It won't be long before the big
weekend to “spring ahead” and move forward into the better things the year has
to offer arrives … right? Another chance to
follow through on those confessions we made, “I’m going to do it this year”
agenda. Some of us vowed that we would
work out every day and told all our friends so we would keep our “commitment.”
After about ten
days the complaining started and so we quit, but we never told anyone we
stopped. We sort of avoid that part of a
conversation when we meet up with our confidants.
Isn’t that how
things usually begin? We tell God we’re
going to be consistent in this or that, but our plans don’t seem to manifest
past our verbalizing them in a prayer of confession. So how can being consistent affect (and
effect) the blessings and favor of God from coming daily? Continual focus!
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB – Chichester,
England, UK; Nairobi, Kenya; Newcastle, NSW, Australia; Ivrea, Piedmont, Italy;
Hong Kong; Qatar; Syria; Puerto Rico; Myanmar; Gambia; Paraguay; Rwanda;
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan; Casablanca, Morocco.
USA – Vicksburg, MS; Winona, MO; Fresno, CA;
Hollidaysburg, PA; Glassboro, NJ; New York, NY; Salt Lake City, Utah; Harlingen,
TX; Hialeah, FL; Boston, MA.
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Believing Our Belief on Daily Favor.
(DFB - Daily Favor Blog)
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Lather, Rinse,
Repeat
I remember
seeing commercials and comedy skits where the person is trapped in a cycle of
repetitiveness. They are in a shower
reading the bottle of shampoo and never seem to finish what they started,
because they keep doing the same thing over and over.
There are two
ways to think about that silly action.
We can live our lives repeating the same bad habits over and over
working ourselves into a frenzy, or we can create new habits to repeat … habits
that will bring good change into our way of thinking and life.
Do that again, Sherry
It’s not big secret that repetition builds character, but it also builds new habits. Studies have proven that a change in behavior that is repeated daily for approximately three weeks will result in it becoming a part of a person’s regular pattern.
This week I was
given a challenge to blog every day. When
I asked the person why they were posting this, he told me to get people to
write consistently. For those who want
to be writer’s on any level, that is good advice.
In all my
English and Journalism classes I had my students keep journals in which they
would write whatever was on their mind.
My reasoning for this assignment was two-fold. It got the pupils that were aiming their sights
on writing into doing it on a regular basis.
For the others, it was a way for them to vent and see how far they have
come in their behavior or thoughts since their first entry. It was a discipline I instilled hoping to form new life skills.
One of my seniors
told me that the continual pattern of writing helped her when she was about to
make bad decisions. I asked Sherry how
that was and she responded, “Because I can see what I was doing and how I got
through that situation. I feel better
about myself knowing I’m not quick to do those things anymore."
By repeating a
good behavior continually, it prevented her from falling back into bad
patterns. Isn't forming better life skills what it is about anyway?
What God is Saying?
In a conversation with my sister, she said that the Lord was dealing with her concerning consistency. She wasn’t the only one that spoke those words to me these past few weeks. It is a critical time in history when the unsaved will be looking for certain things to draw them to God in hope that He is true to His Word. What the world is looking for in believers is consistency.
If we are to be
the church God needs for this period, we have to stay in continual blessings
and favor to be effective servants of God.
The scriptures show us steps to follow consistently as children of the Most High King.
Here are the first two steps we need to follow for living in continual favor from God.
Blessing in
Continual Praise
“By You (GOD) I have been upheld from
birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be
continually of You.
I have become as a wonder to many,
but You are my strong refuge.
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.” (Psalm 71:6-8 NKJV)
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.” (Psalm 71:6-8 NKJV)
By learning to give God praise on a regular and continual
basis our words speak blessings into our life.
There is no room for pointless chatter or empty words, but expressions
of power and life poured over our journey.
I recall a story about a missionary/evangelist pastor who
was in conversation with a fellow believer.
He paused in the middle and called out to the Lord, “Forgive me Heavenly
Father for not giving you praise for fifteen minutes.” He had cultivated a lifestyle
of continual praise to the point that it effected how he communicated with
others and how long.
Blessings in Continual Sowing
The second way to flow in continual blessings is to be a
constant blessing through sowing.
King Solomon
was wise to state that those who are bothered by clouds and wind (meaning they
don’t work when things look bad) won’t put in their crops; therefore, they won’t
have a harvest.
“He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NKJV)
He was right, but scripture also tells us that our giving needs to be continual in many areas.
“In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not
withhold your hand (give again); for you do not know which will prosper, either
this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4,6 NKJV)
It’s hard to give up what we’ve been given sometimes, because
our believer isn’t working the way it should.
We say we trust God will supply all our needs, but only if we have the
money to cover it if He doesn’t.
Inconsistent giving breeds
inconsistent favor.
What are you breeding?
When God provides for us to be a blessing to someone we
are to do it no matter how many times a day He may ask us to divvy up our
goods. In return He promises that our
giving will not go unnoticed and will be rewarded.
This Week’s Challenge:
The hardest part of being consistent is remaining
focused. That’s why it’s a good idea to have something that is stronger (that being God's Word) than we
are when we lose our focus along our journey.
If we are to believe God’s promises, we have to know what
they are. This week we’re going to focus
on becoming patterned in reading the scriptures. Proverbs is a good place to start for gaining wisdom for continual Christian living.
Before reading offer up to God a song of praise. The challenge is to read one proverb a
day. That is we’re going to read the
proverb that coincides with the day of the month. For example, if today were March 6th, begin by reading Proverbs 6.
The next day read Proverbs 7 and so forth. When you get to the end of the month, start
over. In shorter months, read the last
chapters of Proverbs and begin fresh on the beginning of the next month. This is something that you will continue to do even after the challenge, because you believe what you are reading to be true.
I have done this for years and guarantee that if you do
this you will read more of the Bible than just this one chapter a day.
By reading God’s Word daily, we will restructure how we believe,
think and go about our day.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My
Word, you are my disciple indeed. And
you shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-31 NKJV)
When *satan
starts planting seeds of discouragement, doubt and despair into your head, the
continual Word of God will sprout into belief thoughts. The Holy Spirit will help you recall all you
read, the things you have done for Christ and help you focus on the promises of God. He will grant favor because you believed and obeyed Him.
Believe God's continual favor comes through:
1 - Blessings in Continual Praise
We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise
Until
next time, continually focus on God’s promised favor.
Note: The word or reference to satan is not capitalized on purpose.
“My Word is my favor.”
Jesus Christ
What’s New This
Week: Click on book or link.
A Handbook for Christian Living
by William Secker
by William Secker
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I
know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more
information on becoming a child of the Savior.
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Image: What You Do Matters Repetition & Consistency Sacrifice of Praise Sowing and Reaping Crop
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.