"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." - Hebrews 4:12 NLT
Think about some times people may have said something to you that hurt so much it cut you deeply. The wound wasn’t a physical cut, it was something much more painful — emotional. Emotional wounds are worse because not only do they hurt us so deeply, people don’t see the wounds unless we talk about them. Well, consider the Word of God. Not only is it powerful enough to cut deep into our soul to bring healing, it can cut deeper still and get right down into our Spirit to bring healing where it is needed. The Bible is God’s Word. It is God speaking to you. it isn’t just a book filled with words. It is conversation after conversation between Father and you. It is Him speaking to you Words of healing and wholeness, Words that soothe, Words that bring direction, Words that give advice and so much more. Never underestimate the Word of God. It is alive, it is current, it is relevant and the more you read it, the more it will settle inside you and change your life. God’s Word is Alive and Powerful and it is for you today. Make it a part of your everyday life. Declaration Starter: “I declare that Your Word is sharp enough to cut through any situation I face. It is alive! It is powerful! It can be trusted! It is never failing! Thank you for the strength of Your Word…”
0 Comments
"I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth;" - Psalms 108:3-5 NKJV
When I come home from, if the first thing I am asked is something like, “Hey Dad, can I have…?” or “…can we do…?” by my kids, my response is a groaning and corrective, “Hi Dad, how was your day…?!” So often we can do the same with God. We are quick to come to Him when we have a need which isn’t wrong, because the Bible tells us we should do that. But in it’s also good to come before God and just say, “Hey God, I want you to know I think You’re just awesome!” He loves to hear us praise Him, and do you know what? We don’t have to have any needs or desires before we are able to come and worship Him, but even if we do, praise and worship should be a regular part of our prayers because we Love God, rather than because we need something If this is something that seems foreign to you, why not try it out. Spend a few minutes before your Father and just tell Him all the ways you think He is awesome. Let praise and worship begin to be a part of your everyday prayer life. Father will be glad you did. Declaration Starter: “I declare that God is amazing, wonderful, glorious and all powerful! His unfailing love is greater than anything. Thank You Lord, for everything You have done. I will sing your praises for you are amazing…” "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." - Psalms 119:105 NKJV
Have you ever considered how much wisdom God’s Word has for us? The Bible isn’t just a book filled with words on paper, it is Father speaking to you and I. If you follow His Word, you read it daily, you meditate on it and store it up in your heart, then it will be an ongoing source of wisdom, teaching, direction and guidance for your life. Having said that, if you never read it, and you leave it sitting on the bookshelf, then it will only ever be a Book with words in it. The power isn’t in the name and it isn’t in the ink. The power is in the living words. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word is “alive and powerful”. God’s Word is supposed to be consumed, not left on the shelf. You can have a meal cooked by the best chef in the world, but if you stare at it, or think about it, you will never get the benefit or enjoyment from it. You need to eat it. The you will get all the nourishment and enjoyment that was intended to go with that meal. I love when I have a need and I’m praying and asking God for His divine direction, and then I open my Bible and read, only to find the very answer that I am looking for. Father is so faithful that way. His Word is alive, and it is Him speaking to you. If you want Him to lead you in every part of your life, then read His Word. Don’t do it once a week at church, read it daily. Consume it for the days that lie ahead. You will be so glad you did. Declaration Starter: “I declare that God’s Word is a reliable source of wisdom. His Word will lead me in decisions I make every day of my life…” "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." - Psalms 119:11 NKJV
When you hide something, your purpose is to stop someone from coming along and stealing it. Think about that for a moment. We all know the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, so the purpose of hiding God’s Word in our heart is so that he can’t come along and steal it from us, because he will come along and try to tell us God will let us down, that He won’t heal us, that He won’t provide for us, and that He won’t care for us. He wants to discredit God so that our trust isn’t in Him. Another meaning of the word ‘hidden’, is to treasure, or to store up. The purpose of this is to have an ample supply so that in the time of need, you have exactly what you need. When you have unexpected bills, or when your child makes some bad decisions, or when you have been diagnosed with a life threatening disease or sickness, it’s the wrong time to Google verses that speak about God’s provision, parenting, or healing. You need those verses stored up in your spirit so that in times of crisis you have something already bedded down so tightly that it’s a solid foundation to build on. Start hiding away God’s word in your heart so that when troubles raise their head, you can stand on God’s promises and say with confidence and boldness, “In Jesus name, I declare…!” Declaration Starter: “I declare your word to be a source of both wisdom and counsel. I will choose to hide Your Word deep in my heart and mind so that I will not sin against You…” “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” - 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
The word heritage is a really powerful word, but when used in this verse, it is referring to ‘property, possession and inheritance’. It is referring to something we have now, not because of who we are, but because of the One Whom we are related to. The moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour, He forgave us and wiped our slate clean. Not only that, He gave us a new heritage. Read this verse again - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”. When Father looks at you, He sees the new creation that you are through Jesus Christ and if He sees you that way, then it would do you good to see yourself that way. You have both His heritage and His righteousness (Isaiah 54:17). It all comes from Him, and because it is His gift to you, the enemy can’t walk in and steal it. No weapon formed against you will prosper because you are a new creation - a child of the Living God. As you declare whom you are, let the truth of that soak deep into your spirit and become part of your identity. Declaration Starter: “I declare that I have a an amazing, God-given heritage. No weapon formed to harm me shall ever prosper and every tongue that speaks against who I am in Christ is wrong and void of any power. I am who God created me to be. My heritage and my righteousness are gifts given to me through Christ. I am His child, and He is my Father…” "But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions." - Hebrews 1:8-9 NKJV
In order to read this properly, let’s first look at a few words we need to understand. Firstly, a ‘sceptre’ is a ruling staff. Next, the first use of the word ‘righteousness’ comes from the word rectitude and literally means ‘right or straight’. Lastly the word ‘kingdom’ doesn’t just refer to the kingdom, but the authority to rule the kingdom. If a king doesn’t have authority, he doesn’t have a kingdom. So, as we look at this part of the verse we see that Father is saying to Jesus, “The ruling staff of authority you carry is because you do things according to My principles.” It goes on to show us an extreme. Jesus loved righteousness (integrity, upright, keeping the commands of God) and hated lawlessness (or a violation of the law). Notice that it doesn’t say that he tolerates lawlessness, it says He hates it. Because of his simple stand on loving what is right and hating what is wrong, He was anointed by His Father more than His companions. In other words, the phrase ‘rules were made to be broken’ didn’t apply to Jesus. Today, if you desire to see an increase in the authority and anointing on your life, then I encourage you to press simply repent, and realign yourself with what you know God is wanting from you. Declaration Starter: “I declare that my life will reflect Jesus in all areas of my life. I choose to live according to His principles because my pursuit is for His anointing and authority in my life…” "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
Anxiety is something so many people suffer from, but it isn’t part of God’s plan for us. Poor thinking habits and the stories we tell ourselves play a major role in the way we feel, however, the truth is that if we change the story, we change the outcome. When we worry about things, we allow fear to rule us. We are trusting in that situation or circumstance to harm us more than we are trusting God, but you need to know that we aren’t created to be ruled by fear. The Holy Spirit is always with you and He wants to be involved in every part of your life no matter what you face. This verse tells us to not only talk to Him about our needs, but also to thank Him which also indicates expectation that He will be involved. That expectation is our faith in action. When we know that Father is actively involved in every part of our lives, we can relax and be at peace. Know that you are never alone. The Holy Spirit is always with you so remember to talk to Him. Get Him involved and then thank Him. He is more than able. Declaration Starter: “I declare that the peace of God will guard my heart and my mind. I will not allow anxiety to rule my life. I will give Him thanks in all things because I trust Him completely…” "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31 NKJV
Waiting on God in this verse isn’t referring to ‘serving’ God, it literally means to be waiting, lingering and expecting. So often we run around frantically doing things like completing our to-do-lists, cleaning the house, taking kids to sports, or even just pleasing people. These things aren’t all necessarily wrong, but what if instead of running around frantically, we chose to follow Jesus example by stopping and waiting first on God? Father wants us to just sit a little while with Him, waiting with Him, talking with Him, worshipping Him. As we do, He begins to talk with us. He communicates His plans and desires to us and beautifully begins to recharge our weary spirit. We begin to hear from Him, learn from Him, and relax in Him. Our stresses begin to trail away and we begin to recharge. If your prayers are short because life is frantic, then change your routine. Spend time waiting on your Father and you too will see yourself being restored and soaring like an eagle, seeing things with new perspective and running with new strength. Declaration Starter: “I declare that God is my primary focus above and beyond the demands and expectation of people. He knows what I need to do today, so my first priority is to wait on Him. I choose not to be stressed, but to trust Him. As I follow His leading, He will renew my strength. I will soar like an eagle and I will run with endurance. No matter what I go through, I will never grow tired, because my direction comes from the Lord…” "But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me." - Psalms 31:14-15 NKJV
How do you feel about trusting God orchestrate your times? All too often we have things on our own agenda that we want to do and we see that we see as important, but allowing God to orchestrate our times means putting our plans aside and letting Him lead as He wants and according to His agenda — not ours. One of the problems that often arises if I am not putting Father as my first priority and if I’m not allowing Him to orchestrate my time is that other things suddenly start keeping me busy. The enemy will certainly make it his priority to ensure that I’m too busy to do what God wants. When I choose to put my Father fist, He seems to bless my time, I get more done, I actually feel more productive and my day isn’t as stressful. Stress has never been God’s plan for us. Have you ever noticed that Jesus was never stressed? He was never in such a hurry to get somewhere that He missed the important moments along the way, moments like the ‘Bartimaeus moments’, or the ‘woman at well moments’, or the ‘Zacchaeus moments.’ Because He only did what He saw His father doing (John 5:19), He always had time to catch the God moments along the wayside that others would have missed due to their schedules. Let’s not be so busy doing our own things that we miss the special God moments with those around us, especially those we love and are called to minister to before everyone else - our family. Declaration Starter: “I declare that my trust, my reliance and my confidence is on You Lord. I choose to place my times in Your hands…” "For our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers." - 1 Timothy 4:10b NLT
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be permanently blind? Imagine not knowing how to read, being able to drive a car, or seeing colour, or enjoy watching your children playing. Imagine what it would be like to have to get around with a white cane or a seeing eye dog? I can only imagine the benefit and support something like a seeing eye dog brings someone who is blind. The dogs don’t just keep them company, they become their eyes, they protect them from unseen dangers and so much more. There is a huge amount of trust placed in those dogs, and there needs to be as the person’s life is in the hands of the seeing eye dog. Well, how different would our lives be if we placed our trust in Father God like that? How many bad decisions could we have avoided if we sought out Father’s advice first. Our Father doesn’t want us to pray only when things are going wrong and we are desperate. He wants to walk with us every single day. He wants us to lean on Him, to trust Him and seek His advice in all we do. Imagine He made an appointment to meet with you tomorrow morning. What questions would you ask as He sits in the chair opposite you? Why not make a list and then tomorrow just ask Him. Let your trust be in Him daily. He will never lead you astray. Declaration Starter: “I declare that my hope is fixed on the living God. He is my Saviour, Preserver, Maintainer and Deliverer because I believe in Him, I trust in Him, I rely on Him and I adhere to Him…” |
It's SIMPLE
Simple Articles... Archives
October 2023
This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of CookiesCategories
All
|