You Are Important!

1 CORINTHIANS 12:22,27 NKJ
22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be
weaker are necessary.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

There are NO unnecessary parts in the Body of Christ.

The devil wants you to think your part does not matter, so you
will slack off.

But your part IS important. Your prayers are important. Your
giving is important. Your witness to others is important.

It is easy to believe a famous person who ministers to
thousands is vital in God's plan. But we need to be
reminded that every member of the Body of Christ is needed --
including you!

Don't condemn yourself because you aren't doing a job that puts
you in the spotlight. Don't worry that no one knows what you
are doing. God knows.

Someone witnessed to Billy Graham. Someone prayed for Oral
Roberts to be healed of tuberculosis. Do you know their names?
God does. What if they hadn't been faithful and obedient to do
their part?

What if the person who brought you the Gospel hadn't been
obedient?

So, when you are tempted to be discouraged and think what you
do doesn't matter -- resist those thoughts!

No one but God may see what you are doing, but it is
significant.

Have confidence in God. He knows what He is doing. God placed
you where you are. God has a plan and a job for you to do
there. Be faithful and do it. When it is time for you to do
something else, God will arrange it and lead you out.

Don't try to be somebody else. Just be faithful and obey God
where you are.

Too many Christians think preachers are supposed to do all the
work in the Body of Christ. Preachers may be likened to a
mouth. A mouth is important. But a mouth is not more important
than our hidden, internal organs. We don't see the liver and
kidneys working. However, you could live without a mouth
capable of speech, but not without functioning kidneys or
liver.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:22 NLT
22 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least
important are really the most necessary.

A body may exist without some of its parts functioning, but it
cannot accomplish as much as it would otherwise.

Do your part! God thinks it's meaningful. Don't let the devil
convince you otherwise.

Maybe all you can do is pray, but that is most important.

Obey God and be faithful where you are. You are needed or God
would not have placed you there.

SAY THIS: God says I am necessary and important.

Fellowship With God

1 CORINTHIANS 1:9 NIV
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord, is faithful.

You need to stop and think about this. God wants to have
fellowship with you.

We are not talking about some lower level person. Not just a
leader of a country. Not just a billionaire.

God!

Stop and think about God, all His knowledge, all His wealth,
all His power -- the ruler of the Universe, and all that He
could choose to do.

Why would God desire your company?

Honestly, I don't know. All I can say is that He does,
according to the Bible.

But what an opportunity! What a privilege! To fellowship with
GOD!

What does fellowship mean? The word used in 1 Corinthians 1:9
is the Greek word "koinonia" (koy-nohn-ee'-ah). Some meanings
are fellowship, association, communion, participation,
intimacy, partnership, and a having in common.

That is what God wants with you. Koinonia.

The same word is used in the following verse. Notice how the
Living Bible translates it.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:14 LB
14 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May
God's love and the Holy Spirit's friendship be yours. Paul

SAY THIS: I will respond to God's call and fellowship with Him.

Words Are Spiritual Weapons

REVELATION 12:11 NKJ
11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to
the death.

Words are more important than most people realize. All
authority is exercised through words.

When it comes to overcoming the enemy of our souls, and all his
tactics, we must speak words of faith in line with the Bible.

What Jesus did for you is enough. He defeated the devil for
you. However, you must enforce that defeat by speaking and
standing in agreement with God. Only then will you see Jesus'
victory manifest in your life.

EPHESIANS 6:17 NKJ
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God;

A sword is a weapon. God's Word is not a weapon when laying on
your coffee table. It only becomes a spiritual weapon when you
speak it in faith.

You must take it. Your spiritual weapon is speaking the Word of
God. You must take the Word and speak it -- just like Jesus
did.

SAY THIS: I overcome by what Jesus did, and my words that
enforce that victory over the devil.

We Receive From God By Faith

ROMANS 5:1-2 NKJ
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in
which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

All we receive from God is by His grace. We do not deserve it,
and we are not able to earn it. It is a gift offered by grace.

But we must access it by faith.

GALATIANS 3:14 NKJ
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in
Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith.

We receive through faith. Whether we are receiving the Holy
Spirit or receiving healing. Whatever we receive from God must
be received by faith.

HEBREWS 6:12 NKJ
12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.

There are many promises in the Bible. If you want them to be
manifest in your life, you must possess them through faith and
patience.

MATTHEW 9:29 NKJ
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith
let it be to you."

This is the statement of Jesus. It is valid for you today just
as it was then. You will receive from God according to your faith.

Do not let this discourage you. Rather it should encourage you.
Although your faith may not be strong now, you can strengthen
it by feeding on the Word of God. It is under your control.

God's Word is faith food. The more you read it, speak it, and
hear it, the stronger your faith will grow.

SAY THIS: I will feed on God's Word and build my faith so I can
receive all the blessings God has for me.

God Is Working In You

PHILIPPIANS 2:13 LB
13 For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him,
and then helping you do what he wants.

Don't be discouraged. God is at work!

You may not be happy with yourself now, but God is not finished
working.

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 NASB
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a
good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

God can complete what He starts. Give Him some time.

HEBREWS 13:20-21 RSV
20 Now may the God of peace...
21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will,
working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through
Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

You will never be able to please God just on your own effort,
but through Jesus Christ and His work in you, you WILL become
what God wants you to be.

SAY THIS: God is working in me and He always does a good job.

God's Word Is Medicine

God's Word is medicine � for any weakness or sickness in body,
mind, finances, family, marriage, etc.

Whatever sickness or disease you suffer from, God's Word can
cure it. God's Word is effective for any condition. It works as
a preventative as well as a cure. There is no cost and no
danger of taking an overdose.

Like any medicine, God's Word must be taken to be effective. It
will not work sitting on the shelf. And it has to be taken
according to the directions.

But if you will follow God's directions as faithfully as you
would follow the directions of a human doctor, you will see
wonderful results.

Here are the directions:

PROVERBS 4:20-23 NKJ
20 My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my
sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the
midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all
their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the
issues of life.

In verse 22 the Hebrew word translated health is translated as
medicine in some translations.

PSALM 107:20 NKJ
20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from
their destructions.

God's Word will heal. It is full of God's power and carries the
authority of God who spoke it.

JOHN 8:31-32 NKJ
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you
abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free."

You have the guarantee of Jesus � His Word will produce
freedom.

But, you must abide, or continue in His Word. You must feed it
in until you know that you know that you know the truth. Then
you will act on that truth � and it will make you free.

God's medicine works by taking His Word into your being. You
do that by listening to the Word, reading the Word, and
speaking the Word.

You must fill your thoughts with the Word of God. The more of
God's medicine you take, the better off you will be.

SAY THIS: I will take God's medicine daily and it will bring
healing into my life.

Why Do Christians Fight So Much?

JOHN 13:34-35 NKJ
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one another."

Instead of being known for love, Christians are more likely to
be known for disagreements and fighting with other Christians.

Why?

Those who fight are displaying their immaturity. Children can
be expected to squabble over insignificant things, but adults
should not.

Yet even Christian leaders often fight with other Christian
leaders.

It is the devil's strategy to get believers in strife because
it opens the door to him. Do you really want to open the door
to the devil?

JAMES 3:16 KJV
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and
every evil work.

God allows us to face the temptation of strife so we can
overcome and learn to walk in love. We are continually given
the opportunity to walk in love.

God's primary concern now is preparing us to inhabit eternity
with Him. His plan is to make us like Jesus (Romans 8:29). To
become like Jesus, we must learn to resist the temptation to
not walk in love.

SAY THIS: With God's help, I will walk in love. I refuse to
fight and be in strife with other Christians.

The Greater One Is In You

1 JOHN 4:4 ICB
4 My dear children, you belong to God. So you have defeated
them because God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the
devil, who is in the world.

This message is simple and has two parts: God is greater than
anything, and, by His Spirit, dwells in you, as a believer in
Jesus Christ.

How can anyone argue with the fact that God is greater than any
problem? God, the Creator, is above ALL. Nothing is too
difficult for Him. Most people believe this.

The second part is more difficult to believe: God is in you.
Yet, that is the message of the Bible to believers.

JOHN 14:16-17 NKJ
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another
Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He
dwells with you and will be in you.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:19 NKJ
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
your own?

2 CORINTHIANS 6:16 NKJ
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you
are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will
dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And
they shall be My people."

Believe the Bible. The Greater One is in you. He is greater
than any problem. He is greater than any situation, any
difficulty, any obstacle, any enemy, any thing.

SAY THIS: The Greater One is in me. He is greater than anything
I now face or ever will face.

God Is An Artist

EPHESIANS 2:10 WEY
10 For we are God's own handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for
good works which He has pre-destined us to practise.

Look around. See for yourself. God is an artist extraordinaire!

When we gaze at a beautiful sunset, or look at the infinitely
varied forms of life we find surrounding us, and realize that
God designed it all, it is easy to be impressed. God is an
artist. The most brilliant, creative artist ever to exist.

But when we look at our own lives and consider what God is
doing there, we tend to forget that God is an artist. He is
making something beautiful out of you and your life. You may
not see the beauty now -- you may not even see any design or
evidence that God is working -- but you will recognize it
someday.

God's intention for you is to be much more beautiful and
glorious than a sunset or a school of multi-colored fish. And
you will be! God will not fail.

"Wait a minute, preacher. I can see plenty of people that God
has failed on. They are anything but "beautiful and glorious"
-- inwardly or outwardly."

Yes... today. But God is not finished. Many great works of art
take a long time. Don't judge too soon!

SAY THIS: God is an artist and He is working on me. Go ahead,
God. Let's see what you can do.

You Can Do All Things Through Christ

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 NKJ
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

God often makes statements in the Bible that go against what we
feel like, or what it looks like to us at the time.

God is trying to move us to a higher plane of faith where we
depend on Him and not on what we feel like.

Others try to evade the issue by saying that a verse only
applies to someone else -- like the Apostle Paul -- not to
them.

Well, if you don't believe you won't receive help. But help is
available. And that help and strength is just as available to
you as it was to the Apostle Paul, because the Lord does not
play favorites.

Paul didn't say, "I can do all things because I am an apostle."
No, it is "through Christ" that he was enabled to do what he
needed to do. And you, as a believer, are in Christ just as
much as the Apostle Paul was.

You choose. Either step out in faith in God and say you can do
it with His help, and watch God raise you up to that level. Or,
cower back in fear, and say you cannot do it.

SAY THIS: I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens
me.

God's Word Is Vital

MATTHEW 4:4 NKJ
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, `Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth
of God.'"

When Jesus faced the devil's temptations as recorded in Matthew
chapter four, His first response was to quote Deuteronomy 8:3.

God wants you to learn the same lesson that Jesus knew: Nothing
is more important than God's Word. Without the Word, your life
will be less than God intends. The Word of God is vital!

DEUTERONOMY 8:2-3 NKJ
2 "And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all
the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and
test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would
keep His commandments or not.
3 "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with
manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He
might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but
man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the
Lord.

This lesson was what God intended for Israel to learn in the
wilderness, but sadly, most of them missed it.

When Joshua was taking command of the Israelites after Moses'
death, God wanted to make sure Joshua understood the lesson.
So, He gave him directions for success � which are: speak God's
Word, think God's Word, and do God's Word. Those instructions
have never changed. They are as valid for you today as they
were for Joshua.

JOSHUA 1:8 NKJ
8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but
you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to
do according to all that is written in it. For then you will
make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

SAY THIS: God's Word is necessary for me to enjoy life as God
intended it to be.

Overcome Evil With Good

ROMANS 12:21 NIV
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

There seems to be no lack of evil. That gives us an opportunity
to overcome.

We will be tempted to respond in kind -- to strike back at
those who hurt us. But that is a bad choice. All it leads to is
more pain and misery for more people -- including ourselves.

The answer is divine love.

With God's love inside us, and God helping us, we can return
good for evil done to us. That breaks the vicious downward
cycle and also breaks the power of evil to affect us.

Don't tell me this won't work in your case. I have personally
heard the victorious testimony of a believer who was tortured
by his communist captors yet walked in love and overcame the
evil situation. It will work!

Love is stronger than hate. Good is more powerful than evil.
You can walk in victory no matter what anyone does to you.

ROMANS 5:5 NIV
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out
his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given
us.

HEBREWS 13:6 NIV
6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not
be afraid. What can man do to me?"

SAY THIS: With God's love, I will overcome evil with good.

Jesus Will Give You Rest

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Are you struggling? Do you feel like you are barely keeping
your head above water?

If you feel like you are struggling and striving just to make
it -- you need to turn to Jesus. He will give you rest.

If you say that you have turned to Jesus and you think His yoke
is hard and His burden is heavy -- you are deceived.

You need to cast your care on the Lord and learn of Him. So
many people are striving and struggling to get God to love them
when He already loves them and accepts them.

Living a successful Christian life is not done by our own
strength or willpower. It is the result of depending on the
Lord. Only He can do it.

Quit trusting in your plans and abilities and efforts, and
trust in Jesus instead. Turn things over to Him. Let Him be
Lord in your life.

SAY THIS: I will learn of Jesus and trust in Him. Jesus my Lord
gives me rest.

The Lord Is Guiding You

John 16:13 NKJ
13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will
guide you....

This article is directed to believers in Jesus Christ to remind
you there are many scriptures indicating that God IS guiding
you.

Too often we feel like we are just on our own, drifting
aimlessly, with no help or guidance from God. Just because you
are not aware of God's guidance does not mean He is not guiding
you. This is part of God's genius: to be able to do things
unnoticed.

When we don't understand God's method of operation, we easily
fall prey to the temptation to doubt God is guiding us, or even
hearing our prayers. This often leads to begging God for help,
which is not faith, and will not produce good results.

We must believe what God says in His Word concerning this
subject of guidance, if we desire to please God.

It is always wise to talk with God before making any decision.
But just because you don't hear God's audible voice answering
you, does not mean that God is not directing you. His primary
means of guiding you are His written Word and the witness of
the spirit inside you.

God will never guide anyone to act contrary to the teaching of
the Bible. That is one reason it is so important to read and
study the Bible.

All of the following are scriptures you can apply to yourself.
(Only the pronouns have been changed to make them personal.)
Saying these will strengthen your faith.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack. He leads me beside
the still waters. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for
His name's sake. (Psalm 23:1-3)

God will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go. He
will guide me with His eye. (Psalm 32:8)

God will bring me by a way I did not know; God will lead me in
paths I have not known. He will make darkness light before me,
and crooked places straight. God will do these things for me,
and not forsake me. (Isaiah 42:16)

Thus says the Lord, my Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am
the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by
the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17)

The Lord will guide me continually. (Isaiah 58:11)

I follow Jesus so I shall not walk in darkness, but I have the
light of life. (John 8:12)

The Spirit of truth has come and He is guiding me into all
truth. He will tell me things to come. (John 16:13)

I am led by the Spirit of God for I am a son of God. (Romans
8:14)

Now thanks be to God who always leads me in triumph in Christ.
(2 Corinthians 2:14)

It is God Who works in me both to will and to do for His good
pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

The Lord Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake
you." So I may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not
fear." (Hebrews 13:5-6)

SAY THIS: Thank You Lord for guiding me.

You Are Strong In The Lord

EPHESIANS 6:10 NIV
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

No one can successfully argue against the statement, "You are
strong in the Lord." It is a given that if you are in the Lord,
you are strong. Nothing that is "in the Lord" could be weak.

So the only real question is whether you are "in the Lord."

I JOHN 5:20 NASB
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us
understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and
we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the
true God and eternal life.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 NIV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the
old has gone, the new has come!

The choice is yours. You choose whether to accept Christ and
thus be identified as "in Him." God does not force this, you
must choose.

EPHESIANS 2:8-10 NASB
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in
them.

From Ephesians 2:8-10 we can see that when we are saved through
faith, we are created anew IN Christ Jesus. That is our
position. So, anyone and everyone who has received Jesus Christ
can be said to be legally "in Him" according to the Scripture.

Always remember that your strength is not in your own ability
or resources, but your strength is in the Lord. Depend on Him.
He will never fail you. (He probably will test your patience
and maybe even let the situation look hopeless, but He will not
ever fail you.)

PSALM 27:1 NKJ
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The
Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

HEBREWS 13:5-6 NKJ
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with
such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never
leave you nor forsake you."
6 So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not
fear. What can man do to me?"

PSALM 28:8 NIV
8 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of
salvation for his anointed one.

SAY THIS: I AM strong in the Lord. In the Lord, I am strong,
for the Lord is my strength.

You Are Delivered From The Devil

COLOSSIANS 1:13 NKJ
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Many people are afraid of the devil. As believers we have no
need to be afraid of the devil, although we should be aware and
on guard against his schemes.

The only true power the devil holds over a believer now is the
power of deception. If you do not know the truth the devil will
take advantage of you. The only way to know the truth is to
read, understand, and act on the Scriptures.

To illustrate, imagine entering the hospital room of a patient
paralyzed from their neck down. All they can do is talk. They
pose no threat to you, unless they convince you to take the gun
from beside the bed and shoot yourself with it.

(How could they do that? One way would be to convince you that
the gun was not real or not loaded, so it wouldn't harm you.)

You may think this is ridiculous, but it happens constantly
with people who do not realize that the words they speak are
powerful, and that the ideas they speak originate with the
devil. Every day the devil convinces millions of people to take
a spiritual "weapon" -- their words -- and use it against
themselves.

The devil operates against you through fear and ignorance.
God's Word gives you the information that will set you free
from both fear and ignorance.

HEBREWS 2:14-15 NASB
14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself
likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might
render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the
devil;
15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were
subject to slavery all their lives.

MARK 16:17 NKJ
17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name
they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

For believers to cast out demons, it means they must have
authority over the devil and his forces. However, unused
authority conveys no benefit.

SAY THIS: Jesus is my lord, and the devil has no power over me.
I have been delivered from the devil's authority. I am free, so
leave me alone, devil!

You Are Forgiven

2 CORINTHIANS 5:19 AMPLIFIED
19 It was God (personally present) in Christ, reconciling and
restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and
holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them];
and committing to us the message of reconciliation -- of the
restoration to favor.

Most people mistakenly think they have to beg God to forgive
them. Instead, God has already forgiven. It was His idea --
done on His own initiative.

(Whether you accept God's forgiveness and benefit from it is
another question.)

1 JOHN 2:12 NKJ
12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are
forgiven you for His name's sake.

No matter what you have done -- God has already forgiven you!

God is not mad at you. Instead He loves you and desires to have
a close relationship with you. Yes, God is against sin, because
sin is harmful to humans. But He has already made provision for
you to be forgiven and set free from sin.

Jesus Christ paid the price for all your sins -- and God is no
longer holding any sin against you! You have been forgiven.
When you accept that, you can begin to receive the benefit of
Jesus' sacrifice.

EPHESIANS 1:7 NKJ
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of His grace

COLOSSIANS 2:13 NKJ
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with
Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

Through Jesus we have redemption from the devil and forgiveness
for our sins.

Wouldn't it be great if you could tell someone who has messed
up their life that God is not mad at them and not against them?
That He desires to be their friend and help them?

SAY THIS: Thank You Father God for forgiving me and loving me.

You Are Healed

1 PETER 2:24 NKJ
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that
we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by
whose stripes you were healed.

"Time" is difficult to understand. Scientists tell us that time
is "relative," just something that seems real to us.

The Bible indicates God is "outside of time." God created time
so He is not confined to it. Can we easily comprehend this? No.

When a human makes a statement that is not true at this present
moment in time, we call it a lie -- not the truth.

But when God says something that does not seem to be true at
this moment -- we cannot accuse Him of telling a lie -- because
God is not limited to our time frame. (Also, we do not know
everything.)

Having said all that, the Bible clearly says that you ARE
healed.

ISAIAH 53:4-5 NRSV
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and
afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our
iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and
by his bruises we are healed.

So, you have a choice. You can look at it from your perspective
and say, "That is not true. I am not healed."

Or, you can view the situation from God's perspective, and
because of your faith in Him, agree with what He said.

Which choice is best? As you decide your answer, remember to
include eternity in your evaluation. Pleasing God by accepting
His Word can bring benefits to you after this life.

Here is one way of understanding all this. God made provision
for everyone to be healed. That provision must be received by
faith -- by believing and acting on what God has said in His
Word. Humans have a choice: believe God's Word and resist
anything that would try to steal their health, or, let their
feelings and circumstances control them.

If you disagree with all this, let's not argue or fight. That
will not help anyone. But remember, the Bible will still say
what it says.

MATTHEW 8:16-17 NKJ
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were
demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and
healed all who were sick,
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our
sicknesses."

God made provision for your healing, but the devil tries to
steal it away from you.

Here is the bottom line: we do not understand everything. God
does. Since God loves us, it seems best to trust in Him instead
of trusting in our own limited understanding. So, I choose to
believe and say what God says, whether I understand it or not.

SAY THIS: The Bible says I am healed. I choose to agree with
what God has said in the Bible.

Hold Fast Your Confession

Your confession is what you say. The Bible tells you to hang on
tight to saying God's Word.

HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

God has no reason to tell us to hold fast, or hang on tight, to
our confession, unless someone, or something, will be trying to
get us to turn loose of it � and say something else.

HEBREWS 3:1 NKJ
1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ
Jesus,

HEBREWS 4:14 NKJ
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
confession.

Jesus is the High Priest of our confession � what we say. He
represents us before God with the words we speak.

The Bible says:

You are righteous in Christ. Romans 3:22

You are forgiven. Colossians 2:13

You are healed. 1 Peter 2:24

You are delivered from the devil. Colossians 1:13

You can do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:13

You are strong in the Lord. Ephesians 6:10

The Greater One is in you. 1 John 4:4

The Lord is guiding you. John 16:13

God is working in you. Philippians 2:13

The Lord is your helper. Hebrews 13:6

Jesus became poor to make you rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

You may wonder why you should say what God says in the Bible
about you. First, God is looking for faith, and second, it is
the Word planted in your life that will make you free. Speaking
God's Word is a way of planting it in you.

Yes, it can take faith to say what the Bible says about you.
Especially when you don't feel like it and the circumstances
don't agree, either. But we have to choose: will we rely on our
feelings, or God's Word? Do we trust the circumstances more
than God's Word?

But you may say, "What the Word says is just not true in my
life." You are the establishing witness. God has said something
about you. Now when you come into agreement with Him, it will
become manifest in your life.

MARK 11:23 NKJ
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
`Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in
his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to
pass, he will have whatever he says.

Jesus told us that we will have whatever we say � if we believe
it. It will come to pass. So you see why the devil tries to get
us to quit saying God's Word, which will set us free.

SAY THIS: I will say what God says about me � regardless of my
feelings or circumstances.

Speak God's Word

EPHESIANS 6:17 NKJ
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God;

The sword, or weapon, of the spirit is not the Bible laying on
a shelf, but God's Word being spoken by a believer.

You must take it. Your spiritual weapon is speaking the Word of
God. You must take the Word and speak it � just like Jesus did
(Matthew 4:4).

Our battle is not against humans, but evil spiritual forces,
which requires us to use spiritual weapons to prevail and
prosper. That weapon is speaking the Word of God.

Jesus defeated the devil for you. However, you must enforce
that defeat by speaking and standing in agreement with God.
Only then will you see Jesus' victory manifest in your life.

Of course, before you can speak the Word, you have to know the
Word. It must be fed in before you can expect it to come out in
a time of need. And you never know when you will be attacked
with something designed to steal, kill, and destroy you.

Keep on saying what God's Word says -- no matter what.

HEBREWS 10:23 NKJ
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hang on tight to speaking the Word, because the devil doesn't
want you to stick with the Word. Count on being tempted to NOT
say what God says. The devil does not want you to use your
spiritual weapon of speaking the Word.

Speak the Word of God:
1. To yourself first.
2. To God in thanks and praise.
3. To the devil.
4. To circumstances.

SAY THIS: I will say what God says. I will keep God's Word in
my mouth.

God's Word Is Alive

HEBREWS 4:12 NIV
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes
of the heart.

The Bible is different than any other book you may read -- it
contains life. You don't have to understand it, any more than
you have to understand nuclear radiation to experience its
effects. You just need to expose yourself to it.

What is the Word of God active in doing? Bringing forth after
its kind. Producing life in you. Producing a harvest of peace,
joy, righteousness, and freedom in your life.

If you are not enjoying peace, joy, righteousness, and freedom,
then your answer is the Word of God.

The Bible, especially the message of Jesus Christ in the New
Testament, will set you free and make you whole, if you
continue in it.

However, just because you have fed on God's Word in one area,
does not mean you will be free in every area of life.

For example, you could plant hundreds of tomato seeds in a
garden and never harvest one carrot. Why? You never planted any
carrot seed!

God's Word works the same way as a seed. The Word must be
planted inside you to bear fruit in your life.

LUKE 8:11 NKJ
11 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Just because you plant the seed from God's Word about spiritual
rebirth does not mean you can expect a harvest of financial
prosperity.

Scriptures about prosperity must be planted in you, and
watered, before you can expect a harvest of prosperity.

Even if you plant much seed from God's Word concerning health
and healing, you will not automatically have a harvest of a
successful marriage and family life.

Each seed of God's Word has to be planted to produce fruit in
your life in that area.

MATTHEW 4:4 NKJ
4 But He answered and said, "It is written, `Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth
of God.' "

SAY THIS: God's Word is alive and working to produce good in my
life.

Every Good Gift Is From Above

JAMES 1:17 WEY
17 Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from
above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all
Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest
suggestion of change.

Whatever good that you enjoy in life is because of God. Because
of His love for you, He created it.

Do you enjoy eating good food? Who designed that food? Who
planned it all out so you could have it and enjoy it?

Do you enjoy beautiful scenes in nature -- sunsets, flowers,
butterflies, wild animals, mountains? God created them all for
your pleasure.

Do you enjoy a mother's love? God created mothers and put
within them the capacity to love their children.

Do you enjoy the love of a spouse? God created them and put
within them the capacity to love you.

I could go on.

When you think this through, you realize that God actually
loves you and helps you through other people. He put the love
within them - - so He is the ultimate source of the love you
receive from others.

Everything good about life is attributable to God. Everything
that we enjoy -- He created it, or the raw materials and the
ability for humans to produce it.

As you think of all this, I hope you are struck with two
thoughts: I would like to be closer to this kind of God, and I
should be more thankful to God for more things than I have
been.

SAY THIS: Thank you God my Father for all the good you have
created, designed, and provided for me.

The Love Of Christ Is Beyond Comprehension

EPHESIANS 3:18-19 NLT
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's
people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his
love really is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great
you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled
with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

How can words describe, or humans fully understand, something
that is as deep as God Himself? God's love is greater than
words have the ability to communicate. It is impossible to put
into language.

How can you explain the unexplainable? How can you know
something that is beyond the ability of human knowledge to
comprehend? You would have to be God Himself to fully
understand why He loves you the way He does. Don't expect to
ever understand it. But you can accept it. You can believe it.
You can experience it and enjoy it.

God's love for you was demonstrated in redemption. God took
your place and suffered what you deserved, so you could be
forgiven and go free. God proved that He loved you more than He
loves Himself. He did not spare Himself to help you.

God's love for you is also evident in creation. Not just in
abundant provision, but also in all the beauty He created for
your enjoyment. What a wonderful display of the loving and
giving nature of God. Not only did He make everything we need,
but He made it in abundance -- and with great variety.

Every good thing in life was created by God for you because of
His great love for you.

SAY THIS: I accept the love of Christ: God loves me. Lord, help
me to embrace the reality of your love, which is greater than
words can tell.

Pray For Those In Authority

1 TIMOTHY 2:1-2 NASB
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers,
petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may
lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Believers have a responsibility to pray for their leaders.

If you live in a country where you have the privilege of voting
on your leaders, then you need to take that responsibility
seriously, be informed and vote as the Lord directs you.

Don't allow yourself to be swayed by the emotional tactics used
in political campaigns, or vote based on your selfish
interests. Vote as you believe the Lord would have you to vote.
Vote for godly leadership.

But don't stop at voting. Pray for public officials, especially
those in high office whose decisions affect many people's
lives.

PROVERBS 29:2 LB
2 With good men in authority, the people rejoice; but with the
wicked in power, they groan.

SAY THIS: Father, I pray for godly leaders in our country, and
for your blessing on them.

Be Thankful

PSALM 107:1 NKJ
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy
endures forever.

It seems the more people have the less thankful they become.
Today complaints are abundant, but thank you's are few.

COLOSSIANS 3:15 NKJ
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also
you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Being thankful is not a choice for a Christian. If it was
impossible, God would not have told us to do it.

So, why are people not thankful?

Gratitude is a mark of maturity. Ingratitude is a mark of
immaturity. Babies are never thankful.

Neither are proud people thankful. Why? Because their mindset
is that they deserve not just everything they have, but even
better. "Why be thankful for something less than what you
deserve?" describes their thinking.

A funny thing you will notice if you consider it: unthankful
people are never happy. In fact, the more thankful a person is,
the happier they are.

(This is an example of how acting on God's Word is for our
benefit. God didn't invent commands just to be bossy.)

You will not be bothered with depression if you act on the
Word of God and "be thankful." The cure for unhappiness is
being thankful. Try it.

But how can you overcome the bad habit of ingratitude? Only by
changing your core beliefs. As long as you believe you are
getting a raw deal, or less than you deserve, you will never
become a thankful person.

But if you realize that you deserved punishment and eternal
separation from God -- yet in His mercy God instead gave you
what He deserved, and EVERYTHING you have -- including every
breath you breathe -- is a gift -- then you will become a
thankful person.

SAY THIS: I give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His
mercy endures forever. I will be thankful for all God does for
me.

A Perfect Friend

PROVERBS 18:24 RSV
24 There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a
friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Would you like to have a perfect friend?

A friend who loved you no matter what you did.

A friend who would always be there when you needed them.

A friend who knew you intimately yet still loved you.

A friend who always encouraged you and never put you down.

A friend who was smart but not conceited.

A friend who had no personal problems to distract them.

A friend who was powerful and famous, yet down-to-earth and
approachable.

A friend who is righteous yet merciful to others.

A friend who never makes a mistake.

A friend who enjoyed having a good time and sharing a laugh
with you.

A friend who had the knowledge and ability to help you with
everything.

A friend who is not too good to wash your feet or clean your
toilet, yet talented enough to be the best at everything.

A friend who puts your interests ahead of their own.

A friend who loves you more than you love yourself.

A friend who would be willing to die for you.

There is only one. His name is Jesus, and He wants to be your
friend.

SAY THIS: Jesus is my friend.

Keep Your Heart With All Diligence

PROVERBS 4:23 NKJ
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the
issues of life.

You have probably heard the saying concerning computers, "Input
equals output." Or, the more popular term, "Garbage in,
garbage out."

That does not apply to just computers, but also to human
beings. If what we feed in is bad, we cannot expect the results
to be good.

Today we are constantly bombarded with messages on every side.
Everyone wants to influence us to do something -- usually to
buy their product or service.

Distraction is a major problem we face. Because of the
information overload we must deal with, it is easy to be
distracted from what is most important: God's Word.

It is not so much that the information we are feeding into our
hearts and minds is necessarily bad, just that it can easily
crowd out what is most important from our lives.

PROVERBS 4:20-22 NKJ
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my
sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the
midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all
their flesh.

God's Word is not just another message, but something that has
life in it. Just because your senses are not aware of the life
emanating from God's Word is no proof. Nuclear radiation is
also unseen and unfelt -- but, as we know, can quickly kill
you. God's Word is the opposite -- it radiates life.

HEBREWS 4:12 BBE
12 For the word of God is living and full of power, and is
sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a
division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the
muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the
heart.

God is our Source of existence. In His Word there is a deposit
of life from Him that we require to live and operate optimally.
That means that without a constant feeding on the Word of God,
you are living below what God intended for you.

SAY THIS: I will keep my heart with all diligence. I will feed
in the Word of God which gives life.

Give Attention To My Words

PROVERBS 4:20-22 NKJ
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my
sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the
midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all
their flesh.

Giving attention to God's Word is not as easy as it once was.
Today we have a multitude of distractions. Busyness seems to be
a disease shared by everyone. We all have more than we can do.

Yet . . .

God doesn't change. His Word doesn't change. It still says the
same thing it did a thousand years ago -- and it will still say
the same thing a thousand years from now.

"Give attention to my words...."

We are confronted with a choice. What is most important? To
what shall we give our limited time? God, or....?

God makes promises no one else does -- or can. He created, so
He knows how things work.

Life. Life in its fullness. Life as God intended it to be. And
health. Isn't that what everyone would like? That is the
written guarantee offered by God to the human race -- for
paying attention to what He has said.

SAY THIS: I choose to pay attention to God's Word. I choose
life and health. I choose God.

The Greater One Is In You

1 JOHN 4:4 NASB
4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them;
because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the
world.

There are two vital points in this verse, which is addressed to
believers. (If you have not welcomed Jesus Christ and the Holy
Spirit into your life -- none of this applies to you.)

FIRST, God is IN you -- not far off somewhere.

Yes, God is in Heaven -- but that is not the only place He is.
By the Holy Spirit, God now has His dwelling place in you! You
don't have to "try to reach God." He is right there! What you
need to do is to cultivate an awareness of His presence. This,
along with communication, is the way to develop a closer
relationship with God.

Knowing that God lives in you, and that He loves you, should
banish all fear from your life. Fear of failure should have no
place. Fear of what other people think should not bother you.
Fear of problems that may come up should be of no concern. You
have God living in you!

2 CORINTHIANS 6:16 LB
16 And what union can there be between God's temple and idols?
For you are God's temple, the home of the living God, and God
has said of you, "I will live in them and walk among them, and
I will be their God and they shall be my people."

SECOND, God, Who is within you, is greater. Greater than any
problem. Greater than any difficulty. Greater than the devil.
Greater than anything you will ever face.

1 JOHN 4:4 ICB
4 My dear children, you belong to God. So you have defeated
them because God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the
devil, who is in the world.

This is the Word of God. We must embrace it and live in the
light of it. We must meditate on it and speak it. We must
resist any contrary thought the enemy might try to place in our
thinking.

SAY THIS: God, Who is in me, is greater than anything I will
ever face. The Greater One is in me.