Word of Encouragement: P.U.S.H. Through Until Your Breakthrough

What have you been praying for, contending for or believing for, but have not had the breakthrough yet? Perhaps, you are tired and ready just to give-up. Your just not sure if your breakthrough will ever happen or if God even hears your prayers.

Let me give you an acronym to help you continue to believe for your breakthrough:

Persist

Until

Something

Happens

Persist with what? Prayer, speaking what God says about your situation not what you feel or what the enemy is saying to you, and walking by faith until what you have believed God in His Word for will come to pass. Don’t give up until your full manifestation of what you are believing for occurs. If what you see in the physical realm is the opposite of what you are praying about, keep speaking God’s Word and promises over the situation. Be careful not to speak what you see with your physical eyes, as real as it appears. Begin to see with your spiritual eyes. What does God say about your situation. Begin to contend or P.U.S.H. until you receive breakthrough. Many people give up on their breakthrough if their prayers are not answered within a certain amount of time. God does not work on our timetable.

Reflect:

Have you been praying for something or someone for years and are about to give up because you feel there is just no use, things are not changing? Brush off that defeated attitude and get back in the fight and P.U.S.H. until you have victory. Don’t get sidetracked over what you see or what the enemy magnifies, but practice “seeing with the eyes of God.” You may feel like giving up sometimes, but when those times come get into your secret place with the Lord and allow Him to speak life back into your prayers and over your situation. If you are tired, sick or hormonal do not randomly speak out what you see with your physical eyes, wait and get refreshed before speaking.

Book Trailer for my New Book release, "Disciplining Your Mind 30 Days to...

Book Trailer for my New Book release, "Disciplining Your Mind 30 Days to...

Counselor's Corner: Is the Holy Spirit Leading You or Your Flesh?

Do you say, “Yes,” to people when you don’t feel that you have the time or the peace about doing whatever they asked of you? Are you lead by guilt, people-pleasing or by God?

Without being led by the Holy Spirit, we can do things we are not supposed to.

The enemy loves when we stay distracted and busy doing and going. I believe busyness is straight from the enemy. If you are a people-pleaser or need people approval it is very likely you will please man rather than being led by what the Holy Spirit wants. It feels better to our flesh to go along with what everyone else is doing.

Just because something seems right to do, does not mean that it is!

We can wear ourselves out by agreeing to do everything that comes into our path. There are certain things we are not to be involved with even if it seems good and right. The Holy Spirit knows what is best for us, and what we can handle.

Reflect: Do you tend to make decisions or agree to do something because everyone else is going along but you already have a full plate or don’t have peace? Or do you just do what your flesh wants, not stopping to ask the Holy Spirit if He wants you to be involved?

The flesh is always deceiving-it wants what it wants! Moving in the flow of the Holy Spirit makes you come alive and energizes you, operating in the flesh usually drains you of energy and spiritual strength.

How do you know the Holy Spirit is leading you?

1.      Do you make rash or impulsive decisions? Learn to say, “I need to pray about that,” before agreeing to something.

2.      Wait on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you before forging ahead with your agenda. Yes, there are times we have to make quick decisions, but if you have developed an intimate relationship with God and are acquainted with His ways through reading the Word and prayer, even when you have to make a quick decision it will be more likely you will make one that is Holy Spirit led. Training yourself to be still before God to hear His voice will equip you better when you need to make a quick decision, you will already know how the Holy Spirit speaks.

3.      The Holy Spirit never, ever works in confusion. There is an unexplainable peace when the Holy Spirit is prompting you. If you are not being led by the Spirit, you will experience confusion, chaos, lack of direction, and stress.

4.      When the Holy Spirit leads-He leads! You don’t have to figure out what or how to do something because the Holy Spirit places the answer deep into your spirit. The Holy Spirit does not always give concrete answers, sometimes we just know the “direction” we should take. Sometimes God just wants us to step out in faith before He gives us more detail, but even then, there is peace. You can do something afraid and still have peace!

5.      There is an inner-knowing deep in your spirit, you just know you are supposed to do something.

6.      The Holy Spirit never, ever operates in guilt! If you hear,” You should be, you ought to be or you need to be doing something,” these are laced in guilt from the enemy.

7.      Usually when the Holy Spirit is directing you to do something you will have confirmation with other believes-particularly your spouse if you’re married.

Word of Encouragement Devotional: Respossessing Your Territory

What area’s in your life do you feel the enemy has gained territory? With your finances, your children, your marriage, your heath, or in your neighborhood? Perhaps the enemy has gained territory in all of these areas, or maybe you can identity other areas the enemy has taken over.

Gaining territory means to take over or to possess a certain thing.

In many instances we allow the enemy to take what rightfully belongs to us. Understanding that we have dominion and authority to bind and rebuke the enemy is key to taking back what belongs to us. However, it is not just binding and rebuking the enemy, it is also decreeing and declaring what God says about your life and the those that you love.  The word declare comes from the Hebrew word achvah, meaning “to make known.” We make declarations into the atmospheres making known what is already our possession. Decrees are used to cause the truths of the heavenly realm to be manifest in the natural realm. Such as decreeing healing when we are sick. We make decrees and declarations as sons and daughters of the King and by the truth established in the Word of God. Speaking what God says about your situation will change the atmosphere around you and establish your position of rightfully taking back what the enemy has attempted to take from you. We have authority to speak life into every situation that is trying to steal and destroy from us.

Reflect:

Repossessing your territory takes perseverance, faith and persistence. The enemy probably won’t just hand over easily what he has taken from you, but in your daily prayer time of decreeing and declaring and taking authority of the works of darkness, the enemy will have no choice but to give back what he has wrongfully taken from you. You may have to contend for a while before the full release happens. Contend means to war in the heavens until you get everything that has been stolen from you by the enemy back. Don’t give up in gaining your territory if after a few prayers nothing seems to be changing-KEEP CONTENDING for your breakthrough!

The enemy wants you to believe your prayers are not working and that you are wasting your time. Walk in faith until the full manifestation has occurred. You may be saying,” Yeah I know but I’ve had this issue for over 10 years and I have prayed but still no change.” Start believing and speaking your breakthrough is coming. Speak the opposite of what you feel or see. If you believe God wants you healed, wants you to be out of debt, or wants you to live in peace, but those things have not manifested yet physically-KEEP CONTENDING! Learn to be a fighter, a warrior for your territory.

Repossessing your territory may not happen immediately but one step at a time. The more steps that you gain for the Kingdom of God through prayer, decreeing and declaring, walking in dominion and authority and walking by faith; the enemy will know that he is losing ground and eventually will surrender to your relentless faith. If you are in a battle for your stolen territory, take courage that most battles are won by pursuing, overtaking, and eventually destroying your enemy-this takes time, so don’t give up weary warriors of God. Put your battle clothes back on on and get back in the fight and you will overcome the enemy this time.

Meditate:

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Luke 10:19, ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on earth. Genesis 1:26

Counselor's Corner: What Kind of Realtionship Do You Have With Yourself?

You are with yourself more than anyone else, so getting to like yourself is important if you want to enjoy life.

Enjoying life will be most difficult if you think negative thoughts about yourself. What you think about yourself will affect how you experience life. You may think good thoughts about other people (and that is good), but if you think destructive thoughts about yourself, it will be almost impossible to enjoy these relationships. In fact, many people who do not like themselves will have a hard time being in a relationship with others.

►Take a few moments and ask yourself honestly, what kind of relationship do you have with yourself? If possible journal or write out your answers.

·         Do you enjoy your company?

·         What thoughts run through your mind about yourself? What is your internal dialogue mostly like about yourself?

·         Do you beat yourself up for your mistakes and weaknesses?

·         Are you overly critical of yourself?

·         Do you laugh often and at yourself?

·          Do you take good care of yourself and treat yourself to the things you enjoy?

·         Are you concerned what others think of you?

·         Do you compare yourself to other people?

·         Are you proud of your achievements and accomplishments? Do you celebrate your victories?

·         Do you tend to think the worst not the best about yourself?

·         Are you your worst-own critic?

·         Can you name or discuss what you do like about yourself?

Let’s explore some reasons why you may think negatively towards yourself…

1.      Negative, critical, upbringing.

2.      Any type of rejection in a relationship.

3.      Low self-esteem that could be a result of abuse, rejection, betrayal, and/or repeated failures in life.

4.      Believed the lie that God is punishing you or that you are not blessed like other people that you know.

5.      Others have spoken negatively about you and you believed what they said about you.

6.      Not able to see yourself the way God sees you, instead you magnify your faults and weaknesses. Have trouble believing God really does love you.

List any others reasons you may know of.

Now let’s explore some truths to help you enjoy being in a relationship with you…

1.      No one is perfect! You might have some weaknesses, faults and even some sins that you do want but they are a part of you for now. You are not just your weaknesses and sins but you have many other positive qualities that are greater.

2.      There is goodness in you and you are capable of being loved and giving love. You may have been wounded in the past and that keeps you from fully loving yourself and others, but you can start by loving you first.

3.      Not everyone will accept or like you, and that is OKAY! You can do everything right to gain a person’s approval and they still won’t like you. Stop today trying to prove yourself and worth to others, love yourself enough to move on to others who are capable of loving you the way that you deserve.

4.      Having a good relationship with yourself starts with your thoughts about yourself. You have to retrain your thinking to begin thinking good thoughts about yourself, even if you don’t initially feel those thoughts about yourself.

→For additional tools to help you discipline your thought life so that you can begin to think differently about yourself, check out my new book release, “Disciplining your mind 30 days to a better you!”

5.      Learn to treat yourself good and be okay with that! Treat yourself to a new outfit, a favorite book or a much-loved meal.

6.      Lay off being your own critic. Yes, you will have challenging days and will mess-up but stop criticizing yourself for every little thing that you do wrong. Start focusing on what you do right instead. Never get into the habit of thinking the worst before the best about yourself.

7.      Do not condemn yourself for how others have treated you or what they think of you. Passing judgment comes from God alone, so if others have judged you unfairly move on and hold your head up high.

What other things can you do to improve your relationship with yourself?  I would love to know what you think.

Wod of Encouragemnt: When You're Not Invited!

Yesterday afternoon while outside I overheard one of my neighbors discussing being invited to another neighbor’s birthday party. I pretended I was not bothered by the fact that I was the only surrounding neighbor not invited to this party, but I could almost immediately hear the whispers of the enemy. I could hear the taunts, “What’s wrong with you that you where not invited?” and “They just don’t like you.” I began to be concerned about why I was not chosen, not picked and overlooked. I felt like I did when I was in school where if you did not meet certain criteria you could not be in the girl’s clique. I never have fit into a mold or a certain group and because of that I was often not included in the popular groups. I don’t think there is anyone who can say they did not desire to be in the popular crowd in school, and even to a large extent still want to fit in and be popular as adults.

Reflect: How does it make you feel to not be included, overlooked or not invited? Do you care about what people think of you? Do you wonder if there is something wrong with you not them? The “root” to not being included or invited is rejection. Rejection speaks loudly, “You’re not good enough.” Be careful with dwelling on the lies that come after you experience rejection. It is easy to believe the lies that you are overlooked, not liked or that there is something wrong with you. Hold your head up high and walk in confidence that you are a child of God, and though rejection can be painful God has chosen you for a special purpose.

You may never know why certain people don’t include you, but don’t want something that God may be trying to protect you from. Some people believe they are better than others because of the color of their skin, their wealth or their social status. God does not call you to be inclusive, prejudice, haughty or have an elitist mindset.  

Be you! Be who God created you to be! Be unique! Stand-out of the crowds and let your light shine for all men to see. Some will be offended by the light in you, but others will be drawn to the light. Let your light shine anyways. Don’t prove yourself to anyone, just be the light.

Meditate:

·         If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. John 15:18, ESV