Four Ways to Embrace Your Purpose

September 12, 2012 by 14 Comments
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Four Ways to Embrace Your Purpose

 

 What is purpose?

Purpose is why God placed each of us here on earth. Our purpose is always related to serving others. If we are in service, we must be in faith that we are in the right place at the right time. In other words, we must be aware that we are strategically placed. And that’s why we should see our circumstances, no matter where we find ourselves today, as an opportunity for God’s purposes to be revealed. Here are four ways to build your faith about your God-given purpose.

1. See yourself as strategically placed

Strategy is a plan or a method to accomplish a desired end. As Believers, we have the privilege of taking part in God’s strategic plan. The Book of Esther is a perfect illustration of how one woman’s individual purpose was woven into God’s eternal strategy. Esther was strategically placed. And her cousin Mordecai reminded Esther of this truth when he said, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this “(Esther 4:14).

Others may have thought she became the king’s wife because of her beauty. They may have thought she came to be queen because of her cousin’s connections with the king’s chamberlain. But Esther realized that God placed her in her circumstances for a greater purpose than attaining high status, living in beautiful surroundings, and wearing pretty clothes. She understood that she was strategically positioned to do something others couldn’t.

And you? Are there things that others can’t do for God, because they’re not in your place? Others may look at you and think you are where you are because of your education, intelligence or connections. But that’s not how our God works. You are able to do what others can’t, because they are not in your place. And that leads us to the second point: Purpose can’t wait for you to get where you think you should be. Purpose is now.

2. Connect your purpose to where you are today

You’ll never be a person of purpose if you’re just passing through. God has specifically positioned you to take part in His strategy. Whatever you’re doing right now, that’s success waiting to happen. In the story of Esther, we read that at the hour of her purpose, the king had not summoned Esther for 30 days.

Although Esther had a position in the court, for whatever reason, she was not in day-to-day contact with the king. From her perspective, her position was not perfect. It could have been better if she had been in more recent contact with the king. But she had a position – she was still queen. Esther didn’t try to wriggle out of her mission and wait for a better time. Because she was connected to God’s purpose of saving the Jewish people, risking her life, she approached the king at just the right time. Let’s now consider our third point: Purpose will sometimes require us to take risks.

3. Be willing to risk everything

Today most Christians don’t live in cultures, as Esther did, that call for them to put their lives on the line. But we do face the loss of our reputations, rejection, and failure.

Esther could have lost her life by approaching the king without an invitation. Short of losing her life, she could have been banished from the king’s presence for her misconduct of approaching him uninvited. That would have meant a loss of reputation. Although not comparable to the loss of life, the loss of our good name can be particularly distressing when it’s unjust and beyond our control. For example, your purpose may be to home school your children and your friends don’t approve. You have lost your standing with them. Of course, loss of reputation is often inter-twined with rejection by others.

The king could have rejected Esther. Being rejected because of our purpose may be the most unnerving of all the risks. Have you ever talked yourself out of sharing the Gospel, applying for a job, or undertaking an educational program because you feared being rejected? You may have even experienced a physical sensation of extreme discomfort. We must overcome the risk of rejection to experience our purpose. The looming possibility of failure is another risk we must be willing to take.

From Esther’s limited perspective, failure was a possibility. The king could have sided with his advisors and had the Jews put to death. Whether we fail publicly or privately it’s unsettling. If we have been open and visible in our purpose, failure may even feel like the death of our purpose. But God is bigger than our failures. Our purposes are central to His will. He causes all things to work together for good. Sometimes it’s only a matter of timing.

4. Be willing to wait for the appointed time

Be aware that some aspects of purpose are not revealed until God’s appointed time. Esther was not in the limelight at her appointed time. She had been sequestered with the rest of the king’s wives, going about her daily routine. Have you ever been in the wilderness of the day-to-day grind wondering what in the world God has in store for you? Don’t give up and think you have it all wrong! Stay steady and confident that as God’s strategy unfolds, your purpose will be further revealed. And now to summarize:

The Book of Esther contains mystery, intrigue, and romance, but most importantly it demonstrates what we must do to embrace our God-given purpose:

• See yourself as strategically placed
• Connect your purpose to where you are today
• Be willing to risk everything
• Be willing to wait for the appointed time

What step will you take today to embrace your purpose? Esther saved a nation. Rouse yourself to embrace your position and purpose in God’s eternal strategy.

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

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Using Social Media Strategies To Relate To Your Partner

July 31, 2012 by 31 Comments
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Today is a special day; I am so excited to introduce to you my friend Susan Preston who writes on relationships and social media strategies on her blog. Susan and I have met in a business networking group online where we learn and receive input from each other. I know that you will receive something new from her today concerning your relationship with your partner using Social Media.

Here is Susan; enjoy her post!

 

 

 

 

Using Social Media Strategies To Relate To Your Partner 

by Susan Preston

 

Just about everybody uses some kind of social media site these days. I just finished commenting on what are the essential elements that are necessary when using social media on a facebook post. Then it hit me, what if we spent even half as much time on Relating with our partner, as we do with our friends, potential clients and clients…can you imagine how much better our relationships would be?

Since we go to relationships to give and share, by using the five strategies that you use everyday when you are on your social networks you will find that you have even more so to bring to your relationship. I believe that you will find that it will help you to relate with your partner at an even deeper level, thus bringing your relationship to an Extraordinary place!

Five Steps On How To Use Social Media Strategies To Relate To Your Partner:

Be You:

It is so important to be yourself in your relationship. By embracing who you truly are and tapping into your true Magnificence and then sharing yourself with your partner, it will help them to feel like they can do the same and be themselves. Don’t try to be like you think they want you to be, but rather who you really are.

By continually filling yourself up with love, joy, happiness, self-esteem, honor, respect and worthiness, etc. you will be able to share yourself at a much more deeper and meaningful level. Now you have two people who are building a relationship who are totally comfortable being themselves, that is a Win-Win situation for everyone!

Listen Attentively:

You need to listen to your what your partner is saying. They maybe sharing with you their problems and frustrations and if you are so busy trying to do other things while they are talking, you may miss the true meaning of what they are trying to say. Make it about them! Really listen generously, to what they are saying not what you think they are saying. Reflect back on what they said to make sure it is accurate. Tune in to what they truly need and feel what’s going on underneath it all. It is so important to make them feel that they are being heard and that they truly matter! By giving them your undivided attention, they will feel like they are a priority rather then as an option in your life.

Engage:

After you listen to them, engage with them. Acknowledge what they are feeling. Give your input into the situation in a kind and loving way. Sometimes, just by acknowledging what they are feeling is all that is necessary. If there is a way to help them, do so. Don’t go overload them with your opinion. Your partner may not always remember what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Give:

Since relationships are a place that we go to give of ourselves, by filling yourself up with all the goodies as I call them [love, honor, respect, etc.] you will have even more to give of yourself on a consistent basis. You see you cannot give to others on a consistent basis what you don’t give to yourself first. A lot of times people try to do so, but end up feeling drained and empty and don’t feel like they have anymore to give.

Making it about them at times makes them feel that you appreciate them and you know yourself, when you feel appreciated you want to give even more. People love to feel that they are a significant part of their partner’s life.

Share:

When you continually fill yourself up with all of the goodies, you will find you are much more creative and inspired. Thus, as a result you will be able to share yourself as well as your creativity and inspiration to help with a challenge that your partner maybe going through. Share who you are and some of the great things that are happening in your life and business, but do it graciously. By doing this, you will help your partner to feel comfortable about sharing who they are.
By using these five strategies, it will take your relationship to that next Amazing level. You might even want to message them privately on facebook and ask them on a hot date. We spend so much time using our social networks why not get creative using them to relate to your partner! I would love for you to comment below how you might use social media to relate to your partner, thanks!

Is your mindset keeping you from growing your business? If you would like more help with this or if you are having challenges in any of your relationships, Susan would love to help. Click on Free Consultation and Susan will give a free 30 minute consultation to answer any pressing questions that you may have to give you the clarity that you may need, in order to move in the right direction.

Susan Preston is a Mindset Motivator & a Relationship Mentor. Susan can empower you to Master your Mindset and Ignite your Relationships by helping you to get the clarity to take your life and business to that next Amazing level. She brings a lifetime of experience to help you create that balance in every area of your life so that you are truly living your Dreams! You can see more of Susan’s work at http://SusanCanHelpMe.com.

 

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Your Season Can Shift With One CHOICE

July 29, 2012 by 54 Comments
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Your Season Can Shift With One CHOICE

by Olga Hermans

Sometimes it feels like we need a shift in our life, we are in the middle of the wilderness, that there are no roads or even signs that lead anywhere. Even if you would have a choice, you are not expecting anything good; nothing exciting at all. I’d like to share a few things with you that might change your way of thinking; a powerful insight about understanding your own times and seasons.

We all know that God loves us and that He wants the very best for us no matter what. His desire for us is that we prosper in every area of our life. We want His will to come into our life because that is the very best for us. He created us and placed our gifts and talents on the inside of us and in a way that makes us dependable upon God. By the way, God likes that and it helps us if we like that.

God is all-powerful and unstoppable and holds our times and seasons in His hands. But the thing is that many people relegate the season they are in to God’s sovereignty. Oops! Big mistake! They give everything into God’s hands as if He made us a robot. They leave the breakthrough in their life, or getting their life to a better place up to God. It’s all up to God to heal them whenever He wants it to happen and then they wait for it. They think God wants to teach them a lesson.

Others have said concerning the call that’s on their lives, “When God wants to open a door for me or use me in a certain way, it will just happen.” And they sit and wait and wait and wait.

We are more involved in our destiny and the season and times that we are living in than we realize. You remember when Jesus came to the well and met the Samaritan woman “by accident”? Her life was all messed up and bound in immorality; she knew no way out any more. Here she was, just going about doing her daily tasks like any other day. Here she is at the well and meets this man who knew everything about her life and still wants to talk to her. That was very rare for her. From that day forward her whole life was changed around.

You see, this woman was open to a change in her life and seized the moment so to speak. Her messed-up circumstances made her desperate and longing for a change. Her eyes were opened to who Jesus was and went and told it to everyone in her town. Her season was shifted in one single moment.

There are so many stories and situations in the Bible that show us that when Jesus shows up, things drastically change. I remember in my own life when my husband and I went through a very difficult time in our marriage and we thought that the only way out was a divorce. We were meant for each other, but circumstances and family situations had brought too many hardships, and we just wanted to give up.

But Jesus showed up at a moment we didn’t even know Him yet, but He turned the whole situation around in 1 moment on 1 day. After that, the word “divorce” went out the window which was the best decision we ever made.

Your season can shift with one CHOICE! You see, sometimes we need another person to speak into our life for our life will move forward. But WE have to be willing and we have to be open!

In order to make the right decision that can change your entire life and launch you into your new season, you have to have faith that is produced by clarity of vision. Every fear, every doubt and every distraction must be thrown out of your heart. You must learn to trust yourself and gain confidence and the way you do that is by living out of your spirit, not your soul.

Our emotions, our will and our mind make up our soul; our emotions can drive us away from the path that we need to go. Our thoughts can keep us captive in fear and doubt. Our will can be so passive that we don’t even want to make a choice. That is a bad situation waiting for a disaster to happen. You need to be able to take your will and change gears and tell yourself to get up and create a change in your life.

Engage your will in what YOU want to do and bring all your feelings and stinky thoughts under submission to your will and if you have your will submitted to the will of God; good things are going to happen. God WANTS you to prosper, so whatever you are confident in doing, start doing it! Our will is a powerful thing. If we don’t want to yield to the will of God, nothing is going to happen.

So many people are soul-driven, while God is calling us to be Spirit-led. God speaks into our spirit; He gives us ideas and witty inventions to create wealth. He has empowered us to create wealth. So, let’s engage our will and step up to the plate and do it! Will you do that?

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

 

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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? 

 

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

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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.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

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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.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

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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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