Friday, March 31, 2017

Counselor’s Corner: What You Speak is What You Will Attract


There is power in the tongue or what you speak out, blessings and curses can go forth from your mouths.


What do you speak when difficulties arise or when you deal with the same circumstances over and over? What do you say about yourself? Do you speak that you are a blessed child of the Most High God or do you speak out every negative trait about yourself? Do you bless your spouse with your words, or do you tear them apart with sharp criticism and faultfinding?

What you speak out in the atmosphere can be picked up by angels or by demons. The demons love when you are using your tongue as an instrument to do their work. Your spoken words can attract angels and they can also attract the demonic. God has given you the creative power in words, you have the ability to agree with God’s spoken Word (the Bible), or you can align your words to usher in what the enemy says about you and your situations.

Reflect and ponder: What are you speaking out over your circumstances? Is what you speak align with God’s Word or the enemy’s? You will attract the angelic or the demonic by the words that you speak out.

Is it ok to share with a trusted godly person the difficulties in your life? Yes, but you don’t want to continue to share weekly the same messes. Whatever you do share, make sure that you have a time to infuse God’s truth into your conversation-in other words, all talk and no time for turning your woes into what God can do will open a door to the demonic.

Counselor’s Corner: If one of your spiritual gifts is the gift of encouragement, recognize that the enemy will try to get you to use your mouth for his purposes. Keeping quiet and speaking at a minimal will help. Being a busybody or constantly chit chatting on the phone with no real purpose can cause you to slip into using your mouth in an improper way. Listen more than you speak, and when someone is speaking negatively to you, interject God’s truths.

Everything you speak first starts with a thought. What you speak with your mouth shows where your heart is. You are either in submission to the Holy Spirit or to fleshy emotions.

The category of sin mentioned second most often in the Bible is that of the tongue (the first is sexual sin). I believe the enemy works overtime with our tongues because the power of spoken words is one that is able to heal, deliver, and break curses. If you speak negatively, it can bring word curses that can block or hinder the work of the Lord.

Blessings are spoken words with power to bring forth that which did not exist to come into existence. You have the ability to drive back evil forces by reversing the curses by speaking and decreeing blessings (by faith) that do not exist in your present situations as though they did. Even in your own family you can overcome a curse by pronouncing blessings that did not exist as though they did. Curses claim territory and blessings claim territory, so what is existing in the territory that you live in? This can include the territories of your neighborhood, church or work. Plead the blood of Jesus over the land you are praying for and mark the territory Holy ground that not even witchcraft power has room to operate in it. Pray that God dismantles all ungodly alters or hidden fetishes (an occult practice to place ungodly objects on property to curse people). Everything is subject to the power of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus. Even pronounce your workplace to be Holy ground. Decree and declare everywhere you go to be Holy ground unto the Lord and invitee the presence of the Holy Spirit to invade that place and evict demonic forces. It does not matter where you are at-dedicate everything to God and where your feet touches the ground. Pronounce blessings over every single person who has cursed you. You want your enemies to come to know Jesus as Lord. Shield yourself from being offended by people’s actions. You don’t want to curse someone with your lips and opening doors of unforgiveness. Practice daily repentance, forgiveness and humility to shield your spirit from being contaminated by offense. Speak blessings into your life and other people to reverse the curse.

Sherline Watchu, The Power of Speaking Blessings to Break a Curse

Stop blocking God’s blessings by speaking negatively. God wants to bless you but you can become a hindrance to receiving God’s blessings when you speak things that are contrary to God’s Word. Make a decision to watch what comes from your mouth. When you speak negative words you’re claiming those words over yourself or others. Words are seeds that can yield a good or bad crop. The essence of our being was spoken by God-He spoke and then we were created. Blessings and curses are set into motion by the words we speak.

When you live a lifestyle of speaking out blessings over yourself and others, God will take notice and you WILL ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF HEAVEN!

John Paul Jackson, The Mystery of Blessing and Cursing

MEDITATE ON THESE SCRIPTURES:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and that they love shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 18:21


You will eat what you speak! The outcome of your future is a byproduct of what you speak.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Counselor’s Corner: Resting With Papa God



So many people are in a continually state of unrest. It is important that you take time to rest your mind, body, and spirit. Otherwise, your entire system will be out of balance. When you system gets out of balance you can be susceptible to illness, negative thinking, depression, anxiety and fatigue.

How does one get in a state of unrest? Being constantly geared-up, worried, anxious, and fearful, thinking the worst, and not allowing your mind to just rest. As well as not eating properly, not getting enough exercise and not spending time with God.


To take a rest in your mind would mean to stop all thoughts that would pose a threat to your state of peace. If you’re constantly thinking about worrisome thoughts your body will react to the stress. If you think negative thoughts and stressful thoughts your body will begin to react.

Reflect and ponder: Do you see God as your Papa or Daddy? Chances are if you don’t see God this way you have trouble resting because you have difficulty trusting God. How you view God (a loving Papa or a punitive, judgmental God), will determine how well you rest.

Counselor’s Corner:
It is important to balance your system back with prayer, spending alone time with Papa, eating right, exercising, letting go and letting God, and giving your mind a rest from anxious, worrisome and fearful thoughts. If your mind is in a continually state of unrest you will eventually feel tired and worn-out and generally not feel well (malaise).  Your body will feel tense, you may have sore muscles, headaches, and possible TMJ.

Get to the “roots” of why you are in a chronic state of unrest. In other words, what are the underlying causes of your stress? What keeps you up at night? It is not God’s will for you to be under stress and unbalance. You might have to slip away from the hectic lifestyle you live or the busyness you are under and come into the presence of Jesus who can unmask why you in a state of unrest. Step away from the cares of this world long enough to hear God and how He wants you to handle your situations. Go to a quiet place and sit before the Lord. Get quiet and balance your emotions. There is a word God will breathe upon you and enlighten you with.

Take care of your body as well, begin to eat balanced nutritious meals as well as light exercising. Walking is a great way to relieve stress and unrest. Take a multi-vitamin as well as a good B-vitamin. This is a holistic approach to your unrest but you have to take care of not only your body but your mind and spirit as well. Balance every area of your life-but feed your spirit first!  All of your parts are interconnected, your mind, your body and your spirit. If one area is out of balance you will feel it in the other areas as well. Have you ever noticed when you are physically sick you’re not as spiritually strong? But have you noticed when you are physically, mentally and spiritually strong how good you feel? Always be guarded and aware when one or two areas are out of balance. Realign the ones that need to be rebalanced.

MEDITATE ON THESE SCRIPTURES:

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. Mark 6:31

Where is your quiet place where you meet with Papa? Your backyard (in nature) or your prayer closet. Wherever you can hear God the most make that the place to sit with Abba.

The Lord gives strength to His people and blesses them with peace.
Psalm 29:11










Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Counselor’s Corner: Out With the Old and in With the New


Ask God what old things need to be discarded in your life, and what new things He is wanting to bring into your life. You may have to get rid of the old before God can make room for the new. Some things no longer work for us, and we need to have wisdom to what those things are. If you are going to purchase a new car and your old car is still in the garage, how can you make room for that new car? Some will try and fit the new car with the old car, but why would you want to hold onto your old car if it no longer is working? Some of us need to stop holding onto to the things in our past, so that God can make room for the new things He is trying to bring to pass.


Reflect and Ponder: Ask yourself what is no longer working in your life? For example you want to go forward in your life and experience all that God has for you but you are still holding onto selfishness and pride. Perhaps God is asking you to let go of worry and fear. Anything that could be hindering you from moving forward God very well may have you to remove these before preceding to what He has for you next. If you have gotten yourself into the habit of complaining, God may have you deal with this before experiencing your breakthrough or blessing that you have been waiting for.

Counselor’s Corner:

Before we can move into our new season we have to let go of the old first:

“Old what you may be asking?”

1.         Old attitudes that kept us in the “wilderness,” and moving into our “promised land.” These attitudes include: complaining, murmuring, fault-finding, covertness, thanklessness, and idolatry.
2.         Old mind-sets. Allowing our minds to think whatever it wants, and not taking every thought captive into the obedience of Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Thinking thoughts that are negative, faithless, and hopeless. Some of us have strongholds and lies that we have believed for years and need to be torn-down by renewing our minds in the Word of God.
3.         Holding onto the old things of the past. Some friendships, ministries, and possibly marriages did not succeed but when we hold onto these things and condemn ourselves repeatedly for our past mistakes we cannot move forward. Ask God to forgive you if you need to, and believe that God has forgiven you and that He does not want you dwelling in your past any longer. (Philippians 3:13-14).

Moving forward into our promised land will require “letting go” of former things. Former things that are no longer working for us, and possibly areas of sin in our lives that must be dealt with. It hurts to let go, but sometimes it hurts more to hold on.

MEDITATE ON THESE SCRIPTURES:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing!
Isaiah 43:18

Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3: 14


If what you are doing in your life is not working, it is time to make some changes. The mental health definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Is it time for change?




Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Counselor’s Corner: Overcoming the Victim Mentality and Becoming a Victor



Successful people are rarely victims. Victims by definition are people who do not acknowledge responsibility for their actions and who blame outside forces. Victims have a poor me attitude and wallow in self-pity. Victims feel that others are against them and that is the cause of their unhappiness. Victims portray themselves as unfortunates who need rescuing.


If you have a history of helping or fixing others, you will attract victims! Victims will drain you with their endless stories of how others have wronged them, and how they can never catch a break. Victims will cause you to burn out by their constant neediness. Victims do not want to discuss solutions to their problems, but will exhaust you to no-end with repeatedly blaming others for their misery.

Having a victim mentality is a learned behavior that usually begins in early childhood. Those with a victim mentality have difficulty expressing and processing negative emotions. Victims have a core belief that life is out of their control, and this results in hopelessness and helplessness. Victims will blame any and every scapegoat such as circumstances or other people. Victims often live in one crisis after another, and never see their part in the crisis. A person with a victim mentality does not make any effort to learn from their mistakes, and that others actions excuse them from taking responsibility.

Reflect and ponder: Do you know someone with a victim mentality or do you struggle with being a victim of your circumstances?

Counselor’s Corner:

Becoming a victor instead of a victim:

1.      Take responsibility for every action and circumstance in your life-you may not be able to control your circumstances, but you can control your responses. When you embrace this attitude, life’s circumstances will no longer control you because you are free to choose how you will respond.
2.      Do not surrender power over your life to others. In other words do not let your life be driven by your environment but by your inner attitude that you get to choose.
3.      Understand the world owes you nothing, and believing you have certain “rights” will lead to disappointment and anger.
4.      If you are ready to move on with your life and get unstuck you must stop blaming others for your woes. When you blame others, you leave yourself powerless.
5.      Recognize that from time to time you may feel sorry for yourself, just don’t camp there! Everyone will face challenges in life, but don’t go sit in a corner and “nurse your wounds” over and over.
6.      Start looking for the good in the situations that cause you to complain or to blame. Take your power back! Don’t give any person or circumstance that much control.

As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances.

MEDITATE ON THESE SCRIPTURES:

I loathe my own life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. Job 10:1

You said, “Ah, woe is me!” For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and have found no rest!” Jeremiah 45:3



Monday, March 27, 2017

Counselor’s Corner: Peace in the Storm



A definition for storm is a violent disturbance in the atmosphere. If you have ever encountered a hurricane, tornado or a severe thunderstorm you can testify that there is no peace in the atmospheric climate-destructive winds, torrential rains, and damaging lightening.


Our lives at times can mimic natural storms. When a “storm” comes into your life it can feel like you are being tossed to and fro, and like you are going to drown from the heavy amounts of oppression and weights of your trials. Storms of life can make you feel unbalanced and unstable, and they can have a tremendous effect on your peace. Have you ever tried to remain peaceful when 100 mph winds are whipping around your home during a hurricane? It’s not easy to remain peaceful when you feel at any moment your home may be destroyed. When you go through the storms of life, remaining in constant peace can be challenging but it can happen! You may at times react to your “storm,” reactions come in the form of fear, anxiety, worry and distrust. Don’t be so hard on yourself when you react to what is going around you that causes your stomach to sink and your heart to race, but GET UP and rebuke your storm! Jesus rebuked the storm by not reacting but calmly and assuredly saying, “Peace, be still.” (Mark 4:39). Jesus dwells in us, so we have the same authority over the storms in our lives.

Reflect and ponder: Have you felt the enemy stir-up the “storms” around you? Perhaps you thought that storm in your life had died down and yet here it comes again along with some other storms. The enemy is a master at stirring storms around us.

Counselor’s Corner: Regardless of the sender of the storm in your life, God can use each storm to teach you and to cause greater good to come from them.

Lessons from the storms you may encounter in life:

1.      God does have ultimate authority over every storm that comes into your life. Some storms are meant to teach and refine us, some are sent from the destroyer, and some storms we cause. Whatever the cause of the storm, we can ask God boldly to move our storm out of the way! If the storms stays a while, we can ask God to give peace in the storm. Get your eyes off the “storm” until it passes. You can feed your storm by giving it too much attention. “Starve” your storm by “feeding” your faith!
2.      Ask God what lessons He may be trying to teach you because of your storm-patience, trust, or becoming more mature spiritually. Maybe going through your storms will bring about a warrior for the Kingdom of God, one who is brave, courageous, and strong.
3.      There are times when you are hard pressed on every side so that what is deep inside of you will spill out. Spillage can be good if it leads to growth, and so that you can be more like Jesus.
4.      If you have been pressed and squeezed excessively hard and your “storm” is causing you to be physically, mentally and spiritually drained-ask God boldly to give you rest from the “storm,” and plead for God’s mercy. We are children of God, and I believe that there are times that we will suffer and undergo hardships but when they begin affecting us negatively to the point that we can no longer stand strong in the storm, it is time to ask God for aid quickly!

Sometimes we may not know who or what is the sender of our storms, but we can still take some steps to ensure that we will be taken to safer grounds: Rebuke the storm, ask for God to give peace in the storm if it remains, and plead for God’s mercy if you are going under as a result of your storm. If you remain in a storm, let praise become your warfare. Believe even when you are in the middle of your storm, that God can and still does miracles.

There are some things we learn on stormy seas that we never learn on calm smooth waters. The “God of the storm” has something to teach us, and His love always drives His actions.
Darry Deaube- “I will praise you in the storm.”

MEDITATE ON THESE SCRIPTURES:

He calmed the raging storm, and the waves became quiet.
Psalm 107:29

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.
Isaiah 59:19


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