Category Archives: Growth

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Things I pray daily…

Over the last few years God has put several things on my heart to pray regularly. Well today God put it on my heart to share them with you. These prayers have served me well and have truly blessed me, my family and my circle of influence. My prayer is that you would adopt them into your own prayer life that they may bless and serve you as well.

Oh yeah, one more thing! Many of my prayers are declarations (formal announcements of the beginning of a state or condition). The reason for this is over the years I’ve come to understand that there is great power in spoken faith! Jesus said in Mark 11:23-24, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” I want to point out two very important things: first Jesus taught us to speak directly to our mountain (problem or situation) and second Jesus taught us to believe as if we’ve already received what we’re believing for. Therefore when I pray, I often speak directly to my circumstances AND many times I also pray with a thanksgiving as if God has already done what I’m thanking Him for.

Things I pray daily:

  • God, thank you for your favor
  • Thank you for a greater influence in people’s lives
  • Thank you for increase in favor, intimacy, ministry, opportunity, provision, joy and peace
  • Thank you for blessing my family and creating a hunger within us for more of you
  • Thank you for blessing my family with divine health
  • I take authority over everything that is coming against me and my family in Jesus name!
  • I speak to any and all debt be paid in full! Be cancelled and dissolved in Jesus name!
  • Thank you for the spirit of wisdom and revelation for me and my family
  • Thank you for the ministry you’ve given to me, draw every heart that this ministry reaches closer to you Jesus

These are just a few of the prayers I pray often. Besides praying these and others I often listen to what the Spirit is saying and pray as He leads me. I also take time to simply rest in God’s presence and allow Him to love on me and wash over me. This is how I stay encouraged and refreshed. And it is through what I’ve mentioned above and the grace of God that these things have come to pass and are coming to pass. It’s through my personal walk with God that has caused me to grow in my faith and identity as His beloved son. And as I’ve grown in these revelations, God has given me authority to speak into other people’s lives so that the more I grow the more I see the many others grow as well.

I pray this blesses you today (and the next time you pray).

Blessings!

John

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What God Has Been Saying To Me Lately

I’ve walked with the Lord for over fifteen years now, I’ve experience accelerated growth in my walk with Him in different seasons and there have also been times where I’ve felt stagnant in my walk with the Lord. Today I write to you to share what the Lord has been teaching me over the last few weeks.

Over the last couple years he has been bringing life to the many seeds of His Word that have been sown into my heart over my early years of walking with Him. And over the last few weeks I’ve sensed Him literally breathing life into my Spirit. He’s stirring His promises in my heart and bringing His words to my remembrance. He’s giving me new revelations of who He is, who I am and what He is doing in the earth today.

More than ever before I sense Him calling me to Himself! He is jealous for my time. He desires that I come away and pray. There are times I resist His leadership believing the enemy’s lies that I’m too busy and I have to much to do. But there are other times that I yield to His leadership, I come into His presence and I am filled with peace, joy and purpose. And it is in these times where great revelation flows from heaven to earth, from God’s heart to mine.

So here is what I feel the Lord saying to me in these days:

-Be still and know that I am God

-Rest in my and in my love for you

-Keep doing what you’re doing

-Don’t worry about what’s happening around you, pray and trust me

-Wait on me and I’ll give you instructions

-I am leading you with the promptings of your heart

-Be faithful with all that I’ve given to you

-Do not be afraid, rather be strong and courageous

-Take authority over all that is coming against you and your family

-Use my Son’s name for there is great power and authority in the name of Jesus

-I am preparing you for the days ahead

-Breakthrough is coming

-Step out in Faith

-Bless your family

-Declare my words over every area of your life

-Rise above the many distractions around you

-Trust me, I am raising you up

I share these things with you today to encourage you and I believe many of the things He is saying to me, He is also saying to you. I encourage you to take a moment right now and ask God, “What are you saying to me?” Allow His to speak to your heart and richly bless you today! I’m going to do the same and I’m going to meditate on what He’s already said and continues to say.

Blessings,

John

PS If you’re wanting to read more on this here are two posts on discerning God’s voice Seeking Answers and How God Speaks. And if you’re really wanting to grow in learning to hear God’s voice listen to my Free Audio Course “Hearing God’s Voice”

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7 Practical Ways to Honor God

Jesus had so much to say about honor and the truth is he is still speaking about it today. We’re called to honor God in everything that we do but how? In this teaching I provide seven practical ways we can honor God. Get ready to laugh, learn and become a person of honor! Click Here to Watch

Blessings,

~John

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3 Benefits of Change

Many of us don’t like change but why? Change can be hard for us to deal with because change means something different, it presents new unknowns and for those of us who like to know everything or control everything this can be very difficult. Change also provides opportunity to worry but then again what doesn’t? You can choose to worry about change or with courage and faith you can learn to embrace it.

I’d like to share a few thoughts on “Change” that may change the way you think about it. Although there are many great things that come with change, I’ve chosen to focus on the following three:

Growth 

The first benefit of change is growth. Change carries with it the potential for great growth: Personal, relational, corporate, etc. Just take a look at anything that is living, if it’s living it’s growing. The only things that don’t grow are those that have no life in them. Change provides an opportunity for you and I to learn new things, to grow as individuals and to gain new insights about ourselves and about life. I want to be filled with life, always learning, always growing and always welcoming change!

Flexibility

The second benefit of change is flexibility. This is a great characteristic to have. It’s a desired quality for all who want to have successful relationships with the people in their lives. If relationships are all about connecting different individuals then flexibility is a quality you’re going to want to have. The more change you experience in life, the more opportunities you’ll have to grow and become more flexible!

New Beginnings

The third benefit of change is new beginnings. I love new beginnings from a new day to a new week to a new month to a new year. I love the newness of life and as you and I learn to embrace change we learn to love new beginnings happening all around us. With change comes new choices, opportunities for new paths and the opportunity to turn the page. Change helps people move past their past, close one chapter and start a new one, and change often helps people get “unstuck.” Change brings new beginnings and an excitement to life that wouldn’t be present without change.

Change is good!

I hope that you welcome change as an opportunity to grow, to be more flexible and to experience new beginnings with excitement. Change isn’t always easy and there will always be the temptation to worry or complain but as believers we’re called to take our thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5), to not worry or complain about anything (Phil. 2:14 and 4:6), but rather trust and acknowledge God in all that we do (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Remember that God isn’t as concerned about all the changes that are happening in the world around us as he is with the changes happening in our hearts. He is more concerned with how we respond to those changes around us and how we are being changed more and more into His image and likeness! My prayer for us is that we will respond well, that we will be filled with courage and faith and that we will be made more like Jesus in the process.

“And the Lord—who is the Spirit— makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Blessings,

John

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God is Giving Us a Blank Check

Don’t allow a negative confession to come out of your mouth and don’t allow negative thoughts to linger either. As believers we are called to live by faith and it is through faith that we can take authority over our negative thoughts and think on good things. It’s through faith that we filter what we think and say. As much as it’s up to me I want to agree with God in both my thoughts and my speech! This takes work! But oh how it’s worth it!

If you want to see victory in your life it all starts with what you’re thinking and what you’re saying. This is why it takes work because all kinds of thoughts try to fill our minds on a daily basis – there is a constant war over our belief system! The enemy wants us to live defeated lives where we are discouraged and not believing God for anything. God wants the opposite! He wants to encourage us regularly and He wants us to believe Him for everything!

Think about what Jesus said in Matthew 9:29, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” Here Jesus is writing us a blank check and telling us to cash it! The problem is too often we believe lies rather than the truth so instead of living free we life in bondage. Instead of living in faith we live in fear. God wants to set you free today with the truth! Believe it and be free! God loves you! Take the blank check and cash it! Forget not His benefits! God is a good Father and He knows how to take good care of His children!

“God, open our eyes to see you clearly, open our hearts to receive your love and give us the grace to walk in faith and live free just as you have intended for us to be. Thank you Jesus! Amen.”

Blessings,

John

 

What will you believe Him for?