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CLAIM YOUR INHERITANCE

January 23, 2012

Did you know there are billions of dollars worth of unclaimed inheritances in the United States? You can search online and Google “unclaimed inheritances”; and you will find that there are unclaimed properties, assets and inheritances because the heirs can’t be found. There are people who have received inheritances, and they don’t even know it!
You have received an inheritance from Jesus that you need to claim! You have a will — His Will, His Word — that discloses and unveils your inheritance.
Do you know what your inheritance includes? I encourage you to know what His Will says and find out what belongs to you so you can take possession of it and claim it. After all, you can’t claim what you don’t know belongs to you!
God says in Galatians 3:9 that we are blessed along with Abraham. That means that every blessing He had, we can have!
In Genesis 12, God pronounced a seven-fold blessing over Abraham, and these seven things belong to you and me.
The first thing God said to Abraham was:
1. I will make you into a great nation.
Abraham was the first Hebrew person, and God birthed the nation of Israel through him. If you study all the Scriptures, you will find that God said to Abraham, “I will multiply you, increase you, and make you powerful!”
That’s what God wants to do in your life. This is your legacy and your inheritance. God wants to increase you in every area. He wants to increase your finances. (See Genesis 15:5, 17:2, 18:8, 18:19, and Deut 26:5.)
God wants to make you great and multiply what you have just like He did for Abraham.
2. I will bless you.
The Amplified Bible says, “I will bless you with an abundant increase of favors.” Abraham was blessed with abundance. In fact, Genesis 24:1 says that Abraham was blessed in every way. I love that!
What were his blessings?
— Abraham was very wealthy in livestock, silver and gold. He wasn’t rich when God first called him, but he became rich because of the blessing of God upon his life. (Genesis 13:2, Deut. 8:18)
— He also had great favor. The people said to him, “You are a mighty prince among us.” God can supernaturally elevate you to places of favor and influence. Psalm 75:6 says that promotion comes from God.
— Abraham’s son was abundantly blessed. When Abraham died, he left everything to Isaac, but the Bible says that God blessed Isaac in his own right. In one year, he reaped 100-fold on his crops, and he became very wealthy. You can pass the blessings down, but God also has additional blessings for your children. He wants them to increase even more! (Genesis 25:5, 26:12–14)
— Abraham received material blessings that he didn’t have to work for. Psalm 105:44 says, “Abraham fell heir to what others had toiled for.” We’ve got to get a hold of this! The Bible says the wealth of the sinner is passed on to the just! (Proverbs 13:22)
God can bless you with things that you don’t even have to work for. Deuteronomy 6:11 says that He will give you houses that you did not build, wells that you did not dig, and vineyards that you did not plant.
3. I will make your name great.
The Amplified Bible says in Genesis 12:2, “I will make your name famous and distinguished.”
Everywhere Abraham went, people knew him. His reputation preceded him and followed him. He was a mighty prince. He was highly favored of God!
God will enlarge you and make your name great just as he did for Abraham.
4. You will be a blessing.
This is where the phrase “we are blessed to be a blessing” comes from. One of the main reasons God wants us to have more than enough is so we can bless and help others. God wants us to be generous. He wants us to be so blessed that we can give to those in need. He wants us to share our blessings.
5. I will bless those who bless you.
When people bless and help you, God will bless them. Your favor will rub off on them. Every person who touches your life in a positive way will receive a touch from God. That’s how blessed we are.
6. I will curse those who curse you.
God is serious. He is not going to bless anyone who opposes you. He said, “I will be an enemy to your enemies and I will oppose those who oppose you.” Deuteronomy 28:7 says, “The enemy that rises up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.”
God is going to stand with you when people talk against you or mistreat you. He said to David, “Don’t touch my anointed. He belongs to Me!” Well, you belong to Him! (Exodus 23:22, 1 Chronicles 16:22)
7. All the people of the earth will be blessed through you.
Wherever you go, people will be blessed. When you show up, God shows up, blessings show up and favor shows up.
You might be thinking, “How can I bless people all over the world?” I’ll tell you how in a major way. When you tithe your income to your local church, you are a part of sending the Gospel all over the world.

Love Never Fails

January 9, 2012

With all the spiritual principles to learn and execute as Christians, there is one that we must never lose sight of. In fact, it must be our principle goal in life as Believers. It is the law of love, and it is a command from God. Walking in love is not a religious cliché; it is a lifestyle that must be cultivated. It is so important because it is what shows the world what God is really all about. Without love, we can do nothing.

First Corinthians 13 provides the guidelines for walking in love because it explains what love is and what it is not. When we can understand these principles and judge our behavior by the standard of God’s love according to the Word, we can begin to operate in the power God desires for our lives. Many times, we bring our own definitions of love to the table, which are usually based on our emotions. However, in order to truly walk in the biblical type of love, we must follow the Word’s outline.

The Apostle Paul begins the chapter by discussing some of the things that Christians use to gauge the success of their relationship with God. Verses 1-3 talk about speaking in tongues, prophesying, understanding the things of God, having a lot of biblical knowledge, having strong faith, and giving to the poor. While all these things are important and we may identify with them as Believers, none of them supersede walking in love. There are people who give to the poor and prophesy, but when it comes to their dealings with others, they can be as mean as a rattlesnake!

Verses 4-8 describe the characteristics of love—things we should be striving to exemplify in our relationships with others:

Love endures long and is patient and kind: love is never envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong] (The Amplified Bible).

What an impressive set of qualities! I am sure we can all think of times where we have failed to walk in love where our treatment of others is concerned. Sometimes our words and actions may be motivated out of jealousy and pride. As Christians, we can easily become “puffed up” and arrogant when we feel we have reached a certain spiritual level. Unfortunately, everything we do that is the opposite of love can be felt by others, and it can push them away from God. After all, if those in the body of Christ aren’t walking in love, who will be the true example?

In order to become better “lovers,” we must make an honest assessment of our lives. Have we allowed the responses of the flesh to dictate how we treat others? Has the enemy deceived us about what is really important? There is no doubt that we will be faced with situations and people that may push our buttons, or try to move us from our love walk, but we must purpose in our hearts to make the 1 Corinthians model of love our ultimate goal in life. From our marriages to our dealings with co-workers, family, and friends, we must always consider the love of God when interacting with others. If it doesn’t line up with God’s way of doing things, it must be rejected.

Renewing our minds to walk in love is a process. We all have our flesh to contend with and overcome. Before we came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, many of us were used to responding to people and situations a certain way. The flesh, or way of thinking that opposes God’s Word, is always looking for an opportunity to express itself. It wants to fly off the handle, cuss folks out, and be selfish. However, those are the times when we must choose God’s way as an act of our will. If we miss the mark, we should at least have the ability to discern where we got out of love and get back on track by repenting and asking the Lord to forgive us.

The more we practice the principles outlined in 1 Corinthians 13, the more love will become “first-nature.” As we continue to renew our minds and walk in love on purpose, we will find ourselves being used mightily by God. There is no situation that cannot be overcome with the love of God. It never fails.

It’s Not About You

December 16, 2011

I’ve come to realize that the number one reason why people in the body of Christ aren’t experiencing the manifestation of their faith is because of a nasty monster called “selfishness.” In essence, they believe that “it’s all about them.” Selfishness is concerned with self-preservation and protection. It literally cuts you off from the blessing of God because it keeps you from allowing Him to be God in your life. Instead, you crown yourself god and trust in your own abilities more than your heavenly Father’s. In addition, selfishness causes you to operate from a position of always wanting to take the advantage, rather than give the advantage to someone else. Living a selfish life will stop the anointing of God from working for you.

All sin is selfish. It is impossible to be “in sin” without also being focused on your needs and desires. Think about it. When you do something that goes against the Word of God, you’re not thinking about how others will be affected. You certainly aren’t thinking about how God feels about your actions, at least not enough to stop engaging in the activity. If you are struggling with an area of sin, selfishness is in operation. That’s because all sin is based on the platform of self-exaltation and carnal gratification. From adultery and fornication to gluttony and strife, every work of the flesh has selfishness at its root and is propelled by the spirit of fear.

Selfishness is the exact opposite of love. The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. When you allow the works of the flesh—adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness and revellings—to dominate your life, you are subject to the kingdom of darkness. On the other hand, when you stay in the circle of love, you stay in a place of protection from the attacks of the enemy.

The only way to get rid of selfishness in your life is to cultivate the love of God. Jesus said in Matthew 22:34-40:

But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Whether your realize it or not, the love laws are God’s “general orders” to the body of Christ. Jesus is our commander in chief. He has commanded us to first love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength; and secondly, to love our neighbors as ourselves. When we keep these commandments at the forefront of our thinking and purpose to act on them whenever we get the opportunity, selfishness has no choice but to get out of the way!

If you find that your life is being ruled by selfishness, decide right now to take a stand against it knowing that fear is its driving force. Just like faith needs love to operate, fear needs selfishness to exist. The good news is that you have been delivered from the spirit of bondage to fear (Romans 8:15), and you don’t have to live a fear-filled, selfish life.

Jesus has come to set you free from fear and selfishness, so you have the liberty to love God and others freely. First John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love .” Just like any endeavor that you are striving toward, so it is with the love of God. By cultivating the fruit of the spirit in your relationships with others, you will become so proficient at the love of God that selfishness will have no room to continue its existence in your life. The saying is true: Practice makes perfect—perfect your love walk today!

NOT EASILY MOVED

November 28, 2011

Not Easily Moved
I Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, My dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

With so much going on in our world today we must make sure that we are anchored in the Lord. We can’t be unnerved by every little thing that threatens us. As a child we used to play a game when we were little called, “Made You Move.” The object of the game was that one person would remain steady, staring straight ahead while the other person would act like they were going to hit the focused person in the face to see if they would move or flinch. If the person blinked or moved, the other perosn would say, “Ha Ha, made you move.”

The devil’s only job is to make you move out of position and miss your blessing. If he can get you disturbed over what somebody said about you, if he can get you hurt by something that happened at church, if he can use the economy to scare you away from your faith, then he has succeeded at his job. He made you move. You cannot afford to move from your position. You are too blessed to be stressed. No matter what it looks like:

1. Stand firm. Make sure your feet are set on solid ground. On Jesus Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

2. Let nothing move you. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Jesus said, “Do not fear the person who can kill the body but fear God who can kill body and soul.” Don’t let idle threats and negative reports move you, whose report shall you believe God’s or man’s?

3. Give yourself fully to the work of the Lord. When you are busy doing God’s work you don’t have time to worry about the foolishness of the world. There is a peace that comes over you when you are doing the work of the Lord that doesn’t allow you to be easily moved. Keep working for the Lord because your work is not in vain.

Dear God,

Keep me steadfast and unmovable. Help me to keep my eyes on the prize and hold on. Today, don’t let any bad news or negativity phase me as i strive toward reaching my goals. I will not be moved by anything or anybody. I’m trusting you to see me through.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

The Law of Confession

November 7, 2011

God has given us a powerful method to obtain His promises, and it is up to us to use it. That method is confession. Confession, as it pertains to the Bible, is when you speak the Word of God out loud. Words are spiritual containers that release either fear or faith. Every time you speak, you are activating spiritual forces that will affect your life. This is why it is so important to be mindful of the words we speak and to make sure we are only saying what God has said in His Word.

Similar to the law of gravity, the law of confession will work for anyone who will get involved with it. Many Christians who have been defeated in life are defeated because they believe and confess the wrong things. They don’t realize that their words are activating a spiritual law that is working against them. We must understand the law of confession if we want things to work for us. We have been given access to the power of God through our words, which are weapons against the enemy.

Satan is constantly applying pressure to our minds in order to get us to quit in these last days; however, we do not have to allow hard times or pressure to defeat us. We can use the Word of God as a weapon against the enemy, and win.

In order to be victorious over the attacks of the enemy, we must think, believe, and speak in line with God’s Word. In fact, believing the Word in our hearts is the prerequisite for our confessions having a significant impact in our lives. Mark 9:23 says, “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Faith is the force that must be in operation in order for our confessions to come to pass. Sometimes people confess God’s Word religiously, mechanically, and out of fear; however, these types of confessions don’t accomplish anything. We must believe that the things we confess from the Bible are coming to pass as we pray and speak them.

We can look to God as an example of how faith-filled words cause things to manifest in the natural realm. In the biblical account of how God created the earth, the Word says that He spoke and whatever He spoke came into existence (Genesis 1). God’s words are full of faith, which is what caused them to become actual physical substance. The things we see in this earth today, from the sky to the trees, are the result of words that were spoken by God.

The same creative power that God possesses has been invested in us. As spiritual beings who possess the nature of God, we have the ability to speak things into existence just like God did. This isn’t some mystical, New Age idea; it is scriptural. When Jesus walked the earth, He imitated His Father by speaking what the Father spoke. As a result, He saw results everywhere He went. Likewise, we must be imitators of God, who think, act, and speak like Him. When we speak His Words, we release His creative ability into the earth, and something always happens. When we believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the words we speak will come to pass, we will see what we are speaking (Mark 11:22-23).

The Bible says that all things are possible for those who believe. Confessing God’s Word is so powerful because every time we hear ourselves speaking the Scriptures, we are actually planting faith in our hearts. The more we become established on the Word of God through speaking it on a consistent basis, the more our faith will grow. And faith, when acted upon, will always produce the desired results.

There shouldn’t be a day that passes that the Believer does not speak the Word of God. It is the Word that strengthens our faith, and releases the power of God into our situations and circumstances. By making daily confessions, we frame our worlds with the Word of God, shut the devil out of our lives, and plant faith in our hearts. It is the key to victory and supernatural manifestation.

A Radical Life Change

October 17, 2011

A Radical Life Change

We can all live a radically changed life. All that is required is obedience to God. As we grow spiritually, there are levels of maturity He expects us to reach. He also expects us to move from fear to faith, in obedience to Him. He wants us to learn His Word and do it without wavering.

A. God overlooks it as long as you don’t know any better—but that time has passed. The unknown is now known, and he’s calling for a radical life change (Acts 17:30, The Message Translation).

1. Being radical means having an established root or foundation. It means a person has a foundation for what he or she does. As Christians, we must be rooted in the Word of God. It has to be our foundation for what we do. The root of the righteous yields fruit (Proverbs 12:12). We begin to see manifestations of our faith when we decide to have the proper foundation in our life.

2. Being radical is a type of obedience; it is obedience that is rooted in obeying God’s Word. When we are rooted in the Word of God, we are obedient.

B. Trials and tests will come our way when we make God’s Word our final authority. However, we must not allow them to move us (Mark 4:6-17).

1. Radical people do not quit when they are faced with challenges, obstacles, or hardship; they press forward. Jesus is our primary example of a radical person; He did not quit when times got hard. Sometimes offense can cause us to quit (Mark 4:17). We reap whatever we sow. For example, when we obey the Word, we harvest God’s blessing. But if we sow disobedience to God’s Word, we will harvest lack.

C. Do not be deceived, deluded, and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at—scorned, disdained, or mocked (Galatians 6:7, AMP).

1. Our harvest is connected to the things we sow, or the deeds we do. God wants us to do extraordinary things. He wants us to prosper and succeed in life. He is able to do exceedingly above all we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). We are blessed to be a blessing to others.

D. Examples of Radical Obedience

1.Radical obedience is obeying God when it doesn’t make sense. For example, Jesus told His disciples to let down their nets and launch out into the deep, when they had finished their fishing jobs (Luke 5:4-5). Peter made a radical move by obeying Jesus even though he didn’t see the point in it. As a result, they caught a great number of fish. Obedience produces breakthrough. We must obey Jesus’ commands.

2. Radical obedience is doing the will of God even when your own agenda makes more sense.
. For example, Commander Naaman became a leper and came to the prophet Elisha for help (2 Kings 5:1-14). Naaman did not like the instructions he received from Elisha; however, he obeyed and was healed instantly. Radical obedience is not just asking, “What would Jesus do?” Instead, being radically obedient is doing what Jesus did. Be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only (James 1:22-25). Radical obedience is refusing to compromise when it comes to obeying God’s Word even when it means losing friends. Radical obedience means venturing outside of your comfort zone, no matter how uncomfortable or unreasonable it feels. Radical obedience is born out of delight, not duty. It is not a burden or a grudge.

RE FRAME YOUR LIFE

September 23, 2011

RE FRAME YOUR LIFE

All must deal with the baggage we accumulate as we journey through life. You know what “baggage” is. It’s the stuff from your past that you carry around in your soul. It’s the words people said and the things people did that haunt your mind and limit your potential. It weighs you down. It crowds your relationships. It causes you to stumble through life.
Today, we begin a journey of looking into our “life suitcase,” and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will bring it to him as he asked us to…

If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, CEV)

THE TRUTH ABOUT BAGGAGE

The key sources of baggage…

Unforgiven Offenses

Hebrews 12:15, Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. (NLT)

Unhealed Wounds

Psalm 72:2, I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal. (Msg)

Unfulfilled Dreams

Proverbs 13:12, Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick. (Msg)

Unredeemd Sin
1 John 1:6, We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. (NLT)

Baggage hinders us in the race of life.

Hebrews 12:1, We must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. (CEV)

Great men and women of the Bible struggled with baggage.

Romans 8:15-24, In fact, I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do what I know is right. I do the things I hate…I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them. With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me…? (CEV)

Baggage gives Satan an opportunity in your life.

Ephesians 4:26-27, Don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. (Msg)

TAKE ON YOUR BAGGAGE

Take responsibility.

1 Corinthians 6:12, I will not let anything make me its slave. (NCV)

Take it seriously.

1 Corinthians 9:27, I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (NLT)

Take it to God.

Romans 6:12-14, Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires…but rather offer yourselves to God…For sin shall not be your master…(NIV)

REFRAME YOUR LIFE

Do not let your past determine who you are.

1 Cor 6:9-11, Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (NLT)

Embrace your identity in Christ.

2 Cor 5:16-17, We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be…Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. (CEV)

Romans 7:24-25, Who will rescue me? Thank God, Jesus Christ will rescue me! (CEV)

What You Say Is What You Get

September 9, 2011

What You Say Is What You Get
Your life is a sum total of the words you’ve spoken. What you say is what you get. Use your mouth as an instrument of life, not death. You are literally words away from your harvest; don’t let negative speech short-circuit your breakthrough. Speak the Word only!
A. Your words set the tone of your life.
1. Your mouth should be used as an instrument of life, not death.
a. Guarding your mouth from evil keeps you from trouble (Proverbs 21:23).
i. Many of life’s troubles are the results of words we’ve spoken.
2. Your mouth can work for or against you.
a. You are justified or condemned by the words you speak (Matthew 12:36, 37).
i. Your words transmit faith or fear.
ii. Because the Lord is your strength, you have nothing to fear (Psalm 27:1); speak faith only!

B. We must harmonize or be in agreement with God and His Word if we expect to have what we say.
1. When you’re out of harmony with God, your speech will be polluted.
a. Negative speaking hinders God’s desire to bring His Word to pass in your life (Malachi 3:13).
i. You weary God by speaking words that contradict His Word (Malachi 2:17).
2. The power of agreement is released when you speak in line with God’s Word.
a. How can two walk together unless they agree (Amos 3:3)?
b. How can blessing and cursing come from the same source?
i. To bless means to speak positively or good of.
ii. To curse means to speak negatively or evil of.

C. You are literally words away from your harvest.
1. Do you believe the words you speak? If you do, you’ll have what you say.
a. Because Jesus skillfully chose His words and believed what He said, He obtained quick results (Mark 11:20-23).
2. Carefully consider every word you speak.
a. Don’t pervert your words; learn what you’re saying and use words in the proper context.
b. Ask yourself: Is what I’m saying what I expect to see?
3. Avoid idle words, perverted speech, and saying things you don’t believe.
a. Speak the Word of God only!
i. If you’re unable to speak the Word, it is better not to speak at all.

Winning the Battle by Renewing the Mind

August 29, 2011

Winning the Battle by Renewing the Mind
The mind is the control center of your life; it determines your destiny. By taking every thought captive and aligning your thoughts with God’s way of thinking—His Word—you will walk in continuous victory.

A. People are products of their thoughts.
You are what you continually think (Proverbs 23:7). You change your life by changing your mindset. Right thinking precedes right actions. There are two sources of thoughts—God and Satan. Satan’s greatest weapon is suggestion. The Devil wants you to worry and to think outside of God’s Word so that he can gain access to your life. Do not allow him to gain a foothold (Ephesians 4:27, AMP). An empty mind, or one that hasn’t been renewed with the Word, will give place to the Devil. Your thoughts determine your destiny.

B. Take hold of your thought life so that your life can be changed.
It’s not the thoughts that come from outside of a person that defile him, but the thoughts that come from inside—those things on which his mind dwells (Mark 7:14-15, 18-23). If you continue dwelling on the past, it will hinder your future. Feed your heart and mind with the right things so that your thoughts will line up properly. What you meditate on is the source of your actions. Example: A person doesn’t just wake up one morning and ask for a divorce. Divorce was a thought that had been nourished, nurtured and meditated on for a long time. When your spirit man has developed, God wants you to hear Him so that you can live an “inside-out” life. God wants you to think from the source: His Word. When you take your mind off of God, you will fall. Adam and Eve fell when they took their minds off of God (Genesis 3). Everything in life begins as a thought; it’s a seed.

C. You can win the battle over your mind each and every time.
Put off your old ways of thinking (Ephesians 4:22-24), and then set your mind and affection on higher things (Colossians 3:2, 6-10). Rid yourself of fear, as it gives Satan access to your mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is an enemy of God; it is designed to get your thoughts off God. Be perfected in God’s love, because perfected love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Develop a sound, or disciplined, mind. An undisciplined mind is one whose thoughts wander (2 Timothy 1:6-7, AMP); it is unstable (James 1:5-8). Concentrate on what you are doing (Ecclesiastes 5:1). A disciplined mind is not easily confused. A focused and care-free mind leads to perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3-4; Philippians 4:5-8).The cares of the world will choke your harvest (Mark 4:19). Be aggressive in casting down evil thoughts with the Word. Study, listen to and speak the Word daily.

Gateway to Hearing God’s Voice

August 11, 2011

Gateway to Hearing God’s Voice
God’s written Word is the gateway to hearing His voice. He wants to give you specific details about your life, but you must first position yourself to hear from Him by spending time reading and meditating on the Word. In addition, avoid the hindrances that block your spiritual hearing.
5 hindrances to hearing from God:
1. Unbelief – Hearing from God operates by faith. You must believe He wants to talk to you.
2. An undeveloped spirit
3. A spirit of deafness – A noisy spirit, cluttered with stress and the cares of this world, can cause spiritual deafness.
4. A calloused conscience – When something is calloused, it is hardened. A calloused conscience is resistant to God’s Word and cannot receive it.
5. Neglect – Neglecting time with God can block your ability to hear from Him.

How the Word of God prepares us to hear from Him:
1. His Word instructs us. When we know the Word, we recognize deceptive voices that try to lead us into error. A person who preaches any other gospel is a deceiver (Galatians 1:8). Studying the Word and walking in love will help you recognize God’s voice.
2. His Word tunes our spirits. Your spiritual ears will know God’s voice when you acquaint yourself with His Word. The Word purifies and separates you from the world (John 17:17). If you are not feeding your spirit daily with the Word, it will not be tuned.
3. God’s written Word confirms what He has spoken to your spirit (Proverbs 6:20-23). Allow the peace of God to rule in your heart before making decisions. Let the Word to be your guide; the Word gives light in a dark and confused world (Psalm 119:105).
4. God washes your spirit with the Word, removing the filth and grime of the world.
5. The Word of God consistently defeats the devil. Use the Word of God to cancel out the devil’s deceptive voice. For example, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He answered the devil with the Word.
6. God’s Word feeds your spirit man (1 Peter 2:2, 3, AMP). Desire the spiritual milk of the Word so you can grow spiritually. Spend time feeding your spirit with the Word of God to receive revelation and wisdom.

How does praying in the Spirit help you hear from God?
1. When you pray in the Spirit, you release your faith.
2. Prayer is the perfect way to enhance your hearing.
3. Remember to thank God for what you believe you receive in prayer.
4. God uses relationships to speak into your life.
5. Become thirsty for God; if you do not have a thirst for Him, ask for it.
6. Every day, tell God how much you need Him.

Three ways to see change in your ability to hear from God:
1. Decide how badly you want change.
2. Eliminate all excuses.
3. Take immediate action; refuse to put it off any longer. Start today!

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