We have been in this series for 11 solid weeks. I trust that this series has been a blessing to you. It comes to an end today. Here is the second and final recap.
(2 Corinthians 4:1, 7-13, 16-18 TPT)
1 Now, it’s because of God’s mercy that we have been entrusted with the privilege of this new covenant ministry. And we will not quit or faint with weariness.
7 We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours.
8 Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option.
9 We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out.
10 We continually share in the death of Jesus in our own bodies so that the resurrection life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity.
11 We consider living to mean that we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that the life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity.
12 So, then, death is at work in us but it releases life in you.
13 We have the same Spirit of faith that is described in the Scriptures when it says, “First I believed, then I spoke in faith.” So we also first believe then speak in faith.
16 So no wonder we don’t give up. For even though our outer person gradually wears out, our inner being is renewed every single day.
17 We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity. We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison,
18 because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.
So what does this mean to you today? Here are a few things we have learned in this series about our ability to withstand and overcome anything:
1. Words matter!
To understand the importance of your words, you must learn to see your life (especially your challenges) from heaven’s perspective. When you look at a challenge through God’s eyes, it will look a lot smaller and more manageable. Your perspective is critical because you will SPEAK what you BELIEVE in your heart! Further, once you speak what you believe, it is only a matter of time before you have what you say.
— Your words can agree with heaven, positioning you to experience heaven on earth, or they can keep you bound to the limits of this world. That’s how important your words are!
— The Bible has so much to say about the importance of your words because it is with your words that you set your heart in agreement with either God or satan. When you align your lips with God, His Word, His Kingdom, and His purposes, you are speaking the language of faith. You are putting yourself in a position to receive what God is revealing to you. Conversely, when you believe the words of fear that satan is speaking to you, and you open your mouth to agree with him, speaking fear, doubt, and unbelief, you agree with satan and are putting the promise of God at risk.
— God is looking for you to align your lips and your legs with His promises. But your legs will never take you where your mind has never been, and in most cases, where your lips have never spoken. In other words, in the Kingdom of God, you must SEE IT and SAY IT before you EXPERIENCE IT.
— Many believers don’t realize it, but they are stifling their faith with words of fear, doubt, and unbelief all the time. You cannot pray in faith in the morning and then speak words of fear, doubt, and unbelief all day, but then think that your prayers will be effective. Words of prayer must be followed up and reinforced with words of faith.
— No matter how long it takes, focus on getting to the point where you are conscious of your words. Some people don’t realize how negative they speak. They may not know it, but their words are holding them back from God’s best.
2. There is a difference between speaking words you want to come true and speaking what you believe God has already done in eternity.
For years, I made faith confessions (or declarations) based on God’s Word. I still do these today. I actually lead you in one every day. But my understanding of these has evolved over the years. I will attempt to communicate my understanding.
— Many believers, who love God and are well-intentioned, make faith confessions and speak words they “HOPE” will happen. They openly declare God’s Word but are not fully persuaded of God by anything. They are simply speaking positive confessions in hopes that these things will come to pass. I am not saying that this is wrong, but to be clear, at best, this is “hit and miss.” Sometimes this will work, and other times it will not. I will explain.
— Some people take it a step further, and they believe they are “manifesting” or “creating” their reality with their words. They even use scripture to support this belief. They say what they want, over and over again, believing that God will somehow “have to” respond because they are speaking His Word. Some even go so far as to believe they are “commanding God.” To be clear, if you could command God, you would be God’s God. You don’t tell God what to do. That would be the tail wagging the dog.
— The text we have been looking at says, “We have the same Spirit of faith that is described in the Scriptures when it says, “First I believed, then I spoke in faith.” So we also first believe then speak in faith.” If you are speaking words you HOPE will come to pass, then you did not FIRST BELIEVE. Remember, faith is what happens when God convinces you of the future He planned for you. You have to FIRST BELIEVE what God is revealing to you, and THEN open your mouth to confess and declare it. When you openly DECLARE what God is saying to you and speak words of faith from a believing heart, you are setting your faith, on earth, in agreement with heaven. As a result, you will experience heaven on earth.
— Another scripture we looked at says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” Did you catch that? Once you know God has provided the “YES,” meaning that you know for sure that it is His will, then you open your mouth and provide the “AMEN!”
— Here is an example you know well. God revealed Himself to a young virgin girl through an angel. God made it clear that it was HIS WILL for her to become pregnant without ever having sex. It took her a few minutes, but she finally got it. She believed what the angel was saying. Once she was convinced that it was the Lord’s will, she opened her mouth and said, “May everything you have said about me come true.” As soon as she said that, Mary, a virgin, got pregnant. It was not her idea. It was God’s idea. It was impossible. But she had the faith to FIRST BELIEVE and then SPEAK! This is how we live the life of faith, and this is how we withstand and overcome anything!
3. Your words are telling everyone outside of you what is going on inside of you.
— The words you speak are a litmus test for the condition of your heart.
— Daily, your words tell everyone who you are by exposing what is going on on the inside of you.
— Faith has a language. When I listen to someone, it does not take me long to realize whether or not they are a person of faith. I can hear faith. I can also hear fear, doubt, and unbelief. Like it or not, YOUR WORDS ARE TELLING ON YOU!
— If you don’t like the message your words are portraying about you, it is time to make a change. The only way to change your words is by changing what is in your heart. Your heart is the reservoir (or deposit) of your soul. Your eyes and ears are gateways to your soul. Whatever you allow through your eyes gets down in your heart. Whatever you allow through your ears gets down in your heart. To change what is in your heart (deposit), you must change your input: what you see and hear.
— If you can change your input, you can change your heart’s content/quality/condition. Once you change what is in your heart, you will change your output (i.e., your words).
— If you listen to me long enough, you will hear me say, “SPEAK THE WORD ONLY!” Well, you cannot SPEAK the Word if you do not have the Word down in your heart. To change what is coming OUT, you must change what you allow IN. You must change what you give your attention to.
— You can RENEW your mind with the Word of God. If you consistently get the Word through your EYE gates and EAR gates, it will get down in your heart. Once it is there, if you meditate and medciate on it day and night, you will literally change the way you think to line up with God’s thinking. Once you change the way you think, you will change the way you speak. Once you change the way you think and speak, it will spill over into changed actions. Once you have changed the way you think, speak, and act to line up with God, then guess what? YOU HAVE CHANGED!
You will wake up one morning and realize that you are SPEAKING THE WORD ONLY! You are at a place in your development where you never allow a negative word or a word that does not align with God’s will to come out of your mouth. This is the goal. You want to get to the point where you believe what God is revealing and then speak what you believe!
4. When you pray, you are declaring what you believe from the UNSEEN realm and you cannot allow yourself to be moved by the SEEN realm.
— Jesus spoke to a fig tree for it to die. He only did this because He was led by the Father to do it. Initially, the tree did nothing. But Jesus was not moved by what He saw with His physical eyes. He was only moved by what God said in His heart. We are called to live the same way.
— Elijah declared that it would not rain until he said so. He only said this because God led him to say it. He believed what he said. But he had no way of validating it with his senses. He had to wait to see what happened. Guess what? It did not rain for 42 months. When he came back and prayed for rain (because God led him to), he sent his servant out to see if the rain was coming. The servant came back with a negative report. Elijah then sent the young man out seven more times because he was convinced rain was coming. On the eighth time, the servant saw a little cloud. That little cloud quickly became a downpour. Why? Because Elijah was persistent. He was seeing rain in his heart, so he was not moved by what his servant was seeing in the natural. When what God is saying to you in your heart does not line up with what you are seeing in the natural, keep praying, keep believing, rain is coming, your breakthrough is only a matter of time. Just don’t allow what you see to cause you to change what you say or what you are praying!
5. Jesus did not accept everything that happened was God’s will, and He, in turn, SPOKE God’s will over situations.
— Jesus received His orders from headquarters (heaven) on a daily basis. This is how we are supposed to live.
— Jesus spent time alone with the Father. Praying with or around others is fine. Jesus did this too. But in many cases, early in the morning, we see Jesus going off by Himself, giving the Father His undivided attention. If you want to get to the point where you only say and do as the Holy Spirit leads you to say and do, you must make time to spend alone time with God.
— If Jesus saw a clear need to spend time in prayer, then how do you think you can ever succeed in life without it? Jesus counted on the Father daily, and so must we.
— Far too many believers accept everything as ‘the will of God’ without ever spending time with the Father to find out what His will actually is.
— If you hear from the Father in prayer, you won’t need to question His will because you will know it. It is then and only then that you can believe it, speak it, and allow it to direct your life.
— Bad things happen to good people. Don’t accept everything that happens as an act of God’s sovereign will. Jesus knew that some things were NOT God’s will. He spoke to those things. Jesus spoke to sickness and disease. He spoke to storms and conditions. He spoke opposition and resistance. Jesus believed, and He spoke what He believed. If you truly believe the power of words, you will: a) not accept everything as God’s will because it isn’t, and b) you will OPEN YOUR MOUTH and speak to what is coming up against you!
— When something happens, and you know it is NOT God’s will, then OPEN YOUR MOUTH and speak God’s will over it. Speak over your children, your body, your health, your marriage, your finances, your business, your relationships, and etc. Don’t accept things that are NOT the will of God. God will allow whatever you allow. God will permit whatever you permit. God will also back you up when You are speaking His will over a situation that is clearly not His will!
This is how you withstand and overcome anything! SPEAK THE WORD ONLY and do so from a BELIEVING HEART!
I pray the last 11 weeks of this series have been a blessing to you!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of LEVELING UP for me. I LEVEL UP by speaking the language of faith daily. I see this example in Jesus. The fact that Jesus relied on His prayer life is humbling to me. While He was God, He was also a man. He had to pray just like we do. He had to discover Your will, and we must do the same. But once He did, He refused to deviate from it. He never said or did anything outside of Your will. He was not on this planet to do whatever He wanted. He only did what You wanted Him to do. Jesus is my example. Without You, I can do nothing. With You, I can do ALL THINGS! I am open to hearing Your voice, and I will never stray from it. I only say what I hear You say. I will only do what I am led of You to do. As You lead me, I OPEN MY MOUTH, and I speak over every negative situation. I SAY what I SEE in the Spirit until I see the manifestation of it in the natural. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! This is how I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
