’s Word. God created man with the ability to operate in the same kind of faith.  God’s Word abides in you by the reading of God’s Word and the saying aloud of God’s Word.  It is the Word abiding in you that causes faith to be present in your words. If you have faith you can speak God’s words after Him and they will work for you if they are formed in your spirit and are a part of you and are abiding in you continually. The bottom line is faith will make prayer work. Prayer is one of the means of releasing your faith as long as you conform to spiritual law. Prayer won’t work without faith but faith will still work without prayer.

God’s Word produces faith in your heart so read the Holy Bible daily to maintain your faith. Develop your faith. Program yourself by studying the Word. Use faith-filled words and imitate God as much as possible. God’s Word is His wisdom and is the only true knowledge.  What we say must agree with the Word.  The Word of God lodged in our spirit causes us to be born again by a confession of our mouth whereby we become joint heirs with Christ to the kingdom of heaven.  We become the righteousness of God and are permitted in His presence.  A man’s tongue can defile him so watch what you say in all things. What you say is what you can get. You will more readily receive God’s Word into your spirit by hearing yourself say it aloud than from reading it or hearing someone else say it. Your faith is your voice of authority and your mind will conform your body or change you to comply with what you say.

Never forget that when we are praying we are operating in the spirit world so we must be careful and aware of what we are saying. If we keep praying in faith God will speak to us, we just have to listen for His voice. We should be ready to respond to what we hear once we know it’s our Shepherd’s voice and it conforms to God’s Word.  Be alert for confirming events and don’t stop asking God clarifying questions. “What are You trying to tell me?” “What are Your plans for my life?” “What actions should I take?” Scripture says a man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth so always talk health, life, healing, etc. A sinner is saved by grace through faith and lives by grace. God not only pardons sinners by faith, but then He preserves them by faith as well.

The spoken word of God is creative power. The spirit world is controlled by God’s Word. God’s Word is spiritual law. The natural world can be controlled by man speaking God’s Word. Therefore:

1. Choose your words carefully

2. Pray what you desire

3. Believe you receive what you pray for

4. You shall have what you ask for

5. Pray to the Father, in Jesus’ name, and receive it by faith

God and His Word are one. Faith-filled words in prayer release God’s ability to act. Imitate God by saying His Word. After affirming what God’s Word says…..STAND!…and wait. Keep affirming and thanking God as if what you asked for has been done already. God’s Word that is conceived in your heart, then formed by the tongue and spoken out of your mouth becomes a spiritual force releasing the ability of God within you. Words are the most powerful thing in the universe. What you desire when you pray, believe and you shall have it. God’s Word is spiritual law and functions like any other natural law. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Spoken words conforming to spiritual law release faith. Pray the answer not the problem. Prayer is your legal right to use faith-filled words to bring God on the scene in your behalf so that your joy may be full. Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask!

Pray because God commands it.
Pray because Jesus did it.
Pray because Jesus died so that we could do it.
Pray because God is worthy of praise and thanksgiving.
Pray because we need daily cleansing and forgiveness of our sins.
Pray because we need God’s guidance and protection.
Pray because others need our prayers.
Pray because God wants to communicate with us.
Pray because we need to communicate with God.

Make daily prayer a central part of your life because talking to God is the key to a successful life from a spiritual perspective. Only the spiritual perspective is eternal and all else is a mere flicker in time.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – The old has gone, the new has come.

Romans 8:31 – If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rules for praying:

1. Have the right attitude
2. Seek God’s will
3. Bring everything to God
4. Pray at all times and in all situations
5. Trust God for the best outcome
6. Learn to listen for God’s answer
7. Wait on God because His timeline is not ours

Salutation to the Dawn:

Look to this day! For it is life, the very life of life. In its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The bliss of growth, the glory of action, the splendor of beauty, for yesterday is but a dream. And tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day! Such is the salutation to the dawn.

A New Day:

This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not a loss, good and not evil, success and not failure, in order that I shall not forget the price I paid for it.

Every morning when I get up there are a million things I want to do with my time. When I weigh the benefits of each thing and the opportunity costs of each action I wind up at the same place. There is no better use of my time than passive witnessing for Christ through my Christian blog.  Nothing is more important. There is nothing I do that will have a greater impact on the kingdom of God. I’m following through on the Great Commission in my own way. I’m retired so my time is short. Every day is precious to me and I can never get it back. Every day brings me closer to heaven yet I have so much left to do!

A Charge to Keep:

A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify. A never dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky to serve the present age. My calling to fulfill; O may it all my powers engage to do my Master’s will!

My Orders:

My orders are to fight; then if I bleed or fail, or strongly win, what matters it? God only doth prevail. The servant craveth naught except to serve with might. I was not told to win or lose, my orders are to fight.

We must pray on purpose and be disciplined in how we go about it. Waiting until you’re in bed after being dead tired and nodding off watching the news doesn’t cut it. All that does is give God a cursory few seconds of your time before your eyes close.  What we need is a regular appointment time with God in prayer to talk over our concerns. We need a quiet place where we are comfortable and we won’t be disturbed or hurried.  We should pray to God as often as we need to and as often as we can with our busy schedules. Nothing should have priority over talking to God. You don’t always have to be formal when talking to God. You can talk to God informally when walking or driving somewhere. God would rather hear from you informally than not at all. Note during your day things you need to discuss with God during your formal prayer time.

There are five basic types of prayers I think we should all be familiar with:

1. Prayers in praise of God’s mercy, love and grace.
2. Prayers for the confession of sins and asking for forgiveness.
3. Prayers asking for God’s protection from evil and harm.
4. Prayers asking for God’s understanding, instruction and guidance.
5. Prayers for rejoicing in the goodness of God Almighty.

Most prayers should include, as a matter of course, introductory praise to God’s glory and majesty. We then should take the opportunity to ask for our sins to be forgiven by God followed by asking for God’s protection from evil and harm. These first three items in my mind are perfunctory for every prayer. Then we get into the reason for most prayers to God which is seeking God’s guidance in our lives.  Of course we always close by invoking the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior who is our Mediator with God (i.e. in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen). The last prayer is a stand alone prayer of rejoicing in the attributes of the Lord God Almighty! I’m ashamed to say we don’t rejoice in God as often as we should but we need to start taking the time to revel in our great God.

Hebrews 12:2 – Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:12 – Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.

Mark 11:24 – Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

We must never lose sight of who sits on the throne of grace when we come before God in prayer. Yes, He is our Father who loves us, but He is also Almighty God, Creator of the universe, and He who deserves our praise, worship, reverence and awe forever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:7 – Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

Hebrews 10:35 – Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

There is a model for prayer that is acceptable to God. Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer as an example. There are all kinds of prayers so all components of the model prayer are not needed on every occasion. Fit the prayer to the reason you are praying in the first place.

1. Confess you sins – If you are praying to God for forgiveness of sins always confess any sins you have committed and ask God to forgive you. Be specific if you know which sins you want forgiven. You’re in luck because God has promised in Scripture that He will forgive your sins if you ask Him and God never lies.

2. Praise God – Always offer up praise and worship in any kind of prayer to God. It acknowledges the glory of God and affirms your trust in Him as your heavenly Father. Be sure to acknowledge God’s mercy and call upon Him to grant it.

3. Ask for instruction – God is the source of all wisdom and if you ask God He will provide you with the instruction, guidance and understanding for what you should do in any circumstance of life. God may answer yes, no or wait. God doesn’t work on our timetable so don’t expect immediate gratification. It’s hard to hear God’s still small voice but you can with practice. God works all things to our benefit but it takes time.

4. Ask for God’s protection – Ask for God’s protection against Satan and his evil demons. We are powerless against the powers of darkness without the protection of God’s Word which He has graciously provided to us.

5. Rejoice in God – Always give thanks to the Lord, rejoice and be glad that the Lord your God is Sovereign over His creation and nothing can take you out of His hand. You are God’s cherished possession now and forever in the heaven to come. Rejoice!

Thessalonians 5:16 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 4:2 – Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Ephesians 5:20 – Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:15 – And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Prayer is not optional. As believers we are commanded to pray and to witness for Christ. In this way we emulate Jesus in our walk with God and provide an example for the unbeliever. An attempt to comply with any of God’s commands on our own will be minimally successful because we are weak. We must have God’s help if we are to be really successful in our prayer life, which is one of the reasons believers are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God. Prayer is the key to everything because it’s how we communicate with God. Prayer is the mechanism through which God’s power is unleashed but we have to ask for it. If we pray for something it has been documented in Scripture that God will do it if it’s His will. We have to pray for something to happen.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Hebrews 13:15 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Ephesians 6:18 – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

1 Peter 4:7 – The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

Once we have believed in Jesus unto salvation the truth has freed us from the fear of death. We were crucified with Jesus and He now lives in us as our Lord and Savior. When we pray to God it is Jesus who is our mediator between God and man. We must look to Jesus and present ourselves to God for Him to use our bodies not only as temples for the Holy Spirit but also as vessels to further the kingdom of God on this earth. If we don’t know how to go about that God tells us to pray for wisdom and lean on God through prayer for the strength to accomplish the purposes of God in our life.

James 5:16 – The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without fault, and it will be given to him.

Gal. 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

John 8:32 – And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.