Today's post is going to be notes from a powerful devotional I am currently reflecting on. There is a great devotional channel on YouTube called "Grace for Purpose," which has been one of the key channels ministering to me over the last couple years. Below are the meat and potatoes of a section from today's devotional, titled "Seek God and Speak His Word Over Your Life: A Blessed Morning Prayer To Begin Your Day":
Scriptural passages:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13, NIV
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3, NIV
1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5, NIV
I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. Psalm 119:147, NIV
When we speak the word of God, when we declare it and confess it over our lives, we are saying "Lord, I am placing my faith in You." We are trusting and believing in Your precious Word. Prayer that is based in God's Word is a powerful prayer.
As a personal confession, I am not writing this post to show how spiritual I am, or how successful I am at doing this. Rather, it's because I've strayed once again in my heart from faith, and sharing the contents of this post is a reflection of how much I need this. This is a reflection of how much I really need God, every hour of every day, as well as a realization as to how easily it is for me to slip. You'll notice that I have been once again posting sermon notes from my church. I've been posting them because these were the sermon messages I began hearing in the subsequent weeks after repenting on March 12th from having forgotten God for a whole year.
What has been happening is I've been wallowing lately in discouragement regarding different things, but primarily centered around waiting on God to answer some deep desires in my life. I'm aware that the older I've gotten (relatively speaking), the harder it has gotten to hold out that hope. But, as I'm continuing to learn in my prayer life, God can do anything and He is not constrained by our timelines. This devotional, appropriately titled, "A Blessed Morning Prayer To Begin Your Day" came up in my YouTube feed, as I was waking up this morning. (Another confession: I had been watching other YouTube videos, primarily around the themes of politics, sports, and other current events.)
One thing I am noting, though, is that, as much as I was struggling (or wallowing) in discouragement the last couple weeks, today I got in touch with that hunger and yearning to say "yes" not only to Jesus, but also to taking the step of speaking His Word and His victory over my life. Once upon a time, part of my pattern was to stay in the broken place because feeling angry about it somehow felt good, like I would somehow be vindicated for doing so. I even was able to articulate in a massive fictional story project I wrote (I was probably around 14 years of age when I wrote the below excerpt):
Then my imagination’s noises came back as I started to get full. Or, at least I think it was just my imagination. [The] noise got louder. Even louder. Sounded kind of like an “oo” (as in “food”) sound. My guess was I kept on hearing “boos”.
Then my mind kept on jumping from one subject to another. My mind started with the “boo” word, then went to the game, where everyone was going against me, making me know how badly they wanted me to lose. Everyone was now against me. First of all, the Swords were against me, but that was because they and the Secrets are (“born-to-be”) rivals. Bitter rivals. Anyone can understand that. Secondly, no one would understand why my former teammates were against me, just because I “fired” [a couple teammates, who I allowed to leave at their request]. Thirdly, [my best friend] started becoming against me right before he left my club center to warn me about my former “teammates” going over to play with the Swords instead of against them. Then, all the cats somehow followed [my best friend]’s example by rooting for the Swords and being arch-rival fans against me. I could tell because there was no [cat-calling at the Swords] heard at the game.
Now, another set of people were against me. The three friends I met in NYC who had come to my club mansion shortly after my teammate friends [quit] on me ... were now against me. They became sick of my one-man team to save us from losing and went away to trade for Swords jerseys. Apparently they were more against me that I lied to them about my other friends were going on vacation to cover up for them not knowing that I had just become the “dunce” “top-ranker”. While they were changing jerseys, my former teammates revealed the truth to them that they left me to “club” for myself.
Now, I am, sure, EVERYONE, I mean, ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY is against me. Feeling unwanted, I decided that I could only make one choice. ONE choice. Just one. I had to leave Centropolis.
I'm not going to try to explain the context around this; it's too detailed and complicated to do a deep dive. The point is, even though I was church-going and knew about Jesus, I wasn't saved. Not only so, but even at that age, I had a lot of pain and negative thinking that had accumulated over the years that some of the ways I responded (primarily by withdrawing on every level imaginable, including in behavior and in outlook). I took solace in negative thinking, because at least it didn't hurt as badly as what I had already experienced prior to withdrawing. As a result, not only did I not have a personal relationship with Jesus, but I also didn't truly know about God's power to speak light and healing to the broken parts of my life, let alone tapping into it to speak His light into every area of my life. Instead of running to the light and receiving what God had freely available for me that whole time, I demurred, preferring to stay in my own personal darkness because it at least kept me safe enough from what I had already previously endured.
But because I know of His power now, it is on me to receive what God still makes available to me. And as you are reading this, I want to encourage you also to receive what God makes available to you as well. As such, I would like to invite you to pray the following prayers with me, to speak light and truth over your life, as I choose to do over mine:
First, a prayer based in scripture to address the negative blurb above I had written when I was 14:
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39, NIV
Now, prayers from Grace For Purpose's devotional:
The God of hope fills me with all joy and peace because I trust in Him, and I declare that my life overflows with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
I am of a steadfast mind. God keeps me in perfect peace because I trust in Him. (Isaiah 26:3)
I will praise the lord with all my soul. I will not forget the many benefits I experience because of his love. God forgives all of my sins. he heals all diseases. he is my redeemer. Jesus Christ has crowned me with love and compassion. god almighty Jehovah Jireh satisfies my desires with good things. (Psalm 103:1-5)
And finally, I would like to invite you to pray the below prayer with me:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your precious Word, Your Word that comforts, Your Word that brings hope and joy. I choose to meditate on Your Word day and night. So that my mind may be infiltrated by thoughts that are true, thoughts that are noble and just, thoughts that are pure, lovely, and of a good report. (ref. Philippians 4:8, NIV) I pray that Your Word would begin to change me from the inside out. May I grow in knowledge of scripture. May I be strong spiritually as my relationship with You is strengthened. Help me, Lord Jesus so that my faith will not be choked out by the worries, pleasures, or duties of this world. Help me to set my mind on things above.
Father, Your Word tells me that You are a stronghold in the day of trouble. And even though the enemy has declared war against me, I know that the angels of the Lord encamp around me. Even though the devil and his army may rise up against me, the Word of God says that the power of life and death are wielded by my tongue. (ref. Proverbs 18:21, NIV) I declare victory in the name of Jesus. I declare health, protection, and preservation over my family in the name of Jesus. You, my God, are a god of order, and so I speak order over every area of my life. I confess that my life is balanced and that the enemy cannot disrupt or disturb any area of my life, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, Your Word is a great comfort, and it is a source of peace for me, because it tells me in Psalm 34:19, that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (NKJV) That means I may face troubles. I may be placed in situations or scenarios that I cannot solve on my own. But You, my Lord, You will have all the answers. You will have a solution for all of my troubles. And so, Lord, I claim Psalm 34:19 over my life. And I say, "My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will deliver me from all afflictions, all troubles, and all tough situations." Father, it's because You are both so powerful and so loving, that I need Your grace daily.
Lord, I pray that You perform a good work within me. Your Word in Colossians 3:5 states: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (NIV) I pray, King Jesus, that You purify me of these things. Let me be peaceful, with no anger. Give me more of You so that the sinful nature within me is completely removed, and I may walk in a way pleasing to You. I need Your mercy daily, Lord. I need Your protection daily. I'm grateful that You are forever faithful. You are everlasting in Your love. (ref. Jeremiah 31:3, NIV)
You are divine in your nature. And above all, You are holy. Revelation 4:8 says: Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” (NIV) Father, may I have a heart of worship, a heart so full of thanksgiving and love for You, that I may not be at ease during my day if I don't find time to find time to simply praise and worship You. The Bible says You are worthy, Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created. No one else holds such power but You.
You are my hiding place, Father. You are my safe dwelling. May I be found to be abiding in Your shadow, in Your presence. And Lord, I ask that my family may be covered by Your hand. I pray that Your presence may be rich in our lives. May it be abundant in our homes and found to dwell in our hearts. For I know that all I could ever want can be found in You. Lord, I confess and I believe in Your Word that says A thousand may fall at your side, [and] ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Psalm 91:7, NIV) meaning that no bad thing will come near me. No weapon formed against me or my family will prosper. (ref. Isaiah 54:17, NIV) When the devil tries to attack, then You, my God, will raise up a standard. I declare the Word of the Lord that I will live and not die, but instead I will declare the works of the Lord, and I will speak of His goodness. (ref. Psalm 118:17, NIV)
I will speak of the goodness of the Lord, as I declare that He has been faithful to me. He has been merciful to me. I declare that brand-new doors of opportunity are opening in my life. The windows of heaven are open for me and my family. I declare that I am blessed in the morning and that I am blessed in the evening. I am blessed in my going out and in my coming in. (ref. Deuteronomy 28:6, NIV) I decree and declare that surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. (ref. Psalm 23:7, NIV) I thank You for making me a recipient of your unmerited favor. May You be glorified forever and ever. I'm so thankful, God, that You have heard my prayer. And it is in the mighty name of Jesus Christ that I pray and I believe. Amen.