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speaking

4 Powerful Prayers To Speak Over Yourself And The People Around You

by Abby Vision January 2, 2019

We’re instructed to supplicate and to pray about everything (Philippians 4:6). But this can seem frustrating when we don’t even know where to start. We want to pray for others but sometimes we can’t seem to move beyond the typical “please bless so-and-so” and “help so-and-so with such-and-such a thing” prayers that we are so accustomed to, simply because we don’t know how to.

For example, I’ve recently felt the call to pray for our persecuted brethren in the Middle East. But beyond praying for their needs and obvious troubles, I was discouraged when I realized that I didn’t really know how to intercede for them. However, believing that God wanted me to move past my lack and enter into my prayer closet with bold, spiritual requests, I began asking Him to teach me how.

Immediately, He directed me to read the Bible, specifically the Pauline Epistles. Over and over again, I found the requests that Paul had made to God on behalf of the Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, etc. I was stirred in my spirit, knowing that I wanted to pray these same things, not only for others, but for myself as well! I started to pray the scriptures, and it is unbelievable how the Holy Spirit falls so powerfully every time I do. Why? Because the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, therefore, those words are His own.

Essentially, we’re praying in the Spirit every time we pray scripture and, as I have found, the more we labor in prayer with His requests, the more He’ll direct our spirits to intercede in greater measures. The Spirit will inspire us to pray for specific yet unknown things, for ourselves and for others, and will give us the words we lack in the very moment.

Here are four prayers to get you started. I’ve written them as though you were praying for yourself, but if you are praying for a certain individual or group, then obviously change the “me” and “I” to their name, or “they”, “them”, “he”, etc.

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:16-20):

I pray that You, God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. That You would enlighten the eyes of my understanding, that I may know the hope of Your calling, the riches of glory of the saint’s inheritance, and what is the exceeding greatness of Your power that You have for us who believe in You, according to the working of Your mighty power, which you worked in Christ.

Paul’s Second Prayer for the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:14-19):

Father, I pray that you would grant me, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened in my inner-man with might by Your Spirit; that You, Jesus, would dwell in my heart by faith, that I, being rooted and grounded in love, would be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, the length, the depth, and the height of Your Love that surpasses all knowledge. That You would fill me with Your fullness, God.

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians (Philippians 1:9-11):

I pray that the love You have given me would abound even more in all knowledge and judgment; that I may approve the things that are excellent and that I would be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; that I would be filled with the fruits of righteousness that are in Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of You, God.

Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians (Colossians 1:9-12):

Lord, I pray that I would be filled with all wisdom and spiritual understanding in the knowledge of Your will. That I would walk worthy of You in all manner of pleasing, that I be fruitful in every good work, and increase in the knowledge of You. That according to Your glorious power I would be strengthened with all power, in patience, and longsuffering with joy. Thank You, Father, for making me a partaker in the inheritance of the saints in light!

And it doesn’t stop here!

As the Spirit inspires you, take your Bible out and pray those powerful scriptures over yourself, your spouse, your children; over fellow believers, missionaries, pastors, your country’s leader, and whomever else God puts in your heart.

January 2, 2019 4 comments

Faith

This is Your Year: The Power of Speaking Truth into the Atmosphere

by Rhonda Kitabjian December 30, 2018

written by Rhonda Kitabjian

You may have heard this saying before, but I am here to tell you that THIS IS YOUR YEAR! How do I know that? Because, God’s promises never return void. “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

What God has promised will come to you in exactly the time that He ordained it to occur.

You may have been waiting for things to happen in your life that has not occurred yet, or maybe you’ve been looking for a new job, you may be wanting more money in your bank account to make a large purchase or to lose that extra weight that keeps creeping on each year. Well, I am here to tell you, what God has promised will come to you in exactly the time that He ordained it to occur.

My Story

A few years ago, I was employed as the Director of Product Mgt. for a software company. Each day I waited for God to answer my prayer. What was my prayer you ask? It was to be alone with God every day, to have time to fellowship with Him and to be the wife and mother I knew He called me to over 20 years ago.

You see, God planted a seed in my heart when I was 24 years old. I had a heart for women who were not walking in their full potential and my desire was to be serving in women’s ministry. I had waited and waited for this to occur, but each year that passed I felt like nothing was changing in my life to make this happen. That’s where I was wrong!

The last 20 years have been preparation time for me…or as I like to call it “BOOT CAMP”. I was being equipped to serve women, to guide His children into a relationship with Him, and I was raising my children to walk in a relationship with their Heavenly Father, as well as serving my husband with enthusiasm. But before I could do any of those things, I had to be trained myself. Jesus said in John 15 that we should be pruned to bear fruit… “I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.”

Our lives were created to be in a relationship with God, to be in communion with His son Jesus and to the feel the presence of the Holy Spirit

Each year that went by, I asked the Lord to prune me to be in the likeness of Jesus. Through this process, I learned more about myself and about things I was carrying on my shoulders that were never mine to carry. You see, our lives were created to be in a relationship with God, to be in communion with His son Jesus and to the feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. When we are living our lives daily for ourselves, there is going to be a hole in our hearts where His love should be. Until we learn this lesson, it’s like we are in a place of always wanting. Wanting more money, more things to fill our homes, more friends, more time…You get the picture. Instead, we should be living daily for Jesus and surrender ourselves to Him.

My Prayer for You

Therefore, today, I want to encourage you to know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be RIGHT NOW! In this moment, there are three things I would like you to pray over and give to God:

1. Where does your peace come from? “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
2. What is your heart’s desire? “Delight yourself in the Lord, And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
3. What action step can you take today to make #2 a REALITY?
As it says in James 2:14-17 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Answered Prayers

So, you may be wondering if my prayer got answered? The answer is – YES! Three days after I said that prayer, I was let go from my workplace. As I was driving home, the Lord told me He was setting me FREE. Since that time, I have had the freedom to write a book called Jesus at Work and to launch a business focused on inspiring the true potential in leaders called Royal Business Consulting.

If I didn’t have all of these years of preparation, I would absolutely not have been able to step into this calling with ease and peace. I needed to trust God’s timing and His purpose for my life throughout each step. I needed to let go and let God shape me into the likeness of Jesus.

Personal Reflection

Today, I encourage you to make the choice to take a step of faith and take action towards your heart’s desire. If you want to help the homeless and feel called to start a non-profit but maybe God isn’t calling you to leave your job, then why don’t you volunteer at a non-profit that serves the homeless. Like me, I was called to women’s ministry, and God gave me volunteer opportunities to serve women in my neighborhood, my church, and most importantly at my workplace every day.

It doesn’t matter where God is calling you, what matters is that you are OBEDIENT to the CALLING

It doesn’t matter where God is calling you, what matters is that you are obedient to the calling! May God be your constant source of encouragement during this season of your destiny!

December 30, 2018 0 comment

Faith Lifestyle

Caution! You May Be Speaking Curses Into Your Life

by Abby Vision August 3, 2017

written by Abby Vision

Are You Speaking Blessings or Curses Over Your Life?

There is power of life and of death in our tongue as Proverbs 18:21 says. Our words are powerful, and through them we can either bless or curse, affecting all areas in our life if we’re not careful.

“[The tongue] is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?” (James 3:8-11).

I know that scripture specifically speaks about cursing people – but I believe that it’s not only what we say to each other that matters, but what we speak over our life as well. What are we saying about our finances, health, cities, country, etc.? What are we declaring over our current struggles?

‘For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.” (1 Peter 3:10)

Meaning, we can either see good days or bad days in our job, families, income, health, and surroundings, depending on what we say about them! We can have a blessed or cursed future by the things which we speak today!

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” (Psalm 21:23)

Now why is this so important?

(1) Because Jesus is Truth (John 14:6).

We are to walk in Him (Truth), and this includes speaking truthful things. When we speak things opposite to the truth (who Jesus is and what He says) in and over our life, we actually hinder His presence, work, and plans for us. Ephesians 4:15 says, “…but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.” Our words are like seeds. What we plant with them will grow (whether in our hearts or in our surroundings) and can either produce the truth of Jesus in and around us, or everything that He is not.

(2) Because when God speaks, it comes into existence (Gen. 1:1-31; Ezekiel 12:25).

Likewise, we, who are made in His similitude, and are being purified into the likeness of His Son, can speak things into existence. Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” (Mark 11:23)

But what if we speak doubtful things into our circumstances? When we say things contrary to His Spirit (bitter words, complaints, defeats, rejections, humiliations, fear), we’re not bringing light into them but darkness!

Are you praying for restoration in your marriage, but speaking critically about your spouse elsewhere? Are you reaching out to better your community, and yet complaining about its disadvantages and flaws? Are you going through a season of difficulties, saying that you’ll never be delivered from them? Are you walking forward in your life’s calling, yet inwardly declaring what a failure you are?

We could learn something from our words. Essentially, what we speak is what we believe in our heart. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt. 12:34)

Years ago I walked into a doctor’s office only to discover that the severe pain I had been experiencing in my abdomen was Ulcerative Colitis (UC). I was totally unaware of what UC was at the time, but after returning home, and doing lots of research, I became mortified (think “no cure,” “lifelong,” and “colon cancer”). Not only did it seem like I would be living in pain for the rest of my life, but my mind roamed wildly as I thought of the possibility of it worsening into something more life-threatening. The bewilderment took hold of me and not only did I entertain fearful thoughts constantly, but I spoke out loud all of the terrors of Ulcerative Colitis.

Strangely, the more I spoke about the power UC had over my body, the worse my symptoms became. While the pain I had been in before was terrible, now it seemed like what I had believed about UC was actually coming to pass.

I was praying about my health – I knew the Bible said that God was my Healer. But I spent so much time thinking about UC’s hold over my life that my heart wasn’t acknowledging that Truth. Essentially, I was refuting His ability to heal me through the choice of my words. God gently pointed this out to me one day, revealing that I was speaking disease and powerless defeat over my health, rather than healing and victory.

Once I learned how to believe and speak Truth into my health rather than lies, things started changing. There were moments when the pain was unbearable, and yet through His grace, I declared victory and healing over my body continuously. Over time, the pain began to lessen, the symptoms grew weaker. Ulcerative Colitis no longer had authority over my body – God did!

I’ll never forget the day that I touched my stomach, feeling no pain. I hadn’t realized that I wasn’t having any symptoms anymore, and while I was aware of the flare-ups and remission of UC, I knew something greater had happened: I had declared healing over my body and God had brought it.

So what are you speaking over your life’s situations right now – blessings or curses?

August 3, 2017 0 comment

Faith Lifestyle

God Has Burning Bushes Set Up In Your Life! Are You Seeing Them? Are You Listening?

by Jermaine Francis April 6, 2017

written by Jermaine Francis

God is Trying to Speak a Particular Message to You

Are you really listening?

At times I have had a conversation with my wife where she says “What do you think about that?” Then I hesitate for a moment and realize I have no idea what the last thing she said was. I sometimes smile and nod, hoping that will do. Then she says “You don’t know what I just said, do you?” I’m like nope, not at all. Then I realize I was on my phone or thinking about something else. She was communicating. And maybe I thought I was listening at first. I just was not listening intently. I am the one that missed the communication. She did her part.

That can happen between God and us sometimes. He may be speaking, but we are not listening with intention and can miss what He is saying to us. God’s heart is always to communicate to us. God loves us and loves to talk to us. We are on a journey with God. He is leading us day by day.

We can sometimes be oblivious to the fact that God is speaking to us. We can get so busy with life, task, family, work or projects and miss what God is trying to communicate. To receive what God is speaking to us, all we’ve got to do is pay attention.

Are there burning bushes in your life?

God speaking to us can be like Moses and the burning bush. The bush was on fire, but Moses had to turn and see to receive the message. Moses stopped what he was doing to go figure out why the bush was on fire. The bush was burning whether or not Moses paid attention to it. God put the bush in his path, but he had to chose to pay attention to it. God has burning bushes to place in your life too.

God may be speaking a particular message to you, but you have to turn aside to now go and receive it. Pay attention to the burning bushes in your life. What things are showing up as you go about your day, that stand out to you?

Nothing happens by chance…

Have you read a scripture and then a friend has a conversation with you that is similar in nature to the scripture you just read? Or did you hear a sermon, then see a post on social media with a similar message? Or did you get on the GOD TV blog and see a post about just what you have been praying about?

This is God speaking to you through many different ways. He is getting your attention, like burning bushes. If you’re not getting it one way, He will come to you another, and another, and another. He can be very persistent. God can speak to you through the Bible, friends, social media, sermons, movies, songs, dreams, a prophetic word, art, a book and many other ways. He can speak to you through a donkey if He wants. God has multiple levels of communicating to you. He loves you and loves to talk to you.

Remember…

Pay attention to the messages that keep popping up to you in your daily life. That may be something God is speaking to you. Once you realize He is speaking, you’ll be able to listen more closely. It then becomes easier to hear Him. Once you have seen the message, ask the Lord exactly what He wants to communicate to you. God is faithful. He will answer you.

April 6, 2017 0 comment

Lifestyle

I Lost My Job and I Didn’t Know What to Do: Amazing Things Happen When You Speak in Faith.

by GOD TV February 27, 2017

written by GOD TV

I Lost My Job.

Job searching is an interesting thing. There are all kinds of jobs.

· The dream job
· The job that pays the bills, while working towards the dream
· The no other option job
· The job that just kind of happened

From time to time, there will be a job that’s going well and out of nowhere come to discover, the company is closing, the position’s been removed, layoffs occur or some other scenario transpires.

Has this happened to you? Are you currently without a job? What’s your response to this new reality?

A couple of months ago a sister in Christ informed me via email that her husband was laid off. They have a toddler and at the time another on the way, which was just born Super Bowl Sunday. She was expressing concerns regarding finances and the challenges of providing for a family. It can be challenging to fight off anxiety, fears, and doubts. It happens to all of us.

While reading the email, I couldn’t help but smile and feel a little excited for her husband and the family. Having been in this same situation on multiple occasions for various reasons (being without a job), I knew God was up to something. Her husband didn’t particularly love the job. It wasn’t fulfilling for him or even paying very well.

My reply was simple, a prayer of faith.

“Praise the Lord! He didn’t lose his job, he’s getting a promotion. A better job with better pay! Watch. Lord, thank You for the NEW AND GREAT opportunity that’s just around the corner. Please open the doors quickly and let it be something he is truly fulfilled in, that pays beyond reason or expectation! In Jesus name. Amen. Thank You, Lord!” – written December 15, 2016

Things happen when you speak in faith!

Last night February 6, 2017, I received a tremendous praise report. Which read:

“Hi, Josh!

Just read your email aloud to my husband and we both cried because he did indeed get a promotion!

Our friend basically extended an opportunity to work at a new site opening May. It is a dream come true for him and we are so excited about what God is doing. Thank you for your prayer and belief!

Also in the hospital right now welcoming our son into the world – Julian 9 lbs 1 oz!”

God rewards faithfulness!

God is so good! He is faithful and terrific at answering our prayers. Sometimes He answers prayer in a way we would never imagine. It can be uncomfortable, with an uncertain future at the moment. Yet, He is always faithful to get us from point A, to point B, and so on.

In this example, the old job barely paid well enough for the three of them, much less the new addition to the family. The Lord needed to take that job away and replace it with a better one. Now he has a job that pays more and will be more fulfilling. On top of that, he was able to be available for his wife, helping prepare for their baby boy and get things more settled than they might have otherwise had the opportunity for.

A Biblical example

Think about Joseph in the book of Genesis. He needed to be wrongfully accused and put in prison, to meet Pharaoh’s servants and interpret their dreams. Certainly, Joseph had to sort out his life circumstances and probably felt the pain of injustice. No one wants to be thrown in jail, much less being innocent and thrown in jail. Ultimately, God used that terrible scenario of being put in prison to position him rightly to rule all of Egypt – which was his calling and destiny.

Are you without a job currently? Praise the Lord! How is God positioning you to receive those unanswered prayers?

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

This article was written by Joshua Paul, an entrepreneur, and published author.

February 27, 2017 5 comments

Faith Lifestyle

God is Speaking to You: Are You Listening to Him?

by Jermaine Francis February 19, 2017

written by Jermaine Francis

Are You Listening?

Every believer has the ability and the right to hear God

Hearing God can sometimes seem mystical and spooky. Should I be looking for a burning bush to know He is speaking to me? Does God only speak to the spiritual elite? Or those who have accomplished great spiritual acts. No, none of this is true. God speaks to every believer. Which includes you. Yes, you awesome amazing person reading this blog right now. Don’t look around I am talking to you. Every believer has the ability and the right to hear God. The bible says my sheep hear my voice.

God is Speaking Already

Hearing God is easy and hard all at the same time. What do I mean by that? I mean it’s simple, but we make it hard. The easy thing is God is already speaking. The hard thing is for us to let go of control and believe that He speaking to us. It’s not the easiest thing for us humans to do sometimes.

How I Learned His Voice

This is a great exercise to build your confidence that God is speaking to you.

When I was first seeking to hear the Lord. I would go for long walks and pray pouring out all my thoughts feeling and complaints to the Lord. Then I would wait on God to respond to all that I poured out. He always would. This is what I did. I would take a journal and begin to write what I felt the Lord saying to me about the things I just brought to Him. I would start to write at the top of the page “The Lord says….” Then begin to write what I felt from the Lord. This is a great exercise to build your confidence that God is speaking to you. I would always be amazed at the respond the Lord would give back. It always brought so much peace and settling to my soul.
Start by journaling what you feel the Lord is speaking to you. Don’t over think it, just write what you are feeling from the Lord. When you get to the end, then go back and read it. Through this, you will see that God is already speaking inside of you this just give a vehicle to let it flow out.

Learn His Voice Before Crisis Comes

crisis is not the best time to learn how to hear

I see many people get frustrated when they cry out to God in a crisis and seem to not get an answer. I have found many times, God is answering, they just don’t know it. A crisis is not the best time to learn how to hear and know the voice of the Lord. When we are in a place of crisis our emotions and thoughts are all over the place. A crisis is not the best environment to learn. It’s best to learn before the crisis. When we are in crisis we will then know how to quickly respond to and navigate through the crisis by His voice.

Words of Wisdom: Don’t Wait

God is waiting for us to approach Him

Continually ask the Lord what He wants to speak to you. Then be open to receive and listen. The Bible says, if you seek Him, you will find Him. Sometimes were waiting on God to approach us and God is waiting for us to approach Him. Smith Wigglesworth said, “If the Spirit’s not moving, I’ll move him!” We must seek to hear God and know His voice. If we do we will learn it.

February 19, 2017 1 comment