Love Yourself

When I say that you need to love yourself, I'm not referring to the stuck-up, prideful, worldly type of loving oneself (also known as self-worship); I'm talking about a concept of being thankful, and appreciating the person who God has made in you. The worldly type of loving yourself is where you are stuck up, prideful and arrogant, whereas this type of loving yourself is based upon humility and thankfulness. The two could not be more different!

The amount of bondage that results from self-rejection, self-hatred, unwillingness to forgive oneself and so forth is shocking. Below are just a few of the symptoms:

- Self-rejection; not accepting yourself, always beating up on yourself, not happy with the person that God made you, etc.

- Self-hatred; hating the person who God made in you, considering yourself ugly, dumb, clumsy, etc.

- Unforgiveness or bitterness; when a person continues to hold things against them-self, such as something in their past that was embarrassing, gross, or that they are still ashamed of (even after repentance).

- Being hard on oneself; always beating up on yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, etc. Always seeing yourself as worthless, or pushing to reach irrational goals just to feel good about yourself.

- Low self-esteem; always seeing yourself as a failure, or less than those around you.

- Ashamed of yourself; refusing to forgive yourself from something in your past.

- Feeling ugly or stupid; seeing yourself as ugly, worthless, stupid, no good for nothing, etc.

The list can go on and on, but if this sounds like you, then keep reading!

You need to be thankful

Many today consider themselves dumb, ugly, stupid, clumsy, worthless, etc. Did you know that you were created in God's own image, and whenever you consider yourself dumb, ugly, etc., you're actually considering something that God made as being ugly, dumb, etc.??

Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Let me ask you a couple questions...

- Did God create your physical body? If so, would you dare make a statement that God made an ugly body?

- Did God create your mind and intellect? If so, would you dare make a statement that God created a dumb, stupid, or worthless brain?

- If God created you in His image, then are you saying that His image is dumb, stupid, worthless or ugly?

David was a humble man with a heart after God's own, yet he praised and thanked God for the marvelous work that God had made (referring to his physical body):

Psalms 139:14, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

David was not boasting in who he was, but rather being thankful and rejoicing over the beautiful creation that God made in him! How many who consider themselves ugly are looking at things the way David did? Probably not too many!

King David appreciated and thanked God for what God gave him. Instead of saying, "I'm ugly", David was saying, "Wow! Look at what God gave me! It's marvelous!!" It's vital that we develop this same attitude about what God's given each of us as well.

You need to forgive yourself!

Much is said on how we are to forgive others, but many of us seem to skip over the concept of forgiving ourselves. Believe it or not, it's equally important and vital to be sure we've forgiven ourselves, as it is that we've forgiven others! Unforgiveness brings much bondage into our lives, regardless if it's towards God, others or even ourselves. Bitterness (the fruit of unforgiveness) is a means by which many are defiled:

Hebrews 12:15, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."

Regardless of what we've done in our pasts, whether it be an abortion, fornication, or some gross and embarrassing sin, it's vital that we forgive ourself from everything in our pasts that we are ashamed of. If God chose to forget our sins for His sake, then I think we ought to do the same:

Isaiah 43:25, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."

God's Word says that He has actually removed our sins from us! If we continually beat up on ourselves, it's known as false guilt, and is a tool of the enemy to pull us down. If we still associate ourselves with our sinful past, then we need to change the way we see things... why? 

Because the way we are thinking does not line up with what God's Word has to say.

Psalms 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

When we associate ourselves with our past failures, after God's Word has assured us that they have been removed from us... then do you realize that you aren't really believing what God's Word is saying? It's time that we make that choice to forgive ourselves, and then align our thinking with what God's Word has to say. If God says it's removed from us, then we need to take Him for His Word, and believe what it has to say!

If this teaching has ministered to you, then I believe you'll also want to read, "The Forgiveness of Sins".

Jesus is THE REASON!!

CHRISTmas is the time we remember to put CHRIST in the holiday season, when in reality, 

we should put CHRIST into our every day living.  We need to be an example of Him.  

We need to live by His Word and His way of life.  

Imagine??

Can you imagine the love between a Father and Son, that He gave His ONLY Son for our sins??

God's Love for You and Me

God's Wonderful Love

God loves you and me

He died upon the tree
He shed His blood on Calvary
That we all may be free

Free from eternal death
Free from sin and shame
Free to live forever
To call upon God's name

We can call in time of trouble
He'll listen when we're sad
He'll be there when we need him
To save us from the bad.

God loves you so very much
Accept Him now today
Kneel down and close your eyes
And this is what you say:

I am sorry for my sin
Forgive me Lord today
I want to live for you
To live for you always.

- by Rebekah Robinson

Have You??

9 Lies Satan Tells You About Being Single

Are you living the single life as a Christian? Have your friends ever tried to explain away, or justify, your singleness? Have you doubted God’s ability to find you a mate, or doubted your own value as a person because of your singleness? Have you ever been tempted to daydream that marriage might just solve all your problems?

Emma Thornett has. Today on The Briefing she discussed nine lies single Christians believe in her blog post“Satan’s Lies About Singleness.”

“When I was younger, thinner and less cynical, it was easy to imagine that God would send a husband along for me. Who wouldn’t love me? I was amazing back then! But the longer I remain unchosen (and that’s certainly how it feels), the easier it is to think that God’s power can’t reach this part of my life.

But I need to remember that in fact I am not unchosen. God himself has chosen me. And at the risk of stating the obvious, if God can create the universe just by speaking (Genesis 1); if he can cause Pharaoh to let the Israelites go (Exodus 12); if he can raise Jesus Christ from the dead (Luke 24 ; if he can use the purposes of evil men for his good purposes (Acts 2:22-24); if he can give us new life and change us from people who hate him to people who want to serve him (1 Peter 1); if he can—well, do I need to list every event in the Bible? If God can do all this, then he can find me (and you) a husband, easily.”

Many key points Tornett hits upon have been vigorously discussed on the Crosswalk Singles channel. For example, in a recent article aimed at single women struggling with insecurity, Debra Fileta writes,

“My heart breaks for the many women I have met who have settled for less. Women who didn’t believe they were worth magnificent, extravagant, and crazy love. I’m saddened by how easy it is for women to give their hearts, sometimes to the most undeserving of men. Women will only be choosy when they believe that they are worth choosing. When they believe they are a treasure worth finding and a gem worth keeping. We have strayed so far from our God-created identity…

I think part of the problem as Christian women lies in our fear of trusting God. Deep down, we want to trust Him, but we wonder if we really can. We wonder if He will really follow through. We wonder if He knows us as well as we think we know ourselves.”

Author and long-time single Lina Abujamra has this to say about the attitude Christian singles should cultivate:

“For now, suffice it to say that your purpose as a single Christian is to please the Lord. You cannot please the Lord when you’re nursing a grudge about your singleness. You cannot please the Lord when you’re questioning His judgment and criticizing His will. You cannot please the Lord when you place your desires higher than His purposes for your life.

Your purpose in life has not been botched by your singleness. You are not a mutant in God’s design for marriage.

God created you for the sole purpose of knowing Him and making Him known. Your singleness is God’s perfect place for you to thrive. You don’t have to wait for your knight in shining armor to start living. You can know the Lord fully and serve Him wholly right here, right now.”

http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/9-lies-satan-tells-you-about-being-single.html

SET YOUR THERMOSTAT

Proverbs 18

21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue : and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 

Mark 11

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

What you have is determined by what you continually say.  Jesus said that you will have what you say and believe.  However, what you continually say will affect what you believe.

When I was a boy we used the word doggone as a substitute for cussing.  It is an interesting word.  I never found out the etymology of it.  But think about literally.  If the dog is gone then instead of just saying "doggone" we usually begin to call for the dog that is not.  My dog was named "Tramp".  So, I would say, "Here Tramp", because I wanted Tramp to come here.

Everyone uses this principle at on time or another:

Romans 4

17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

Have you ever said, "I BELIEVE I HAVE the flu"?  If you had all the symptoms then you would not say "I believe". 

You would say “I know”.  So, in essence, you were calling for the thing that was not.

I heard this example several years ago and recently.  It's the example of your thermostat.  Most thermostats have a thermometer on the control box that tells you what the current temperature is.  When you want the temperature to change you don't set thermostat by the thermometer and call it like it is.  You call for the temperature that is not.

Some so-called believers rebell after hearing teaching on the power of the tongue, and say that they will continue to call it like it is.  But if you listen to them for a while, they will call something that is not; usually a negative thing.  But they won't recognize it because they have been programmed by the world and the devil to overlook this principle when it is used in the negative.  Others will endeavor to use the principle in the positive for a while but grow weak before seeing the thing they are calling for.

Allow me to take the illustration a little further.  It gets extremely hot in Houston during July and August.  We try to conserve energy when no one is at the church and adjust the thermostat or even turn it off.  Sometimes, if we are late adjusting the temperature to cool, it takes a long time to cool or may not even totally cool the facility during a midweek evening service when its battling the heat of the day.  However, we have never given up and adjusted the thermostat back to the current temperature.  We set the thermostat and leave it set.  Oh that believers would use the same wisdom when calling for the answer to prayer!

How about just setting your spiritual thermostat on "By His stripes I am healed" and leaving it there.  How about just setting your confession on “all my needs are met in abundance” and never allow yourself to say or think anything else.

Set your thermostat on blessed and LEAVE IT THERE!!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for double-mindedness and a double tongue.  And please forgive me for judging your will by what I see.  I repent now and go the way of the just who live by faith.  All my needs are met according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  And by His stripes I AM healed.  I have the peace of God in my heart and in my home. And all my family is saved.  No weapon formed against me will prosper and I refuse to form a weapon against myself.  I commit to this kind of thinking and talking from now on.  Please help me recognize and correct doubt in my words.  In Jesus name, Amen.

TODAY’S CONFESSION

It is a good thing to speak the word (the Blessing) over your life (spirit, soul, body, finances, relationships, etc.) every day.  We all should make that commitment.  But Jesus said take no thought for tomorrow. _{[Matt 6:25-34.]}  Maybe a commitment for tomorrow is too much for you right now.  Let’s just make today’s confession.

It reminds me of Hebrews 3:12 & 13 which says, “. . . exhort one another daily, while it is called Today.”  Don’t think about tomorrow.  Share this Word with someone today.  Here’s the Word:  There is power in declaring that you are blessed.  And more power is released when you specify what that blessing is.

Let’s say it now.

“I am blessed and I cannot be cursed.”

Jesus was made a curse for me, so that I can have Abraham’s blessing. _{[Gal 3:13]}  I have Abraham’s blessing.

I am empowered to prosper in my health.  My body is restored to health according to God’s original design.  I’m saving a truck load of money on doctor and hospital bills.

[Are you saying it out loud?]

I’m empowered to prosper in my finances.  Money thieves that were assigned to me have been stopped and relieved of their assignment. _{[Mal 3:11]}  I have money-making ideas and I’m not afraid to act on them.  The favor of God is on me and it brings wealth and increase. _{[Psalm 5:12]}  I have nothing missing and nothing broken.

I am empowered to prosper in my relationships.  All relationship breaches are repaired and I am restored to favor with my loved ones. _{[Isaiah 58:12]}  I am free from strife and I am a dispenser of joy and peace.

I am empowered to prosper in my soul.  I am sensitive and obedient to God.  I am full of the Holy Ghost.  I am full of the love of God. _{[Rom 5:5]}  I am full of faith.  I am full of joy and peace. _{[Rom 15:13]}  The gifts of the Spirit are working in me and I am a soul winner for Jesus.  God has a plan for my life and I hear Him as He reveals it to me.  I am successfully walking in the plan of God for my life.

 

I AM SUCCESSFUL!

I AM HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND WISE!

I AM BLESSED AND I CANNOT BE CURSED!

THAT’S MY CONFESSION AND I’M STICKING TO IT.

DIVORCE YOUR PAST

Are you married or single?  Of course the question is rhetorical.  I really don’t need to know, with myself being happily married.  I asked the question because of a Word from the Lord that got me thinking.  Many people may consider themselves single because they are not married to a person.  But are you married to your past?

Naturally Speaking

God ordained marriage to legalize intimacy.  The divine purpose for intimacy is for planting seed.  Pregnancy is God’s idea.  God made Adam in His image and He wanted that image reproduced.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “History repeats itself”?  I’m sure you have.  But, did you ever wonder why?  Globally speaking, people are the same.  When people don’t know their history and learn from it, they are doomed to repeat it.  Actually the Bible guarantees history repeating itself in Ecclesiastes 1:9&10.

However, I’m persuaded that events repeat themselves in a specific individual’s life because a person can be so emotionally affected by an event or series of events that they become emotionally married to their past.

Question: Do thoughts of your past still generate approximately the same intensity of emotional reaction that they generated in the beginning? 

If this is the case, it would seem to indicate that you are still intimate with those memories.  Remember, intimacy is for getting pregnant.  I know the world thinks it is for pleasure.  But actually, pleasure is the fringe benefit that God gave for obeying His command to reproduce. 

Spiritually Speaking

What am I saying?  Simply this: God’s plan for physical intimacy mirrors His plan for spiritual intimacy.  This is why God wants to be intimate with you.  He has an awesome plan for you and He wants you to get pregnant with it; pregnant with a vision for your future.  In fact, you must get pregnant before you can have the baby.

Here’s an abortion that is approved by God.  Whatever the enemy did in your life that still lives big in your psyche, get rid of it! 

If you remain intimate with the past,

 you will keep giving birth to past events.

Now it’s time to get pregnant with God’s thoughts and God’s plan.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11 Amplified

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

Notice God has thoughts and plans and they are for good.  How can we make God’s thoughts and plans for us become a physical reality?  We must discontinue habitual intimacy with our past and become intimate with God, who is our bright future!

Let me tell you how to do that:

1. If you have not done so, make Jesus Christ the Lord of you life right now.  Pray this prayer: Jesus, I believe you died for me and rose again for me.  I believe that price you paid was more than enough to save me from hell and a sin dominated life here on earth.  Come into my heart.  Be my Lord and Savior.  I receive you and give you complete control of the rest of my life.
2. Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The same Jesus that saved you wants to fill you with His Spirit.  Pray this aloud: “Lord Jesus, I want everything that you have for me.  Fill me now with the Holy Spirit.  I want to be totally filled and immersed in you.  I love you, Jesus.  Thank you for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.”
3. Divorce your past. I’m not trying to tell you to totally forget your past.  Just don’t live in it.  Keep it from being reborn into your future.  Let me help you with that also.  Say this aloud: I hereby now divorce my past.  I’m not trying to eliminate or deny my past.  I’m only refusing to live in my past.  Heavenly Father, I ask you to give me the wisdom and ability to recognize and cast out thoughts that tie me to my past.  I accept the fact that my future is bright in you and that’s what I’m going to think about.
4. Spend a lot of time praying and listening to God. God not only wants to give you a vision for your future.  He also likes you and wants to spend time with you.  You probably have already heard that He loves you.  But did you know that God likes you.  So spend time with Him.  Get to know Him.  He’s a nice Guy.

10 Tips On Parenting

Tip 1 – Command Respect, Don’t Demand It. One of the foundations of a good relationship with other people is mutual respect. As a parent you should be commanding the respect of your children, through your actions and words, not demanding that they respect you. As your child learns to respect you in this manner, they will also learn to command respect from others, rather than trying to demand it.

Tip 2 – Maintain Healthy Relationships with Others. Whether it is your spouse or your own friends, it is important that you model good relationship behavior for your children. By having strong relationships with your spouse and your friends, you can show your children how to have strong and healthy relationships with you and the other people in their lives.

Tip 3 – Be a Role Model. Who do you want your children to emulate in their lives, a famous sports star or yourself?

Parents should always want to be the number one role model for their children. You want to show them right from wrong, and do this through being a role model who they can emulate in their own lives. Show them how you live and how you do the right things in life even when you are challenged.

Tip 4 –

Talk With Your Children, Not At Them. It can be easier to tell your child not to do something or how to behave. However, if you take the time to talk with your children about your expectations, and their expectations as well, you can have a healthy line of communication. This communication channel will grow over the years and you will find that your children will come to you with their issues they need help with. If you talk at your children, they will be less likely to come to you because they will fear a lecture and disapproval.

Tip 5 – Give Unconditional Love and Support. Children are still growing and learning. They will do things at times which you will not approve of, and may not even understand their thinking behind. By always supporting your child with unconditional love, even during the rough times, you can show your child that they will always have your love and support. While you may not approve of their actions, they know that you love them and that you simply do not love the action they took.

Tip 6 – Show Support Though Positive Reinforcement. Never use the words stupid, dumb or other negative words to describe your children. Never tell them they are, or make them feel, less-than. If your children are in school, they will hear enough negativity from the other children when adults are not present. Build them up through positive words at home, so that they will be able to deflect the negative words they hear when you are not with them.

Tip 7 – Eat Smart as a Family. Food habits start from a very young age; what you eat as a child has a lot to do with your eating habits later in life. Start your children off right by offering them whole and healthy foods. If they start eating healthy from a very young age, then they will likely continue to eat well throughout their lives. It is much easier to get children to eat healthy foods if that is the only thing they know.

Tip 8 – Play With Your Children – Often! Children learn though play. By playing with your children you are able to teach them, and they will believe they are just simply playing. Teaching through play is a wonderful way to keep your children both entertained and captive to the lessons you want to instill in them.

Tip 9 – Avoid The Bad Toys, Games and TV. While it may be easier to turn on the TV for your child and let them watch whatever they want this is not a good option. TV will constantly sell to your child through advertisements which are very well designed to make your children want certain toys and games. If you can avoid as many of the bad toys, games and TV itself, you are on the way to having much healthier and safer kids.

Tip 10 – Educate Your Children With Their Toys. By purchasing educational toys for your children you are enabling them to have fun and learn at the same time. One of the best places to purchase your educational toys is through www.mychildplayhouses.com

Relieve Back To School Stress and Anxiety

Start Early

Let’s face it — over the summer, most families take their cues from the sun and stay up later. While it may be tempting to keep the late-night fun going up until the end, starting your school routine a few weeks early can help ease the transition back to school. Starting two to three weeks before the advent of school, begin going to bed and getting up close to when you need to for school, and try to eat on a more regular schedule as well. This advice isn’t just for little kids — teens and adults need quality sleep for proper functioning as well, and getting your schedule straight now will help ensure that you all start the school year off more prepared and don’t feel as much anxiety over the advent of that first day.

Do A Walk-Through 

While we’re on the topic of starting early, it’s a good idea to visit the school before the first day. For kids who are going to be first-timers for kindergarten, first grade, middle school, or even high school, this can help them feel more comfortable with the new place and get a better idea of where to go once they’re there. Even for returning students, it doesn’t hurt to know where the classroom is, say hello to whatever staff is there getting ready, and start getting excited about going back.

Stack The Deck

If you have any input in your child’s class assignment, it’s a good idea to ensure that there’s at least one friend in the class or classes your child will be attending. If classes are assigned without your input, talk to other parents and try to find out who your child will be sharing a class with ahead of time, and let them know. Knowing who is in their class will give them something else to look forward to, and remind them of what they enjoy about school. If your child is entering kindergarten or first grade, it might be a good idea to have a play date with one of the children who will be in their class a week before school starts to help them feel more comfortable and get more excited about seeing their friends again in school.

Get Ready

As most moms will tell you, nothing alleviates stress like a good shopping trip. While I say that half-joking, there’s some real truth in the idea that back to school shopping can help kids get more excited about school starting, at least for most kids. If your child really couldn’t care less about shopping, you can make it quick and painless, but for kids who relish the annual decisions of which clothes, backpacks, and other supplies will be theirs this year, the back to school shopping trip is to be savored.

Along these lines, have fun preparing your child’s study area. It’s important to be sure that you child has a comfortable, quiet place to study (even for kindergarteners, most of whom have homework these days), and preparing that area can be exciting as school approaches. You may also want to get your routines ready; as you get back onto an earlier schedule, have your kids start laying out their clothes the night before, keeping their shoes by the door, and get back into other morning habits that help you get out the door with less hassle. This can help refine your routine, and make the back to school transition easier.

Talk Amongst Yourselves

One of the best ways to relieve back to school anxiety and prepare for the coming year is to simply talk to your child about what he or she may be feeling. When the subject of school comes up, let your child tell you what’s exciting about school as well as what may be a little anxiety-provoking. If your child expresses some negativity about school, don’t discount immediately his or her concerns; instead focus on validating feelings. Then you can help find solutions or shift the focus to a more positive one like seeing friends, covering exciting new material, and growing up. This can be an excellent time to discuss important topics like how to handle bullies, peer pressure, and other important topics. This can help your child feel more comfortable, and can help you clarify expectations and troubleshoot. Creating open lines of communication is always important, and letting your child know that you’ll be available for support and open discussions can be a crucial part of your relationship, as well as your child’s success in school.

Bottom Line

The main thing to remember in dealing with back to school jitters is to be prepared (mentally, logistically, and in all other ways as much as possible), and to play up the fun stuff (friends, new supplies, great teachers and growing up). If you show your enthusiasm for what the new school year brings, your kids are sure to pick up on it, and the nervous energy will turn into excitement. Have fun!

The Art of Letting Go

Every 24 hours we get a new day.  Every 7 days we get a new week.  Every 52 weeks we get a new year.  Regular and frequent new starts abound.  But do they do any good if we don’t know how to let go of the past.  We human beings do a great deal of things by reasoning them out.  Some things we do intuitively.  But many people seem to be at a loss on how to let go of the past.  Let me offer a few tips.

Choosing Words over thoughts

It seems that few people realize that spoken words have authority over silent thoughts.  Ultimately as a man thinks, so is he.  However, what you say out loud can control how you think.  It is very difficult, if now impossible to think one thing while saying another.  Many motivational speakers promote self talk for behavior modification and reaching life goals.  I know from personal experience that it works.  My advice is not to wonder or try to figure out how or why it works.  Just be glad that it works.  Let your words paint a bright future for yourself.  And do it so consistently that you have no time for looking back and holding on to your past.

Be an Encourager

What you give away to others gets multiplied back to you.  Ever word of encouragement that you give to others is a seed sown for your own harvest.  If you encourage others with a positive word concerning their future, then that’s what you will reap.

Practice Forgiveness

Another skill to develop in the art of letting go is giving others a new start.  If you are having a hard time letting go of your past, why not start by giving someone else a new start through forgiveness.  Again I say, what you give away to others gets multiplied back to you. 

Here’s a scripture to consider that has been often applied to finances, but applies to all areas, including forgiveness and encouragement.

Luk 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Activate your expectation

In the Amplified bible Galatians 5:5 says, “For we, [not relying on the Law but] through the [Holy] Spirit’s [help], by faith anticipate and wait for the blessing and good for which our righteousness and right standing with God [our [a]conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action, causes us] to hope.”

I’m convinced that we Christians here in America have not taken full advantage of the power of hope. The word hope actually means expectation. We understand that we are supposed to wait on the lord and the manifestation of blessings. However we are not supposed to wait without expectation. Expectation brings it to pass.

There are things that you can do to stir up your expectation. You can put pictures of what you have prayed for in your daily field of view, such as on the mirror or on the refrigerator. You can take little mental journeys imagining yourself with the manifestation of the answer to your prayer. These mental exercises will stir up the image of answered prayer and in turn help stir up your expectation.  This is consistent with what the Lord told the prophet when He said, “Write the vision and make it plain that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2:2. But the most powerful thing that will activate your expectation is a revelation of the righteousness given to you in redemption.

Most people realize that good things are supposed to happen to good people and bad things to bad people. We write it into our law and forever join the words “crime and punishment”. Deep in our hearts we also join the words "hard work and success". When we observe the opposite our righteous indignation rises up and we either become discouraged angry and/or bitter. Or we convince ourselves the situation is just temporary and regain our hope. The latter is more consistent with scripture. Psalms 37:1, 2 tells us not to fret when evil doers seem to prosper temporarily. They shall soon be cut down.

Our first text tells us that a revelation of righteousness will automatically deposit an expectation of good things into our spirit and soul. That is how you activate your expectation; meditate on the righteousness that Jesus has and on the truth that it has been given to you.

The truth of the matter is that your life is the sum total of what you have expected.  I didn't say desired. I said expected. Just because we want something doesn't mean we will expect it to come. And just because we don't want something doesn't mean that we won't actively expect it to come anyway. And just because we are spiritually moved during church to expect a change for the better, doesn't mean we will hold fast to that expectation during the week. However, a deep revelation and consistent meditation on the righteousness God has given you will activate your expectation for good things and a good life.

Activate your expectation and begin to live the good life today.

For more teaching on this subject refer to the July 18, 2012, message entitled "The Blessing of the Righteous".

How to Use the Psalms to Deepen Your Relationship with God

When you want to deepen your relationship with God, you need to move beyond simply knowing about Him and seek personal encounters with Him. The Bible’s Psalms can help you do that. The Psalms are full of honest expressions of what it means to relate to God. They describe faith in action while dealing with the tension between this fallen world’s realities and the hope God offers you.

Here’s how you can deepen your relationship with God by reading and responding to the Psalms:

Express all the complexities inherent in a relationship with God. The Psalms show that sharing life with God involves communicating with Him in all types of circumstances, such as lamenting hardship, expressing joy and gratitude, raging against injustice, asking for needs to be met, complaining, celebrating, and more. Regularly and honestly express your thoughts and feelings to God, confident that He is listening and He cares.

Reorient your focus toward God. In the Psalms, people are stripped of worldly things that give them a false sense of security and fleeting fulfillment, and then discover that they can gain ultimate security and fulfillment through relationships with God. When worldly things fail to satisfy you, look beyond them toward God. Orient your life around your relationship with God, investing most of your time and energy into growing closer to Him, and then everything else in your life will fall into place in a healthy way.

Grieve over what makes God sad. The Psalms describe people whose hearts become broken over what breaks God’s heart, such as these factors that affect our lives today: our propensity to stray from God, our defensiveness against God’s claim on us, our disregard of God’s kindness, and the lack of trust in God’s love that we show in the ways we disobey Him. Let the Psalms help you sense how sin can alienate you from God and make your Creator sad, and let the grief you feel about that fuel penitence in your life.

The Art of Prayer

Like most children, I learned how to pray at the dinner table. I would fold my hands, close my eyes, and furrow my brow with concentration as my father asked God to bless our food. I employed the same technique at bedtime, adding requests like “Keep my family safe” and “please bring back dinosaurs” when it seemed important. Once I became a teenager however, this style of prayer was no longer going to cut it. More often than not, I’d fall asleep halfway through my monologue, and even when I managed to stay awake I never felt like I was connecting with God at all.

So what is the right way to pray? Is there even such a thing as a right way? I’ll admit, I don’t really know. However, I do believe there are many ways to pray, and that prayer is different for every person. In the wake of National Day of Prayer, I would like to share a few ways I’ve learned how to pray.

Pray in Action

“So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” – 1 Corinthians 14:15

I suppose it’s best if I start off with the style of prayer I am most familiar with. I have never been good at sitting still during prayer. I am too easily distracted, and my mind tends to wander no matter how sincere my motives were when I began. So whenever I’m really looking to connect with God, I always go for a walk. I simply choose a direction and I start to pray.

I don’t know why walking helps. Maybe the activity focuses my thoughts or maybe a sense of direction gives me clarity, but personally, I believe it’s because prayer was meant to be natural. God made us to run, climb, swim, and dance, and I have no doubt he takes great joy in watching us do those things. In much the same way, we were also made to pray. If you are looking for a different way to connect with Christ, find something you do naturally and learn to pray through that.

 

Pray in Silence

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10

Back when I was a student at Taylor University, I would frequently go to the campuses prayer chapel while doing devotions. Normally sitting still would have been a problem, but the Taylor chapel was different. The instant you passed through its doors the silence would close around you, enveloping you like a cocoon. It gave the building a separate peace you couldn’t find anywhere else on campus, making it simple to focus on Christ and just listen. Since graduation, I’ve found silence harder to come by.

The modern world is filled with so many distractions. TV, internet, movies, mobile phones, ipods and ipads, and whatever new piece of technology just became popular. Even our homes have become filled with things designed to eat up your time and attention. People have forgotten what feels like to be silent before the Lord. The next time you pray, find a place away from all those loud distractions and temptations.

Find a place that is silent, and just listen.

Read More: http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/the-art-of-prayer.html

10 Reasons to be Involved in a Church

1. Church involvement is evidence that you’re a Christian in the first place. It also helps keep you from abandoning the faith. According to the author of Hebrews, the antidote to developing an “unbelieving heart” that leads you “to fall away from the living God” is to “exhort one another” (Hebrews 3:12-13) — an activity that occurs most prominently in the church.

2. Gathering with a church encourages believers to love others and do good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25).

3. A church is the main venue for using your spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-31). God has given you abilities and talents intended to help other Christians. If you’re not involved in a church, others are being deprived of what you have to offer.

4. A church helps you defend Christianity against those who attack it. When Jude told the early Christians to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3), he directed his instruction toward a group of believers, not a scattering of lone-ranger Christians. Answering challenges from coworkers, friends and family members is always easier when you can ask fellow church members for help and wisdom.

5. A church is a great venue for pooling resources to support missions and benevolent works (2 Corinthians 8:1-7; 3 John 5-8). Your money combined with that of fellow church members can do a lot for Christ.