I’ve been reading every motivational book I can get my hands on lately. I recently started PepTalk, by Terri Savelle Foy. I love Terri’s writing because she always backs it up with scripture. She also brings out many obscure scriptures that you’ve maybe never honed in on when reading your Bible. I also love the teaching style she incorporates in her books and videos.
This book is full of so much scripture and wisdom, but I’m going to focus on one thing today.
How do you pray scripture to God and “pep talk” yourself into not giving up before reaching your God inspired dreams.
Terri encourages us to, “Speak what you seek until you see what you’ve said.” (p. 76)
In Terri’s book beginning on page 79, she gives a list of her own personal pep talk she started in 2007. She says, “It’s amazing how a 5-10 minute morning routine has brought drastic, undeniable change into my life.” Most, if not all of what she spoke back then has been fulfilled.
I am going to share a few of her statements as an example for you. Her rules for them include—speak them aloud, speak them in present tense as though they are already fulfilled, thank God for his answered prayers for them before they are answered (that’s faith).
Pep Talk Examples:
- I am fulfilling 100% of God’s calling on my life.
- I confidently walk my calling out day by day.
- I dream big dreams and believe that nothing is impossible to him who believes.
- I set my hand to the plow, and I do not look back.
- I am highly favored with God and man.
- I have fun doing what God has called me to do.
- I am in God’s perfect timing in everything I do.
- I am highly focused on my assignment, and I avoid all distractions.
- I do not come into temptation, and I avoid the very appearance of evil.
- I am a single-minded, focused believer, and I am stable in all my ways.
- I am confident, full of vision and disciplined in every area of my life.
- I have a spirit of discernment.
- I do what I say I’m going to do.
- I am always learning and growing.
- I am a woman of strong faith.
- I operate in godly wisdom because I fear the Lord.
- I am healthy.
- I am fit, firm and muscular.
- I am highly organized.
- I am a bestselling author.
- I am an expert in the message God has given me to share.
- I am full of joy.
- I am energetic.
- I am convinced of my vision, my purpose and my mission and I will not veer from it. (see pp. 79-83)
- ***(I took 24 of my favorites out of a total of 67 that she actually shared. They are all very personal to Terri, but can apply to the rest of us just by virtue of being the things Christians should desire in our lives as we follow God.) (pp. 79-83)
You could use these as an example to make yours, or you could come up with new ones that say what you desire to see happen in your life. Terri says, “Keep in mind, most of these declarations were being spoken by faith because the reality was quite the opposite. Over time, I began to cooperate with my confessions and literally watched the changes take place.” (p.83)
Terri continues, “One of my favorite and most effective ways to pray is praying according to God’s will. What is God’s will? It’s His Word…. As I mention earlier, when you speak God’s Word, you are praying His will right back to Him! Not only does it build up your faith, but His Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and will not return empty but will accomplish what God purposed for it to do (Isaiah 55:11)!…. Prayers that bring results are prayers based on the Word of God.” (p.84)
Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word (God’s Word) be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but is shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (KJV)
I highly recommend this book. I found the best place to buy it is at https://www.terri.com/shop/.
Now, on to the Bereans.
This is what the Bible has to say about the people of Berea:
Acts 17:10-12
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
As Paul and Silas shared the good news in the synagogue, that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and died on the cross to save us from our sins, the Bereans became excited. Their minds were ready to accept the news about Jesus, but they also studied the Old Testament scriptures to see if what they were hearing lined up with the Old Testament prophecies.
It is so important as we read and study that we cross reference everything with scripture. I’ve mentioned in my last two blogs that I was enjoying Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Then on page 66, I read these words, “Having a positive outlook, using future-thinking language, and being in a state of expectancy about the good that’s coming into your life is the best way to ‘ask’ the universe to deliver the very things, people, and experiences you want.” (p. 66)
UNIVERSE?????
This wording continued on p. 67 with, “Ask for What You Want. Then let the Universe Worry About How You’ll Get It.”
And… a few sentences later… “Just like the GPS system I mentioned earlier, when you present your goals to the universe and its powerful technology, you will be surprised and dazzled by what it delivers. This is where the magic and miracles truly happen.”
REALLY, JACK?
Now I know that Jack Canfield was writing his book for the secular market, but for us as Christian’s there can be no compromise. We just studied this week in our women’s Bible study on the Psalms…
There are only two WAYS. And God determines these two WAYS.
Our speaker let us know that The Way consists of only two different people—believers and unbelievers.
Psalm 1 explains this in depth and describes the wonderful things that God supplies for the people that follow Him and His Way. The chapter ends with “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous (believers): but the way of the ungodly (unbelievers) shall perish.” (verse 6)
As a believer I believe in the ONE TRUE GOD. When I pray, I pray to the ONE TRUE GOD, not to the universe—which the ONE TRUE GOD actually made by His spoken Word.
God says in Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (That includes the universe.)
Now as a believer, Jack threw me a crumb…
He ended the section with this:
“It’s the same for Christians and other people of faith (What faith, Jack?) who are willing to turn their dreams, fears, and desires over to God. ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts,’ says the Lord in Isaiah 55:8, ‘nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways.” (p. 67)
I understand that many nonbelievers put Biblical principles to work in their lives and excel, based on those principles. I understand that many Christians fail because they don’t put these Biblical principles into place.
My dream is to read books that do not compromise God’s Word or suggest that there is any other way, than God’s way. But to do that I would have to go out of this world.
1 Corinthians 5:9-10 KJV says, “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
So… I leave it to you to be a Berean and decide, based on God’s Word, what you should read and what you should stay clear of. I do feel that it is important to point out these false teachings in books so that we do not fall for them.
Now… let me see if I can leave you with something positive, rather than being brought down by the discouragement we feel when people compromise.
God is with us
God is on our side
He will make a way
Far above all we know
Far above all we hope
He has done great things
Lifted up, He defeated the grave
Raised to life, our God is able
In His name, we overcome
For the Lord our God is able. — From the song God Is Able (Reuben Morgan)
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!