Before we continue the change series,
which I believe has been helpful for you lets recap some key points from
yesterday blog, Why Change Your Mind:
·
Determining your “why”
will help anchor you to your decision of change
·
Consider changes in phases when
appropriate – you have control over the situation. Life can be unpredictable causing abrupt
changes instantaneously. When that
happens get your bearings (pray), assess the situation and ask God’s help with a
plan to address the life lesson
·
Anticipate obstacles from the enemy. The enemy of negative self-talk (I can’t, I
don’t deserve, etc.), procrastination, fear, self-sabotage, etc., other people’s
judgment of your desire to change, lack of support from others, receiving the
wrong advice, etc. Everyone won’t
celebrate your effort to change (envy, jealousy) or they want you to remain
stuck like them and they may retaliate.
·
Rules of Engagement, the basic
principles for any faith fight: Declare your change, Change your language and
Change your company. We will pick up
from this key point:
Fasting: The purpose is to deny the flesh, not just of
food AND cravings of the flesh. The
flesh craves pleasure and desires to be entertained. If you fasted and didn’t eat any food but spent
the day watching secular TV and/or participating in other pleasurable activities
(sex, pleasure shopping, video games, candy crush, etc.) the only benefit might
be losing a little weight with the sacrifice of spiritual benefit. Jesus reminded us that special spiritual
battles sometimes require special preparation with prayer and fasting. For
example: The stubborn demonic possession of a young man Jesus said: this kind does not go out
except by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21 (NKJV) How many soldiers have you seen watching TV
while in combat? I’m just saying
Prayer: One of the changes we need to make is praying first instead of after we’ve made a mess and then asking God for help. We all do it, but he wants us to make a habit of seeking him first as Matthew 6:33 says AND to be tenacious with our prayers. One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. Luke 18:1 (NLT): Tenacious: holding fast; keeping a firm hold. Simply put: You have the right to bombard heaven with your prayers and Bug-God until he comes through for you. Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work, Isaiah 62:7a (NLT)
a.
God will give you the strength to endure
whatever comes your way, otherwise he would be a liar. The temptations in your life are no different from what others
experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more
than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that
you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13
(NLT). We lie, yes we do, stop
playing, sometimes you lie, other people lie, we lie to ourselves and they lie
to us, but God cannot lie because he is truth.
b.
There is a balance to everything, even praying
all the time.
c.
I am making a conscious effort to pray first and
act second. I am naturally wired to ACT,
come up with a plan. I am retraining my
mind to pray first because the plan God gives will be perfect if I stop to ask.
d.
Throughout the day, I am praying in my mind or out
loud, it just depends on where I am. It
might be as simple as: Lord help so and so; Father thank you for this and
that. I certainly can’t close my eyes or
get on my knees while I’m in the car, but I can spend 30-40 minutes praying, singing
and/or listening to the word while I’m exercising. That’s change you can start right away! Where there’s a will there’s a way.
Study the Word/Use Your Sword: find scriptures that are relative to what you want to get together. Use your bible index/concordance or bible app for key words related to what you want to get together. For example:
a.
The spirit of depression: You
will keep in perfect peace; all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are
fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
b.
Healing: And
the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the
Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
James 5:15 (NKJV)
What do I mean by study? 1) Find a
quiet space or plug in your ear buds and play mellow gospel music or
instrumentals; 2) Ask God to open your understanding (pray); 3) read the
verse(s) slowly; 4) define words you don’t understand or that you rarely use;
5) meditate – think about the scripture; 6) write/type the ideas that come to
mind;
Fasting, praying and studying the word is evidence that
we are desperate for him and (wholeheartedly) looking for him. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT) and just as we are looking for him he is looking for those
who want him. John 4:23 (NLT) But the time is coming—indeed
it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in
truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.
Dwight D. Eisenhower said: “Plans are nothing; planning is everything”. We have a strategy, so now it’s time to implement.
In His Excellent Service
Tania not Tanya
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