This is from the book, Awakening, by Stovall Weems. It is found on pages 32-34. I use this every single day! I highly recommend this book! START YOUR DAY WITH THE RIGHT MIND-SET Having the right kind of mind-set requires intentionality. We have to be aware that our natural, human instinct when we wake up each day will be to gravitate toward everything we think is wrong in our lives. So we have to be intentional about setting our focus with the right perspective before we start moving forward with our day. I want to share with you how I do this. For quite some time now, I have practiced this in my daily devotions and it has changed the way I view each day. I do this not only when things are going well, but on the tough days too. Every day as I direct my attention to God in a concentrated way, the first thing I do is make sure I focus on the goodness, greatness, and glory of God. Focusing daily on these three attributes of God gives me a complete picture or filter of His grace. My model for this is the first line of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9. I’ve also noticed that nearly every prayer the apostle Paul prayed for the New Testament churches follows this same pattern as well. The Lord’s Prayer starts with “Our Father.” You have to remind yourself that you are a child of God and that all your sins are forgiven (John 1:12; 1 John 2:2). You have to know that you are going to heaven and have eternal life through Jesus (Romans 5:21). You have to know that you have the favor of God and that God is for you (Romans 8:31). You need to remind yourself everyday that your real home is not here on earth but in heaven (1 John 2:17). Your life on earth is so temporary, but your life with your heavenly Father is forever (Colossians 3:1-3). Thank God for who He is and for all He has done for you. But it doesn’t stop there. You might be thinking, Well, that’s great, Stovall, I know God loves me, and that He’s for me, but that doesn’t make the daily challenges in my life go away. I’m still facing some serious difficulties. You’re absolutely right. That’s why after we focus in the goodness of God; we must then focus on the greatness of God. The next two words in the Lord’s Prayer are “in heaven.” Heaven speaks to the greatness of God and the greatness of His power within all you believe in Him. We have to remember that God is on the throne, and with Him “all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). Jesus has all authority (Matthew 28:18), and as a child of God, all the power of heaven is at your disposal. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives within you (Romans 8:11). With Jesus inside you, you can face anything! You can have faith that will move mountains if you will only believe (Matthew 17:20). So believe in God for the supernatural and know that He will work all things in accordance with His will (Romans 8:28). Bring all your cares, problems, trials, and pain to the Lord and believe Him for great things (1 Peter 5:7). Believe in your heart, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Remember, God says He gives us peace and joy in believing, not in achieving. No matter what you are going through, trust God and you can experience His joy and peace. He gives that to us as we trust in Him. Most people think that the only joy is when the prayer is answered or their circumstance is changed. Not true - it’s every day as you walk with God. That’s awakening! The final thing we focus on is the glory of God: “Hallowed be Your name.” This helps us remember that this life in not all about us. Hallowed means “sanctified” or “lifted up”; in other words, “Glorified be the name of God.” Our lives on this earth are but a speck in the big picture of eternity. They’re like a vapor. Yet so many times we focus on our comforts and preferences when those things are really not going to make a bit of difference in the big picture. Keeping an eternal perspective helps us remember that is we have to go through something we would prefer to not go through; we can still enjoy our relationship with God. My number one priority every day is to live for the glory of God regardless of what comes my way. I choose to be content with where God has me for this season and glorify Him regardless of what my personal preferences are (Philippians 4:12). When you get up in the morning, your number one priority should be to get in the right mind-set for your day. Focus first on what’s right about God, and see everything else through that filter. Remember, it’s not about what you do. It’s about who God is. The only way you’re going to consistently enjoy your relationship with God, the only way you’re going to really have this incredible supernatural life full of peace and joy, is not if you obey God perfectly, but if you TRULY BELIEVE AND FOCUS ON HOW MUCH HE LOVES YOU. (caps are my editing.. Tammy)
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 14:55:21 +0000
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