Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: PHP
Program Code: PHP000011
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00:01 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:02 Did you know that speaking God's promises over your life 00:06 and praying them back to Him has transforming power? 00:10 Please join us today on Pressing in 00:12 to His Presence to learn why? 00:36 Welcome to Pressing in to His Presence. 00:39 In this series, we are learning 00:41 how to draw ever closer to God in prayer. 00:45 We have already considered the spiritual benefit 00:48 of including praise and repentance 00:50 at the beginning of our prayer. 00:52 And now what we are going to do after looking last week 00:57 we began to see how using God's words 01:00 as in returning His promises to Him in prayer. 01:04 What kind of a power that has? 01:07 It becomes an affirmation of our faith. 01:09 And we saw that Christ will sustain us 01:13 with His mighty word of power. 01:15 That's what Hebrews 1:3 says. 01:17 Is he sustains and upholds 01:19 and maintains the world by His mighty word of power. 01:23 And as you learn to wheel the sword of the spirit, 01:27 He'll do that for you. 01:28 We also noticed that when we reach this point 01:32 of Pressing in to His Presence, our confession of God's word 01:37 can be likened to the priest 01:40 eating the showbread in the Holy Place. 01:43 Now, in this series we are using a companion book 01:46 that I was privileged to write 01:48 and it's also titled Pressing in to His Presence. 01:51 If you're following along in the book, 01:53 today we begin on page 92. 01:57 Sustaining power is marvelous, but equally as wonderful 02:03 is that Jesus uses the word 02:05 to wash the influences of the world from our mind. 02:10 Ephesians 5:25-27 says this, 02:15 "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 02:20 that He might sanctify and cleanse her 02:23 with the washing of water by the word, 02:26 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, 02:31 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 02:35 but that she should be holy and without blemish." 02:40 You know, the washing of the water cleanses our mind 02:44 and it helps in the process of sanctification. 02:48 And that's just a big word. That's a synonym for holiness. 02:52 And even holiness just means to be set apart 02:56 from worldly attitudes and behaviors. 02:59 In John 15:7 Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, 03:06 and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, 03:10 and it shall be done for you." 03:13 Abiding in the word of God is a way to abide in Christ. 03:20 And as His promises enter into your heart, 03:23 your mind is transformed. 03:26 God's thoughts become your thoughts. 03:29 His desires become your desires. 03:33 You want to do all things for His glory. 03:37 And prayers are no longer just vain babbling, 03:41 rather you ask for His action 03:45 according to His revealed will and scripture. 03:49 In 1 John 5:14 and 15, 03:55 this is what the apostle has to say, 03:59 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 04:02 that if we ask anything 04:05 according to His will, He hears us. 04:09 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, 04:12 we know that we have the petitions 04:14 that we have asked of Him." 04:18 Praying His word back to Him 04:21 is the sure way of praying according to His will. 04:25 He promises to watch over His word to accomplish it. 04:30 He promises that everything, every purpose 04:34 for which He sent His word is going to be fulfilled by Him. 04:39 Praying the word brings powerful results. 04:44 You might be familiar with the philosopher Socrates 04:49 who said, "Knowing thyself is the height of wisdom." 04:54 Now that sounds really smart on the surface, 04:57 but I beg to differ with this famous philosopher. 05:00 Jesus said to know God and to know Jesus Christ 05:04 whom He sent is eternal life. 05:08 Knowledge of God is superior to wisdom or knowledge of self, 05:13 but that being said, 05:15 I will add in the vain of Socrates thought. 05:19 It is vitally important for Christians to understand 05:23 who we have become now that we are His children 05:28 and now that we have as 1 Peter 1:23 says, 05:32 "Being born again through the word of God 05:37 which lives and abides forever." 05:40 We have a new born-again identity in Christ. 05:45 A serious situation exists in the church today though 05:50 and I call it 'The Identity Crisis.' 05:53 This is not mere psycho-babbling technology. 05:58 Our crisis of identity is a critical problem 06:02 which causes Christians to suffer spiritual defeat. 06:06 What is our identity crisis? 06:09 We don't know who we are and who we have become, 06:13 now that we have been recreated to be like Christ. 06:18 Like 10 of the 12 men who spied out the Promised Land, 06:23 we suffered from the grasshopper identity syndrome. 06:27 We're thinking that there is giants in the land 06:31 who are greater than we are who walk with God. 06:35 We don't consider the Lord's promise 06:38 and power to change our nature. 06:41 You know, God promises in 2 Corinthians 5:17, 06:45 He says, "If anyone is in Christ, 06:49 he is a new creation all things have passed away 06:54 behold all things have become new." 06:59 God's testimony of what He has done for us in Christ is sure. 07:06 Our destiny is to become like Jesus 07:09 and it's not a matter of chance, but choice. 07:14 We must choose each day to accept by faith 07:18 what God has said 07:20 because without faith we cannot please Him. 07:24 And little wonder, 1 John 5:10 tells us 07:28 that "If we doubt God's testimony, 07:31 we are regarding Him as a liar." 07:36 Our problem is 07:38 that we don't always feel like a new creation, 07:41 harassed by the devil or old flesh natures, 07:44 sometimes rehearse his ugly head 07:47 and suddenly we let our feelings overcome our faith, 07:52 making it difficult to believe 07:53 the oldest passed away and the new has come. 07:57 We began to think and speak about ourselves 08:00 in a way that doesn't line up in agreement with God's word. 08:05 You know, Proverbs 23:7 tells us 08:07 something that's critical for us to remember. 08:09 It says, "As a man thinks in his heart so his he. 08:13 What you think of yourself is important." 08:16 Do you see yourself as a spiritual failure? 08:20 Continue with His frame of mind and you will never be anything, 08:23 but God does not force His will upon you, 08:28 He asks you to choose and to become Christ-like. 08:33 You must recognize your new identity in Him 08:37 and sees hold of your destiny. 08:40 How? By faith accept what God promises. 08:44 Surrendering your lower thoughts to His higher thoughts 08:49 because 2 Corinthians 1:20 assures us of this, 08:55 "All of God's promises are ours, all of God's promises, 08:59 find their yes answer in Christ 09:01 all not just some of God's promises are ours." 09:06 If we're in Christ, they all are. How is that? 09:10 The Apostle Paul gives us the answer. 09:13 We become like Christ by the grace of God. 09:19 In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul writes, 09:22 "By the grace of God I am what I am 09:25 and His grace toward me was not in vain." 09:30 You see, God's grace is more than just spiritual favor. 09:36 It is super natural assistance 09:40 and the power of God unto salvation. 09:44 By the transforming power of His spirit 09:47 and His word, we are changed. 09:50 Every promise God has made, He will also performed 09:55 in our lives if we accept them by faith. 09:59 What you speak into your life is important. 10:02 Proverbs 18:21 plainly says, 10:05 "That the power of deaf in life is in the tongue." 10:09 Speak life by speaking God's word 10:13 and He will reprogram your thoughts. 10:17 You will posses a spirit of faith 10:21 and speak with that spirit of faith. 10:25 Just as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:13, 10:29 listen to these words. 10:31 Paul writes, "And since we have the same spirit of faith, 10:37 according to what is written, 10:39 "I believed and therefore I spoke 10:42 we also believe and therefore speak." 10:49 Isn't that an amazing thought? 10:51 You know, affirmations from scripture 10:55 will charge your spiritual battery, 10:58 if they will fill your heart with hope. 11:02 Now that word hope in the original language was not 11:06 just mere wishful thinking, it meant eager anticipation. 11:12 Do ends of strive ever just come sweeping across your life, 11:17 storing waves of overwhelming circumstances? 11:21 Hope in God will be the anger for your soul, 11:24 keeping you steadfast. 11:26 You will draw near to God without being double-minded. 11:31 And let me tell you something, 11:33 double-mindedness is a condition to avoid 11:35 if you expect to receive anything from the Lord. 11:39 Speaking God's word is speaking by faith. 11:44 According to Romans 10:8 and 10 we will read. 11:50 Here's what Paul said, "The word is near you, 11:54 it is where in your mouth and in your heart that is, 12:00 the word of faith, 12:02 the word of faith is the word of God which we preach. 12:06 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, 12:11 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." 12:19 Affirmations, taking God's words, 12:21 speaking them over your life and praying them back to Him 12:24 that plans God's word of faith in your heart, 12:27 it plans God's word of faith in your mouth 12:31 and it will prevent double-minded confession. 12:35 You know, Romans 10:17 tells us, 12:38 "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." 12:43 God's promises are waiting in the wings just-- 12:47 They're ready for fulfillment 12:49 and they are ushered in by faith. 12:52 As you take His holy scriptures, 12:54 setting them out before Him in prayer 12:56 as the priest setout the showbread at the Sanctuary, 13:00 and you confess them over your life affirming you believe God. 13:06 These affirmations will add fuel to your faith. 13:10 His word becomes your testimony of your new identity 13:15 and hearing your own voice 13:17 speak His powerful truths is an incredible faith builder. 13:22 It is a way that we plug in 13:25 to the power source of His life-giving word. 13:29 Affirmations are the most efficient connection, 13:34 and as you plug in they transfer His mighty energy 13:39 and you are converted to His way of thinking. 13:43 Look at it this way, I can tell you all day long 13:47 that you are in new creation in Christ Jesus, 13:50 but you might think, well, Shelley doesn't really know me. 13:54 However, things are stirred in the spirit realm. 13:58 When you make the affirmation 14:00 from three Bible promises and speak aloud saying, 14:04 I am in new creation in Christ Jesus. 14:07 The old has gone and the new has come. 14:09 God is working in me to will and to do His good pleasure 14:14 and He will complete the good work 14:17 that He has begun in me. 14:19 Now, that's not always easy to accept it first. 14:24 Your mind resist what God says about you, 14:28 but God declares the end from the beginning 14:33 because He knows what He will work in you. 14:36 And as you accept God's higher knowledge, 14:40 He multiplies grace and peace to you. 14:44 His divine power works in your heart 14:48 to make you a partaker of His divine nature. 14:52 Let's look at how Peter describes this process 14:55 because sometimes people say what are you talking about? 14:58 Let's look at 2 Peter, 14:59 and we're going to start with Chapter 1 verse 2. 15:05 One of my favorite, all time favorite scripture promises. 15:10 Peter begins in 2 Peter 1:2, 15:14 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you 15:16 in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 15:20 as His divine power has given to us, how many things, 15:25 all things that pertain to life and godliness." 15:29 So Peter is saying God's already given you everything 15:32 you need for abundant life on earth and godliness, 15:36 "Through the knowledge of Him 15:38 who called us by glory and virtue, 15:42 by which by His glory and virtue 15:45 have been given to us exceedingly 15:48 great and precious promises, that through these, 15:52 through what, through these promises 15:55 you may be partakers of the divine nature, 15:59 having escaped the corruption 16:02 that is in the world through lust." 16:06 At the Tomb of Lazarus, Jesus told Martha, 16:10 did I not say to you that if you would believe 16:13 that you would see the glory of God? 16:17 If you partake of His promises, 16:20 you are partaking of the life transforming power of His word 16:26 and if you believe you will see the glory of God. 16:29 Your thoughts begin to line up with His thoughts. 16:33 Your will with His will. 16:35 Praying and confessing God's promises is affirmations, 16:39 plans His word in your heart like, nothing else can. 16:44 It takes route, its spreads and it blossoms into reality. 16:49 That is a kingdom principle 16:51 that Jesus described in Mark 4:26-28. 16:58 And he said, "The kingdom of God 17:01 is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 17:06 and should sleep by night and rise by day, 17:10 and the seed should sprout and grow, 17:13 so the man has planted it he's gone to sleep 17:16 and the seed is doing the work. 17:19 He himself does not know how." 17:21 He doesn't realize what all this seed is doing. 17:25 "For the earth yields crops by itself, first the blade, 17:30 then the head, and after that the full grain in the head." 17:36 You know, Jesus had explained in Luke 8:11 17:39 that the seed is the word of God. 17:43 Well, the potential of any harvest 17:46 is wrapped inside the seed. 17:49 If I have a handful of corn and a handful of wheat, 17:52 if I plant corn to my-- 17:56 This is my left, your right, but if I plant corn 17:59 in this direction, what am I going to reap? 18:02 Corn. 18:03 If I plant wheat to this direction, 18:06 what am I going to reap? 18:08 Wheat. 18:09 Well, likewise this is true in the spiritual realm. 18:13 All of your potential. 18:15 Listen to me, all of your potential is wrapped 18:19 inside this seed, the word of God 18:23 and anything if we ever hope to have His divine nature 18:28 we have to realize that it is the seed of scripture 18:34 that has this miracle working power to renew our minds. 18:41 James 1:21 tells us 18:45 that we need to receive with meekness, 18:48 the implanted word which is able to save your souls. 18:54 Affirmations are the most productive way that 18:57 I have ever practiced to plant God's word in my heart. 19:02 And that is another kingdom principle is-- 19:06 Another kingdom principle we need to consider 19:08 is that you become what you behold. 19:13 Let's look at 2 Corinthians 3:18, 19:17 I'm going to read from the amplified version 19:20 and it says, "And all of us, with unveiled face, 19:25 because we continued to behold in the word of God 19:29 as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, 19:33 are constantly being transfigured or transformed 19:37 into His very own nature in ever increasing splendor 19:43 and from one degree of glory to another, 19:46 for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 19:53 Look into the Bible and see who God said you are. 19:58 Now that you have been born again. 20:01 Our mirror is the word of God. 20:04 It reflects the vision of our new nature 20:07 and our mirror image is Christ Jesus. 20:11 As you continue to behold, God will lead you 20:15 from one level of His glory, one level of His character 20:20 to the next by the power of His word and His spirit. 20:25 In Philippians 2:5 Paul says this, 20:31 "Let this mind be in you 20:34 which was also in Christ Jesus." 20:38 Now that is a tall order. Who can fill it? 20:43 Only God can, and He already has. 20:47 Paul tells us elsewhere 20:49 that we have been given the mind of Christ. 20:53 Oh, I want it. I need it. 20:56 Don't you? How do we receive it? 21:00 The mind of the living word Jesus Christ 21:05 is represented in His written word. 21:09 The seed of the miracle is in the word of God. 21:14 And as you partake of His promises, 21:17 you partake of His divine nature. 21:20 So, basically the more you confess 21:24 the word of God over your life, 21:26 the more you begin to think with the mind of Christ. 21:31 Think like Him and you will act like Him. 21:35 There is a kingdom principle of sowing and reaping 21:40 and it is found in Galatians Chapter 6, 21:43 we'll look at verses 7 through 9. 21:47 Paul writes, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, 21:52 for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 21:56 For he who sows to his flesh 21:59 will of the flesh reap corruption, 22:01 but he who sows to the Spirit 22:04 will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 22:08 And let us not grow weary while doing good, 22:12 for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." 22:18 Do you want to reap everlasting life? 22:21 Then sow the seed of God's word into your heart. 22:25 Do you want His life source to be active in you? 22:28 Then remember what Jesus said in John 6:63. 22:32 It is the spirit who gives life. 22:35 The flesh profits nothing. 22:37 He said the words that I speak to you, 22:39 they are spirit in life. 22:41 Open your spiritual mouth and eat His word 22:46 then confess it with your living voice. 22:50 And in this manner, 22:52 affirmations can be compared to the priests of all 22:56 who were eating the bread of His presence, 22:58 the showbread in the Holy Place. 23:01 You know, Proverbs 3:5-6 says, 23:06 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart 23:08 and lean not on your own understanding. 23:11 In all of your ways acknowledge Him 23:14 and He will direct you pass. 23:17 If we're not going to lean on our own understanding 23:21 then whose understanding shall be our foundation? 23:25 God's, God's alone should be our understanding. 23:31 And it's found in the Bible 23:34 from our limited human understanding. 23:39 Much of what God says seems impossible of fulfillment, 23:44 but remember, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. 23:48 He knows the end from the beginning. 23:50 We must strive to know Him by accepting His word 23:55 with total, total trust believing in the Bible 23:59 as testimony from Almighty God who cannot lie. 24:04 So let's summarize the few points 24:06 that we've learned in these last two programs. 24:09 Affirmations go beyond claiming. 24:12 Affirmations are calling things 24:14 that are not as though they already existed. 24:17 They are a confession. 24:19 They are a word of faith that declares we agree 24:23 with God's wisdom confessing His word 24:27 confirms that it is our life source. 24:30 It causes His way of thinking to become our way of thinking. 24:37 Planting and practicing his promises 24:41 validates God's testimony. 24:43 And as we return God's word to Him, 24:47 it will accomplish His purposes. 24:50 And finally, God's word or God rather 24:55 watches over His word to preferment. 24:59 This practice during our time of Pressing into His Presence 25:03 is like setting out the loaves on the Table of Showbread. 25:07 Affirmations serve as a memorial 25:10 that God is the provider of our spiritual nutrition. 25:14 We are reminded of His faithfulness 25:17 as we speak with the spirit of faith. 25:20 God is pleased. 25:22 Now what I want to do is to set the table before us. 25:27 I want to close with the prayer of affirmations from scripture, 25:31 and I hope that you recognize the scriptures-- 25:34 The scripture references that I'm using, 25:37 they are noted in the book, 25:38 but we won't have time today to do this. 25:41 But let's pray. 25:44 Father God, You are our God, earnestly we seek You. 25:48 Teach us to press into Your presence, 25:50 our soul thirsts for You because Your love 25:54 is better than life our lips glorify You Father. 25:57 You love us with an everlasting love 26:00 and draw us by Your love. 26:02 We are seeking You with all of our heart because we know 26:05 You have a plan for our lives 26:07 that is better than the one we're living. 26:09 You are our God who teaches us what is best for us, 26:15 who directs us in the path we should go. 26:17 You show us the path of the life 26:19 and we will find fullness of joy in Your presence. 26:23 Teach us to trust You with all of our hearts, Lord, 26:26 and to lean on Your word for understanding. 26:29 Help us to acknowledge You in every area of our lives. 26:33 Thank You for directing our paths, 26:35 thank You for supplying words seed 26:36 for sowing in the bread of life for spiritual nourishment. 26:40 We pray, You will multiply Your seed to us 26:42 and increase the fruits of our righteousness. 26:45 Father, You have equipped us to do Your will, 26:47 we're grateful that You're working in us 26:49 to make us pleasing in Your sight through Christ Jesus. 26:53 We praise Your faithfulness. 26:55 You would promise to sanctify us completely 26:58 and preserve us blamelessly 26:59 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 27:02 and You will do it, hallelujah, 27:04 in Jesus holy name, amen and amen. 27:09 Oh, I pray that you will learn 27:14 to speak the word of God over your life. 27:18 Pray it back to Him because it is so powerful when you do. 27:24 Well, our time today has just really flown. 27:30 And I'm just so thankful that you joined us today 27:34 and we want to invite you back for next time 27:38 because what we're going to be considering next time 27:40 is the importance of intercessory prayer, 27:44 something that we all need 27:46 to have our practice of prayer polished in this area. 27:51 So today, again, thank you for being with us. 27:55 My hope for you is that the grace of our Lord 27:59 and Savior Jesus Christ, the love of the Father 28:02 and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit 28:05 will be with you not just today, but always. |
Revised 2014-12-17