Tag: agape

8 Steps to Survival – John 12:24-25; 2 Corinthians 4:11

• Attitudes
  • “Present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice” – Romans 12:1; Psalm 19:12- 13; 139:23-24; Job 13:15; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Timothy 2:21
    • Open ourselves up to God’s inspection – Genesis 15:17
    • Remember how much He loves us – Psalm 118:6; Job 13:15
  • (Inside) Deny ourselves (our “justified” feelings, own rights, frustra- tions, offences, etc.) – Philippians 3:8-15; John 12:24; Colossians 3:5,8- 10
    • Be willing to lay everything down – Luke 9:23; Ephesians 4:31; Matthew 10:39; Acts 20:24; Hebrews 12:1
    • Don’t have to “feel willing,” just be willing – Luke 14:26-33; 2 Corinthians 8:11-12
    • All Christians are capable of laying things down, but all are not willing to do so
    • God will return hundredfold all we choose to lay down – Luke 18:29-30; Mark 10:29-30; 1 Corinthians 2:9
  • (Outside) Get up and do what God has asked – Philippians 2:5-9; Ephesians 6:6; Psalm 40:8; Isaiah 1:19
    • “Not my will, but Thine” – Matthew 26:39; Luke 5:5; 1 Peter 4:2
    • Again, we don’t have to “feel willing” – 2 Corinthians 8:11
  • “Take every thought captive” – 2 Corinthians 10:5-6
    • If we don’t take them captive, they will take us captive – James 1:14-15
    • Don’t share negative things with others – Ephesians 4:29-32
    • Think only on good things – Philippians 4:8; Isaiah 43:18
• Mandatory steps (Inner Court Ritual) – 2 Corinthians 10:5-6; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9
  • Recognize the negative thoughts and emotions as they come in – 2 Corinthians 10:5
    • Get alone with God
    • Acknowledge and experience negative feelings – 2 Corinthians 13:5
    • Ask God to expose root causes from hidden chambers – Proverbs 20:27; Psalm 119:9-11; Job 12:22; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 13:5
      • Why are we “reacting” this way?
      • We must “see” our own sin, before we can give it over – Psalm 139:23-24
  • Confess them as sin and repent of them – Proverbs 1:23; 28:13: Isaiah 1:16; Ezekiel 18:30b; James 4:8-10; 1 John 1:9; Acts 8:22a; Colossians 3:13; John 20:23 (Lavers of Bronze)
    • We also must unconditionally forgive anyone who has wronged us – Matthew 6:14-15; 18:32-35; Colossians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 2:10-11; Luke 23:34; Mark 11:25-26; John 13:14; Ephesians 4:32
    • We must also know that God has forgiven us – 1 John 1:9; Mat- thew 6:14
  • Give over to God all that He has exposed (even the “justified” hurts and injustices) – Luke 11:39-40; Colossians 3:5,8; 1 Peter 5:7; Galatians 5:24; Romans 6:11-13; 2 Timothy 2:21; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 1:7 (Holocaust Altar)
    • Ask God to purge these things “as far as the east is from the west” – Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 6:1-7
    • By faith believe God has done so
    • Ask God to change our feelings to match our choice – 1 John 3:21
  • Get into the Word and reprogram the truth back into where the lies have been – Luke 11:24-26; Ephesians 5:26; John 15:3; 17:17; James 1:21; 2 Peter 1:4; Psalm 19:7-8 (Molten Sea)
    • God will heal our souls – Psalm 18, 51:7; 107:20; 119:9; Philippians 3:13
    • God will restore us back to His Image – Hebrews 10:22

Now walk by faith (1 Corinthians 2:5; 2 Corinthians 5:7) and know that God has cleansed us and has transformed us back into His Image (Hosea 2:19-20; Philippians 1:21; Romans 8:1; Hebrews 8:12; 10:22; 1 Peter 1:22a)

In order to be truly free of our past and be able to act out of God’s Love, we must get rid of our ungodly thoughts and feelings the proper way: by allowing God to expose them, by looking squarely at them and calling them what they are, and then by choosing to give these things back over to God and be rid of them forever. – Psalm 103:12

 

If something occurs that has causes us to make wrong emotional choices (sin), and we are feeling hurt, angry, bitter, resentful, critical, self-centered, doubtful, prideful, ungrateful, anxious, afraid, fearful, confused, judgmental, or filled with any negative emotion then do the following four steps in order to have His Life begin to flow once again

 

• Recognize Self-Centered Thoughts – We must recognize, acknowledge and experience the negative thoughts, emotions, and desires (self life) that have just occurred. We need to call them for what they are, and “name” what we are really thinking and feeling.

Pray –

I choose, Father, to allow You to search my heart and my soul, and expose any sin, any barriers that have quenched Your Spirit and separated me from You. Show me my “self” (my hurts, my doubts, my fears, my pride, my anger, my insecurities, my unforgiveness, my criticalness, my bitternesses), any self-centeredness that has prevented me from being filled with Your Life to give to others. Shine your Holy Spirit light on any root causes for these things, so that I might be rid of them forever. – Isaiah 1:15; 59:2; Psalm 26:2; 51:10; 139:23-24; Nehemiah 4:10

 

• Confess and Repent – Now confess and repent of all that the Holy Spirit has shown us. In addition we must, by faith, unconditionally forgive anyone who has wronged us, just as God has unconditionally forgiven us
  • If we have caught the negative, ungodly thought and we have not entertained it or mulled it over, then we can skip this step of confession and repentance because there is no sin or disobedience involved. We can just unconditionally forgive the other person involved and go on to the next step.

Pray –

I confess, Father, that I am separated from You. I know that whatever is not of faith is sin, and I have sinned by letting my own self-centered thoughts and uncontrolled feelings consume me and motivate me. I have chosen to hang on to these things and follow them rather than follow what You want. I confess also that I have tried in my own ability and strength to work things out. I have not relied upon You. I have not obeyed and trusted You, and that is sin. – Romans 14:23; Psalm 51:1-4; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 1:16; Psalm 141:8

 

I repent of these things. I desire to turn around from following my own thoughts and feelings. I know if I don’t release them to You, I will continue to act out of them. And I don’t want to do that. I ask You, dearest Father, to forgive me for my sin, as I choose to forgive those who have hurt me and let me down. – 1 John 1:9; Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-22,35; Isaiah 1:18b

 

• Give All to God – Then, it is imperative that we give all these things over to God

Pray –

Father, I choose to sacrifice and give all these things that You have shown me over to You and I ask you to purge them from me “as far as the east is from the west.” – Psalm 103:12; Philippians 3:8; 2 Timothy 2:21; Isaiah 1:25

 

I trust You, by faith, to cleanse, sanctify, and heal me by the “washing of the water of Your Word.” I receive, by faith, Your forgiveness of my sins, Your renewing of my mind and Your healing of my soul. I trust You, Father, to now change my feelings and my emotions to align with the choices I have made and to make me genuine. – Romans 12:2; Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 10:22; Psalm 103:2-5; Psalm 119

 

• Read God’s Word – The last step in dealing with our sins is that we must read God’s Word. We must replace the lies with the truth.

Pray –

I know, by faith, that Your Life has now been freed to come forth from my heart and fill my soul. – Colossians 3:8,10; Ephesians 3:17-19; 4:22-24; 5:1-2; Romans 6:13; 13:14; John 4:14; Philippians 1:21; Zechariah 3:4; Isaiah 52:1

 

Also, by faith, I believe You will now openly hear and answer my prayers, because they are according to Your Will and not my own. – 1 John 5:14-15

 

By faith, I have done all that You have asked, so I can now stand firm against the enemy. Even if my feelings and my circumstances seem like nothing at all has changed, I will keep on choosing to walk by faith knowing that You will do what You promise. – Romans 4:21; Ephesians 6:10-18; Isaiah 40:29-31; James 1:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

 

My faith is in Your faithfulness, Father. I love You. – Isaiah 26:3-4; 1 John 5:4b; 3:22

Sin, if it is to be forgiven, must be forsaken

 

Luke 14:26 reminds us that we really cannot be God’s disciples unless we are willing to (not wanting to or feeling like it, but just willing to) lay everything down (father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters). We don’t have to feel willing in order to do this; we simply must be willing.

 

For attitudes of:

• Being a Living Sacrifice – willingly giving God permission to walk through us and to expose anything that needs to be dealt with
• Denying Ourselves – internally setting aside our own thoughts, emotions, and desires
• Getting up and Doing what God Says – being willing to obey God’s Will, no matter what He tells us to do no matter how we feel, no matter what we think, no matter what we want
  • denying ourselves concerns our inner man setting aside our own thoughts, emotions and desires, so God can fill us with His Life. This attitude of obeying God’s Will is different; it concerns the outer man—our outward actions. It’s getting up and doing in action what God has called us to do, saying, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39).
• Taking Every Thought Captive – be willing to take every thought captive
  • our thoughts stir up our emotions; our emotions then influence our desires; and our desires are what produce our actions

Pray –

I love you, Lord God, with all my heart, all my will, and all my soul. I pray my actions today will show and prove my love for You. I praise you, Father, for who You are and thank You for this (situation, circumstance, feeling, opportunity, etc.) because I know You have allowed it for my learning and my growth, so I might come to intimately know You better and be more conformed into Your image. – Matthew 22:37; Hebrews 13:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Deuteronomy 8:16c

 

I choose to present my body as a living sacrifice. I choose to set aside my own thoughts, emotions, and desires and to listen to and follow only Your Voice (Your Word), no matter what You tell me to do because I know You love me and I am precious in your sight. – Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 3:8-15; Psalm 91; Psalm 18; 2 Corinthians 3:5; 10:5; Proverbs 23:4b; Isaiah 43:2-5; 54:10; 55:8-9; Jeremiah 31:3

 

I know, Father, that You will never leave me nor forsake me. So I choose to do Your Will, Your pleasure, above my own at all costs. For You are my life. – Philippians 2:5-9; Matthew 26:39; Philippians 1:21; Galatians 2.20; Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Hebrews 13:5