Every one of us, over the course of our lives has been dealt a bad hand. When it happens we wonder, “What did I do to deserve this?” Finally, we conclude: “Life ain’t fair!”

However, that fact doesn’t disqualify you from the abundance of great blessings that God has promised you. I used to think that the Bible was just a good story and that God wouldn’t fulfill His promises to me until I got to heaven!

It’s true that life doesn’t give you what you deserve, but it WILL give you what you demand. Let me explain.

Since God created everything by His spoken word, (and Jesus IS the Word) everything in creation MUST submit to the authority of its Creator. God said, “Let there be”…and it was so!

His way of doing things hasn’t changed because He never changes: “For I am the LORD, I do not change (Malachi 3:6a,).” “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).” “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).”

Now you can pass your existence blaming other people and complaining about how unfair life is. Or you can take responsibility for the outcome.

If you want to see the Bible come alive, refuse to be a victim! When you own God’s promises and command your circumstances to bow to the Living Word of God, they must yield to the Creator and His word. Here are some keys:

1. Own God’s promises. He wasn’t teasing when He said, “I will supply all of your needs according to My riches in glory.” He loves it when you hold Him to His word. It proves you believe Him.

2. Don’t quit. Too many believers stop short of the manifestation of those promises because they lack patience. “God’s promises are always “yea and amen” and they will come to pass because God is not a liar. His word will prosper wherever He sends it!

3. Go to war. Satan will resist you. So, aggressively submit to God (His word) and resist the devil. The devil is just testing to see if you really believe God’s promises. Praise God in the “night” because joy comes in the morning.

4. Be passionate. You may start out zealously standing on God’s promises, but it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus. Jesus said in Matthew 24:13, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

And this isn’t just about you. Be selfless in your walk with God so your victories will overflow to others. They will learn from your life. Keep the fire burning in your heart by being a true worshipper of God.

Truly, life won’t give you what you deserve, but it will give you what you demand. Demand God’s promises! Boldly stand on the firm foundation of His Word and refuse to be moved by the circumstances. Start living the abundant life. It’s already bought and paid for by the precious blood of His Son!…

A captain navigates a huge ship with a tiny rudder. A rider masters a powerful horse with a small bit in his mouth. In the same way, the words you and I speak direct the course of our lives (James 3). Think of it!

God created everything by His words and the whole universe operates on a word system. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, (Hebrews 1:3, 11:3).

Amazingly, God has given us the same power over our own lives and the world in which we live. What a privilege!

Learn to master your words (making sure they agree with God’s words) and you will find yourself living a more peaceful, fulfilling and successful life. Jesus said in Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

How our words affect us and those around us:

1. Our words hurt people’s feelings. We hurl them carelessly without taking thought of the consequences. We don’t recognize the powerful force for good or evil our words carry. Your words also have equal power to create a friendly, rather than hostile atmosphere.
2. Our words shape our destiny. Today, you are the sum total of every word you first believed and then spoke about yourself. There’s no getting away from it: Our words make us our own best friend or worst enemy. Instead of trying to change people’s perception of you by changing your clothes or hairstyle, try changing your words.
3. Our words sink ships. Stop undermining your personal relationships and career by speaking negative things about yourself. So often we knock ourselves, thinking that we’re being humble. We don’t see how this bad habit negatively impacts our destiny, the way people view us and consequently treat us.

How to live better, be liked more and succeed

1. Weigh your words. Words are a gift from God, so carefully weigh them before you release them. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). Ask yourself: “Who is Lord over the words I’m about to speak: Jesus or satan?
2. Don’t abuse the power of speech. Satan can’t curse you, but he does everything he can to get you to curse yourself. He uses your circumstances to convince you to speak negative words about yourself, others and your future. Instead, find out what God has to say about you and speak that.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Because, with your words you choose life or death, blessing or curses; be led by the Holy Spirit. Trust His warnings and promptings before you speak. Remember, loose lips can sink your ship!

Change the way you speak and you will quickly improve everything in your life. By adding just one godly confession about yourself and your destiny every day for a week, you will experience immediate improvement. However, this change won’t go unchallenged. The devil knows the power of your words. The question is: Do you?

We love to hear from you! If this blog post has been a blessing to you, please comment!…

Everything we do begins with a decision and, every day, we make a multitude of them. Each decision brings with it good or bad consequences—consequences that will be compounded daily. It’s time to stop blaming everyone around us for where we are today and recognize that it’s because of our own decisions!

Although we can’t do anything about our yesterdays, we can still influence our today and tomorrow. The God of all creation has planned a great life with a great ending for us. However, bad choices can hinder those plans.

Know the consequences

In Deuteronomy 30:19-20, God reveals the incredible power and privilege of choice. And He encourages us to choose rightly. But, He also warns us of the serious consequences of choosing badly.

The responsibility of fulfilling God’s awesome plans and purposes for your life is squarely placed on your shoulders and no one else’s. Here are some obstacles to avoid in the decision-making process.

Know the obstacles to good choices

1. People’s opinions probably influence our decision-making more than anything else. We make decisions (consciously or subconsciously) to please people. You can avoid this obstacle by realizing how special and valuable you are in God’s sight. When God made you, He threw away the mold. If He wanted you to be somebody else, He would have made you somebody else. A poor self-image directly influences your decision making, so spend time with God and allow Him to reveal your true identity.
2. Faulty motives such as attention-seeking, personal approval, self-gain, ego and pride also influence our decisions. We need to ask God to search our hearts for the reasons behind our decisions. Galatians 6:8 says, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” We should use our God-given freedom to make decisions that will advance His kingdom not our own.

Before you decide, ask yourself :

• Will this decision promote God and His agenda or me and mine?
• Will God receive all the glory from this decision?
• Will this decision focus the attention on God or me?

3. The power and lust of money can blind and control us if we’re not careful. Mark 6:24b says “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Money can be a huge factor in deciding who we hang out with or not; who we serve and who we don’t; who we will go out of our way for and who we won’t. We evaluate people based on their benefit to us.

Know what’s behind your choices

Many other factors affect our decision-making. Racial and ethnic prejudice, religion, tradition and faulty beliefs can influence us more than we realize. Making right decisions is more than simply saying “yes” or “no” to something. There is a lot behind every choice we make.

This issue is so critical to your destiny! Wouldn’t it be a good idea to take your time and not jump into any decision? Think through your choices and invite God into the process. He can reveal what’s really influencing you and help you discern whether it’s a “God decision” or just a good decision! Your destiny depends on it.

We love hearing from you! If this article has been a blessing to you, please leave a comment below.…