People often ask me, “What is the key to success?” “What is the key to promotion?” I always tell them, “Wisdom is the principal thing.” When you get wisdom, understanding, revelation and insight into the plans and purposes of God, get ready for breakthrough. Get ready for prosperity. Get ready for abundance. Get ready for promotion.

But you will not get insight and wisdom in a church where all they do is whoop and holler. You need teaching, instruction, insight, revelation and understanding of the wisdom of God that brings the apostolic into play. Part of the apostolic ministry is to establish order and foundation in the body of Christ. This is what Paul was establishing in the first-century church at great peril and risk to his physical body. He suffered much persecution bringing revelation to the people of God concerning God’s ultimate plan for them beyond the plan of salvation. The revelation of Zion, for example, goes beyond just being saved. When you understand who you are in relationship to Zion, everything changes.

There is a key to exaltation, promotion and all the good things God has for us through understanding this biblical mystery of Zion. If you attend a church, you need to make sure it is a Zion church, and you will need to know what you are looking for to recognize those qualifying characteristics. You need to be among a people who know how to tap into the glory of Zion in worship. The first thing to know is that Zion represents the place God has chosen as His dwelling place.

Therefore, Zion churches are the places God has chosen to dwell. If it is not a Zion church, God’s presence doesn’t manifest there. We make a lot of choices in our lives, including what church we go to, based on what we want and not based on what God wants—what He chooses. But as we come into this revelation of Zion, we should understand how important it is to choose what God chooses. If God chooses Zion, we should too.

Zion is more than a physical place. It is now a state of spiritual being. When we live with this understanding, life as we know it goes to a whole new level. If you want to enjoy God’s best, you need to be in the best place, and the best place needs to reside in you. This is a place called Zion (God’s dwelling place).

When it comes to being part of an assembly or church, or making decisions in life altogether, the priority is not your preferences. What matters is God’s choice, and He chooses Zion. So many people make decisions based on certain characteristics they find appealing—qualities that have nothing to do with Zion. But I want to show you how having a Zion heart calls you out of feeding the desire of a heart bound to limitations and restrictions of the world. Sin and carnality limit us. The enemy has fooled man into believing the lie that any good can come from rejecting what God chooses, and that is never the case. We must develop a heart that desires what God desires. God desires Zion (the place where He dwells). {eoa}

Adapted from I Am Zion by John Eckhardt, copyright 2020, published by Charisma House. In this book, Apostle Eckhardt shows you how Zion is not just a place in Israel, but a spiritual reality in you. You can learn how to enter into God’s glory through worship, and expand to new levels of faith that “release blessing, healing, deliverance, promotion and increase.” To order your copy, click on this link.

This week, resolve to embrace the power of God’s glory in your life and the secret to His indwelling presence. Continue to pray for our nation and its allies. Pray for those serving in our armed forces, in law enforcement, and as firefighters and emergency personnel. Remember people suffering loss through natural disasters, terrorism and war. Pray that our leaders would have wisdom and heed godly counsel as they make decisions affecting us and the world. Read: 2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 132:13-16, Hebrews 13:5.

Talking about beginnings seems especially appropriate during the month of January. A new month. A new year. And in this case, a new decade.

The Bible also starts with “In the beginning.” “In the beginning, God created” (Gen. 1:1a). We’ve heard those words so many times, they may have lost much of their impact.

Take a moment to think about it. God created the universe and everything in it, including the planets and the stars. And the way we think about those stars influences our perspective of the nature of God.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Problem is, many of us are not as impressed by the magnitude of the natural world as we once were. We live in a time in which humanity decides which planets meet the minimum standards to be called planets and which should be downgraded (think Pluto).

We teach children how to cut out paper stars, or maybe we recall doing that way back in kindergarten. And we’ve grown up on nursery rhymes such as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Remember the sweet words from this poem by Jane Taylor?

Here’s the first verse:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star/ How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high/ Like a diamond in the sky.

“Little star” and “Like a diamond.” No wonder we’re not impressed when we read that God made the stars and hung them in place (Job 9:9). Somewhere in the back of our mind is the image of a jeweler using tweezers to place a little diamond in its setting.

And because we’ve minimized stars in our thinking, the natural, although unintended, consequence is that we’ve minimized their Creator.

The Power of the Sun—And the God Who Created It

Time for a reality check. Consider the following statistics regarding the star at the center of our own solar system, otherwise known as the sun.

According to Wikipedia, “a star shines due to thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in its core, releasing energy that … radiates into outer space.” Our own sun has a diameter of 864,000 miles of hot plasma and accounts for “% of the total mass of the solar system …. converting 4 million tons of matter into energy every second.”

And all those other twinkling little stars in our night sky? Each one is a similar fireball in its own right. There’s nothing little about these stars, and there’s nothing little about the God who created them in the beginning.

So what fireball are you facing in your life today? And even if you’re not facing a crisis now, what awaits you and me in this new year? Will you join me in committing to trust the one who hung the fireballs—aka stars—in space?

If He can do that, He can certainly handle whatever we’ll face. {eoa}

Ava Pennington is a writer, speaker and Bible teacher. She writes for nationally circulated magazines and is published in 32 anthologies, including 25 “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books. She also authored Daily Reflections on the Names of God: A Devotional, endorsed by Kay Arthur. Learn more at .

This article originally appeared at .

What story is your life writing? What kind of legacy are you building every day? I didn’t ever think about this until my mother and grandmother died within seven months of each other in 1992 and 1993. Being the oldest grandchild on my mother’s side of the family, I suddenly found myself identified as the one to carry on the family traditions.

Family Traditions

Those traditions included bringing the family together around recipes that had been in our family for years. We had a habit of getting together often and feasting nonstop. It had been our habit for as long as I could remember. Now, that duty fell to me.

My first inkling of this was when I inherited all of my mother’s and grandmother’s recipe boxes and recipe books. My great-grandmother’s recipes and books were also in the mix. Not only did everyone want copies of these, but also every time we got together I felt obligated to make something they would have made.

This was before I was intent on going on my weight loss lifestyle change journey. Still, it felt like a huge burden to carry. It was also the year I turned 40. All of a sudden I felt very, very old. The matriarchs in our family always set the tone. What tone was I going to set for our family?

‘Grandma’s Kitchen Cookbook’

Even though at that time I wasn’t fully embracing my need for habit change, I did realize I needed to lose weight, and the family recipes were not helping. They are all high in sugar and carbohydrates. However, not wanting to hog all the family recipes, I decided I would make a cookbook that included the favorites people were asking for.

Since my daughter was 2 when my mother passed and barely 3 when grandma passed, I decided to add stories about the great women in my family. I included pictures of them, which I also inherited or discovered along the way.

Over the course of several years, Grandma’s Kitchen Cookbook was born. I also included poems I had written, sayings and advice they gave. I did this before Amazon KDP made it easy to self-publish books.

However, as a newspaper publisher, I did know how to design pages. So I put together the cookbook that I had quick-printed and spiral bound. I guess you could say I made a book before it was easy to make books. I gave it away as gifts to my family and sold it at cost to those who wanted extra copies.

Change Was Coming

The copy I have says the first printing was in 2000, but I do think it was much earlier than that. By 2000, though, I knew I had to make changes in how I ate because a cardiac surgeon had told me in 1999 that I only had five years to live if I didn’t lose weight.

I weighed 430 pounds at that time, but I hadn’t yet embraced the fact that I needed to give up sugar for good. I still thought I could eat a little and be OK. I hadn’t figured out that I was a sugar and comfort-food addict.

By around 2009 that fact had hit me full-on. I began my lifestyle change journey in earnest, giving up sugar and gluten. In the final analysis, by 2013, I had lost over 250 pounds. One day, it dawned on me that there was probably not a recipe in that cookbook that I could cook and eat.

Goodbye, Cookbook

There were a few that I remade with ingredients I could have, but of course they did not taste anything like what my ancestors had made. Yet those were the recipes I swore I couldn’t live without.

I had realized my metabolism was so broken that I needed to eliminate the sugar and flour from what I ate if I wanted to live the life God designed for me. So I put away the cookbook. I didn’t make any more copies because it made me feel a little bit like a drug pusher.

I knew those foods had become very addictive to me, and I did not want to perpetuate them to the rest of my family and extended family, especially any new little ones who might make their appearance.

What’s My Story?

That’s when I decided that the story I wanted people to remember about me would not center on the foods I served. It would be more centered on people, doing things together, talking with each other, doing art projects, taking silly pictures, playing games, becoming more acquainted with each other and worshipping God despite our differences.

After all, it’s these memories that last beyond where we are today, not the food. It’s that fellowship that binds us all together in a common bond that is deeper than just some very addictive and fattening foods we eat on certain days.

It’s the mental, emotional and spiritual bonds that hold us together. The physical bonds are already there. They are in our blood and in our shared connection with those who’ve gone before us. For me, there is no greater story than what we write on the hearts and minds of our children, but as an author, I also wanted to share advice in a written form as well.

Although people might be able to find an old copy of Grandma’s Kitchen Cookbook in the future, I hope they will also find the other books I’ve written where I share my journey out of sugar and comfort-food addiction. That is the real story of my life that I want to leave.

What Is Your Life Story?

I was listening to an author tell about a dream he had. In the dream, he saw an old man with lots of children gathered around him.

The old man was recounting the story of their great, great, great-grandfather and grandmother. The old man was telling how his ancestor wrote many books of which they still had copies, and how he set in motion the many blessings of God they each were enjoying that day.

At the end of the story, one of the youngest children in the dream asked his grandfather, “What did our ancestors look like?” The grandfather pointed to a large picture over the fireplace and said the name of the author who was having the dream and his wife.

“That is your great, great, great-grandfather and grandmother,” the old man said. “They started the blessing for our family.” When the author saw that it was he and his wife in the picture, he wept.

He realized that by writing books and by writing truth on the hearts of his children, he and his wife had left a life story of love of family and God that will perpetuate for generations to come.

What Legacy Will You Leave?

What do you want your legacy to be? Will it be one of rich and decadent foods or will it be centered on health, family and God? Your story doesn’t have to be written in books for generations to come to read. It can be instilled in the lives of your children and grandchildren today.

Whatever story you desire to leave behind, be intentional about it today. Know that every day, your children and your grandchildren are watching how you live your lives. You are literally writing the story of your life on their hearts every single day. Make sure it is the story you want them to read and internalize. {eoa}

Teresa Shields Parker is the author of five books and two study guides, including her latest, Sweet Journey to Transformation: Practical Steps to Lose Weight and Live Healthy, and her No. 1 bestseller, Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds. She is also a blogger, spiritual weight loss coach (check out her coaching group, Overcomers Academy) and speaker at . Check out her new podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey.

This article originally appeared at .

People today are known for being increasingly self-centered, as a 2017 study in Psychological Science showed. We jokingly say, “It’s all about me,” but often, we live as though the world does revolve around us and our own lives.

This can be true in the business world as well, says business coach and author Linda Fields on The Linda Fields Show on the Charisma Podcast Network. “Sometimes a person can get so self-focused that their dream is all about me, me, me. Have you been there? Have you seen it?” she asks.

Your dream, Fields says, is about you—but it’s about so much more. “It goes way beyond you,” she says. “Once you get hold of what kind of plans God has for your life and enter into that and begin getting your vision together and your plans together, coming through hardships … you’re going to find out along the way how big your vision is and how it goes way beyond you.”

Fields draws insight and inspiration from the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. “Joseph provided food to the entire world at his time in history. But what would have happened had he shut down in prison, had he not been able to keep his heart alive before God? … I hate to think about it,” Fields says.

“There’s something that happened in Joseph’s heart that he was so sure of his purpose and destiny in God—that is what saw him through all of these other steps,” Fields adds. “So Joseph had a dream that sustained him in the pit. He had a dream that enabled him to escape the trap of temptation. He had a dream that helped him emerge victorious after a season of great pain. He had a dream that fired up his gifts even while in prison. He trained for victory in the classroom of the prison cell … to rule and reign in the second-highest position in all the land.”

God wants all those in the business world to be a part of transforming the earth through the marketplace, Fields says. He wants them to “know the vision over their lives and [go] after it with tenacity and unstoppable love and use of gifting, showing up at the table with something to contribute, knowing they need not wait for permission to be who God’s called them to be.”

For more insights from the story of Joseph, check out this podcast.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I used to, but they never lasted more than a few months at the most. A few years ago, I began adopting one word to focus on throughout the year as a substitute for resolutions. One word that would apply to multiple areas of my life. Each year, my “one word” for the new year became abundantly clear during the month of December.

This year my one word for 2020 did not become clear until the end of December. For most of the month, it seemed as if the Lord was pointing me to two words: “listen” and “focus.” But neither stood out as the word. By Dec. 28, I wondered if I was supposed to have a word for 2020. Perhaps I needed to take a year off.

Then it hit me with such clarity that I knew. I knew this was the word. I knew it because it took the two words I thought I was being led to and combined them.

Attentive

To be attentive is to do more than just hear. It involves listening with focus—my two original words. To listen without mentally preparing a response. It involves processing with both my mind and my heart. To pay attention to not just spoken words, but also to body language. And to the effects of the circumstances. Being attentive requires being in sync with the other person. And I need to become much better at doing these things in all the areas of my life.

A friend recently forwarded a meme to me. It was a picture of two ears placed side by side, forming the shape of a heart. The message noted the word “ear” is at the center of the word heart. And it said the way to someone’s heart is to listen to them.

—Attentive to God: I want to connect with the heart of God even more intimately in 2020. That means learning to be more attentive to the whispers and prompts of His Holy Spirit. It also means being attentive to His Word, for the Bible is my instruction book for life and for a relationship with Him.

—Attentive to people: This is an area I especially need to develop. To be attentive to the needs and desires of others. To weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. And to listen and respond with time and kindness in addition to material resources.

My need in this area was highlighted a few days ago with a friend. We shared our “one word” with each other over lunch. After we arrived home, she moved to get in her car while I walked to the mailbox, not realizing she had asked a question. Sigh. An epic fail at being attentive before the new year had even begun!

—Attentive to myself: This does not mean I intend to cultivate self-centeredness. It does mean paying attention to setting healthy boundaries. To rest when I need it. And in this season of loss that’s still fresh, to give myself permission to grieve as those moments continue to come and go.

Attentive. It has a somber ring, doesn’t it? I can almost hear my schoolteachers admonishing me, “Pay attention, Ava!” Yet when I shared this word with some friends, one person commented that I can be attentive … or I can be attentive with anticipation. I love how anticipation adds a note of joy to my one word.

Anticipatory attentiveness. Eagerly watching and listening for the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Reading God’s Word with anticipation for the treasures I’ll find. Waking each morning to view the new day with anticipation for the adventures it will bring.

Being attentive with anticipation for how the Lord is working in my life, even if I can’t always see it. Viewing unexpected events not as interruptions to my agenda, but as activities woven into His plans for me. And anticipating the deepening of friendships.

This year, I will be aware of my need to be attentive. And I purpose to do it with anticipation!

Do you adopt “one word” in place of resolutions? Share it in the comments! {eoa}

Ava Pennington is a writer, speaker and Bible teacher. She writes for nationally circulated magazines and is published in 32 anthologies, including 25 “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books. She also authored Daily Reflections on the Names of God: A Devotional, endorsed by Kay Arthur. Learn more at .

This article originally appeared at .

The Spirit of the Lord would say to you this day:

“The heavens are open, and the oil is pouring. It is pouring down upon My people for this last hour. For this last hour, you will need the refreshing of My Spirit. Your lamps must stay lit in this dark hour that is quickly coming upon you.

“And along with your lit lamps, you must have the extra oil to maintain the power of that light within you. The last great harvest is ready, but yet only a few are willing to harvest.

“I am calling upon the strength of My remnant in this dark hour to bring them, the lost, unto Me. Bring them swiftly onto Me, before they are lost for an eternity.

“With all boldness, take a stand for Me and My righteousness. This stance will cause tribulations to manifest all around you. But know, even through the tribulations, I am with you.

“I will never leave you, I am with you throughout all eternity. My oil longs to burn out all impurities within you. Allow My cleansing power to have its way with you.

“For out from this fiery cleansing comes forth the bride who is without spot or wrinkle. This is the day that I have made. And this day is for the refreshing of My people. Be filled and overflowing with the power of My Spirit.

“For this is the only way to move forward in these last days—in the power of My might. In your own strength, you cannot overcome the power of the Antichrist, but in My strength alone, I have made you an overcomer, a conqueror, more than a conqueror—created to win and overpower that enemy of old.

“The remnant, come forth—those who are willing to follow after Me and remain obedient to My commands, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic, The Healing Creed and Conquering the Spirit of Death. Visit her at .

This article originally appeared at .

Is it wrong to consider the demonic? Shouldn’t believers focus on the positive aspects of our faith rather than the darker elements?

Some believers, says international speaker and minister Jennifer Eivaz on the Take 10 With Jenn podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network, “tell you that you should not see demons, you should not consider that side of things—that you’re being negative. You need to see what God is doing … and if for some reason you see something demonic, that’s wrong.

“Well, that’s not biblical,” Eivaz says. “I agree that sometimes people get lopsided. They focus on the dark side too much. But at the same time, we read in Ephesians Chapter 6 that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but we wrestle against powers, principalities, rulers of darkness, as well as hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

“And so you are going to deal with the demonic,” Eivaz says. “You are going to have wrestling matches with the demonic as you are in your assignment, your kingdom assignment and advancing His kingdom … so we don’t shut our eyes to things because they’re not our preference. We actually let God balance that out, and we go ahead and just deal with what’s in front of us, knowing we always have the victory.”

The gift of discernment, Eivaz says, is what believers need. This gift “will reveal to you the spirit of the matter. It will reveal to you if something’s demonic, if it’s from God or if it’s of human origin so you can be in the know of what’s motivating pretty much anything.”

For more about the gift of discernment and how it can help you in your walk of faith, listen to this podcast.

Natasha Bure, daughter of Christian actress Candace Cameron Bure, will take the lead in an upcoming faith-based romantic comedy called Home Sweet Home.

Bure will star opposite Ben Elliot.

According to the production website,

Flirtatious barista Victoria is bored with her social butterfly lifestyle and longs for real love. When handsome Jason walks into her coffee shop, she turns on the charm, but he doesn’t respond to her flirting like men usually do. When she discovers that he runs a ministry that builds affordable housing, she decides to volunteer.

Victoria shows up to volunteer looking more like a model than a construction worker. She quickly realizes that it’s not going to be easy to fit in with this crew of experienced workers or to get Jason to ask her out on a date. When he proves to be immune to her tried-and-true techniques, Victoria is nonplussed. Then it hits her. Since flirting is not going to work on this guy, she researches both “how to act like one of them, a Christian,” and “how to build a house,” so she can give the appearance of belonging. Her new approach gains her some ground until she meets the single mom who will own the house they’re building, her eyes are opened. Jason is there to serve others, while she has just been getting in the way.

Home Sweet Home is a film for all ages and features a talented cast. The heart of the story brings to light the selfless act of serving others in need.

Bure is no stranger to acting. She previously appeared in Faith, Hope and Love and Hallmark’s Switched for Christmas.

Bure thanks her family for teaching her sound morals and wisdom. Her father is retired hockey player Valeri Bure.

“I really do owe the way that I am to my parents because I was raised in a pretty, I wouldn’t say strict household, but I would say, I was definitely guarded and I had a lot of rules,” Bure told Fox News last year. “I wasn’t given an overly excessive amount of freedom where I could just do whatever I want, you know, just kind of run wild.”

Read the rest of this article at Movieguide®. Find out what God is doing in Hollywood!

In these days of so-called tolerance and inclusivity, I hear some refer to others with great admiration if they are living in “their truth.” This means that they are being true to themselves and living in what they consider “right in their own eyes” (see Judg. 21:25). Truth is relative, not absolute. What is true for you is fine for you, and I am to respect that, and you should respect what I consider to be true for me. As long as you are happy living in your truth, I should be happy for you. I should not expect you to live in my truth.

Those of us who live by the Word of God are sometimes considered to be narrow-minded, intolerant and bigoted. Speaking the truth in love can be very challenging and often misunderstood. Unfortunately, I am finding that those who consider themselves most tolerant are intolerant of those who disagree with their viewpoints. This is America, and we are all entitled to our opinions. As they say, “We can disagree without being disagreeable.”

We should not discount the role played by the invisible enemy kingdom that operates in our midst, influencing the minds of men and bringing deception, anger, hatred, bigotry and the like. We need to recognize that many among us are in bondage and need salvation, healing, deliverance and total restoration. Their hearts are in darkness, and they are blind to the truth. They need to be loved and prayed for, not hated.

I am reminded of Charles M. Schulz’s character, Linus, as he waited in all sincerity and devotion for the Great Pumpkin to show up and bring him gifts. Of course, he never came. How could Linus be wrong when he had such faith? He remained faithful to his belief even though his friends mocked and ridiculed him. He was so sure he was right and held onto his truth all night long. He didn’t mind waiting. He had peace, joy and great expectation. His truth would prove everyone else wrong.

Or would it? As long as he sat in the darkness, he had great hope, but with the morning light came a different reality. Again, how could he be so wrong when he was so sincere?

As a college student, I passionately sought truth. I looked at different religions and belief systems seeking answers to my questions about what was true and what was not. The Bible tells us our hearts are deceitful. There are so many religions. How can we know the truth? Can we trust our feelings, leanings and desires? We can sit in the dark and picture what is there, but until the light comes on, we can’t really see what is there. There is a difference between what we imagine to be true and what really is true.

In spite of everything, Linus held on to his belief. Are we like that? Do we hold on to worldly traditions even when confronted with the stark reality of the truth? Is our faith based on the light of God’s Word or empty traditions we follow out of daily patterns or habit? Are we living by our own truth or the truth of God’s Word? Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him (see John 14:6).

Are you willing to confront your imaginations, traditions and belief systems, and expose them to the Word of God? Are you willing to change what needs to be changed in light of the truth—not “your truth” but “God’s truth”?

In the world system, it may be admirable to be transparent and live by one’s own truth, but there really is only one truth, and that is God’s. Living in His truth brings light, joy and life. Anything else brings darkness, bondage and death, no matter how admirable, accepting and noble it sounds.

What will you choose to do in this new year? Will you live in your own truth or God’s?

Prayer for the Week of Jan. 5, 2010

This week, ask the Lord to give you 20/20 spiritual vision to live in God’s truth according to His Word. Continue to pray that righteousness will be restored to our nation and that revival would spread to every state and then around the world. Ask God to give our leaders supernatural wisdom as they make decisions affecting us and the world. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, our military, first responders and their families, and our allies. Read: 2 Chronicles 7:14; John 8:32, 14:6. {eoa}

It’s that time of year again—New Year’s resolution time! For many of us that means dragging the exercise mat out from the back of the closet, clearing the hanging laundry off the treadmill or buying that gym membership (again!) and getting down to the gym.

A lot of us make resolutions that involve getting healthier—whether we plan to lose weight, exercise more, eat better, drink more water and less soda, or something else.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I believe in New Year’s resolutions. I mean, for the most part, it seems like we only remember them for about a month, even those that aren’t about exercise and diet. Our intentions are usually good, but our resolutions don’t usually end up changing our lives. By August, most of us would be hard-pressed to even remember what they were!

But wait. The reason we make these resolutions year after year is because it’s a chance to start fresh, aim for a new goal or make a new plan. It’s a chance to make things better. So I say, let’s go for it. Here’s some help.

I looked up the meaning of “resolution” in the dictionary. The word “resolute” means: “Marked by firm determination, bold, steady.” One definition of resolution is: “The act of determining.”

That sounds pretty to good me! It means a resolution is less a goal than it is a determination. And it’s bold and steady—in other words, it keeps you on track to make it through to the completion. The only way I know to truly follow through with a determination is to renew our minds to the Word of God.

How to Change Your Life

I think we’d all agree that we need supernatural help in order to be bold and steady, and the Word of God is the way to get it!

To change our lives, we must first change our thoughts, and we simply can’t do that by ourselves—we need help from the Word of God (for more, see “Think About What You’re Thinking About”). Without the power of the Word behind you, all you have is willpower—and that only goes so far. Why not get supernatural help?

Romans 12:2a says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Ephesians 4:23 encourages us to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

The way to transform your life is to renew your mind. To take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5, NASB). Spending time in the Word of God is how to get your heart and mind working in agreement with God. God has a “can do” way of thinking!

Changing your health habits (or making any other kind of change) starts with renewing the mind. Avail yourself of articles, books, blogs and podcasts that talk about healthy living. Read or listen a little each day.

Whatever you are aiming to change, I encourage you to start with the Word. It will help you be resolute: determined, bold and steady!

Take Action: Write down two or three realistic determinations (resolutions) and find Scripture that can help encourage you in them. Spend time every day strengthening your spirit by reading the Bible, and renew your mind to God’s can-do way of thinking! Then pass this blog along to a friend or two. {eoa}

Karen Jensen Salisbury has been in ministry over 30 years. Formerly a lead pastor, then an instructor at Rhema Bible College, she is currently an itinerant minister and author of several books. Connect with her on her website, ; or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

This article originally appeared at .