40 DAY FAST FROM WRONGFUL THINKING (Day 17)

"I Feel Trapped"



Today we're fasting from the thought that says, "I feel trapped."

     Ever felt like that? We all know what it feels like when it seems we have nowhere to turn. Perhaps you've felt like life was closing in on you -- like there was no way out of the situation you're in. Perhaps you feel bombarded by your daily responsibilities and you feel in bondage to your weaknesses and fears.

LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY

1.  God ALWAYS provides a way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13). When you feel trapped or closed in, God will make a way for you. He always does. Choose to believ it today.
2. Expect an open door. He opens the door that no one can close (Revelations 3:8). This is the favor of God. Psalm 5:12 says that His favor surrounds you like a shield. When you feel surrounded by your problems, declare that you are surrounded by HIS FAVOR!
3. You ahve the wisdom of God. Be confident of this. You will instinctively know what to do next. When you feel trapped, wisdom will open a door or create a door that wasn't even there before! 1 Corinthians 1:30 says Jesus has been made unto you wisdom from God.
4. Change your perspective. When Paul was trapped, despairing even of life, in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (message translated) he said IT WAS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED because he was FORCED to trust God totally! TRUST HIM TOTALLY TODAY!
5. Stop thinking about the finish line. Keep walking by faith. Just take one step in the right direction. God will meet you there. John 5:8 -- just start. Get up. You don't have to figure it all out. One step at a time.
6. You have the Peace of God in you. When everything is closing in on you, declare, "Peace be still!" This is why Jesus could calm the storm with "PEACE!" Because the peace was already in Him. And therefore, it's already in you!
7. Embrace the thought: "God will deliver whoever calls on His name" (Romans 10:13). He is your deliverer. When you feel thrapped, yell: JESUS, You are my deliverer!

THINK IT AND SAY IT

FEATURING:    God makes a way where there is no way. There is always

                           a way out of feeling trapped. I have the wisdom of God

                           and I walk by faith, not by sight. I speak to my situation

                           "Peace, be still." I expect God to open a door that no

                            man can close. No matter how trapped I feel, I will

                           Totally trust God. And He will deliver me as I call upon

                           the Nameof Jesus. In Jesus' Name.

*** reprinted from Gregory Dickow's "Start Thinking Forward"

 



40 DAY FAST FROM WRONGFUL THINKING (Day 16)

"I Feel Unhappy A Lot"



Today we're fasting from the thought that says, "I feel unhyappy a lot."

LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY

1. Happiness was God's idea! Psalm 144:15 says happy are the people whose God is the Lord. When Jesus became the Lord of your life, a supernatural force of happiness was deposited in you! Make a withdrawal on the deposit by declaring: "Jesus is Lord and that makes me happy!
2. Reject the mindset that others need to treat you right in order for you to be happy. Trust God = Happiness. (Proverbs 16:20). We hang on to what people will do for us or say about us, in hopes that it will make us happy. Give that up today.
3. Take control of your life! When you depend on someone else to act a certain way or treat ou a certain way, you give up control and power of your lifeover to them. Take it back!
4. Let go of condemnation. Romans 14:22 says, "Happy is the one who does not condemn himself..." Romans 8:1 tells us there is no condemnation for those in Christ. When you accept that God does not condemn you, you will discover the power to be happy and free!
5. The supreme happiness in life is the ASSURANCE that you are LOVED. BE LOVED. The Father tenderly love you. (John 16:27)!
6. Jesus was the HAPPIEST man in the world. (Hebrews 1:9) Change your view of your Savior. He was a man of grief ONLY ON TTHE CROSS. In His daily life, He rejoiced more than anyone. And He lives in you. (Colossians 1:27)
7. You are in His presence NOW. Remember that in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). And you are in His presence by the Blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19).

THINK IT AND SAY IT



FEATURING:     I reject the thought that anyone can make or break

                           my happiness. I take back control of my life and I

                           choose to be happy today because Jesus is my

                           Lord. I have a rich deposit of joy inside me. And

                           I release its force every time I open my mouth with

                           praise. The ultimate happiness in life is the assurance

                           That I am loved. And since God loves me, I walk in

                           the supreme happiness of life. I am free from

                           condemnation because the happiest Man in the world 

                           lives in me. In Jesus' Name!

*** reprinted from Gregory Dickow's "Start Thinking Forward" 

40 DAY FAST FROM WRONGFUL THINKING (Day 15)

"That's Just The Way I Am"



Today we are fasting from the thought that says: "That's just the way I am."

     One of the things that limits us and keeps us defeated is the opinion we have of ourselves. Over time, we begin to accept that we can't change. We also accept other people's stigmas of us. These things begin to shape our view of ourselves and what we're capable of.

     "He's shy." "She's stuck-up." "He's all talk." "She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

      We often end up living up to the very opinions and expectations that others have had of us, because it has conditioned us. Or, we feel, "I'll always be average." "I'll always be overweight." "I'm capable of only making 'x' amount of money."  We're limited by our self-imposed expectations of ourselves.

      Today, we are breaking out of the limitations and boundaries we, or others, have put on us. That may have been the way you WERE, but that's NOT the way you ARE.

LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY

1. You are a work of art -- a work in progress. God is the potter and we are the clay (Jeremiah 18:1-6). God is working on you to make you what He wants you to be. Trust the Artist to make a masterpiece. Be flexible and adaptable. See yourself as a GOOD work in progress.
2. Withhold judgement of yourself (or others). Philippians 1:6 says, "He who began a GOOD work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Don't prejudge what your capacity is or what your potential is. He's only just begun!
3. God doesn't throw you out. HE NEVER GIVES UP ON YOU. Jeremiah 18:4 says, "the clay was marred, so He made it again." He didn't discard it! He made it again. Whew! Thank God!
4. You are changing as you are reading this! Whatever flaws you have, they are not the final sentence. You are NOW being conformed to the image of Jesus! (Romans 8:29)
5. EMBRACE the GRACE! Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:10, "I AM what I AM by the grace of God." It's God's grace IN YOU that is making you what you are. You are not a composite of your parents' mistakes, your mistakes, and others' opinions of you. You're awesome!

THINK IT AND SAY IT

FEATURING:    I am unlimited in my ability to grow and change. God is

                          the potter and I am the clay. I am what God says I am.

                          He bagan a good work in me and He will finish it. He is

                          Making me into something GOOD.

                          I am His workmanship --- His work of art. He's good

                          at this and has been doing it a long time! I am not in

                          bondage to my weaknesses and former limitations. They

                          do not define me.

                          Everyday and every moment that passes is making me

                          more and more like Him. In Jesus' Name.

***reprinted from Gregory Dickow's "Start Thinking Forward"

40 DAY FAST FROM WRONGFUL THINKING (Day 14)

"It's Too Hard To Find God's Will"

Today we're fasting from the thought that says: "The will of God is such a mystery." Or, "It's too hard to find God's Will."

     Many people struggle so hard to do the Will of God only to be frustrated and often confused. Can we ever be SURE of the will of God? We can. And I believe this will help.



LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY

1. Change the way you look at the Bible. We need to look at the Bible as a love letter, a description of who we are in Christ and a collection of divine seeds for the harvests of life.
2. Today, you must see the Bible as a "Will". It is God's LAST WILL and TESTAMENT! (Hebrews 9:15-17). Enclosed in the Bible is EVERYTHING Jesus, after dying, has left to HiS loved ones-- that's you and me!
3. Remember, a will goes into effect when someone dies. Hebrews 9:17 says, "because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living."
4. See yourself in God's Will NOW. Through Jesus' Blood and His death, God has placed us IN His.
5. The gospel is: forgiveness AND an inheritance that now belongs to us (Acts 26:18). Read the Scriptures to discover your inheritance and know what belongs to you NOW.
6. Now, take the pressure off yourself in trying to discover what to DO and focus on discovering what is YOURS. This will change how you look at yourself and how you live!
7. Don't try to find the will of God. It will find you. Just meditate on God's Word. Flood your mind with His promises. Bask in His love and grace and the will of God will find you. It will overtake you. (Deuteronomy 28:2)

LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY



FEATURING:     God has placed me in His will. I don't have to strive to

                            find it. God's will is His covenant toward me -- His

                            Promised inheritance is mine through the Blood of Jesus.

                            I will see the Bible as God's will TOWARD me. I will read

                            it to discover what belongs to me and who I truly am in Him

                            and the will of God will track me down. It will come upon me

                            and overtake me. In Jesus' Name.

*** reprinted from Gregory Dickows "Start Thinking Forward"

40 DAY FAST FROM WRONGFUL THINKING (Day 13)

"After What I've Done Wrong,

I Don't Deserve To Be Blessed"



Today we are fasting from the thought that says: "After what I've done wrong, I don't deserve to be blessed."

LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY

1.  STOP focusing on your "wrongs" and START focusing on His "rights". We've all done enough wrong in our life to send us straight to hell. But God doesn't judge us based on our right or wrong. He judges us based on what Jesus did right. We need to believe it.
2. It's His choice. The first thing God did when He created man was: He blessed them. That's His choice because that's His nature. Accept that. Embrace it. God has appointed you to be fruitful and blessed. (John 15:16).
3. Blessing flows when you believe you are forgiven. Romans 4:7 says, "Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven." This is amazing! Putting your faith in God's forgiveness is the gateway to blessing in your life.
4. Jesus deserves to be blessed. And since He's worthy of God's blessing, that makes you worthy to be blessed, IN HIM. 1 John 4:17 "... as He is, so are we in life."
5. STOP condemning yourself. STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE. Romans 14:22 says, "Blessed and happy is the man who does not condemn himself."
6. Jesus took the curse so you could take the blessing! Jesus deserves to see you blessed because of what He went through to redeem you from the curse! "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us... on the cross... that the blessing of Abraham might come on us through Jesus Christ! (Galatians 3:13)

THINK IT AND SAY IT



FEATURING:     I take my eyes off all that I have done wrong and I 

                           put my eyes on all that He has done right for me. He blesses me 

                           because He has chosen to. I receive it. I choose to believe I am

                           forgiven, and therefore, BLESSING FLOWS. I belong to Christ;

                           therefore, I am blessed with Abraham. Genesis 24:1 says Abraham

                           was blessed IN ALL THINGS -- therefore, that's what I expect.

                           In Jesus' Name.

*** reprinted from Gregory Dickows "Start Thinking Forward"   

40 DAY FAST FROM WRONGFUL THINKING (Day 12)

"What's Wrong With Me?"



     Our fast from wrongful thinking is working. Stay on the journey with me. These seeds will produce the great harvests you have always wanted and needed in every area of your life.

Today we are fasting from the thought that says: "What's wrong with me?"

     Have you ever thought that? Who hasn't? We have all had our bouts with sin-consciousness --- a haunting awareness of all that we do wrong and all that is wrong about us.

     The first problem with this thinking is: it is "me-centered" not "Jesus-centered." It's selfish. We are called to LOOK to Him -- the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Hebrews 12:1, God says, "look up" not "look within."

     It starts with developing a "righteousness consciousness" rather than a "sin consciousness."

     The constant awareness of our "falling short" is where the devil and religion want to keep us. This keeps us defeated and hemmed in by our human nature, rather than liberated through our divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4 says, "Through His promises, we share in the divine nature of God and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust."



LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY

1. Understand the gift of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He who knew NO sin, was made to be sin FOR US, that we would be MADE the righteousness of God." This is the greatest EXCHANGE in human history! Jesus took our sinfulness and imparted to us His righteousness --- which means we are RIGHT in God's eyes, not wrong. We are justified. I like the play on words here. Justified = "just if I'd" never sinned.
2. Awake to righteousness. 1 Corinthians 15:34 (Amp) says, "Awaken to righteousness; and you will not sin." You are a child of God. You are forgiven. You are a joint heir with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:16). When God looks at you, He sees the Blood He shed. He sees His Son. When God thinks of you, He thinks of a victorious, conquering, strong, powerful, wise and holy son or daughter. He sees you as a mighty champion. The head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13). Righteousness means: to stand in the presence of God as if sin had never been. To stand in His presence without a sense of guilt, shame, inferiority or condemnation.
3. Reject sin-consciousness. When you are always conscious of what's wrong, you will DO wrong. When you are always conscious of BEING the righteousness of God --- you will DO right! You'll act on the outside how you see yourself on the inside. (Whenever you think of your "wrongs", cast them upon Jesus. And remember, His "rights" are now yours!)
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to do what He does best. 1 Corinthians 2:12 says, "... we have received the Spirit of God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God." A key ministry of the Holy Spirit is to REVEAL what is already yours. (NOT TO REVEAL TO YOU ALL THAT IS WRONG IN YOUR LIFE.)
5. Dwell on what's right rather than what's wrong. Go through the Scripture regarding who you are in Christ; what is yours in Christ, and what you can do in Christ. It's staggering. Flood your mind with this new way of thinking.

 THINK IT AND SAY IT



FEATURING:    I decide to give up thinking about all that is wrong in my life and I choose

                          to think about what is right.

                          I am the righteousness of God, through the Blood of Jesus. I stand in

                          the presence of God without guilt, shame, inferiority or condemnation.

                          I awake to righteousness and believe it will lead me to a victorious life.

                          I am a joint heir with Jesus. When God looks at me, He sees His Blood.

                          He thinks of me as a conquering, powerful and holy son or daughter. I

                          will not think of myself as anything less or more than what God thinks

                          of me. In Jesus' Name.

*** reprinted from Gregory Dickow's "Start Thinking Forward"

INSIGHTFUL MESSAGE (For My Grandchildren)

For My Grandchildren

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.  For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meatloaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days, when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you off two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy/girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandma/grandpa and go fishing with your uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of yuour hand.

These things I wish for you --- tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

 By Paul Harvey