1. Prayer should never be used as an excuse for inaction.

Christians are often afraid. We are afraid of things that may go wrong if we step out in faith. And so sometimes we like to hide behind little prayer meetings in order to avoid taking a risk. Then we end up praying for something we aren’t willing to take responsibility for. Learn to be willing to take responsibility of what you pray for.

2. Prayer is not a way of begging God for something.

In fact, you shouldn’t have to be begging God period. He is a gracious, loving father that wants to be in a relationship. He places value on you as a son, meaning that you are allowed to talk to him, instead of begging at his feet for blessings. Then, prayer becomes a natural, “un-ritualized” conversation with your father.

3. It doesn’t matter that God already knows what you are thinking.

If you’re talking to an all-powerful God, does it matter that he may already know what you will say? Learn to desire talking to God because you actually value your relationship, not just for what he does. I don’t always have something to talk to God about, but I absolutely enjoy every minute I spend with him.

4. Allow God to respond.

We often send messages to God without reading his response. It’s like throwing out words to the air, not really listening to what God wants from us. Learn to hear for his voice, and listen to what he has to say.

5. Know that things will happen.

When was the last time you prayed, knowing that something would actually happen? Or was your mind filled mostly with doubts that what you were praying for would actually come to pass? Knowing that God is real should give you an extremely radical, strong faith to know that things will happen when you talk to God.

diplateevo:

1. Prayer should never be used as an excuse for inaction.

Christians are often afraid. We are afraid of things that may go wrong if we step out in faith. And so sometimes we like to hide behind little prayer meetings in order to avoid taking a risk. Then we end up praying for something we aren’t…

What you do, what you have done, what has happened, what just happened

DOES. NOT. DEFINE.

• Who you are.
• Who you will be.
• What you do tomorrow.
• What will happen tomorrow.

The biggest lie you can believe is that your habits from yesterday will forever carry on into tomorrow.

—-

Lie:

Your failures from yesterday determine your worth.

What it sounds like:

“You failed, that means you’re a failure, doomed to repeat it again.”

How it affects you if you believe it:

• Condemnation. “I’m such a failure”.
• Self-loathing. “I suck, I never do it right”
• Worthlessness. “I’ll never amount to anything”
• Building a case against yourself. “I’ve failed so many times, I’ll never be able to change”
• Fear of man. “I can’t be real with people because I’m scared they’ll see who I really am and think less of me.”
• Apathy. “Well if I suck at everything, no one approves of me, and I keep screwing up, I might as well not apply myself or try anything new, it’s waste of my effort”
• Depression. “Life sucks. Everything is pointless.”

All of those are symptoms of believing the lie that you are the sum of your mistakes/failures, or that your yesterday will determine your tomorrow.

Truth:

You failed, but that doesn’t determine who you are, nor does it reflect upon your worth.

How it affects you if you believe it:

• Potential “there’s no limit to how high I can go” 
• Hope “I’m excited to see things change”
• Confidence “I’m no less of a person because of failure,
• Growth “I’ll get better and better, there’s room for growth everywhere”
• Maturity “now I know what not to do, the past is gone, you live you learn “
• Initiative “I’m gonna change how I do things, I’m going to seize opportunities”

Some people get so caught up in their past, fearful that it will determine their future that they never live in the present.

You are not the summation of your past. Circumstance and people do not define you. Your preferences and the ‘feelings’ you have don’t define you. 

Your Father has defined you, esteemed you, and to live from that opinion is what it means to have an “audience of one.” The easiest way to stay free from lies is to be grounded, be unshakable, be fully convinced, to believe what is True.

whizzpopping:

What you do, what you have done, what has happened, what just happened

DOES. NOT. DEFINE.

• Who you are.
• Who you will be.
• What you do tomorrow.
• What will happen tomorrow.

The biggest lie you can believe is that your habits from yesterday will forever carry on into tomorrow.

—-

Lie:

…

1. Reading your Bible and Praying does not equal growth.

The kingdom is not a rewards system. Reading the bible will not grant you more favor with God, and not reading your bible will not grant you less favor. Being forced to read words out of a book every single day of your life will not spontaneously make you a more holy and powerful person. It’s the passion and desire to grow that will bring you to read the bible and pray, bringing you closer to God. Being constantly aware of God and his heart is much more effective than forcing yourself to read the bible.

2. Sinning does not equal failure.

Don’t call yourself a worthless failure just because you messed up recently. Beating yourself up for doing something is not going to help. Jesus already paid the price for your sin, and he no longer sees it. The sin issue has already been dealt with thousands of years ago. Learn to walk in your newly given identity of holiness.

3. Fellowship occurs out of church as well.

Church is not the only place that you can have fellowship. In fact, according to many of my experiences, I often have better fellowship outside of the church building than inside. That’s because you don’t go to a church, you are a church. Learn to build fellowship wherever you go and grow wherever you are.

4. Low self esteem is not spiritual humility.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking about yourself less. Humility does not mean you beat down on yourself, saying that you suck, but humility isgiving the credit to the one who made you awesome.

5. Stop waiting for the “voice of God”.

How many times have you caught yourself waiting for God to reveal himself before you take action on something? The truth is, he has already adequately revealed himself in the word, where his will can be found. I am not discounting God giving people specifics about their life, but using waiting on God to give you a sign as an excuse for inaction is highly ineffective as well.

6. Get around people who will pull you up, not just people who say they’re “christians”.

Learn to find and value the relationships in which people build you up. Spend time growing and fellowshipping with these people, so that you can help others in return. Don’t settle for hanging around people who are lukewarm, cause that will drain the life out of you. Love them, but give a place for people who will actually build you up to speak into your life.

7. Maintain passion.

It’s easy to pursue Christ when you are fired up and passionate, it is difficult when you are only half passionate. Never forget why you love God, and simply grow from there. Passion is contagious. And if you have no idea why you should be passionate about God, you should figure that out.

8. Christ lives in you.

Nothing is more powerful than knowing that Christ didn’t just leave you, he lives in you. Check out Galatians 2:20. Your identity is Christ, so stop trying to be like Christ, be Christ.

9. You are a world changer.

Jesus left every believer with a commission: to go into all the world and preach the kingdom. Not only are you left with a commission, but you have also been granted the ability to accomplish the commission. You are not a worthless, insignificant person because Christ lives in you.

10. He loves you more than you know.

His vast grace and love is limitless and boundless. He is the perfect father, always in a good mood. God will never be angry at you.

diplateevo:

1. Reading your Bible and Praying does not equal growth.

The kingdom is not a rewards system. Reading the bible will not grant you more favor with God, and not reading your bible will not grant you less favor. Being forced to read words out of a book every single day of your life will not…