Ponder It Prayerfully: As Christians, we oftentimes forget that there is a sanctification process involved in our walk with Christ. It took me a while to understand this process, as I erroneously believed that once I was saved, perfection will begin to take root almost immediatetly; that I wouldn’t have to any work to do as it applies to becoming the new creature in Christ 2 Corinthians 5:17 talks about, and in a way, I don’t. The Holy Spirit is the One that does the work, but I have a part to play as the scripture above implies, “be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind…put on a new nature…”. Without our cooperation, the Holy Spirit cannot do the work needed in our lives, and this work begins in our minds.

Joyce Meyer describes the minds as the battlefield, and I’ve found that that’s where most of that battles (if not all) we face take place. In order for us to renew our minds, we have to understand that it all begins with the word. What word have you allowed to take root in your spirit? For it is right words that lead to right thoughts; and right thoughts lead to right emotions; and right emotions lead to right habits/mindsets; and right mindsets lead to character; and the right character leads to the right destination. Thus if you find that you have “stinkin’ thinkin”, examine the words that you’ve let into your spirit, and begin the process of renewal.

Be a doer (James 1:22):  In these last days, we have got to rise above the status quo, the majority, and constantly renew our minds with the fresh oil of God’s word. It is more important than ever that we begin rightly dividing the word of God (2 Tim 2:15), because nowadays, truth is being watered-down, including the truth of God’s word. Truth in and of itself is an undefinable term; actually, some dictionaries define truth as whatever the majority believes, meaning that truth can change. Yes, we want to embrace truth in our lives but the truth of God’s word must remain true, constant, and non-changing.

In speaking on this subject, the Nelson NKJV study bibles mentions that,

“A mind dedicated to the world and its concerns will produce a life tossed back and forth by currents of culture. But a mind dedicated to God’s truth will produce a life that can stand the test of time”.

We must never forget that renewing our minds begins with having the right words in our hearts, and with the right words guiding our mindsets, your thoughts and habits will begin to change, and this will ultimately lead along the right path for your life, thereby proving God’s acceptable and perfect will for your life.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. [Romans 12:2, AMP]

Pray It Personally: Heavenly Father, You are great and mighty, worthy to receive all honor and glory. There is none like you and I thank You for saving me and giving me the ability to renew my mind through Your word. I know that sometimes I’m not cooperative with the Holy Spirit’s work in my life and I thank You for Your patience with me during this process of sanctification. I thank you that with the right words governing my life, I can become the person You created me to be, and fulfill my calling and destiny before leaving this earth, in Jesus’ Name I pray and believe, Amen.

Ponder it prayerfully: Change; not a word some of us like to hear but a word we must learn to embrace. It’s been said that the only thing that remains constant in this life is change, and I am inclined to agree. Change is inevitable – whether it means change within ourselves, in our environments, in our mindsets, change will happen. Change is a word that is synonymous with several words seen repeatedly in the scriptures, including: shift, convert, transform; It can be as simple as going a different route to work to complex as moving to an unfamiliar place, just like Abraham. But one thing remains: God is always present in every instance of change in a believer’s life. Thus, one need not fear or be apprehensive about the prospect of change. Change is oftentimes a good and much needed thing, and as the scripture above implies.

In one of the letters to the angels of the seven churches, specifically Laodicea, Jesus uses very vivid language to confront and destroy the mindset of complacency and comfort that had snuck into the Laodicean church. We cannot remain stagnant in our walk with God; He is constantly trying to get is to change our mindsets, environments, destructive habits, and state of being via trials, challenges, difficult circumstances and the like. It is oftentimes only in the refiner’s fire that our unbending hearts can be shaped and molded into all God has created us to be.

Be a doer (James 1:22): Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”, and oftentimes, that is what we do. Remember the Israelites, who spent 40 years trying to make it into the Promised Land on what is said to have been an 11 day journey. They kept complaining and murmuring, and wondered why it was taking them so long to get to the Promised Land. Don’t let that be you. Garner the courage needed to make the much needed change in your life today; God will give it to you but you must make the first step.

Furthermore, when you have decided to make this change, don’t expect everyone to be on board with you. It’s our natural tendency as humans to resist change. You must do what God is calling you to, ignoring those who would tell you otherwise.  Yes, the prospect of change can certainly be scary, especially when we cannot see where this change might take us; but the fact remains that we have got to learn to embrace it instead of trying to fight against it. Go with the flow, knowing that God has everything under control and in His ever capable hands.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured (changed) into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. [2 Corinthians 3:18]

Pray it personally: Heavenly Father, I come once again before Your throne of grace thanking You for another day. I thank You for working within me to change me into the person you created me to be. I know You are calling me to a deeper level in You, and by Your grace, I will garner the courage to embrace this much needed change. I admit I’m a bit apprehensive about the prospect of change, mainly because I have no control over it but I know You hold my world in Your ever capable hands and that in every season of change in my life, You’ll be there. You never change Lord, and I thank You for that. All these things and more I ask and pray, in Jesus’ mighty and majestic name, Amen.

Ponder it prayerfully: In talking about hearing the voice of God, we have to realize that the ability to hear God’s voice and obedience go hand in hand; You cannot have one without the other.  The more obedient you are to God’s voice when He speaks to you, the more amplified the ears of your heart becomes. Sometimes, we as Christians suffer from what is known as selective hearing, which is simply the tendency to hear what one wants to hear or ignore what one does not want to hear.

King Saul is an example of one who struggled with this ailment. He had a habit of not completing the assignment given to him by God or doing his own thing, and God gave him numerous opportunities to mend his ways. The last straw occurred when the Lord instructed him to destroy the Amalekites, including King Agag, king of Amalek. God specifically instructed him to, “Kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep…” (1 Sam.15:3). Saul did attack the Amalekites as God instructed, but he spared the king and the best of the spoils, and he was “unwilling to utterly destroy them (Vs 9). Saul, when confronted by Samuel said, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and gone on the mission on which He sent me, and brought back Agag, King of Amalek…” (1 Sam 15:20). What? Didn’t God instruct him to utterly destroy all of Amalek? What part of that instruction did he not understand? This is certainly an example of selective hearing. Because of this, God rejected him as king, and found another to replace him.

Be a doer (James 1:22): In what areas of your life have you failed to complete the mission God instructed you to complete? What has God clearly conveyed to you that you still need to do, but because of your selective hearing, you have failed to do it? It’s not just enough to hear God’s voice; we’ve got to couple it with obedience to any instructions He may give us. We’ve been given such a privilege to have the ability to hear God’s voice through the Holy Spirit living within us, and which such privilege comes responsibility for to whom much is given, much is required, right (Luke 12:48). It’s not enough for us to be hearers only, but be doers as well.

There are many reasons we sometimes choose to listen selectively to God’s instructions, one being that we want to do things our own way. We may not understand why God wants us to do something a certain way, and He rarely explains Himself; and He shouldn’t have to. The bible mentions that Saul was unwilling to utterly destroy the Amalekites probably because he didn’t understand God’s purposes. We’ve got to be willing to bend our will to God’s will, and let His will prevail, because God knows what He is doing.

Another reason King Saul failed to complete the mission he was given as God instructed is because he feared the people (Vs 24). He listened to their voice, their advice, forgetting that God had given specific instructions to carry out. Do not let anyone come between you and obedience to God. It’s important that we obey God’s instructions and execute them the way He instructs, deferring to His will, not ours, or the will of others.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): …but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. [James 1:22-25]

Pray it personally: Heavenly Father, I come before Your throne of Grace, humbly seeking Your forgiveness for those times I’ve been unwilling to do as you instructed me to do. I’ve become selective in my hearing in certain areas, grabbing hold of Your promises of good, but neglecting Your specific instructions, difficult as they may seem. I know that when I’m obedient even in little things, my ears of my heart will become amplified and I will be able to clearly discern Your voice over my voice, the voice of the enemy, and others. I now choose to listen intently to Your voice and instructions, and to be a doer of Your word, and not just a hearer. Thank You for the grace You have already given me to do this, in Jesus’ mighty and majestic name, Amen.

Ponder it prayerfully: It is often said that God created us with two ears and one mouth so that we can listen more and talk less. Now, I’m not quite sure as to the veracity of that statement, but the concept rings true. Could it be that the reason you’ve been having such a difficult time discerning God’s voice and His will is that you’ve been doing more talking than listening in your prayer time? Prayer is simply conversation between you and God, conversation being an exchange between two or more parties. Conversation is a two-way street; thus, if you find that you are the only one doing the talking while in prayer to God, then you are not having a conversation, but a monologue.

Sometimes in prayer, we spend more time talking about our problems, issues, hang-ups, hurts, disappointments; talking, talking, talking. While pouring out our hearts to God at all times is greatly encouraged in scripture (Psalm 62:8), we must also take time to listen. We see this with the Samuel in the first chapters of the book of 1 Samuel, who at a young age was called by Almighty God to be a prophet. At this juncture in scripture, God is calling out to Samuel but Samuel doesn’t recognize the Lord’s voice yet. Eli, Samuel’s mentor, advises him as to what to do, “and if He calls you, you shall say ‘speak Lord, for your servant is listening’. We ought to do the same; we ought to surrender to The Lord’s sovereignty and allow God to speak to us when and the way He desires. Notice also that it was only after Samuel had acknowledged the Lord’s presence that he was able to receive his call as a prophet. That statement was the key that unlocked God’s will and purpose for Samuel’s life. Likewise, opening your heart to God’s voice, thus acknowledging His presence, allows Him to reveal things to you, hidden things; secret things.

Be a doer (James 1:22): Silence is golden, it has been said, and that seems to be true. For some, silence is indeed golden; they thrive on silence and quietness in their everyday lives, while for others, silence can be deafening. Whatever the case, silence will benefit you in your prayer time with Father. Endeavor to spend more time listening to the Voice of God when you wake up every morning, and while in prayer/conversation with Him, try to leave a bit of time for complete silence and listening to what Father God would want to say to you. Furthermore, instead of rushing through the word of God, as some of us do sometimes, take time to chew on it, i.e. meditate on His word, as He likes to speak to us through His word as well.

Open your ears today and hear what the Lord is speaking to you by speaking less and listening more. Like Samuel, let’s learn to say, “Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). You’d be amazed at what you hear.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” [Proverbs 1:32-33]

Pray it personally: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for another opportunity to come before Your throne of Grace. Lord, forgive me for those times I have talked ceaselessly about the issues plaguing my life, asking for answers, but neglecting the beauty and privilege of conversation with you by talking much more than listening. I thank You that You speak in the silence, and by Your grace, I will be able to say like the prophet Samuel, “Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening”, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ponder it prayerfully: Truth…what is truth? Pilate asked this question of Jesus when Jesus declared that He had come to this world to testify of the truth (John 18:38). Jesus mentions to His disciples, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).  Now, most of us misquote this scripture, focusing on the latter part, “the truth shall make you free”. What truth is Jesus referring to? I believe Jesus gave us the answer with the first part of the scripture, “you shall know the truth”. It is not the truth that makes you free, but the truth that you know. Consequently, if you don’t know the truth of God’s word, how can you worship God in spirit and in truth like He instructs (John 4:23)? How can you hope to navigate this world? Not knowing the truth is like trying to reach a destination without a road map or with a broken-down GPS system. You’d quickly get lost, as you will without knowing what God’s word says about your situation, your life, your purpose, you. Without the direction the Word of God brings, we would easily fall prey to the enemy’s schemes, believing the lies. How then do we prevent falling prey to the enemy’s schemes? How do we resist the enemy as James encourages us to do (James 4:2)?

Be a doer (James 1:22): I believe he (the Apostle James) answers that question by encouraging us to submit ourselves to God, drawing near to Him. Studying the word of God will enable us to draw near to God, and He in turn, will draw near to us. Thus, we’ll be more able to hear clearly what He is saying to us as we peruse the scriptures consistently. We should strive always to be like the Berean Christians mentioned in the scripture above, who enthusiastically received the message of Paul and Silas, and examined the scriptures every day; on translation mentions they searched the scriptures day and night. The truth of God’s word is not something that should be glossed over casually, but should be carefully examined and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus warns His disciples that in the last days, “false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mark 13:22). This is a very sobering thought and should compel us to listen intently to what God is saying to us. It’s been said over and over and it bears repeating: God’s word is truth (John 17:17).

How did Jesus win the victory over the enemy when He was tempted in the wilderness? That’s right…using the word of God. God’s word is our spiritual sword, which will bring damage to the kingdom of darkness if we would use it. What is God saying to you about the situation you may be going through? About whom you are in Him? If you are unsure, I encourage you to begin spending time in God’s word on a day to day basis, and expect Him to speak to you…because He will.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me…Through the power of the Holy spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. [2 Timothy 1:13-14]

Pray it personally:  Almighty God, I thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth; truth about You, Your word, Your promises and Your purpose and plan for my life. I admit sometimes it’s easy to believe the lies of the enemy, especially when I’m rusty regarding your word. I know I cannot afford to neglect careful study of Your word and I realize that is one of the main ways You speak and confirm your word to me. I set my heart to draw near to You today, and every day, spending time in your presence, and listening as You speak to me through Your word, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ponder it prayerfully: There are certain privileges that we as Christians have, one being the ability to be lead and directed by Almighty God through the Holy Spirit. When Jesus departed this earth for the final time, He promised His disciples and us that He wouldn’t leave us to navigate this world by ourselves, but that He would send the Helper, to guide us through this life and enable us fulfill our callings and destinies upon this earth. The Holy Spirit is a lot of things to us as Christians: He is our Helper, our Comforter, our Guide, our Teacher and much more.  As blood bought children of The Most High God, we have the Holy Spirit residing in each of us, and as such, we ought not take Him for granted. The Apostle Paul explains in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians that, “no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God…we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Cor. 2:10-13).

With this privilege, how is then that many of us as Christians make bad decisions that often lead to a host of problems? Like I’ve written before, it is not that we can’t hear His voice, or that we don’t feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We do hear, but sometimes we choose to ignore that prompting, thus grieving the Holy Spirit.

Be a doer (James 1:22): Oftentimes, we ignore His promptings because we don’t understand them, but what if Jesus did the same thing when He was lead to the wilderness to be tempted? The word says, “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit…was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil…” (Luke 4:1-2). What if Jesus had said, “I don’t think so! The wilderness? Uh uh…I’m not doing that!”? His destiny would not have been fulfilled on this earth. After His wilderness experience, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit and His ministry began (Luke 4:14). Jesus had to be obedient even when He didn’t understand and likewise, we must do the same.

Fear is another reason we don’t do exactly as God instructs us: Fear of the unknown, fear of failure. We’ve got to realize that God is a faithful, loving and merciful Father in that even when we make a mistake, doing something that we thought was the Holy Spirit’s prompting, because of the integrity of our hearts and our willingness to be obedient, He will turn that mistake into an opportunity, and work it all out for your good (Romans 8:28).

Many times, our flesh gets in the way of our obedience. For example, you know you should drop that piece of cake you are about to put in your mouth as you’ve already had four pieces and eating more would be a bit over-indulgent but you can’t resist so you devour it. That’s catering to the flesh. Killing the flesh off day by day is a much needed exercise for us as Christians. How do we do this? I heard a preacher once say, “Whatever you starve, you’ll kill”. Begin starving the flesh by being spiritually minded, “for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5). Therefore, instead of eating that piece of cake you know you shouldn’t have, you can exercise self-control (a fruit of the Spirit) and let it go.

Jesus promised that He wouldn’t leave us as orphans on this earth, and He fulfilled that promise in giving us the Divine Guide, the Holy Spirit. He is our divine hearing aid, so to speak, and our direct connection to the voice and will of God. It would therefore be beneficial for us all to pay close attention to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and be obedient to all that we are being led to do.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me. For You are the God of my salvation… (Psalm 25:4-5)

Pray it personally:  Heavenly Father, I come before Your throne of grace thanking You for the gift of the Holy Spirit in my life. I thank You for fulfilling Your promise to not leave me alone on this earth, and with the Holy Spirit residing within me, I am comforted and confident that I will always be lead down the right path as Your word promises. I thank You that even when I fall, even when I make a misstep, going in the wrong direction, I will not be utterly cast down but I will be lead back on the right path, and You will use every mistake for my good. I know that when I incline my ear to Your voice, I will hear more clearly and be led according to Your will. I give You all the glory, in Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!

Ponder it prayerfully: There are times in this life when we are able to walk down the path paved for us with confidence, following God’s revealed will according to His word. We are faced with circumstances and we do what we know to do, combating the issues in life according to the principles outlined for us in the word of God. There are then those times when we need deeper insight and understanding concerning the problems we face; we are in need of inside information. The term “inside information” is usually associated with business and in this sense, is defined as important information about the plans or conditions of a corporation that has not been released to the public, and reserved only for the CEOs, management, and employees. As the scripture above indicates, there are secret things not revealed to us but this inside information can be released to us when we ask, seek God out, and incline our ears and hearts to understanding. After all, God has promised that if we call out to Him, He will show us great and mighty things we do not know (Jeremiah 33:3).

I am reminded of a true story about a minister and medical doctor/surgeon who went on his annual mission trip to Kenya, Africa and on this trip, he encountered an infant child with a seeming minor medical issue. He and the team of doctors taking care of the child dismissed the problem as a minor one but something kept nagging in the back of this doctor’s mind. He later on realized that it was the Holy Spirit leading him to further examine the child. He couldn’t figure out the problem but after much research, the Holy Spirit lead Him to the answer. He discovered that the child had a severe medical problem that could only be resolved with surgery, and could lead to death if not resolved quickly. Surgery was done (even when it didn’t seem like it was needed) and the issue was quickly resolved. Without this inside information, the child would have died.

Is there an issue in your life that needs resolving? Do you feel like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place, and you have absolutely no clue how to get out? Call out to God right now and receive that inside information that He is so willing to share with you. The word of God tells us that if we need wisdom, all we need to do is to ask Almighty God, Who has more than enough wisdom to dish out (James 1:5).

Be a doer (James 1:22): Before you ask for this inside information though, you’ve got to examine your heart. Is your heart good soil for this inside information? In the parable of the sower, Jesus explains to us the importance of having the soil of our hearts ready to receive His word. If our hearts are too hard, or troubled by the cares of this world, we will not receive the word, and thus, we will bear no fruit (Matthew 13:1-23). What is the condition of your heart?

It is important for us to continue to do what we know to do, while waiting God’s instructions and the inside information. It’s in our nature as human beings to try and resolve problems in our own strength and wisdom but like a pastor once said, the single most important thing we have got to realize is that God is much smarter than we are. It would therefore behoove you to surrender to God’s sovereignty and allow Him to lead and show you the way out of your seeming predicament. It’s not enough to just get the inside information; you’ve got to follow it up with action: actually doing what God instructs you to do. For example, if He tells you that the way to solve that relationship issue is by immediately letting go of offense when it occurs, do just that, as difficult as that is sometimes.

Need inside information? Incline your ear to understanding and your heart to wisdom. He will lead you, and guide you, and give you the wisdom you need to resolve that issue in your life. Pay close attention because He is speaking; are you listening?

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning. (Psalm 25:14, AMP)

Pray it personally:  Heavenly Father, I thank You for revealing Your will and showing me the path to take through Your word, and the Holy Spirit residing in me. I further thank You for Your promise to show me great and mighty things when I call to You, so here I am, calling to You. I need Your counsel Lord concerning ___________________. It’s something I know I cannot resolve on my own and I am asking for inside information, Your wisdom. I incline my ears and heart right now to insight and understanding, and I will follow up your revelation with action by doing what You instruct. All these things and more I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ponder it prayerfully: God uses different ways to speak to us and one of such ways is through peace. The scripture above defines peace (in this sense) as soul harmony which comes from Christ. Remember what Jesus gave us in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”? This kind of peace cannot be given to us by anyone other than God, it’s the peace that surpasses all understanding, and thus this peace, or a lack thereof can either direct us along the right path, or remove us from the wrong path.

There are times on this journey of life when we come to a crossroads of sorts, not knowing which way to turn, which path to take. I remember a particular instance in my life that required the wisdom of God; I wasn’t sure which path to take concerning a major decision. If ever I needed to hear God’s voice clearly, this was it. I listened, and listened, and listened, and no answer was forthcoming. I realize now that I was expecting God to speak in a certain way, and wasn’t making room for God’s sovereignty in my life. I remember not feeling very settled though, as though the path I was currently on was the wrong one. I had no peace, and the more I thought of remaining on that path, the less peace I had. Finally, I decided to deviate from that path onto another path. A few minutes later, as I was still mulling over my decision, I got a phone call from a friend that confirmed my decision as the right one.

Be a doer (James 1:22): Peace is likened to an umpire in the scripture above and rightly so. The dictionary describes an umpire as one having authority to decide finally a controversy or question between parties. Thus decisions that require Godly wisdom can be confronted with the umpire of peace. In what areas in your life do you need God’s direction? What problem needs to be solved in your life? Could it be that He’s been giving you the answers all along but because you’ve been expecting God to speak in a certain way, you have overlooked it? Pursue and seek peace in every decision you make. Not sure which direction to take? Follow peace – it’s a precious gift and great navigational tool that has been given freely to be used by us. Our spirit and flesh are constantly at war with each other, and the flesh does what it wants to do but God’s peace has the final say so, and enables us walk with confidence along the path God has for us.

Furthermore, when you make a decision based on peace (this kind that surpasses all understanding), it usually will be confirmed by something or someone else. God likes to confirm His word to His children, to assure us on the path He has paved for you and me. It’s a safety net of sorts to keep us from making decisions based on assumptions.

How do I know when God is speaking to me through His peace, you ask? Like I mentioned before, God’s peace is the kind that passes all understanding, thus even when things don’t make sense, when you have God’s peace, you can move forward without understanding. Let the peace of God rule in your heart and mind; let it be your umpire that leads you along the right path for your life. When all’s said and done, follow the peace of God.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, continue to make your wants known to God, and God’s peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7. AMP).

Pray it personally: Father God, I come before Your throne thanking You for all You do and all you will continue to do in my life. Thank You for the peace You’ve given me that will mount garrison over my heart and mind, and will guide keep me along the right plan for my life. I’m facing a major decision right now and You already know what it is, so I thank You for giving me Your peace and wisdom to make the right decision. I love You Lord and I thank You for hearing my requests, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ponder it prayerfully: Many times in life, we go through hard circumstances and negative experiences, and if we are not careful, those things will begin to speak loudly to us, even louder than the voice of God, if we let them. Listening to the voice of our circumstances, doubts, fears, and even others speak to us can lead us down a path of certain destruction, just ask Adam and Eve. They had the perfect life: great and intimate fellowship with The God of all creation, power, prestige and honor upon the whole earth. Whatever their hearts desired, they were given, and if they needed more, the Lord would certainly have given it to them. But, they paid more attention to the enemy of their souls; they believed what the enemy told them more than they believed what God had promised them (Genesis 3). We are now reaping the consequences of that disobedience.

We have been given numerous promises, made by the God of all creation, who is certainly not a liar (Hebrews 6:18), but it seems as though we believe the lies of the enemy more than the truth of God’s word. When you go through difficult circumstances, do you believe the ‘ Never’  lies: “I’ll never get through this circumstance”, “There’s no way I’ll ever be able to get over the loss of my loved one”, “My heart has been broken, I’ll never be able to love again”, “I’ll never be able to get out of this rut”. If so, get rid of that thought pattern right now. Those are illegal tenants renting room in your thoughts; put them out immediately like Jesus did in the scripture above when He sent all the nay-sayers out. Miracles thrive in an environment of faith and any negativity can prevent that needed miracle from taking place…that’s why Jesus had to put those who ridiculed Him out, and you must do the same.

Listening to the lies of the enemy is a sure way to get off course and onto a path of destruction. Don’t make the same mistake Eve did in entertaining the lies of the enemy. It just takes one thought for the enemy to crack open the door of doubt and fear, beginning the downward spiral into unbelief (and we know from Hebrews 11:6 that it’s impossible to please God without faith), and more illegal tenants.  Who told you that you will never amount to much? Who told you that you can’t get over your heartbreak, or the loss of a loved one? Who told you that you can never fulfill your God-given destiny? Who have you been listening to?

 Be a doer (James 1:22): It’s high time you begin evicting those illegal tenants from your life. It’s not enough just to evict those negative thoughts and lies of the enemy, though. You must replace them with godly thoughts as Philippians 4:8 instructs: “whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable, if there is any excellence of character and if anything praiseworthy, think about these things.”

Here are some practical tips: Use the word of God to combat the negative thoughts. For example, when the thought comes, “I don’t have much of a future”, respond with the word, “Almighty God has a great plan for my life, and He has promised me a hope and a future according to Jeremiah 29:11”. Another thought comes, “I’ll never be able to have enough to meet my needs”. Combat that thought with, “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory according to Philippians 4:19”. You have to be intentional in combating the lies of the enemy, just as Jesus was when He faced temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-14).

Don’t allow the voice of doubt, fear and your negative circumstances speak to you. Stop listening to your critics, those who ridicule you or laugh in unbelief at the promises of God over your life. Those voices will keep you from becoming all that God wants and created you to be. Like Jesus, ignore them all and begin listening to the voice of your Heavenly Father, begin taking Him at His word. His promises are yours to keep, you can bank on it!

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, NKJV)

Pray it personally:  Heavenly Father, here I am once again, before Your throne of grace, thanking You for all that You’ve given me, including Your promises over my life. I admit that sometimes it’s easy to entertain negative thoughts and allow negative comments from people affect my faith in You. I realize that without faith, it’s impossible to please you. Father, I believe Your promises over my life, but help my unbelief…help me take those negative thoughts and lies captive to the obedience of Christ, that I may live a life that’s pleasing to You, and fulfill the destiny You created me for. By Your grace, I will begin taking you at Your word, every second of every day, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ponder it prayerfully: There are times in life where God desires to guide us with specific instructions, giving us a blueprint of sorts. We see this in action in the life of Noah, who was called by God to build an ark that would enable him and his family live out their days fully on this earth. At this point in history, God was about to flood the earth due to the depravity of mankind, and Noah was the only man that honored God with his life, thus God chose to honor him by sparing his life and that of his family. Noah had a huge part to play, though, and that required great listening skills, and an obedient heart. He had to follow God’s instructions to the T. Any error and the ark would not have made it through the storm.

God’s blueprint for your life is hardly random. God is a very specific and intentional God and there is always a purpose to His instructions. Therefore, it is very important for us to continually sharpen our spiritual ears, so we can do exactly as the Lord has instructed us to do, to His exact specifications. If we fail to follow His specific blueprint, we may miss out on God’s best, which can prevent us from entering our promised land. Just ask Moses, who, after doing everything exactly as God instructed him in leading the Israelites out of Egypt, got frustrated with the Israelites complaints and neglected to do what God had instructed him to do: “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.” Moses, in frustration struck the rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:7-12). His disobedience caused him to miss out entering the Promised Land with the rest of the Israelites.

Be a doer (James 1:22): It’s important that we, as Christians and ambassadors of the gospel of grace, incline our ears always to the voice of God, listening intently to what He tells us to do, and obeying promptly. It’s been said that delayed obedience is disobedience.  Listen intently for God’s voice and as He speaks to you, do as He says, the way He tells it to do it. Quick obedience sharpens our hearing skills, thus the more we respond with obedience, the clearer His voice becomes in our lives.

There are specific instructions God wants to give you for your life, for the situations and circumstances you might find yourself in. Don’t allow the frustrations of your circumstances weigh on you so heavily, that it prevents you from following God’s specific instructions. Incline your ear to His voice today, and when you hear His instructions, like Noah, be quick to respond and obedient to those instructions. Are you listening?

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): My son, give attention to my words; incline your ears to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-23)

Pray it personally:  Heavenly Father, I come before Your throne of Grace, thanking you for the privilege of being able to hear Your voice and be lead by the Holy Spirit according to Your will. I declare by faith that I am able to hear Your voice clearly, and I thank You for the grace to hear and obey Your instructions exactly as you instruct me to do. Forgive me for the times when I’ve been presumptuous and haven’t followed Your instructions your way. Thank You Lord for hearing the cry of my heart, and enabling me be all You have called me to be. By Your grace, I will accomplish my purpose on this earth and bring glory to Your Name, in Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.