Learn To Pray Effectively

January 16, 2012 by Olga 12 Comments

Learn To Pray Effectively

by Olga Hermans

Last year I wrote my book on prayer, because I truly believe that you have to do things the right way. Many people want to build their business or find their purpose in life and are very fervent about it, which is a good thing. They want to climb that mountain so to speak. BUT….. you have to climb the right mountain first and then come down from that mountain to your own mountain.

Does that sound complicated? Let me explain; first you have to go to God and get all the instructions you need. Your greatest need right now might be to hear from heaven and know the plan of God. The Bible says tells us in Psalm 37:4 that God will put His desires in us until His desires become our desires and our desires become His desires. One of the aspects of delighting yourself in the Lord is definitely prayer.

This is what E. M. Bounds says about desire: ” Desire is not merely a simple wish: it is a deep seated craving; and intense longing, for attainment. In the realm of spiritual affairs, it is an important adjunct to prayer. So important is it, that one might say, almost, that desire is an absolute essential of prayer. Desire precedes prayer, accompanies it, is followed by it. Desire goes before prayer, and by it, created and intensified”.

Prayer is the oral expression of desire. If prayer is asking God for something, then prayer must be expressed. Prayer comes out into the open. Desire is silent. Prayer is heard; desire, unheard. The deeper the desire, the stronger the prayer. Without desire, prayer is a meaningless mumble of words. Such perfunctory, formal praying, with no heart, no feeling, no real desire accompanying it, is to be shunned like pestilence. Its exercise is a waste of precious time, and from it, no real blessing accrues”.

There are some things we need to know about prayer for our prayers to be effective. I want be prayer to be effective, what about you? If I have the idea that something might not be working or that I might be missing something; I want to know it and I want to know it to the detail. Why bother otherwise, right?

We are to be effective in prayer; we could say that we should bear “prayer fruit.” On a natural tree, let’s say an apple tree, if the branches were injured by a storm and somewhat disconnected, they could still receive nourishment and live. They would still leaf and survive, but they would no longer produce fruit.

We can be this way as Christians—we are still on the vine, but because there has not been pruning and purging of those damaged areas we produce no fruit. On a natural fruit-producing tree they would cut away any unnecessary branches so that the fruit is the very best.

The purging and pruning in us is so important. Do not shy away from consecration and separation; these are the things that would keep us from moving forward in Him. Are we abiding in the Vine fully? In the Word and in prayer and in His presence daily? God takes out things in us that are not necessary, they are pruned away. Why? To produce better fruit.

We are never to stay in the same place, we’re always to be moving on in God. More fervency, more fire released through His Body; always moving further in God. Then, we will not become religious or stale in the Spirit. We are to be strong in our union with Him in Word and in prayer.

Ephesians 6:10 (AMP) says, “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].”

We are to have a quality to the time we spend with Him, in our fellowship with the Lord, so that when we pray it is truly God propelling us. When we do this we pray what He gives us to pray and the answer is sure. We are to have a precise walk with the Lord, perfectly precise prayers. When you want to pray about in the final leg of the race, and we need to have a mindset and our hearts on precise prayer—those things that the Lord would have us release in prayer that are completely effective.

Probably the greatest need you might have right now in discovering the life you were born to live is that you desire to hear from God and know the plan that He has for your life. I might dig into that another time and you can read more about this in my book on prayer. God will show us things to come, and we can tap into those things through prayer. It can happen when things rise up on the inside of us along with a knowing. There are things that you know that yo know are from God.

God often deals with us ahead of time, especially if it involves a major change. If there is something coming in the future, then He deals with us six months to two years in advance. This happened to us when we moved to America and when we moved to Canada as well. It is a great experience when you know that God went ahead and prepared everything for you.

We can find out so much about the future through times in prayer. We can pray in the Holy Ghost and hear from heaven about things concerning our future. The easiest place to hear from God and to find God’s plan for our life is through prayer. Prayer processes the plan of God. If we will take time to pray our future out, over, down, and through, it will be much easier to walk it out!

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Filed Under: PRAYER Tagged With: 2012, a home run, answer, answers, breakthrough, choice, choices, Christianity, decision, destiny, discipline, disciplined life, discover, dream, driven life, effective, excerpt of book, for such a time as this, future, God, home run, how to live a life, how to live life, ignite, increase, Jesus, joy, life, life choices, lifestyle, live a life, live life, money, passion, Prayer, profit, prophecies, prophecy, purpose, Restoration, Right Place, Right Time, self control, step up to the plate, stress, supernatural, the answer, the calling, the choice, the life, the power, this is your life, to live, trouble, vision, What does it mean, word, your life

You Were Born For Such A Time As This

January 12, 2012 by Olga 10 Comments

You Were Born For Such A Time As This

by Olga Hermans

Some people say, “Why was I ever born? I am not important.” But you were created for “such a time as this!” God has a great plan for your life! You are here not just to take up space or make a living. You are on this planet at this time in history for a unique purpose. It is your destiny. His purpose for you involves using your gifts and talents.

Every one of us has something that is unique and different about us. Maybe you have a gift of organization. Maybe you have a gift of business or you have a talent of music, art, or writing. Or maybe you are interested in becoming a doctor; you may have a desire to start a business, to be a musician, an athlete like Tim Tebow, a designer, or you may feel called into the ministry. There are things on the inside of you, and God can use those talents and areas to influence and touch people in those arenas.

God has put specific things inside of you, not just for yourself, but to bring Him fame and glory. Do you even know what God’s purpose is for your life? Do you know what is on this inside of you? Sometimes it is like we are playing games or we don’t realize what God has put on the inside of us.

I remember the time that my husband and I stepped out on the water to start a bibleschool in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We have always been kind of adventurous; what I mean to say is that we weren’t the kind of people that wanted to do what everybody else was doing. So, although it seemed kind of easy for us, we were still shaking in our booths.

We had a lot of conformation and our pastor, Billy Joe Daugherty, was behind us all the way. Stepping in the unknown is not easy though; we had never done this and we didn’t know the practical side. But the 1^st year we experienced miracle after miracle, because God was with us and His grace was more than sufficient for us. It was a tremendous experience.

You know, the difficult part of stepping out in faith is that we don’t see the answers and the people on the “other side” of our obedience that need our gifts and callings. Of course we knew we were going to face challenges and storms. You too may be facing storms right now, but remember that Jesus is in your boat and you can make it to the other side.

Think about the story of Esther. Esther was a Jew, was divinely placed in the position as the Queen of Persia. During that time a decree went out that all the Jews were to be killed. Her uncle Mordecai sent word to her, “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14

Esther was afraid to say anything because she knew if she went before the king unannounced she could be executed. But when she heard that word from Mordecai, she awakened to her purpose. She realized that she had a responsibility to speak up for her people. She fasted and prayed for God’s wisdom and favor. God gave her the strategy on how to communicate to the king.

Then she rose up with courage and went before the king. She invited the king and Haman to a special banquet she had prepared for them. When it came time for her to share with the king, she told him of Haman’s plot to kill all the Jews, which included her and her family. The king was outraged. He cancelled the decree and Haman was executed instead.

The Jews were saved because Esther got out of her “cave” of self-centeredness and fear. She realized she was not in the position of queen just to look pretty or have a title, but she was in that position to make a difference in the lives of others for the Glory of God.

Just like Esther you are called for a royal purpose. You too, may be alive today in order to fulfill the purposes of God in your generation. The timing and place of your birth are not accidental; God purposely and specifically places us all in certain time frames and places. Many people spend their entire lives never knowing what their purpose is, but perhaps it is because they try to choose their own destiny rather than follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Following God requires sacrifices and a willingness to be uncomfortable. Esther reached a point of being willing to lay aside all her own thoughts, plans, and ideas. She was even willing to die if she needed to in order to obey God.

Because of Esther’s sacrifice and bold step of faith, God did use her to save a nation. She was more blessed in God’s will than she could have ever been anywhere else. God’s will is not always easy, but it is always worth any sacrifice we need to make.

God has unique strategies for you to fulfill the purpose that is on your life. He has ways that maybe you haven’t seen done before or maybe other people haven’t thought to do.

I want to encourage you with the fact that one person can make a difference. I believe that God has a great call and purpose for your life, as He did for Esther’s. Your assignment may not be the deliverance of a nation, but whatever God has called you to be, is extremely significant.

Whatever it is, be diligent to embrace the preparation process it requires so that you will be well-equipped when the time comes for you to act.

God’s Word says if you need wisdom that you can ask Him and He will give it to you. James 1:5 So, if you are seeking God for direction on what the next step is, ask God. Seek Him for His divine purpose for your life and how it relates to helping others.

Once God gives you direction or strategy on His purpose for your life, write it down. Then begin to take steps to carry it out. Hab 2:2-3

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Yes You Can Be In Charge Of Your Life

January 9, 2012 by Olga 10 Comments

Yes You Can Be In Charge Of Your Life

by Olga Hermans

When it comes to a new year, people of faith generally talk about what God is going to do. This year, however, I challenge you to put the responsibility on what you, as an individual, are going to do. God already has His part worked out; He is faithful. I believe that this is a year of transition, decision and especially restoration. Make sure you are properly focused on what you need to do and think on this year.

Ask yourself what you want to do with the rest of your life. The decision you make, based on this question alone, will determine the quality of life you will experience. If you make a quality decision, your life will gain quality.

Think about it for a moment. Will you sit around waiting for someone else to change your life? Will you continue to live in bitterness and unforgiveness because of the things that have happened in your past? Will you allow your personal limitations to keep you from experiencing God’s best? What will you do? Take the time to search deep within yourself for the answers to these questions. Make a decision. And when you’re ready, begin the transformation process. How you live your life from this day forward is entirely up to you.

Nobody can make decisions for you, that is something that you need to do yourself! Let me give you an eye-opener: nobody can take your life away from you. God gives you the opportunity to decide how you want to move forward. These are not one-time decisions; these are daily decisions about how you are going to live.

Therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Jesus is telling us in John 10:17-18 that no man, and no devil in hell, could take His life. He and He alone had the power to lay down His life and the power to take it back up again. That same power, that same authority also lives in you. No man can take your life from you; no demon in hell can take your life from you, lest you lay it down. You have control over your life, and either you lay your life down, or it doesn’t get laid down.

That is powerful; it doesn’t only apply to your physical body; it applies to every realm of life. Nobody can take your future, lest you lay it down. Nobody can steal your joy, lest you lay it down. Poverty has no right in your life, because your prosperity is part of your covenant with God. Nobody can take your marriage away from you, until you let them do it. You are in charge of your own life; how you live your life is entirely up to you.

I am not saying that you won’t have any attacks or that you will live without tests, trials, and temptations. When you look at the life of Jesus, you can see that people were out to kill Him. The devil tried to kill Him in the wilderness, but Jesus made a quality choice not to lay His future down. He exercised His authority; nobody could take His future away from Him.
We have to make that same choice, when sickness tries to attack your body, you have to exercise your authority and make a choice to claim your healing.

The apostle Paul understood that he had the authority and the power to give up his life. Multiple times throughout the Scriptures, we see where he was left for dead, yet he chose to take up his life. Philippians 1:19-24

You and I have to make the same choice; it’s up to us! In Deuteronomy 30:19 God says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” We have to make our own choice between life and death or blessing and cursing.

Some people really think that God allows all the destruction to take place in our life while all our friends are blessed. If we believe this we get into that victim mentality. No, God called upon heaven and earth to record this very fact—He has set before you a choice, life or death. And the record will show that God not only gives you the choice, He gives you the answer—choose life!

Every day life presents to you choices, and in each you have the opportunity to choose life (abundant life, blessings), or you can choose death (destruction, despair). When temptation comes, you have to make a choice, either you consider the temptation and please your flesh or you pick up your authority and choose to deal with that temptation as God shows us in His Word.

You see, when you choose to rule your life contrary to the Word of God, you let your life go. It’s like lowering the drawbridge on a castle. What was once so protected is now vulnerable to the enemy. Over time, the enemy will continue to gain access through that opening, and you could lose the whole fortress.

I can tell you how you can constantly choose life, you probably know it as well. Proverbs 18: 21 says, Death and Life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. The only way we make the choice to choose life is to say something.

When you find yourself in a trial or a temptation, you have to speak up and say, “I choose life.” The moment you do that, power is released to back you up and heaven is right there to your side to help you fulfill the choice you just made.

Make sure you are properly focused on what you need to do, because you have the authority and the power over what happens in your life…you! Satan can attack you, but you choose life and you will not loose your life. Nobody can override your choices. Neither God nor Satan will make you choose something. You are responsible to choose things for yourself.

I don’t know what you are going through; maybe your mind is attacked with rejection or depression. Maybe your kids are acting up, or you let strife creep up in your marriage, or you’re stressed because of financial problems; it all can change today! All you need to do is make a choice to pick up your authority again.

Repent from it if you have to; it’s really easy. It’s just a choice. Instead of choosing to not do anything, you can choose to pick it back up again. The devil can’t keep you down! Today–choose life and blessing.

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Filed Under: Making Choices in Life Tagged With: 2012, a home run, answer, answers, breakthrough, choice, choices, Christianity, decision, destiny, discipline, disciplined life, discover, dream, driven life, effective, excerpt of book, for such a time as this, future, God, home run, how to live a life, how to live life, ignite, increase, Jesus, joy, life, life choices, lifestyle, live a life, live life, money, passion, Prayer, profit, prophecies, prophecy, purpose, Restoration, Right Place, Right Time, self control, step up to the plate, stress, supernatural, the answer, the calling, the choice, the life, the power, this is your life, to live, trouble, vision, What does it mean, word, your life

Let The Love of God Out Of The Box

January 5, 2012 by Olga 8 Comments

Let The Love of God Out Of The Box

by Olga Hermans

To know the love of God is to know His fullness. The Apostle Paul believed it was possible for born-again children of God to be filled with His fullness. He had confidence in God’s ability to do (by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit who works within us) more than our brains could even imagine.

Paul knew by divine revelation that God is truly able to glorify Himself through us! So how do we get the fullness of God? Ephesians 3:17-20 tells us exactly how to get filled with the fullness of God. We do it by becoming rooted and grounded in His love. We do it by developing such an intimate knowledge and experience of God’s love that we begin to comprehend the full extent of it.

Since He is love, when we comprehend and live completely in love we actually reveal God in His fullness.

The full comprehension of God’s love doesn’t just fall on us. It must grow up within us. And like anything that grows, it must start with a seed. That seed is the simple New Testament command of love found in Matthew 22, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (vv. 37, 39).

As we meditate on this, confess it and align our lives with it, that command begins to take root in our minds and hearts. If we stick with it, eventually we will become so grounded in the commandment of love that we’ll judge our whole lives by it.

When that happens, if somebody says something ugly to us, for example, instead of lashing out at them, start searching for a way to keep the commandment and respond to them in love.

The more we practice yielding to love, the stronger our revelation of God’s love grows. Our comprehension of it increases and as a result, our lives are increasingly filled with the fullness of God.

The more we practice obeying the commandment of love, the more rooted and grounded in love we’ll become. Before long, walking in love won’t even seem like a commandment anymore. It will become a privilege, an honor and a joy. We won’t desire to live any other way. The seed of love will be growing up within us. We’ll become rooted and grounded in it. We’ll begin to truly comprehend the love of God…and the God of love.

If you’ll keep on walking in love, every day as you step out your front door, you will be overflowing a little more with the presence of the Lord. Every day you’ll be living more of the life you are called and divinely designed to live—a life that is filled with all the fullness of God!

Google the word “love” and you’ll get 8,930,000,000 results – that’s nearly 9 billion hits! There is so much information on love, yet many have no concept of true love, God’s love…supernatural love.

What is supernatural love?
Supernatural love is above and beyond the capability of human character. Supernatural love is extended to us by God and flows through us to our fellow man. Anything with the label “supernatural” sounds difficult to define or identify. How do we know that we receive and give supernatural love?

How do I know I have it?
The Bible tells us the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). To love people unconditionally takes a supernatural kind of love! But praise God; we have the love of God residing in us. Actions follow beliefs.
It is only through our relationship with the Lord that this supernatural love will flow through us back to the Father and to others.

Why is supernatural love so important?
We are commanded to be imitators of God. God doesn’t love. God IS love – God’s nature is so overwhelmingly love that He is love.

What is the model for supernatural love?
Picture Jesus’ last supper with His disciples. Even then Jesus knew God’s plan was for Him to be tortured and crucified. He knew that Judas was going to betray Him and yet still released him to do so. Jesus knew every detail of the plan, yet He followed through with it because of his supernatural love for the Father and for us. How do we know if we’re operating in supernatural love?

How do I show supernatural love?
Supernatural love is seen in our love of God and our love of man. We make a choice to spend time with the Father, just as Jesus did. Supernatural love for one another is described in 1 Peter 1:22 which tells us “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently (KJV).” Unfeigned love means real, sincere, not counterfeit or hypocritical love. What are some of the blessings that come to us through God’s love?

How do I benefit from God’s supernatural love?
We are beneficiaries of all the works that Jesus did on the cross. It’s by faith we receive what Jesus did for us in His body upon the cross, and it’s by faith that we give Him the burdens we carry. Our sins are forgiven and we declare that our bodies are whole and healthy because of the pain He endured for us. There are no words to thank Him for what He did on the cross. Two thousand years later, His Blood is still full of power and we can apply it to every situation and expect change; there are no limitations! How do I show God’s supernatural love to others?

How do I benefit others through supernatural love?
Being the messenger’s of Jesus’ love to mankind, we want to be lovers of God and to walk in love with all men. We ask Him for a fresh desire to extend love to the lost-those that do not know Him. We petition Him for opportunities to minister His love to make us bolder witnesses for Him. His heart is for all men to experience His love and He has chosen to send it throughout the world through you and me.

Supernatural love is a gift of God and we choose the extent to which it manifests in our love of God and our fellow man. If we are striving to be imitators of God, we will be full of love and continually ask God to help us love more.

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Filed Under: 5 Your Character Tagged With: 2012, a home run, answer, answers, breakthrough, choice, choices, Christianity, decision, destiny, discipline, disciplined life, discover, dream, driven life, effective, excerpt of book, for such a time as this, future, God, home run, how to live a life, how to live life, ignite, increase, Jesus, joy, life, life choices, lifestyle, live a life, live life, money, passion, Prayer, profit, prophecies, prophecy, purpose, Restoration, Right Place, Right Time, self control, step up to the plate, stress, supernatural, the answer, the calling, the choice, the life, the power, this is your life, to live, trouble, vision, What does it mean, word, your life

Get Out of The Cave in 2012

January 2, 2012 by Olga 6 Comments

Get Out of The Cave in 2012

by Olga Hermans

The philosopher Plato wrote an allegory in which he compared people to prisoners chained in a cave. The only reality they knew was the tiny space of their surroundings. But if a person would stand up and break out of the chains, they could step out of the cave and into the light. This analogy can relate to our lives spiritually. The Bible says in John 1:5 that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all!

You could be in a type of a cave. That cave could symbolize fear, depression, shame, or bitterness. The awesome thing is that Jesus has already paid the price for you to be free from the chains of the enemy. God has called you out of darkness and into the light of Christ Jesus.

There are so many distractions that will try to keep you from fulfilling your God-given purpose. You see, the enemy knows the potential that resides on the inside of you and he will do anything he can to keep you in fear of stepping out into something greater.

But you must wake up and realize you have been brought into the Kingdom for “such a time as this”. God has a purpose, an assignment, for you to fulfill. It is time to get out of your cave and be a light in this world.

God called Gideon out of the cave and to step out. “Cave dweller”, that is how Gideon, an Israelite, would have been labelled. The background on why this man was living in a cave is found in Judges, chapter 6. The story starts where the children of Israel had gone away from God.

They had begun to worship other gods, so they got out from under God’s protection. The Midianites (their enemies) took control for seven years, causing the Israelites to resort to dwelling in caves to hide from their enemies. Basically, the Israelites were in bondage and fear.

While in hiding, Gideon’s eyes were opened to the promises that God had for him. The angel of the Lord brought a word that Gideon needed to hear in Judges 6:12.

I love this because “God calls those things that are not as though they were” Rom 4:17, and that is what God does in our lives. Gideon was in hiding and God came and said, “Gideon, you’re a mighty man of God.” And Gideon said, “Who? Me?”

Gideon is wondering why everything had happened to them if the Lord was with them and where all the miracles are that all their fathers told them about. Judges 6:13

So many times we do that as well. We think, Well, if God is really with me, why are all these things happening to me? Gideon was complaining, but the children of Israel actually put themselves in the situation because they had gone away from God.

And so, the Lord turned to him and said: “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” Judges 6:14-15

Gideon did what most of us have done: He began to compare himself with others and say, “But me? I am the weakest. I am the least. What do I have? Why are you choosing me, God? I can’t sing like that person. I can’t do this like that person.”

The Bible tells us it’s not wise to compare ourselves with others. 2Cor.10:12. Why? Because God is not going to help you to be anyone else other than the person He made you to be! God has put gifts inside you to bless someone else, not for you to get jealous or compare your gifts with someone else’s gifts. You better accept yourself as God made you.

Psalm 139:13-15 “The Message” says, “… You formed me in my mother’s womb … I am marvelously made! … You know exactly how I was made, … how I was sculpted from nothing into something …”

You are uniquely designed by God for a special purpose. God has put gifts and talents inside of you that no one else has, and He desires that you use them for His Glory! Don’t let comparison or fear keep you from stepping out into your destiny.

I remember the time that my husband and I stepped out to build a bible school in Amsterdam. I remember how overwhelmed I felt by the assignment and didn’t feel capable, but He saw something in us that we didn’t see. We had to trust God that He would give us the grace in everything that needed to be done.

I felt like Gideon at the time, trying to make excuses of why I couldn’t do it. But then we finally said, “Lord, we will do it, but we need your wisdom to do it.” We knew it was God’s will for us to do it, and He was faithful to give us the grace needed for the task. My husband and I had to choose to get out of the “cave” and depend on His grace and power to help us accomplish what He was asking of us.

Gideon was a lot like Moses. Gideon had a word from the Lord, and he started making excuses of “I’m the weakest, and I am the least.” I thought about the story of Moses in Exodus 3. Moses was the same way with God. Here are two men in the Bible who are listed as people whom God used, and they both made excuses of how they didn’t think God could use them.

Both Gideon and Moses were about to put their lives on the line. They were looking for the absolute knowing that the Lord had called them to take on their enemies and deliver their people.

When the Lord calls us to do something for Him, it’s not a lack of faith to ask Him to confirm the word that He’s told us. Remember, He’s more concerned about your doing the assignment than you are, and He’s well able to send a clear sign to you about how to fulfill it. But He doesn’t want you to hold back in fear. He wants you to use all that is available to you so that you can step out of your cave into something extraordinary in 2012.

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Hold On To Your Dream!

December 29, 2011 by Olga 9 Comments

Hold On To Your Dream!

by Olga Hermans

What have you been dreaming about lately? You may not realize it, but the dream on the inside of you is the beginning of the life God has for you. You can’t look at life with a “whatever will be, will be” attitude, because everything begins with a dream. Dreams are the power that push you forward in reaching God’s destiny for your life.

No matter what stage of life we are in, we should never stop dreaming. And once we have a dream, we should never give up on it. Do you have a dream that is burning on the inside of you? Or has it slipped away because of seemingly impossible circumstances?

The book of Genesis records the story of Joseph. Genesis 37:5 says, “One night Joseph had a dream” NLT Joseph’s family was like many other people today. They didn’t understand or appreciate his dream. In fact, it was because of his dream that his brothers sold him into slavery. And Joseph went though many difficult years when it seemed as if his dream would never come to pass.

God had a very special plan for Joseph’s life, which was shown to him through dreams. The Lord also has a perfect plan for your life; He may not reveal it to you through a dream that comes while you are asleep, but He will give you the desire to bring that plan into fulfillment!

When you became a born-again believer, something very special happened to you: you received your birthright as a joint-heir of God with Jesus Christ. You now belong to the Father in heaven. People with spiritual birthrights are called by the Lord to fulfill His plan on earth, and that is why the Lord gives them spiritual dreams. It is His way of causing them to “occupy” and be fruitful until the return of Jesus.

Has the Lord given you a goal? That is a spiritual dream; you don’t have to receive the Lord’s call through a vision which comes in your sleep! Your inner desire to bring a specific plan into fulfillment IS your dream. If you don’t have a specific goal, get one! Without a dream, a vision, you will drift aimlessly along life’s flow. With a dream you will be fruitful and fulfilled.

God gave Joseph a spiritual dream, and his brothers hated him. Right after Joseph told his brothers about the dream, and shared it with his father, Jacob became upset. At first he didn’t understand how Joseph could imagine such things, but then Jacob began considering the contents of Joseph’s dream, and he began to believe that there was something more to it than he had initially realized.

Jacob discerned Joseph’s dream with spiritual judgement, but his sons did not discern it at all; in fact they were plotting against Joseph. They thought he was a dreamer. Doesn’t that sound like what the world has to say about Christians? They sometimes say, “Oh, those Christians are such dreamers! They should stop all that dreaming and get back to reality.”

Be prepared for the reaction of people around you, for they will often misunderstand you. Some people might even think that you’re crazy. So what? You have a dream, a goal which they might not have. Just like Joseph’s brothers, they had no such understanding of spiritual dreams, and when Joseph approached them, they banded together and grabbed him, stripping him of his colourful coat. They hated that coat with a passion.

Right then, Joseph’s life took an unconventional path. After being sold into slavery, he was thrown into prison, accused of things he did not do. But later Joseph realized that these difficult times helped prepare him to fulfill his dream.

Joseph eventually was elevated to second-in-command of Egypt. After his father died, and his brothers stood before him, he said to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me in this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Gen.50:20 NLT

Many people have dreams, but they don’t make any preparations to accomplish them. They think that if their dream is from God, it will just happen. But those who have accomplished the desires burning in their hearts can tell you that it didn’t “just” happen. There was some hard work involved.

Preparation time can be difficult. But without it, you can’t step into your DESTINY. I can see that in my own life. There have been many times that it seemed as if what I was doing would not help me reach the dreams that were in my heart. But looking back, I can see how God was in every step along the way.

Preparation is never easy, but when the time comes to step into your DESTINY, you’re ready. When Joseph’s time came, he acted on his dream. Gen 41:14

I want you to notice that Joseph didn’t sit in prison wondering, “Should I do this or not?” You may think that sounds crazy, but many people today sit in the prison of your thoughts, refusing to act on opportunities knocking at their door. Joseph acted on the opportunity presented to him and stepped into his DESTINY.

Are you ready to step up to the plate and accomplish what God placed on the inside of you? I encourage you to endure whatever hardship you are experiencing. Know that it will pay off in the end. And when you finally step up to the plate of your DESTINY, it will outshine the endurance that it took to get there.

That’s why people call the past “the good ole days.” The process may not seem like a good place to be at all. But when their dream, their destiny became a reality, all of that hardship didn’t mean anything anymore.

No matter what you are facing, don’t give up on your dream. It’s worth standing for. It’s worth fighting for. It’s worth enduring the difficulties for until it becomes a reality.

Dream a dream. And let it lead you into greater visions, followed by even greater ones! Stop being critical of other people’s dreams. When you have a dream, don’t let the enemy steal it. Joseph had to wait thirteen years before it came to pass. Purpose for 2012 to be a Joseph; Hold on to your dream!

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The Missing Element in Your Life

December 26, 2011 by Olga 8 Comments

The Missing Element in Your Life

by Olga Hermans

As I was thinking about what to write today, I kept thinking of why Jesus came to this earth. We all know that He came to save us, to give us a new life, and to restore our relationship with God again; we all know that. But we have to realize that He came to give us abundant life and that we can live in the full blessing; we forget the key element why He came that changes our life for good.

These can be the best of times and these can be the worst of times, but for those who are in the household of faith, everything is going to be all-right! And to be in the household of faith, you have to read the Word of God.

We are living in extraordinary days and while we are moving toward the end of 2011 to enter 2012, I thought it would be great to talk about this key element. Let me know what you think by making a comment!

I want to show you something that might be missing in your life that is key to your discovery of the life you were born to live.

You had no idea of any of this, didn’t know the first thing about the way God works, hadn’t the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God’s covenants and promises in Israel, hadn’t a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. Now because of Christ–dying that death, shedding that blood–you who were once out of it altogether are IN ON EVERYTHING Eph 2:12-13 The Message Thank You JESUS!!

There are people right now that are experiencing challenging times and financial pressure in their lives. Sometimes when people get under pressure they try to figure it out on their own; they are trying to figure out how to supply their own need. Under the pressure they forget to include the key element; they forget the help of the Holy Spirit. They forget to include what I believe is a key element, that would completely alter their situation.

What happens when you leave out a key element? I, myself am not a very good cook. But when you are cooking something and you leave out a key element of the recipe, it wouldn’t turn out so well, would it? It wouldn’t taste the same because you don’t have all the ingredients.

Many times when we get under pressure, we try to figure it out ourselves; we try to figure it out on paper how we can get out of our financial situation. But the key element that I believe that people miss is THE ANOINTING. There was a time that you were without Christ, you didn’t know the first thing about the way God works, hadn’t the faintest idea of Christ. But NOW you are IN CHRIST.

The anointing means the burden removing, yoke destroying power of God. If you want to know more about the anointing, I would recommend reading a book about it, so you know what to expect from the anointing. It changes everything!

The word CHRIST means THE ANOINTED ONE and His ANOINTING. You need to know how to factor the anointing in your life, because there is no hope without it, whatever the problem is.

Whenever you come to a financial challenge in your life, don’t forget to factor in the anointing! You factor in what God says about your situation, you factor in the truth on your situation and that destroys the yoke and removes the burden from your shoulders. The anointing will change the natural by the power of the supernatural.

Luke 4:18-19: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; (You don’t have to be poor any more) he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.. And then He said in verse 21 “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”

Jesus is talking about the poor! People who don’t have enough money are broken-hearted. People, that are under the bondage of debt are in captivity. When people are under spiritual or natural pressure, they can’t see the next day. Pressure is all around them.

That acceptable year of the Lord was the year of jubilee. Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, that they didn’t have to be poor anymore and they would be released by the power of that anointing. That was the year of the jubilee and we live in the jubilee.

Jesus said in verse 21 This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. So, with Jesus preaching that the poor don’t have to be poor anymore is for us today! But you have factor the anointing of God. Don’t forget to apply the anointing of God into your financial situation, which is the power of God. Debt is a burden, that needs to be removed and destroyed for good.

Isaiah 10:27 tells us what the anointing is. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Practically speaking, what does that Anointing of God on flesh do for us? According to Isaiah 10:27, it destroys the yoke of bondage. It is the burden removing, yoke destroying power of God. It is the power of God that removes the burden of lack, sickness and disease. It is the power of God that destroys the yoke of debt. It is God’s “super” abundance added to our “natural” situation.

It is the power of God poured on us, smeared on us, rubbed into us and into our lives. You could say it this way: the anointing for prosperity is God’s provision poured over us, smeared on us and rubbed into our financial lives. The Anointing of God is the power of God on our flesh doing those things only God can do. It is God’s power on our flesh doing what our flesh doesn’t have the ability to do.

That’s why you can have hope in the most hopeless situations. It doesn’t matter who you are or what color your skin is. It doesn’t matter if you never made it past the sixth grade. You can break out of that hopeless situation if you’ll apply the anointing to your life.

I want to strongly advise you to begin factoring in the anointing on your life from now on and especially this new year. If someone tells you that you cannot do a certain thing or that you cannot succeed. You can’t expect to prosper. Ask yourself this question: “Is there a yoke holding me back?” Then you know that the anointing will destroy it!

The anointing changes everything! It’s that easy! It is God’s provision poured over you. It is an essential element in your life. The anointing will make a way where is no way. The anointing will restore your marriage and your relationship with your children. The anointing will give a promotion on your job. The anointing of God will reveal the wisdom you need to thrive and not just survive in these times.

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Life Has Two Doors: Faith and Fear

December 19, 2011 by Olga 13 Comments

Life Has Two Doors: Faith and Fear

by Olga Hermans

There are so many things going on in the world right now, that it is very easy to let fear strike our hearts, especially in this time of the year. Christmas can bring all kinds of feelings to us and as we get to the end of 2011 to enter into 2012, uncertainties, worries and doubt try to get to us.

If there were two doors in front of you: one is called FEAR and the other is called FAITH; which one would you choose for the New Year? Of course, you would choose the door of FAITH. But do you realize that as you enter through the door of FAITH that FEAR doesn’t live there?

Many people are afraid of losing their health, their wealth and their loved ones. Some people are afraid of life itself. When you look around, you can see that many people are ruled by fear. It can absolutely take over a person’s life. I made a commitment to myself that I will not live in fear. This is what I confess on a regular basis.

Until the power of fear is broken in our lives, we are held captive to it, which means we are not free to follow God. To discover the life that You were Born to live and to enjoy all the blessings He wants to give us, we simply must refuse to live in fear. If fear rules in our lives we cannot enjoy anything we do. Fear brings torment and we must refuse to entertain it or our lives will be miserable.

Satan will always intimidate you through words, actions, or signs. But did you know that God does that as well; He also approaches you with words, actions, or signs. God desires for you to act on what He says, because then His Words will come into manifestation. When we act on what God says, we will be blessed in our deeds.

Satan will always try to intimidate us and tempt us to act upon our fears. Fear will bring things to pass just like faith will. Job said, “The thing which I greatly feared has come upon me” (Job 3:25).

Many of us have a fear of failure and are being intimidated or tempted by Satan to act on that fear, but there is absolutely no way that he can cause that to become a reality unless you start acting on what he says.

I remember a teacher in our bible school telling us that she had asked this question of God: “Father, can the devil do anything that he wants to do, anytime that he gets ready to do it?” God told her, “If he could do anything he wanted to do, anytime he got ready to do it, then why would he have to deceive you first?”

God has given us a choice and the choice is up to us what we do when satan comes to us with temptations to fear. When we refuse to fear, satan has to flee from us with his intimidations.

Man stands in a strategic position. He can be contacted by both God and Satan. You might say that man is the establishing witness (Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1).

Satan intimidates and tempts us with thoughts and words of fear and if we act on them, they come to pass. God contacts us through His Word and if we acts on His Word; it comes to pass. We can choose to refuse fear and act in faith.

The devil is limited and cannot do anything unless he first comes in and deceives, intimidates, or tempts the man and then gets him to fall for it and act in fear. If we do not refuse him in faith and believe his intimidations, then he has a legal right to cause it to become a reality. It’s as simple as that.

We all have been through difficult situations, where we thought there was no way out. I have been in a couple severe situations; some very painful and some very, very emotional. But God always showed up to rescue me and showed me the way out of my distress and as I stepped through the door of FAITH, my life changed from faith to faith and from glory to glory again!

There are more types of fear than we could name or count, but they all have the same source and the same purpose. They are all from the enemy and they are intended to rob us blind if we choose to let them. God is always right there to show us the way of escape.

As we go through trials, we must develop a right mental attitude and the only way to do that is to know what the Word of God says. If you do not recognize that God will always make a way of escape available in every circumstance then you will stay negative about your problem and expect satan to beat you.

The Bible says in Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Remember, there are two doors in front of you and when you enter the door of FAITH, there is no fear there. Faith and fear are like magnets: faith is a magnet that draws the very best and fear draws the worst; they both are expectations!

Fear is the opposite of faith. We receive from satan though fear, and we receive from God through faith. We can know and do God’s will through placing our faith in Him, but we can cooperate with satan’s plan though fear. When we are afraid, we may fail to do what God wants us to do and, instead, end up doing what the devil wants us to do.

When fear knocks at the door of your life, but finds you full of faith, it cannot enter in. I’d like to encourage you to meditate on and confess that you are filled with faith. Say: “I am full of faith!”

When satan comes to attack you with fear by bringing pressure, you can confidently say something like this: “Satan, I refuse to fear. I am not moved by what I see. You can do whatever you want, but God will always provide a way of escape. God will not allow you to defeat me; He showed a way of escape to Job and He will do the same for me. God is on my side; He is not a respecter of persons; you can’t beat me!”

That is the right mental attitude to approach the pressure that satan tries to bring against you. When difficult times come upon you, that is the time for you to grow in faith.

Everybody can go through tests, trials, and temptations and come out on the other side beaten and worn out. But there is a strength, a power that comes when you approach your situation with the right mentality. Make a choice to enter through that door of FAITH and come out victoriously instead of entering through that door of FEAR and be defeated.

The decision is up to you! Think about it!

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Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: 2012, a home run, answer, answers, breakthrough, choice, choices, Christianity, decision, destiny, discipline, disciplined life, discover, dream, driven life, effective, excerpt of book, for such a time as this, future, God, home run, how to live a life, how to live life, ignite, increase, Jesus, joy, life, life choices, lifestyle, live a life, live life, money, passion, Prayer, profit, prophecies, prophecy, purpose, Restoration, Right Place, Right Time, self control, step up to the plate, stress, supernatural, the answer, the calling, the choice, the life, the power, this is your life, to live, trouble, vision, What does it mean, word, your life

How To Enjoy The Holiday Season with Your Family

December 15, 2011 by Olga 4 Comments

How To Enjoy The Holiday Season with Your Family

by Olga Hermans

The holiday season is a time to spend with loved ones. For some people that means that you celebrate Christmas with family members that you haven’t seen for a long time, or maybe spending time with some individuals that you have issues with. We all know how that feels and how much stress that can bring.

This Christmas, I encourage you and myself to celebrate Christmas by demonstrating agape love, which is God’s unconditional love. Make a quality choice to make a decision to give your family the best of yourself even if that requires a sacrificial offering of yourself, your time, and your undivided attention.

Maybe your first thing could be to turn off your cell phone and refuse to allow other commitments to distract you from spending quality time with your family. Let your family know that you want to be there for them and do something that they really enjoy by focusing on what makes them feel loved and accepted.

Find out what their plans are for the next year or their most treasured holiday memories; show an interest in what they love. Allow Agape love to guide you in everything that you do; giving the gifts, cooking the meals, and some fun things.

I love to spend time with my family members, the people that I love and that are closest to me. I like to make the holidays memorable by doing exciting things and setting aside time to relax.

We should not allow Christmas to be reduced to a time of materialism, selfish gratification, and stress. That is not what the Holiday season is for. Today, Christmas has lost its meaning because people don’t know the real meaning of Christmas any more. So sad. It is the most profound celebration of the year.

The other day I was listening to a classic Christmas song: “And men live for-evermore because of Christmas Day!” I always knew that song, but never really heard what the words in fact were saying. This is a profound message.

But today the hustle and bustle of gift-buying, shopping, and catching the best sale consumes the majority of people around this time of year. However, God’s purpose for the Christmas celebration is for us to remember and meditate on the most precious gift of all—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. The gift that makes you live for-evermore.

Our Heavenly Father has given Jesus to humankind as the ultimate gift. We all would be doomed without Him. God loved us all so much that He gave Jesus to us. He came to die for all our sins so we don’t have to die; the ultimate sacrifice.

It is so easy for us to get all wrapped up in the receiving aspect of the Holiday season; our focus is on what we can expect to get from someone else. Let’s make a shift of focus by imitating what God did through giving Jesus. I believe that this shift of focus would meet everybody’s need; love would flow though our families like never before, and everybody would get blessed.

The blessing of Christmas is bigger than a tree, unwrapping presents, and getting everything on our wish list. It is really all about Jesus! He is the One who deserves the glory, honor, and praise for the awesome work He did on our behalf. He gave us the gift of salvation, something we did not earn or deserve.

Let’s make this Christmas a memory by focusing on other people and purpose to be a blessing to them, just like Jesus was and is, to us. Write down your family members and ask the Lord to show you what you can do to make their lives merrier. After all, it is a Merry Christmas! Find out what and how God wants you to give so He can demonstrate His love to someone through you. This is the true meaning of Christmas.

Please, don’t understand me wrong by thinking that I am against receiving gifts and experiencing the joy of getting something you really desire. God wants to bless you too! But in the midst of all that is going on around you, remember the reason for the season. Jesus is the One who gave us the gift of eternal life. Now that is something worth celebrating!

Someone wisely said:

If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator;
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist;
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist;
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer;
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so
God sent us a Savior.

Even if this has been a really tough year for you… perhaps a year of great challenges, we pray that you have a Merry Christmas. We have been redeemed unto God, and we belong to Him. Satan’s tyranny no longer reigns over us, we no longer sit in the shadow of death, and because of Christmas Day men live for-evermore. Think about that!

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Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: 2012, a home run, answer, answers, breakthrough, choice, choices, Christianity, decision, destiny, discipline, disciplined life, discover, dream, driven life, effective, excerpt of book, for such a time as this, future, God, home run, how to live a life, how to live life, ignite, increase, Jesus, joy, life, life choices, lifestyle, live a life, live life, money, passion, Prayer, profit, prophecies, prophecy, purpose, Restoration, Right Place, Right Time, self control, step up to the plate, stress, supernatural, the answer, the calling, the choice, the life, the power, this is your life, to live, trouble, vision, What does it mean, word, your life

Restoration Is Yours!

December 12, 2011 by Olga 17 Comments

Restoration Is Yours!

by Olga Hermans

Have you ever gotten out of bed one morning with a good attitude and a smile on your face, feeling great, looking forward to the day ahead and suddenly everything turns around? Or what about waking up in the morning thinking you can’t do this any more; everything is too overwhelming.

Let me encourage you to NOT give up and to NOT quit. It’s time to pick yourself up, rebuke satan and declare that there is something great about to happen in your life. You have to ask yourself, “Am I willing to wait for it?” No matter how devastating the attack might be, or how overwhelming things might look right now, God can turn things around and cause the blessing to equally overwhelm you.

The blessing can wipe out everything, seriously!! The blessing is no respecter of persons. Deut 28:2 says: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee … The Brenton Translation says it like this: “All these blessings shall come upon you and shall find you….The Heb. says: all these blessings shall reach you…”

There are times that we think we have missed opportunities or blown chances. We can look back and think, why did I spend all those years running with the wrong people, partying, when I should have been getting ahead?

It’s true that some of you missed out on opportunities because you were raised in an unhealthy environment or grew up in poverty. Whatever the reason, when things don’t go our way, it’s tempting to think that you missed all your chances and your seasons. But the good news is that God always has another season in store for you.

He says in Joel 2:25 that He will restore the years that have been stolen. I have experienced a lot of rejection in my own life and on top of all that both my parents died within 2 years before I was 20. My mother in law rather saw me going than coming. It always felt there was no break in my life with people around me that really loved me. But God brought my husband in my life that stood with me through thick and thin. I don’t want to relive my whole childhood, so I want to leave it with that for now.

You probably have gone through things that have you wonder, why am I here on this earth? Wasn’t that what Job asked God? After he started praying for his enemies God turned his whole life around; He will do the same for you!

I am sure that God can make the rest of your life so rewarding and so fulfilling that it makes up for lost opportunities in your past. There are times of restoration. You are entitled to it; it belongs to you.

Let’s have a closer look at Joel 2:25 “And I will restore to you the years…” It talks about years. God says that He wants to restore YEARS that have been stolen from you. Now, be honest, has the devil stolen anything from you over the last five years? Do you want it back? Are you entitled to it? Yes, you are! Let that sink in deep on the inside of you! Everything that the devil has stolen from you.

Start believing God for everything that satan has stolen from you sevenfold!

Joel 2:26 says, and you shall eat in plenty! This is your condition immediately after your restoration. See how your lifestyle will change immediately after God restores everything what the devil has stolen for years; you shall eat in plenty.

Plenty is the nature of God. That has been the plan for you and me since the beginning. It never was the plan of God that we live in the land of “not enough” nor the land of “just enough,” but God has always intended for us to live in the land of “”more than enough,”

Have you ever lived under the shame of not being able to pay your bills? I have and it is not the nicest feeling either! God says in that same verse of Joel 2:26: “My people shall never be ashamed.” The shame of not being able to provide for your family like you really want to. After a while you feel terrible when you can’t do something that you really want to do because you’re limited and restricted.

God said, “When I restore the years, you shall eat in plenty. You will be satisfied. I will deal wondrously with you, and you will never know shame again.”
It is time to make a choice to remove everything that holds you onto your past. You can’t drag your past around with you and expect to enter into God’s destiny for your life.

So let me encourage you and challenge you today. Whatever has been stolen from you, you can get it back – and then some. Don’t get offended by God; it will only delay you restoration. What’s the bottom line of Satan stealing from you? To get you offended at God and delay your victory.

Why? Because when you’re offended at God, you’re not in His presence. And if you’re not in His presence, then you’re not in position for restoration. If Satan can steal from you and get you offended at God and keep you out of God’s presence, then he doesn’t have to repay you.

God is saying to you: “If you will persevere even though it’s difficult and believe even though you don’t see anything happening, then I will step in and do what you can’t do. I will make up for lost time. I will propel you to new levels. I will bring supernatural opportunities. I will put the right people in your path at the right time.

God will make up for your lost time. Every opportunity you’ve missed, every chance you’ve blown, all those years you may have wasted, I declare over you: restoration is coming your way.

God will restore those years. Things are changing in your favor. Your latter days will be better than your former days; I declare the rest of your life will be better than the first part of your life. So choose to receive it by faith!

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