Don’t Be Controlled and Manipulated

July 25, 2012 by 30 Comments
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Don’t Be Controlled and Manipulated

 by Olga Hermans

 

God has placed a divine destiny on your life. As you begin to walk in this destiny, you will not only have to deny yourself, you’ll also have to say “no” to others when the demands they place on you are in conflict with how the Holy Spirit is leading you.

If we are overly committed and caught up in meeting other people’s needs, it may be an indicator that something is out of balance. Our first priority is to seek wisdom regarding any commitment. For a season, the Holy Spirit may lead us to give sacrificially of our time and ourselves. But God is our source and we need to always stay connected to Him with our spirit, soul and body.

Taking proper care of ourselves is not selfish when it’s for the purpose of being a fit vessel. How can we be of service when we are depleted spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally? It is possible to carry this idea too far and become preoccupied with our own interests at the expense of serving others. That’s not what I’m suggesting. But I am saying that we cannot be continually responsible for others’ poor choices.

Many believers take on burdens and responsibilities that they were never intended to bear. We think we must meet every need we encounter. For some, it’s very easy to habitually take on others’ responsibilities. Those habits, left unchecked, can lead to believing that it is our job to keep everybody happy. It is one thing to be used of God as a source and it’s entirely another to take on others’ responsibilities to the extent that WE become their source.

And those who have no intention of carrying their own burdens, or of being responsible for their own choices, seem to have a sixth sense as to who are these hyper-responsible Christians. They seek them out like a heat-seeking missile, ready to offload their own God-given destinies and responsibilities on these willing burden bearers. Although they may not be aware of it, these people want to manipulate and control you. The truth is that some people don’t want to be helped; they don’t want to change. They like the attention their problems bring them. If we seek the Holy Spirit about our commitments, He will guide us as to whether to become involved or not.

It’s upsetting, frustrating, and discouraging when we find that we’ve made a wrong choice of taking on way too much responsibility for someone who won’t do what is right. Being responsible for someone else’s lifestyle choices and happiness is a heavy load.

It is not God’s intent for us to be controlled and manipulated by people who refuse to make good choices. We cannot be responsible for anyone else’s happiness. Even Jesus did not promise to give us happiness – no questions asked. Instead, His Word instructs in the way that leads to joy. If others are controlling us, it’s not their fault; it’s our own. We must be led by the Spirit to set appropriate boundaries. For example, don’t allow people to call at all hours of the day and night to dump their problems on you.

My oldest sister, who is mentally ill, still lives in The Netherlands. I don’t know how she did it, but she could make me feel so guilty whenever I didn’t do whatever she wanted. A few years ago, I would call her every day at the same time to speak scriptures over her life. She really enjoyed it and seemed to be doing so much better.

At some point, my husband and I scheduled a conference in Dallas. My sister expressed how afraid she was to have to miss our daily calls, so I agreed to call her every day while we were in Dallas. I disrupted my schedule and my focus on the conference to call her at our agreed upon time, but she wasn’t in. She had gone to a movie. I finally realized that even though she is mentally ill, I had to respond differently to the expectations she placed on me. My decision to set boundaries with her was very hard on me, but I had to do it.

Quit trying to be the keeper of the universe. That is not your job. Of course, it is not easy at first. God calls us to be givers and care for each other. But there is a big difference between caring and giving and allowing somebody to control you and make you feel guilty until you do what they want.

Will you choose to free yourself from being a people-pleaser and give those people to God?

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How Can You Make That One Choice?

July 22, 2012 by 47 Comments
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How Can You Make That One Choice?

By Olga Hermans

You are very special to God and He gave you the freedom of choice. So, since God created you and me to make decisions, then we can be sure that He has also given us the proper way to make those decisions.

The gift of free will is one thing that characterizes God as a Father. He gives us His guidelines for life in His Word and then allows us to make our own choices. We have the power to choose a life of blessings or curses. Our future is completely in our hands.
God can’t and won’t make us do anything, and the devil certainly can’t force us into anything we don’t willingly agree to. For this reason, the responsibility for the direction of our lives is in our hands.

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to make a choice to do something, but knew deep down in your heart you should be doing the other thing? What do you do in a situation like that? How do you know which choice to make and know that, that is the best choice?

Let’s picture the scales in an old grocery store that were used to weigh out how many ounces of candy were in a bag or something. Both of the scales have a balance point in the center. If the objects on both sides are the same weight, then the sides will balance. If one side is heavier, then that side will go down and the other side will go up. A seesaw on a playground would give the same picture.

If you want to make a quality decision, you must determine the weight or value you will give to those objects you are choosing. Only after doing that, can you decide between the choices. Only then can you say no and choose between the different options that you have, right? You are giving weight or value to the things on the scale. This is a very important step to making a quality decision.
Many times people make important decisions without judging the options, without weighing the positives and negatives, without determining what that decision will mean to them in the long run.

This is a process that goes on all the time even when we might not be aware of it. Let’s have a look at this example of a woman buying a pair of shoes. Her decision to purchase a particular pair of shoes will be determined by what is important to her. It depends on the situation; some determining factors might be color, comfort and style. She might be looking for a color to wear with a particular outfit that she already has.

If she finds shoes in the correct color, she may buy them even if the fit bothers her a little. On the other hand, she may be looking for high heels for a formal occasion. She might try on a pair of shoes that are very comfortable but have low heels.

No matter how comfortable they may be, she will tell the clerk, “No, that’s not what I want.” Even in this ordinary, routine action, she will think the situation through and outweigh one or the other.

It is not difficult to make a decision if one choice greatly outweighs the other. Sometimes though, each of the choices has great value and you have to choose between them.

God told Moses in Ex.3:10 to go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt. Moses valued the situation which meant that he honored the situation. He put the choices that he had to make in the balance. His desire to obey God was much greater than the treasure he had in Egypt.

Just because you know what you should do, does not make it easy. And certainly this was not a simple decision for Moses to make. As “The Son of Pharaoh’s Daughter,” Moses held a position of great wealth. He was in the royal line and entitled to an inheritance. He probably knew he would become king himself some day.

Have you ever had to consider giving something up – something you knew you should give up – then you began to think about how much you liked that thing, or how hard you had worked for it or how long it had taken you to get in that position?

Has God ever given you a dream that has caused you to be so excited that you were not able to sleep at night? Then, as time passed without the dream becoming a reality, you may have lost your enthusiasm in pursuing that dream? Perhaps you even questioned whether it was from God in the first place.

Many times our dreams do not become reality because of the decisions we make in our lives. Your course in life depends on the decisions you make. Don’t let your God-given dreams fade away. It is time to dust off your unfilled dreams and go for it!!
Today is a great day to start weighing your choices and to determine to make quality decisions.

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7 Vital Choices You Have To Make In Life

July 17, 2012 by 46 Comments
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7 Vital Choices You Have To Make In Life

by Olga Hermans

#1: Make a choice to take a stand in your own life
It is one of the most frustrating things when we have the idea that our own life is just rolling down the road. Sometimes there are seasons in our life that we don’t even realize what is going on and why things are the way they are.

Do you realize that you are a unique individual? Do you know that there is not one other person in the whole world like you? God made you special, just the way He wants you. He has a unique purpose for your life. Realize that, and you are on your way to being a winner.

#2: Make a choice to be responsible for your own life
You cannot dodge responsibility for how and why your life is the way it is. Take ownership of your own life. If there are things in your life that you don’t like; you probably made a wrong choice somewhere. If you are in debt, you are the one that is responsible. Your job, your weight, your marriage; you are responsible.
There is absolutely no reason to blame others or look at the past. There is no victory and no progress in doing that.

When you choose to think and speak negatively, filled with anger and bitterness, you will experience isolation and hostility around you. That is something that you don’t want, right? Start making right choices from now on. When you choose the right behavior and thoughts, you will see the right results in your life.

#3: Make a choice to do what works
Somehow you have to discover the payoff that drives your behavior. This is a biggie. If we would realize what consequences our behavior would have in the long run, we wouldn’t be so tolerant of ourselves. Who wants to be lonely and bitter and hostile? No-one in their right mind would want that.

I know people who have a self-destructive behavior. My sister died of anorexia nervosa last year because she rejected herself, she punished herself by always asking for negative attention. Remember, you are EXTRA-ordinary because you are one-of-a-kind. When you have even a little self-love and self-worth because of your awareness of God in you; you will start developing Christ-motivated habits that will make you a winner for sure.

#4: Make a choice to acknowledge the issues you want to change
You only can do that by getting real and getting brutally honest with yourself. Look at the areas that aren’t working for you and stop making excuses.

You cannot afford to lie to yourself! You have to know where you are in life and where you want to go. Your life is like a GPS system in your vehicle that must have two pieces of information to function. First, it must know your destination, and second, it must know your current location.

#5: Make a choice to take action
Once you’ve made some decisions, you have to act. Nobody cares about what you think unless they see you do something. Talk is cheap; being a doer determines the course of your life. Take all your revelations, insights and awareness and convert them into purposeful and constructive actions. That is when your life will gain value and meaning.

Realizing you have to change might be painful, but staying where you are and not doing a thing is more painful. So, take the pain that burdens you have now and turn the situation to your advantage.

#6: Make a choice to take charge of your life and hold on.
Our life needs a manager and you are the one! God has given us authority to rule our own life. You really should make it your objective to be very active in doing that. Do it in a way that generates high quality results. You are the only one who can make your life work.

The key to managing your life is to have a strategy. You need courage and energy to execute that strategy. If you do have a strategy, the future looks bright for you. You know, if you don’t require much of yourself, your life will be of poor quality. If your standards are too high, you will give up and you will have more difficulties.

#7: Make a choice to get clear about what you want.
When you know what you want you can take your turn. You need to be awakened to things God has for your life; He has an awesome plan and a purpose for you here in the earth.

By being specific in defining your goal, the choices you make along the way will be more goal-directed. You will recognize which behaviors and choices support your goals — and which do not. You will know when you are heading toward your goal, and when you are off track.

What choice is your most favourite choice and which one do you struggle with the most? 

 

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When Life Throws You A Curveball

July 15, 2012 by 50 Comments
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When Life Throws You A Curve Ball

by Olga Hermans

You know a curve ball starts one way and then goes another. A well-thrown fast ball is predictable – you know where it is going – and because of that, it is fairly easy to hit. But a curve ball is different. The pitcher makes the ball curve by pulling down on it with his fingers as he releases it. The ball spins diagonally and then curves.

When I say a curve ball, I am referring to an unexpected problem, a surprise obstacle or a twist in the way you thought things were going to happen. For example, you thought your marriage was going to be everything you hoped for and you thought you were going to live happily ever after. Then you found out that it wasn’t the way you thought it would be.

Maybe you were hired for a new job and you thought it was going to be a certain way, but you found out you had a boss or an employee that was a real pain in the neck. That was a curve ball. You did not see it coming. It started out the way you thought it would, but suddenly there was a change.

Sometimes you get those balls that are thrown at you that are just crazy and you don’t know what to do with it. You’re thinking: “how in the world am I going to hit that one?”
I think about what happened to the disciples; they weren’t counting on Jesus dying. Jesus was their savior; He was their King and all of a sudden He is hanging on the cross and they are hoping that He will have a comeback and then he gets buried.

That was curve ball for them, they weren’t ready for that and they didn’t know how to hit that kind of a ball.

Have you ever had a curve ball in your life? Something happened unexpectedly, something you didn’t plan on. Maybe somebody in your family died or maybe your parents got a divorce.
Maybe something happened that you didn’t see coming and you had no clue whatsoever to do with the situation?  The disciples had to make a choice; was their faith going to be based on the circumstances around them or continue to carry on what Jesus told them to do?

When I was 18, my father died unexpectedly. I remember the day that my mom and dad were going to a birthday party of a friend. They were dressed up and I remember my father making really nice compliments to my mom, how good looking she was and all that. All 5 of us always enjoyed it so much when he was “dating” my mom.

Anyway, off they went. At the party while he was dancing, he fell on the floor and had a heart attack; he never stood up again. It was devastating to my mom and all of us; she was speechless, she just couldn’t get her mind around the fact that he was gone. It was a very, very tragic moment for all of us; our life was never the same thereafter.

There are many times that people are not correctly handling problems and obstacles in their lives because they have failed to make an adjustment in their timing. The point is this: Most of us are accustomed to handling things straight on, so it can be very difficult when we get a curve ball thrown at us.

There are situations in our life where we feel we are totally undone because of something unexpected and unwanted came into our life. You have to make choice. You can be destroyed and fall apart or you can bounce back and hit that ball!

You can look at it this way: in the ocean there are sharks, but in the boat there is safety. You can stay in the boat (Jesus) and cross the ocean (go through life in this world) and the sharks will not get to you. In Christ there is victory, joy and peace. In the world, there is tribulation, but in Christ, you can go through the world overcoming every circumstance and situation. It doesn’t change the things that are in the world; it just changes your ability to overcome the world.

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Iron Sharpens Iron

July 10, 2012 by 66 Comments
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Iron Sharpens Iron

by Olga Hermans

Have you ever thought about who you want to hang out with? I want to be around people who are hungry for God. They have a sense of direction in life, but they also have this hunger for God and in this hunger for God they want to please God with their lives. I love it when people know where they are going and know what they want to do.

I love to be with them and let it rub off on me. I listen to them and ask them how they got where they are now from where they were. What was the most important choice that they made in their life and what was the worst. How do they make tough choices? What motivates them and so forth.

It is very important to know to whom people listen to. I think that, that is very important to know because you want to have the same source of influence in your life. Sometimes people are in church with great issues in their lives, they try to fight great temptations, but they are scared to go to somebody and be open about their life. So, they keep it to themselves and keep it as a secret. We need accountability in our life.

You know, when iron sharpens iron, sparks are going to fly! One person is chasing after God and the other person is not chasing after God, so when you confront a person on issues that are ungodly, sparks are going to fly.When there are no sparks flying then it is probably not a relationship where iron sharpens iron. But we need someone who is going to confront us on pride, selfishness and lust.

What about personal greed and jealousy? You want to be with people who are going to challenge you to take you forward in your walk with God and in your walk in life.You know, friends that you are able to bounce things off on and when they are able to put you in check; you are going to put them in check as well.

You actually need three types of people in your life:

1. Somebody who pours into you, somebody that you gain knowledge from; the ins and outs of life. Someone who helps you to stay focused on your vision that you so desperately like to accomplish.

2. Somebody that you can bounce things off on; somebody that can challenge you and build you up if necessary.

3. Somebody that you can pour into, all the knowledge that you gained can now flow into the life of somebody else.

Col 1:3-5 says: The Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.

We need that, don’t we? We need comfort, but then there are times that there are other people that God calls us to bless in a relationship. They need what we have to speak into their lives. Most importantly we can have relationships where we can confess our faults one to another so that we can be healed.

And at the same time, we can affirm each other; “I believe in you, I know that God has great things in store for your future, this is not the end; things like that seem to encourage us in a great way. Prov 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Ecc 4:9-10 “Two people are better than one because together they have a good reward for their hard work. If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.”

Two heads are better than one.
~John Heywood

Walking with a friend in the dark is
better than walking alone in the light.
~Helen Keller

A true friend never gets in your way
unless you happen to be going down.
~Arnold H. Glasow

You weren’t meant to go through life alone. God created you for a relationship. Relationships that will encourage you and strengthen you and challenge you. But more than anything, God wants a relationship with you Himself. God wanted a family from the very start; He wants you as a part of His family.

You can make a choice today to surrender your life to Him. He is a very good iron sharpener 🙂 Most important is that He loves you no matter what.

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Learn How Important Growing Up Is For You!

July 7, 2012 by 34 Comments
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Learn How Important Growing Up Is For You!

by Olga Hermans

 

Most Christians desire to fulfill the will of God. They know that they are redeemed from the curse and they want everything that Jesus purchased for them by shedding His blood on the cross. But things like the news and people around them on the job try to talk them out of that; they diminish their belief in their covenant with God, especially when it comes down to their financial provision.

There is a wonderful inheritance waiting for those who are mature, responsible and faithful.

Galatians 4:1-2 says, “Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.”

So this means that when we want to qualify to receive our inheritance, childlike tendencies will hinder us. Wow, that hurts and it may sound totally unfair, but let’s have a look at it! You might be reading this and know you have children that you cannot give a car to because they are not mature enough to handle it.

It’s the same with our heavenly Father; He loves us so much that he knows that when He would give us everything that we desire, it might destroy us. For that reason it is important for us that we understand what we need to do to walk in a life filled with blessings!

Growing up is a process and in order to grow up, you need to locate yourself, you need to know where you are in life. All of us begin at the New Birth as spiritual babies in Christ, but God doesn’t intend that we stay that way. His desire is for us to grow in all areas of our lives-spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically and financially.

Although we all may grow in different areas in our own way, we are supposed to grow up. He is right there on our side to make it all happen. Psalm 115:14 says, “The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.”

One way we can make our growth process a little easier is by waking up unto God and that happens when we desire to read the Word of God more than ever before. We grow when we desire the sincere milk of the word. 1Peter 2:2 When you do that, you place a demand on the Holy Spirit who causes you to grow. 2 Peter 3:18

One thing is for sure, God expects us to grow spiritually. When you grow up, you are able to handle trials and temptations; you have God’s wisdom flowing in your life. Plus you will be able to grow strong relationships with others.

When we keep on walking with the Lord through all our trials and struggles, we will have grace in every situation that we face. His grace is always sufficient and He always causes us to triumph. He anoints us with His power and His ability. It will require that we make a quality decision to allow God’s Word to mature us.

There are things that we do as children; we speak differently, we understand things differently and we think differently. It is time to put them away. 1Cor.13:11 There is no need for us to sweat the small things, because in the eyes of God everything is a small thing. It doesn’t matter, what matters is that you and I are going to finish the race strong.

Why would we be jealous and not be glad when a friend gets promoted; God has a way better promotion for you. Why would you concern yourself with what other people think of you? Breaking free from worrying about what people think of you might be your biggest breakthrough.

In order to discover the life you were born to live, you need to grow up from your old ways of doing things. If what people think about you is more important than what God thinks about you, then God cannot be the source of your life. John 12:42-43

It is important to stay focused and to get all our priorities right in 2012. It’s very simple: God is our loving Father. He is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator and possessor of heaven and earth. We should live to please Him. What Anna, Ken and John think doesn’t matter.

We should give our full attention and stay focused on God. If we keep listening to criticism and sarcastic remarks and the opinions of others, it will cost you your blessings, your healing, your provision and even the salvation of your family members. It is not all about you; it is all about what Jesus did for you and me on that cross. Our full inheritance is waiting for us, especially in 2012. God wants to bless you so that you can bless others (Gen. 12:2-3).

Watch out for people who satan will use to discourage you in everything that you are believing for. Satan is the father of lies, and lieing is all he can do. John 8:44 He will try to get you in trouble and put shame on you. Don’t believe his lies; don’t let him succeed in deceiving you in any way. Be bold enough to apply the Word of God to your life and receive His blessings with a grateful heart.

I remember the time when my husband and I decided to leave The Netherlands when our children were still quite young. Most people around us discouraged us, but there was that peace on the inside of us that kept us moving forward with the decision and you know what? Because they saw how steadfast we were in our decision, they came alongside of us. It was a great experience and because we had been obedient to what God had called us to do, we were tremendously blessed.

Sometimes it takes determination to not listen to other people’s opinions in the small things of life and in the big things of life. When you believe for healing for your child, that is not a small thing! Stay with the people who are in agreement with you and leave the opinions of those that bring doubt at the door.

It doesn’t matter who disagrees with your acts of obedience. Walk in complete liberty from people and their opinions so you can possess all the Father has for you.

If you are born again, Jesus Christ has made you free from the bondage of opinions so you can glorify God, free from poverty so you can be rich and free from sickness and disease so you can be healed. He made you free to walk in liberty.

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How To Pray To Stop The Devil

July 4, 2012 by 24 Comments
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How To Pray To Stop The Devil?

by Olga Hermans

What do you think about when you hear that question? Do you think “it is too difficult” or “I don’t want to fight with the devil”; what do think about when you need to fight the devil?

You know, you have been given the victory through the death of Jesus and His burial and resurrection over anything you will ever face. Maybe you are wondering how to see this happen in your own life and have no clue where to start. Maybe you started once and you gave up.

First things first; you must resist the devil in your daily walk, or James would not have mentioned it. The enemy has been conquered, but he still must be resisted.

The way to start resisting the devil is with submitting to the word. To submit to God means to surrender to Him, to yield yourself fully to Him, to come under His authority. To submit means to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. It means to believe, speak, and obey God’s Word. Submission could be stated another way: Trust God in every way possible

Prayer that stops the devil is based upon believing, speaking and acting upon what God says. Submission is not only to the written Word Of God, but also to the spoken Word spoken under the submission of the Holy Spirit.

There are people who will not submit to God because they want to be under His authority. They have failed to realize that if you aren’t under God’s authority, you are under the devil’s authority. There is no middle ground. People who are selfishly-ruled are satan-ruled.

To resist the enemy means to have an active, willful decision to say “no” to the devil with your heart, mind, words and attitude. Every time you invite the will of God to be done in your life, you are saying “no” to the devil. Every time you praise God, you are saying “no” to the devil. Every time you obey the Word of God, you are saying “no” to the devil. In other words, you are making positive choices that literally evict the enemy!

You are choosing the will, purpose and desires of God. When you resist the devil, he will flee from you. To pray to stop the devil, you must believe in the power of the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:16-19

We have boldness, confidence and liberty to enter into the holiest place through the blood of Jesus Christ. I have heard a former Satanic witch say once ad I think it was on the 700 club, “Whenever the blood of Jesus was mentioned, it stopped the power of Satanists.”

It was the blood of Jesus that destroyed Satan’s hold over you and me. It was His blood that ransomed us from Satan’s authority. It was His blood on the cross that bought and paid for our total salvation, so when we come to God, we are coming through the blood of His Son. Every time we quote Romans 8:1, we are declaring the power of the blood of Jesus: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

If you do not believe in the power of the blood of Jesus, you will not pray with authority. You will be reminded of what you’ve done in the past, of your failures and shortcomings, and as a result your prayers will be like a wet noodle. The devil knows when you don’t know your authority.

It takes the blood of Jesus to free you of guilt and condemnation. It takes an understanding of the blood of Jesus to know your sins have been remitted. When you call on the blood of Jesus, you have immediate access to the heavenly Father.

To have prayer that stops the devil, you must approach the Father in the name of Jesus. John 16:23-24

God wants you to have fullness of joy. He doesn’t want the enemy to overrun your life in any area. The Bible says that the shield of faith quenches every fiery dart of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16). David the psalmist declared, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

Jesus already won the victory that is sufficient to give us complete liberty from the devil’s work in our lives, but we have to enter into the type of prayer that will stop him. That’s believing prayer in the name of Jesus.

When we use the name of Jesus, we have used the highest name in heaven, on earth and under the earth. There is no other authority greater than the name of Jesus.

You and I have been given the power of attorney to use that name! Jesus was saying to His disciples and to you and me, “I am going away. I will send the Comforter [My Spirit] to you. Carry on business as usual, because I am giving you My name. I will never leave you. I will never abandon you. I will be with you always to the end of the world.

To pray to stop the devil, you must declare the Word of the Lord. Hebrews 4:12

Because the Word of God is a living entity, you can take it into your prayer closet. This is an aspect of prayer that many people have not entered into because they have not recognized the value of it. They pray, beg and plead, but they never come with the Word. If you will start your prayers with God’s will, which is His Word, you will never pray amiss.

If you are approaching God for healing, come into agreement with His promises of healing in Isaiah 43:4-5; Matthew 8:17 and 1Peter 2:24. You can pray, “Father, I am coming to You through the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus and with Your Word. You put sickness and diseases upon Your Son, Jesus Christ, so I wouldn’t have to bear it. By His stripes I am healed. Thank You for my healing now, in Jesus’ name.”

What are some experiences that you have had with resisting the devil? Give us one of your great testimonies in the comment section; thank you! Check out my book on prayer, that teaches you even so much more on how to be effective in prayer.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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Speak to Your Mountains

July 1, 2012 by 13 Comments
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Speak to Your Mountains

by Olga Hermans

Now is the time to speak the Word Of God to the mountains in Your life and see them removed; whether is the mountain of sickness, lack, division, torment, oppression, or some other challenge. On one of Jesus’ final trips over the Mount of Olives before His betrayal and crucifixion, He taught His disciples in Mark 11:12-19

Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem on the same route they had taken into Jerusalem, up over the Mount of Olives, down to the little town of Bethany. He taught, ministered and spoke each day in the temple. Mark 11:20-26

Often overlooked is the parallel between the fig tree and the nation of Israel. Jesus came to the fig tree, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit. It wasn’t so He spoke to it and it withered. Jesus came to the nation of Israel, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit; the fruit of a righteous, holy nation. He came to the temple and found a den of thieves. What he has done to the fig tree, He did to the temple and found it a den of thieves. He overthrew the money changers and spoke to them that their house would be left desolate.

It was only a few years later, 70 A.D., after Jesus had spoken it, that the Roman general Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it.

In the Bible, we are likened to trees. The trees of the field shall clap their hands Isaiah 55:12. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches John 15:5. Jesus is looking for fruit in our lives; the fruit of answered prayer, the fruit of souls being won to Christ, the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

On one occasion when this parable was told, the landowner said, Let’s destroy the tree. Then the Word came, No, give it one more year. Let’s dig around it, fertilize it and see if it brings forth fruit. Thank God, He is merciful!

Jesus left us an example that we are to follow. He left us a pattern of faith. In verse 14, He spoke to the tree, and the disciples heard it. In other words, it wasn’t one of those whisper things. He spoke out loud. Nothing happened visibly at that moment. As you release your faith, nothing may happen visibly at that very moment.

But when Jesus returned by this same route some 24 hours later, the fig tree had dried up from the roots. In the natural, it is impossible for something to dry up that quickly.

Then Jesus commanded, Have faith in God. Romans 12:3 says,…God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It has been said, Faith is the title deed to that which is invisible. Corrie ten Boom said, Faith is the radar that sees things and catches an image of them, even though they may be beyond natural sight. The image of it is imprinted in us by the Word of God. Then Jesus said, For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain…Mark 11:23

Jesus was using the terminology of speaking to a mountain as a figure of speech, saying, If you have a problem, a difficulty, an obstacle that is like a mountain, you can speak to it to be removed. Jesus was saying that you can speak to any mountain-size problem to be removed and it has to go. Maybe your mountain is sickness or disease, depression, discouragement, fear, dismay, or financial lack.

Many people talk about their mountain, discuss their mountain and even evaluate their mountain. They take samples of their mountain and compare it with other people’s mountains. Then there are mountain conferences or dialogues where people get together and discuss their mountains!

Jesus didn’t say that we are to discuss our challenges. He said, “Speak to them!” Speak to cancer. Speak to financial lack. Speak to the rebellion in a child. Speak to the mountain in a situation. How do we get to the point where we believe that what we say will come to pass and that when we speak to our mountain, it will be removed?

Jesus said, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you John 15:7

One of the primary keys to your confidence in prayer is to know that what you are speaking is the will or the Word of God. This is the day and the hour for God’s people to do great exploits because we are in covenant relationship with Him; speaking His Word, praying His Word and obeying His Word.

What is your experience with speaking to your mountains? Please let us know in the comment section.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

 


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Abiding Under The Shadow of The Almighty

June 27, 2012 by 20 Comments
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Abiding Under The Shadow of The Almighty

 by Olga Hermans

Once you know that divine protection belongs to you, there are some conditions you must keep to activate that protection in your life. Psalm 91:1 makes that very clear; if you are going to enjoy God’s protection, you’re going to have to abide in Him.

The word “abide” means to lodge, or to set up camp. He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall lodge under the shadow of the Almighty. Notice that you can’t see a shadow, but it’s always there. To be in somebody’s shadow you have to be pretty close to him or her. In other words, you have to be pretty close to God to lodge under His shadow.

Make no mistake; however, going to church does not make you close to God. Lots of people go to church but are not close to God. They just go to church. The word does not say to draw near to your church, and you’ll be close to God. It says to draw near to God and He’ll draw near to you.

The depth of your relationship with God depends on the time you spend with Him, because you spend time with whom you love. Are you someone who spends time in worship before God, time in praise to God, time in personal one- on-one prayer and communion with God? If you are, you’ll notice that the closer you get to Him, the closer He gets to you. You reach a place where you abide under His shadow. And that’s the best place to be.

God said in James, “Draw nigh to me, or close to me, and I’ll draw nigh to you.” Well, to be under the shadow of the Almighty is to be close to the Father. In order to be close to Him, you need to be in fellowship with Him, not out of fellowship with God. Not just a child of God, but you need to be close to the Lord. A relationship needs to have been developed between you and the Father; one in which you can clearly know God’s voice when He’s leading you and speaking to you.

Never let it be a case with you where all heaven stops because they hadn’t heard your voice in decades. Nor let it be with you that the only time that heaven hears from you is when you need something. On the contrary, develop a relationship with the Father where the Father can speak to you and you can speak to Him.

What does it take to become an abider?

Putting God’s Word in your heart, for one thing. John 15:7. The truth that is alive in your heart is the truth that you act on every day. Truth comes alive in you when you think about it, meditate on it and apply it to your life, so at the moment of danger, the Word of God is your first thought.

Take the 91st Psalm into yourself daily until it becomes engrafted in your heart. Remember this: it’s the Word that you act on today that will get you delivered. It is not what your heard last year. It isn’t even what you know. It is what you do. Keep yourself full of God’s Word and you will do it.

Another definition of abiding is simply obeying. 1John 3:6 says, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.” The reverse of that is also true – whoever sins (or is disobedient) does not abide in Him.

It is a good thing that we live in the time of grace and mercy and it is never too late to call upon the Lord. But you have to know that you need to live close to Him and abiding in the Word (God’s wisdom revealed to us) or it will be difficult for you to call on Him in faith when calamity comes.

Don’t live day after day by the world’s standards, because when a crisis comes it will be hard for you to take your dependence off the world and put it on Him.Pro 1:29-31

In other words, if you are going to live like the world, your outcome is going to be like that of the world. Pro 1:33

Prov.1:33  is exactly the protection that I like to know; it is promised to you and me!

Learn more about “Abiding Under The Shadow of The Almighty” in my book by clicking here!

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

 

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How Does Faith Work?

June 25, 2012 by 31 Comments
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How Does Faith Work?

 by Olga Hermans

Many people are talking about faith. Faith is not only believing. It is not simply confessing or just hearing the Word. Faith requires doing, yet that’s not all. Although faith includes prayer, there is still more. Meditation is not the final answer either. Learning how to receive from God is a big part of faith too. Praise is powerful, but it needs to be supported by the other parts of faith.

So, how does faith work? Most people think they know, but do they really? Can you explain how faith works to somebody? If you really like to discover the life you were born to live and fill it with passion, you need to know how faith works. So, let’s have a look!

In a given situation, a person may exercise great faith by utilizing only two or three parts of faith. It is not just a cut and dried formula that must be rigidly followed. It is a breakdown of faith that gives us an inner picture of how faith is developed and operate great faith by using everything God has given us.

The growth, development, and release of faith includes hearing the Word, believing the Word, praying according to the Word, receiving the promise, confessing the Word, praising God, and doing the Word.

Let’s say you would have a V-8 engine. The engine is to the average person just a machine. The person, who knows engines, however, knows it is made up of many stationary and moving parts. Primarily, the engine itself has eight cylinders with pistons inside of them. Timed explosions in each of these cylinders causes power to be released to move the pistons. The moving pistons turn a shaft that harnesses the power from the explosion of the gasoline in the cylinder and eventually channels that power to turn the wheels.

Even though some of the pistons or cylinders are not functioning properly, the engine will still run, but it will be rough. It is the same with people and faith. Some people will get a lot of mileage out of a little bit of faith, but the full potential can only be reached by continuous exercise of all parts of faith. Jesus must be our example for He is the one person who developed His faith to perfection. Our faith will grow the same way, because it is His faith that we have been given.

Your faith is very similar to the V-8 engine used in many cars. It is one operation, yet the power is generated through a series of operations within the engine itself. Each operation in faith has a specific place and will produce power if it is run by the Spirit. Although the engine may run on fewer than all 8 cylinders, its power and efficiency are greatly reduced. For highest performance every part of your faith must be operating.

A car engine must be properly tuned and the timing set for it to run properly. Depending on the make and year of the car, the spark plugs and/or points must be firing with precision or the explosion of the gasoline air mixture will not be good. Likewise the pistons, valves, and cylinders need to be in good shape. If all these things are not in order, the engine will run rough, lack power, start poorly, and cause many problems.

If so much knowledge is needed just to run an automobile, why shouldn’t we be more concerned about the great powerhouse God has given us? Don’t wait until a crisis arises to check your faith because it will be too late.

Faith includes hearing, believing, praying, receiving, confessing, meditating, praising and doing. All of these things are important, and you will probably discover other things that help our faith grow and mature to the place that it can be used to meet the needs of those around us. Remember, this is not a dead formula, a set of rules, or another do-it yourself kit. It is a simple explanation of the various parts of faith using a modern parable.

It is a great privilege to build our lives on a foundation that cannot be shaken and will stand firm against every wind, storm, and flood of the adversary. Faith reaches for the eternal and brings it into existence in order to change the natural things.

You may be burdened with sin, sickness, discouragement, or confusion, but your faith in the eternal Word of God can overcome those feelings and give you victory in every situation.

The temporal things will be changes by the Eternal, and you will be established on the rock. How wonderful is that!!

What things have you see change in your life because of your faith? Tells us about in the comment section…

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

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