What? Me worry?
Ok, for today.. Can we all agree that what we think about, meditate and focus on, gives energy to that thing we are focusing on.
If we meditate on negative what ifs, that is called worry, right? The more we worry about something, the more we give life to and increase in the thing we are worried about.
Wouldn’t you agree, that is the EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE WANT?
Now, I realize that many times the things we worry about never, ever happen. In fact, we often feel silly worrying because many times that thing we worry about has never happened, and never will.
Even so, our bodies don’t know the difference between a “real” worry and a false one. Worry produces a chemical reaction in our bodies that without question, over time, produces harmful effects on our hearts, nerves, hormones, and immune system.
Jesus tells us to not worry.
(Mt 6:25 – 34) Psalm 37: 7-9 tells us to not fret because it only leads to harm and evil doing.How can a mother who worries about her children be engaged in evil doing? What could be harmful about that? How about the economy and the scarcity of work? How does worrying produce harm or evil doing?
Well, besides the harm to our bodies as I mentioned before, worry causes many of us to try and control everything and everyone around us. It can also cause us to sin – steal, lie, cheat, envy, covet…. just to name a few!
Now, I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. And I’m sure you don’t try and justify your worry by the magnitude of your circumstances. LOL. But humor me…
First, how do we not worry?
We all know that trying to stop ourselves from worrying isn’t helpful. We can’t stop worrying by focusing on NOT worrying. Again, we energize that which we focus on.
We further add “life” to our worries when we repeatedly talk about it! Speaking about all the negative things going on in our lives adds further energy to them!
So… what do we do instead?
Well, I submit to you we don’t change our DOING, we change our FOCUS.
Again, what brings worry? Meditating on and speaking about the negatives, the negative what ifs, and what we don’t want to happen. As I have told you all before, I was the Queen of Worry, but I know many of you have shared that title with me!
I say, since we already know how to mediate, focus, and talk… why not meditate, focus and talk about what does not produce worry?? We all know we are quite skilled at talking, but we are also skilled at meditation, whether we realize it or not!
Let’s not use these skills to our disadvantage, but to our advantage!
So, rather than change our DOING, we need to change our FOCUS.
On what shall we focus, meditate, and speak? What does the word tell us?
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O, Lord, my Rock (strength) and my Redeemer.” Ps 19:14
Check back for…
What are those words and meditations that God finds acceptable?
By the way, thanks to those of you who sent me your breakthrough requests. I will be following up with you soon!!
Always in YOUR corner,
Maryann
What is your view of God?
New USA Today article discusses new book… Well, it’s confirmed… how we view God determines how we approach life! No kidding!
Americans’ views of God shape attitudes on key issues
“If you pray to God, to whom — or what — are you praying?
When you sing God Bless America, whose blessing are you seeking?
In the USA, God — or the idea of a God — permeates daily life. Our views of God have been fundamental to the nation’s past, help explain many of the conflicts in our society and worldwide, and could offer a hint of what the future holds. Is God by our side, or beyond the stars? Wrathful or forgiving? Judging us every moment, someday or never?”
Click here to read rest of article and take the quiz. Which of the 4 views of God do you have?
Accept Your Greatness!
I have a verse to encourage you. Remember when I wrote to you
about God making you great?
http://www.haveievertoldyou.com/you-are-destined-for-greatness
Read from Psalm 18:35 “…. Your gentleness and condescension have
made me great.” (Amp)
I hope you all know me well enough by now to know that I never
think our greatness is elevated above God’s!! But we are the work
of His hands, and He has made us great.
Through His gentle, lovingkindness, mercy and favor…. He makes us great. He has condescended Himself, meaning come from Heaven to earth on our behalf… to put His greatness in us. Meditate on that today!
You have a significant part to play in His Master Plan! All you
have gone through, all you are blessed with, all your gifts,
strengths, and talents, are all jewels to fulfill your purpose.
God has made you great, and He desires you to accept that, embrace it, and walk in it!
Thank Him for it today and when life makes you
feel small and low, yell at the devil, “I am fearfully and
wonderfully made… I am marvelous… I am great…. by the power
and work of God Himself!”
God Has Breakthrough For You!
Recently I had an experience I’d like to encourage you with.
Several of us went to a prophetic meeting at another church and had
a wonderful time of worship, teaching, and receiving some exciting
prophetic words.
After the service, on the way out, one of the participants came up
to me and complimented me on a shawl I was wearing. I loved the
shawl too, not just because it was hand woven cashmere, hand
embroidered, and gorgeous, but I bought it from a missionary pastor
after one of his trips to Nepal. I had never worn it before that
night because the weather had been too warm. I was very excited
that this night I could. To me, it felt like an anointed and
special shawl.
Well, it must have been, because without hesitation, I took the
shawl off and placed it on the shoulders of the woman saying,
“Here. It’s yours.”
It happened so quickly and naturally that giving it to her didn’t
even phase me. Except for feeling a blast of cold air once I went
outside, I almost didn’t even notice what had happened and gave it
no thought… until the next morning.
Now, I can’t say I know exactly why giving this shawl would be so
significant, but I think it is. I will share what’s been revealed
so far.
1. God’s nature is to give. Throughout scripture and in our own
experience, we know that God is a Giver. 2 Peter 1: 2-3 say that
God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness, and
through His precious promises, we share in His divine nature.
And what is that nature? To be a giver.
Now, this is not startling news to any of you, I’m sure, as it
wasn’t to me. Which leads me to point 2.
2. For me, as much as I have known that it is God’s nature to
give, and thus it is my nature, too, I have not always been a very
giving person, at least of some things. I have had an easy time
giving my time, energy, heart, and money…. but, don’t ask me why,
giving away personal possession that I love, well that is not
something I do.
Ok, so maybe even that is not such a big deal. And so, what is?
3. For me, here it is: Without my working at it, I had a
breakthrough! The natural giving away of my shawl was just a
manifestation of a breakthrough that had occurred a while ago. The
breakthrough allowed the free flow of God’s giving nature to flow
through me to bless this woman. And because I share in His divine
nature, I experienced no lack when I gave the shawl away.
Breakthrough takes down any barrier erected that inhibits the flow
of God’s powerful provisions and our true nature. I love and need
breakthroughs of all kinds.
4. How did the breakthrough occur? Well, it was part and parcel
of the revelation of favor. A revelation of favor produces
breakthroughs...not grind-it-out breakthroughs, but effortless
breakthroughs, breakthroughs that occur when you aren’t even
looking.
And, I guess this is the essence of my encouragement to you. Take
the favor of God seriously. It causes profound and life altering
changes.
Please, I couldn’t be more urgent about this…. seek God and ask
for a huge revelation of His favor. It is only in revelation that
you will feel its impact.
If you are not excited about favor, then you need a deeper
revelation about it. 2 Cor 5: 18-20 (AMP) tells
us God sent His Son to restore the world to favor! That is a big
deal! Paul urges us to lay hold of this favor! We are to be
releasers of His favor!
To help you lay hold as we are encouraged to do, I have written a
book. Many of you already have it. That’s wonderful, and if you
do, I would also ask you to do the exercises in it. God will take
you to the next step.
If you don’t have it, please don’t let a wimpy bit of money keep you
from experiencing more of all God has for you. I don’t say this to
make a buck, believe me! I just want you to experience how real
favor is. It is profound. It produces major transformational
breakthroughs. It also produces jobs, new housing arrangements,
connections, and lots, lots, more.
Who knows what your life would look like with an increased
revelation of favor?!
You are destined for GREATNESS!!
I have a good word for you today! If you actually read it and implement it… it may make a profound difference in your life!
Have you ever considered that you have seeds of greatness in you? Now, hear me out. I’m not talking some “power of positive thinking” message, but a solid biblical truth, one you can actually bank on!
So, what entitles us to believe we have this greatness within us? Of course, we are Christ’s, co-heirs with Him, new creatures, and made in the image of God. What He has, we have.
But let’s look at another cool connection.
Galatians 3: 29 says,“And (since) you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
An heir receives what the successor had, in this case, the promise.
What is the promise?
The Lord said to Abram,
“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing… And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).
While Genesis does not say that God would make Abram great, but rather his name, let’s remember, a man’ s a name was his essence, his reputation, who he was.
Abram was blessed with the promise of greatness.
In the Hebrew text, GREAT means to be LARGE in body, mind, estate or honor; to advance, exceed, increase, lift up, magnify, nourish, promote, and tower.
Those are some good words! Of course, I don’t have to tell you, that all of this is to be in the context of love, not lording it over others.
God would have us be free to fully embrace our greatness, through Him, rather than reject it. He has given you permission!
Don’t agree with any other voice that says you are helpless, impotent, powerless, or insignificant. Don’t let any circumstance rise up bigger than this truth.
Agree with God this week. The first step in manifesting a truth, is to believe it is true and receive it for yourself.
Ask God to grow you in it, His way. Ask Him to help you see it more clearly; to even remove any blind spots you may have to your greatness.
It is a gift to you, from Him, and you need this mindset to walk in your true identity and fulfill His destiny marked out for you. You are important in His eyes, and those are the most important eyes to view us.
If you have a comment to this, or a story to share, I would LOVE to hear it!
Always in YOUR corner,
Maryann
We are all His favorites!
I just had to share a segment from Bill Johnson’s talk, “Dreaming Out of Intimacy.” Referring to the coming revival, he says, “It’s fascinating to talk to various groups of people, whether it like, denominations… Baptists feel the revival is coming from them, and of course, Pentacostals think it’s coming from them, the youth think it’s coming from them because they have the zeal and energy for it, and the seniors think it’s coming from them because of the wisdom that comes from experience … Israel, Native Americans, men, women, leaders, those without a title …all think it’s coming from them….
But let me tell the secret behind all of it, the Father is so amazing, that He gives each individual undivided attention, to where each person feels like THEY’RE THE FAVORITE!”
Oh, yes!! We all need to believe and feel that we are the Father’s FAVORITE! Because we are! He is able, in His unfathomable way to make each of us feel special and wholeheartedly attended to. We all have a part to play, and isn’t it grand that He gives us the feeling of favor to carry forth!!!
Press into Him and His favor… you will love it!!
Amazing new study on prayer!
I wanted to share with you today an exciting new study on prayer which will be published in a medical journal… specifically, the September 2010 issue of the Southern Medical Journal.
“The study ….. measured surprising improvements in vision and hearing in economically disadvantaged areas where eyeglasses and hearing aids are not readily available…”
Candy Brown, an associate professor at Indiana University, and her colleagues studied the activities of the healing groups Iris Ministries and Global Awakening in Mozambique and Brazil because of their reputation as hotspots of specialized prayer for those with hearing and vision impairments.” To read more, click here.
Besides the obvious significance of having the work of God be documented in a medical journal and just generally being “out there” in the world, there is another aspect of this study that is particularly exciting to us.
We love Iris Ministries, headed by Heidi and Rolland Baker! Our first encounter with them was through our son, Joe. The Bakers were frequent guest speakers at the ministry school he attended. Joe related that besides their very relaxed attitudes, the single most impressive quality that surrounded them was LOVE. In fact, the love was so strong that merely standing next to Heidi, he could tangibly feel the strength of it.
This prompted me to read the Bakers’ book, “Expecting Miracles,” a intimate journal of their daily lives… accounting the miracles, yes, but also the hardships, the governmental and spiritual forces that come against them regularly, the unavoidable discouragement they victoriously battle. I pondered before the Lord… how do they have such love … how do they think… what makes them able to go on, to stand fast in the grace and love You have given to them?
The Lord revealed this from their book (and I write about it in mine, p.66-68):
- COMPLETE trust in Him and in His love and power to heal through them
- REFUSAL to allow self-condemnation or any weakness to diminish their fiery love
- Hard-core BELIEF that they are the crowning achievement of all His creative power
The Bakers are convinced they have the Father’s approval, esteem, and favor… and they refuse self-condemnation! Indeed being convinced allows them complete trust in Him, and complete trust in Him solidifies the nature of their relationship. No where in their writing did I see any connection between their performance and God’s approval. Without the clutter of trying to earn God’s favor, the way is clear to Him and His power to heal.
This is what I want. I am convinced that God has vividly shown me His favor because it is such an effective force in dissolving fear and any barriers to Him. The more I apprehend His favor, the more I walk in freedom, fulfillment, and fruitfulness. I am committed to share this powerful gift with others. In fact, it is my main mission at this time.
Remember…because of who you are to Him… YOU have His favor!!
Be Happier! Tell God About It
I’m always amazed when I read the word and see psychological/health principles vividly displayed. Many think the word of God irrelevant, and yet more and more, current brain and psychological studies reveal what the Bible has been saying all along, specifically in this discussion: For happiness and health, we need forgiveness. Internalizing our fears and guilty feelings creates havoc in our minds and bodies.
Let me show you what I mean:
I discussed in the past couple of posts how Ps 32:1-2 points out a way to HAPPINESS, and that is to live in a perpetual state of a clean slate which is only obtained by believing at a deep heart level that God has already forgiven you. It is NOT by trying to always be good! Further, because God holds nothing against you, you need not hold anything back from Him.
Feeling guilty carries with it the fear of punishment, and we do all kinds of things to avoid that… blame-shifting, denial, aggressive attacks.
On the other hand, some people accept all forms of guilt… they feel responsible for everything that happens, take the blame for it all, and subconsicously harbor a belief they deserve punishment, and the circumstances of their lives reflect that. Read any basic Psy 101 course and this dynamic is sure to be examined.
Now venting, blaming others, and punishing others for the guilt we feel inside is not a healthy response. But neither is internalizing it so your body gets bombarded with a steady stream of harmful chemicals triggered by persistent negative thoughts.
Listen what David says in Ps 32:3:
When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long.
Keeping our negative thoughts inside and not dealing with them in a healthy manner affects our minds and bodies in severe ways.
As a former neurotically guilty person, feeling responsible for everyone and everything, here’s what I have learned to do:
Tell God all about it.
I write daily letters to Him and when I need to, I share my deepest, darkest secrets and feelings. I share my screwiest ideas, my stupidest questions, my greatest fears, and silliest offenses.
And guess what? I not only have not been zapped, but also I feel and see His smile.
He’s never forsaken me. He, instead, sticks close to me, enlightens me, clears up my confusion, and reassures me that He loves and yes, even favors me!! I need not grovel because He is the Lifter of my head!
If you don’t have that kind of intimacy with Him… ask Him for it and try it out! He will meet you, if you let Him!
To your good mental, emotional, and physiological health!
Guilt: A Barrier to Intimacy with God
Yesterday we considered Ps 32: 1 – 2:
Happy is he who has forgiveness continually exercised upon him, who has a perpetual fresh start! You’re slate is wiped clean! God holds nothing against you, and so, you need not hold anything back from Him.?
Did you notice the latter part of that passage? “… so, you need not hold anything back from Him.” (The Message)
Often in my coaching, I guide my clients to check out passages in the word that offer proof of the heart and intention of God. Without understanding more fully the love of God, it’s easy to get thwarted in receiving the desires of their hearts.
I ask about the nature and quality of their relationship with Him to see if they are trying to get to their destination or goal in a boat with no paddles, sail, or motor. Crazy, but that’s most of us!
After we talk about this, invariably it is disclosed, sheepishly, that they rarely sit with the Lord for wisdom, strength, hope, or joy. Why not? They feel guilty.
Somewhere within, they feel God doesn’t really want to see them, or if He does, it’s to scold them.
They barely crack open the word, which is to strengthen their faith, infuse them with power, and settle their hearts. Again, why not? Because they perceive a big bony finger rising up out of the pages and shaking in their faces. Who’d want that?
I know exactly how they feel. Growing up with a highly critical parent, I developed the idea that being right about everything, not wrong, was the way to avoid punishment, ensure my worth as a person, and increase my superiority. To have anyone point out I was wrong about ANYTHING was like taking a hot poker and stabbing an open wound.
Of course, I had an effective way of masking that this bothered me, and so, I’d internalize the criticism, wonder about its truth, and be resentful toward them. A double whammy to my soul.
Examine today if your guilty feelings are keeping you from the True Source of all you need and desire. The answer is NOT to do everything right all the time so that you don’t ever feel guilty and no one can accuse you. You can’t anyway.
The answer is NOT to grovel and do penance each time you want to go to Him. He doesn’t need or want that.
The answer is to accept wholeheartedly the open door to His heart for you. There is nothing that stands in His way, and He doesn’t want anything to stand in yours. You can tell Him anything. Go for it.