Sometimes, it takes time behind bars to get stronger. Bars at the gym, if we endure the challenge of intensity and heavy loads, increase our physical strength. Prison bars, should we ever find ourselves behind them because of our faith, increase our spiritual strength … if we accept them humbly and conduct ourselves with dignity.

As we walk with God, we’ll continuously encounter prison bars of all kinds, spiritual cells that appear around us, sometimes out of nowhere, and serve no purpose other than to hold us back from getting our dream job, meeting Mr. Right, losing those last ten pounds, finishing college … fill in the blank. At least that’s what we tell ourselves about these metaphorical prisons. It often takes us a while to learn that, ironically, their purpose is to set us free, to be the vessel that transports us from “glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18).

Last week I wrote an article about how prisons today are devoid of gym equipment because lawmakers feared strong ex-convicts. This got me thinking: When I’m in a spiritual prison, Satan wants me to think that all of my weights are gone, too. He wants me to feel helpless and weak and to believe that time behind bars is doing nothing but sapping my strength and crippling my defenses.

These dry prison seasons are neither curses nor punishments. They’re not karma getting back at us, and they’re not God shaking His fist. That’s not to say that we don’t reap what we sow, but I do think that we often assume the stance of a Debbie Downer by believing there’s never a bright side to suffering. We look for a cause to explain the miserable effect we’re experiencing instead of looking for the Lord’s wisdom at work. We tell ourselves to hunker down, keep to ourselves and wait out our sentence instead of exploring the beauty within it.

I read in a devotional recently that during Joseph’s time in Pharaoh’s dungeon—for a crime he didn’t commit, I might add—”iron entered his soul.” The Bible says “the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison … whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper.”

God doesn’t remove the strength-training equipment from your cell. When you feel like you’re treading water at the bottom of a deep, abandoned well, He’s there, ready to strengthen you with His love.

When you feel like you’re stuck in a dungeon of disappointment and dashed dreams, He’s beside you, ready to pour out His favor.

When you feel you’ve been emptied with nothing left to offer, He’s within you, filling your cup with inner worth and prosperity.

Our time in prison is precious time to lean on Him, to trust and prove His faithfulness. It is from Him alone that we receive our strength, but as with strength-training tools at the gym, we must grab hold of them; we cannot lie down idly and expect our muscles to grow.

After about two years, depending on which Bible commentary you use, Joseph was freed from prison and promoted to the Pharaoh’s right-hand man. Would he have been blessed and elevated to such a prominent position of influence had he not embraced the weights of God’s “steadfast love” and “favor”? Neither can we take possession of the good and perfect plans God has for us if we insist on wallowing in our own weaknesses instead of delighting in His strengths.

This week I encourage you to, wherever you are in your Christian walk, praise God for prison seasons, the ones behind you and the ones before you. Thank Him for ordaining them as spiritual gyms equipped to strengthen every aspect of your being and to usher you into future fields of abundance. Only then will iron enter our souls and steel settle into our spirits. {eoa}

Diana Anderson-Tyler is the author of Creation House’s Fit for Faith: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness and her latest book, Perfect Fit: Weekly Wisdom and Workouts for Women of Faith and Fitness. Her popular website can be found at dianafit.com, and she is the owner and a coach at CrossFit 925. Diana can be reached on Twitter.

For the original article, visit dianadeadlifts.com.

The other day, my husband Mike and I were having a conversation about a phrase I’ll bet you’ve used at one time or another.

I was grumbling to Mike about a particular business situation, but said I was “dealing with it.”

Mike said, “Why do people say, ‘I’m dealing with it?’ Doesn’t a ‘deal’ mean that both people are getting something out of it?”

I had never thought about that. I decided to look up the word “deal.” The meaning is “an agreement entered into by two or more parties for their mutual benefit.”

I also considered other words that are associated with the word “deal:”

•        Agreement
•        Relationship
•        Partnership
•        Compromise
•        Negotiation

Unfortunately, while some things we are dealing with are good, other deals are those made with the devil.

A prime example is those “dealing with” addictions. But what is the deal?

We know what the enemy gets out of the deal according to Jesus in John 10:10:

“The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy … “

So when he gets us spending our time and money to feed an addiction, he fulfills his mission statement.

But what do we get out of the deal?

It is a hard question. As God’s people, we need to question the things we are “dealing with.” If it is not a mutually beneficial situation, we need to refuse that deal.

When it comes to sin, we ought never to “deal with” that. According to God’s word, here is the proper response to sin:

“Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

I don’t mean that you will never sin or that sin doesn’t tempt us. But we don’t make deals with it or make sin normal in our lives.

On the flip side, consider some of the great “deals” the Lord offers His people:

• “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16, MEV).
• “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Is. 26:3).
• “And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).
• “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

In these Scriptures, you see the benefits are everlasting life, peace, reward and wisdom. What a deal!

But to obtain these blessings, conditions must be met:

• Believe in Jesus
• Keep your mind stayed on the Lord
• Continue to do good
• Ask of God

God wants His people to redeem the deals found in His word. In Psalm 35:27, the Lord says, “May those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad; may they say continually, ‘The Lord be magnified, who delights in the peace of His servant.'”

Wise people search out the promises in God’s Word like they are gold and silver because promises like these represent the true riches in life.

So today, consider the words coming out of your mouth. What you are dealing with?

If you’ve been making deals where you shouldn’t, then take authority over those situations, asking God specifically for a plan for your situation. Each day, pray for strength to walk out that plan and receive it by faith.

The best deal of all is the abundant life that Jesus promised in John 10:10. It’s all about getting to know God through a deeper way, yes even through a weight loss journey!

Before you know it, you will see bigger and better deals coming your way—and will prosper from them. {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

For the original article, visit takebackyourtemple.com.

The Hot Springs police arrived to investigate the abuse of a 4-year old girl. The obvious physical abuse of bruises on her body and the black-eye were alarming enough, but when they asked her what her name was, her response revealed a much deeper abuse.

“Idiot.”

Her mother and live-in-boyfriend had called her by the moniker so many times she thought her name was Idiot.

At this point of the news report, my flesh is so riled up that I would prefer to locate this couple to … well, lay hands upon them in a repeatedly rapid fashion. But, let me cool my jets a little.

The emotional and psychological damage that this child could suffer from is insidious. The mental scars could be deep.

“Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in hardship” (1 Chron. 4:9, MEV).

The etymology of Jabez means pain; he causes sorrow.

Jabez’ mother ruthlessly tagged him with her memory of his arrival into her life as nothing but sorrowful. Every morning, he was greeted with, “Jabez, you caused me pain when you entered my life.”

Every introduction to a new stranger gave them ample warning that here is a man who causes sorrow. Every job interview, he would be forced to address the obvious that he is a painful man.

It’s an insidious evil to curse a child with a lifelong moniker when they unknowingly have caused you pain, but that is exactly what many parents have done.

Stupid. Slow. Ugly. Incompetent. Lazy.

Hate speech damages children.

But before we beat up these parents for their foolishness, let’s look what is happening in the larger context of our culture.

Rather than talk about ideas and thoughtful arguments to address real issues and challenges that we are facing, culture’s language has been reduced to the most childish form of persuasion—name-calling.

I can’t stand the sophomoric rhetoric that we’re hearing. Language is specifically used to corral people into generalized identities, clustering them only on the basis of skin-tones or genetics.

For an example, I used to find it intriguing to think of my Irish heritage, only to realize that I really know nothing about my ancestry. I don’t even know who my great-grandfather was, much less if I actually have Irish roots. So, for me to identify myself as an Irish-American is assumption at best. At what point do we stop hyphenating our races and realize that we are one race—human? We will not relate to people we do not identify with.

So, when people flippantly assign names to other people hoping to isolate them, their words can be as harmful as the ignorant mother who named her child, “Idiot.”

The shallowest form of thinking is to assign to people a moniker that identifies them, not by who they really are but by who someone thinks they are, projecting their pains and sorrows upon others.

The child named “Idiot” is named so because the mother who named her is ignorant. Her mother transferred her own stupidity upon the child, rather than owning her own emotions and having the courage to deal with it. It’s a cowardly act to blame someone else for your own misery just because they entered your life.

In the same way, when society consistently monikers a cluster of people, they are projecting their own sorrows upon them, hoping to project their pains and transfer their sorrows to someone else.

Isaiah, the prophet spoke of someone who was born for the very purpose of taking up another person’s pains and sorrows.

“For he grew up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground. He has no form or majesty that we should look upon him nor appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Is. 53:2-4, MEV).

Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.

He related to us by identifying with mankind—our sorrows, our pains, our failures, our rejections, our suffrage—He took upon Himself the nature and condition of man.

Jesus descended from heaven to make eye contact with mankind, so that we could ascend to heaven to make eye contact with our Father.

The Lord spoke to me to build a movement to resurrect authentic manhood by focusing on men’s purposes rather than their carnality. We use the moniker of FivestarMan, so that a man may ascend to the heights of authentic manhood rather than descend to the depths of carnality.

The Scripture says that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. Jabez prayed to God, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!”

God granted his request.

When a man identifies with his purposes, his life becomes a passionate pursuit of authentic manhood.

FivestarMan exists to inspire, instruct, and empower men to live the authentic and passionate life that God intended for man. FivestarMan is not a program or a ministry. It is a movement—a movement of like-minded men ready to do an about-face, turning from a life of mediocrity to a passion-filled life of authentic manhood.

For the original article, visit fivestarman.com.

Is food your hiding place?

When emotional eating had me bound years ago, God revealed that food had become my hiding place.

I ran to food whenever I experienced feelings in my heart that I didn’t want to feel.

I used food to stuff down my frustration whenever I didn’t express my opinion for fear of others rejecting me. I used food to mask the disappointment in myself when I refused opportunities because I was afraid of success or failure.

But over 10 years ago, God invited me to turn to Him as my refuge instead. From the safe place He offered to the scared little girl inside of me, I discovered I no longer had to be insecure or afraid.

I was free to be me!

The enemy had convinced me that if I didn’t turn to food, I would be left without comfort. But that was a lie!

I learned that through the Holy Spirit, I had a built-in Comforter. He would never leave me nor forsake me. If you have been using food as a hiding place, then your Rescuer is here!

Meditate on the comforting Scriptures below for reassurance. God wants to become your shelter, your refuge:

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One, who will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zeph. 3:17).

“For You have been a refuge for me, and a strong tower from the enemy” (Ps. 61:3).

“There shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and from rain” (Is. 4:6).

“The Lord roars from Zion, and sounds His voice from Jerusalem, and heaven and earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge for His people, and a stronghold for the children of Israel” (Joel 3:16).

“I will abide in Your tent forever; I will seek refuge in the covering of Your wings. Selah” (Ps. 61:4).

God is waiting with open arms to provide shelter for you when you are hurting. The question is: Will you embrace Him? {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

For the original article, visit takebackyourtemple.com.

“Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing His purpose to His servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:7-8).

The Power of Prophecy

What a great description of the power of prophecy. God releases His divine plans, purposes, blueprints and intentions for His people through a power Holy Spirit gift of prophecy. Prophecy through true prophets reveals God’s mind and heartbeat.

In other words, God will not act on the behalf of man unless it is prophesied, spoken or uttered through those who He has authorized to speak—the prophets. We now have access to the Holy Spirit who is the consultant, helper and counselor.

We all have the ability to hear God through the Holy Spirit and prophesy. We don’t substitute prophets for the Holy Spirit’s overall purpose of being sent. God is a prophetic Spirit who framed the worlds into existence through the power of His words (Heb. 11:3). Prophets are still relevant today as they were in the past).

Prophesying Like Roaring Lions

In Amos 3:8 states, “The lion has roared; who will not fear?” This entails that as the lion’s roars forces hearers to fear, so is the sovereign call of prophets, which forces them to prophesy (Jer. 20:9; Ezek. 2:8; 1 Cor. 9:16).

Amos takes into account his own experience, as a shepherd in the wilderness of Tekoa, having oftentimes hearing lion roars, which caused him to fear, both for himself and the cattle he tended to. “The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” 

When the Lord speaks, it is likened to a lion’s roar. Who can do anything but respond to the power, strength and command of His voice? The lion’s roar speaks of the authority, power and strength of God’s Word that demands a response.

The prophetic function signifies “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God” (pro, “forth,” and phemi, “to speak”). Prophecy is simply to edify, to exhort and to comfort by biblical standards and parameters (1 Cor. 14:3).

When “the lion roars,” none can help but “fear,” so when the King communicates His prophetic message whether its His blessings, will, mind, intent or judgment, the prophet cannot but prophesy and the hearer cannot but obey. The Bible says that we should desire spiritual gifts but especially to prophesy (1 Cor. 14:39).

“And it will be that, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28).

Roar out of Zion (Zion Lions)

Joel spoke of a day that he saw God’s prophetic spirit being poured out (Joel 2:28). It was God’s prophetic Spirit being released that everyone was prophesying regardless of age, race, gender or background on the Day of Pentecost. God wants to restore the prophetic power, strength and authority through true prophets and prophetic ministry today.

Naturally, lions do not generally roar when they are on the hunt, as this will warn their prey of their whereabouts. On any given night, a lion can be heard roaring seven to eight kilometers away. The strength and tenor of their roar can be heard several miles away. Lion roars are not only used to proclaim, establish and mark their sphere of territory but also to rally cry of any straying members of their pride.

It is likewise in the body of Christ. The Lord is raising up apostolic prophets, churches and ministries that are established by Heaven to mark their territory for Christ as they declare boldly what God is saying. The prophets will release a rally cry to gather the people for battle. The prophets will release the will, counsel, justice and heart of the Lord that will invoke the reverential fear and cause hearts to turn unto Him.

Prophets will prophesy boldly against any injustice, perversion, doctrinal error, deception, confusion and anything that is contrary to the Word of God. Their prophetic roar will be heard among the nations to bring supernatural changes for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. {eoa}

Dr. Hakeem Collins is a new prophetic and governmental minister with a unique anointing in the prophetic, healings and the supernatural. He is a sought-after conference speaker, produces a weekly radio program called “The VOICE,” and author of Heaven Declares. He is CEO of Champions International based in Wilmington, Delaware, where he resides. Visit hakeemcollinsministries.com.

Sometimes you see things that make you sick to your stomach. That was the case several years ago while I was leading a week-long camping trip.

I was leaving the dining hall when I heard a group of giddy girls talking. Amid the giggles, I heard one say to her friend about a certain boy, “He was totally looking at your [butt].” The friend didn’t appear to be embarrassed or feel uncomfortable in any way. In fact, she looked as though she were flattered and reveling in the attention. It would probably be helpful to mention that she was 12 years old.

The culture of sex hits our daughters early, giving them a skewed view and reducing them to body parts. One veteran pornographer, whom I will not name, stated that girls these days come to the set “porn ready.” Another famous porn star, whom I will also not name, consistently had 13-year-old girls describe her as their role model.

It may be tempting to try and avoid awkward conversations or think that it is a mom’s job to talk to your daughter about sex. But our daughters need our guidance. They need to hear from their fathers.

Here are five important points when talking to your daughter about sex:

1. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Talking about sex with your daughter will be as uncomfortable as you make it. If you are at ease with the topic, it will go a long way towards putting her at ease. A daughter talking to her dad about sex may always feel awkward to her, but don’t tip-toe around it. Just dive in without fear. Don’t let her discomfort make you shy. Using humor or remarking about her discomfort can also lighten the tension. It’s also best to have multiple conversations with as little formality as possible. Talk and teach, but be sure to ask her questions and then listen.

2. Start the conversation before puberty hits. You may not think she’s ready, but in a world saturated with sex, your daughter needs your help to make sense of it. If she doesn’t get her information from you, she will find it somewhere else. Unfortunately, whether she identifies it or not, she has been told lies about herself her entire life.

3. Her true identity vs. the culture of sex. The images she has observed in the media have communicated that her value comes from her sexuality. If she’s sexy, she has value, and if not, then she doesn’t because “sexy” looks a certain way. There’s pressure to look like Victoria’s Secret models and assume a sexual persona or risk fading into obscurity. Wrapped up in these confusing messages, young girls feel a sense of shame they can’t identify while trying to meet a cultural expectation they know deep down is wrong. So they try and walk both sides of the fence. They engage in oral sex and convince themselves it is OK because it isn’t intercourse. The wounds this causes are devastating and affect future relationships.

They shouldn’t feel any of this pressure. The truth is she was created with tremendous love and significance. Her identity is rooted in something far greater and deeper than being sexy. As her father, you need to instill in her the truth of who she is and protect her from the lies.

4. The male perspective. As her dad, you are able to give her insight into how boys think about girls and sex. Traditionally, while girls are looking for a romantic connection, boys are looking to become a man. One of the lies most boys have been taught is becoming a man involves losing their virginity. While she’s looking for a relationship, he is looking to conquer. This still occurs, but in recent years girls have begun to approach sex in the same way guys do. Whether it is because they are buying into the same lie, losing their virginity makes them a woman or an attempt to equalize the situation, the unfortunate result is sex being reduced as a means to achieve power.

5. Sex is best in the right context. Sex was not created for that purpose. It was created as a gift for intimate connection. Relationships are what make life rich and full. We desire to know and be known. Sex is about being unified emotionally, spiritually and physically at the deepest level. Reaching the most pleasurable and fulfilling experience involves love, trust and a lifelong commitment. Sex was designed for the context of marriage, where there can be a complete vulnerability. Without a marriage commitment, barriers remain.

Many times when people have sex outside of marriage, the relationship loses its life or eventually ends leaving both people broken. It’s like gluing two pieces of paper together and then ripping them apart. They will always carry a piece of that relationship with them. {eoa}

BJ Foster is the director of content creation for All Pro Dad and a married father of two.

For the original article, visit allprodad.com.

God has been communicating His will and word through dreams since the Creation.

In Genesis, He sealed His covenant with Abram after he had fallen into a deep sleep (Gen. 15:12-21). Jacob the patriarch marveled at the ladder from heaven to Earth, where angels ascended and descended, and he called the place Bethel, the “house of God” (Gen. 28:10-19). Daniel had “understanding in all kinds of visions and dreams,” (Dan. 1:17). His gift from God promoted him above all the other as he was “made ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon” (Dan. 2:48).

Dreams were pivotal in the birth Jesus. It was through a dream that Joseph learned Mary had conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and he obeyed a series of dreams which spared their lives (Matt. 1:20, 2:13, 19, 22).

On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32 saying that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was a fulfillment of that prophecy. Tongues, prophecy, dreams and visions are the outpouring of the wonderful Holy Spirit who is the promise from the Father to His children (Luke 24:49).

God still speaks in dreams today. When I was in India on a short-term mission exposure trip, I met a young woman who had been a Muslim. During a Ramadan fast, Jesus appeared to her in a dream and she became a Christian. She had to run away from home as her father persecuted her for her newfound faith and she fearlessly began to preach the gospel.

What are you to do with your dreams from God? Here are four keys I have learned that have helped me in my life as I grow in Him:

1. Search the Scriptures. If there is a theme or topic gleaned from your dream, then study this topic or theme in the Bible. Or if there were metaphors and symbols in your dream, look these up in the Bible, using a concordance and Bible dictionary as needed. Once I dreamed of armies in perfect formation and soldiers within the army were blowing trumpets, so I searched every passage of Scripture related to trumpets and learned a lot as my understanding of the Scripture increased. We are to rely on Scripture as this is central to the interpretation and application of our dreams.

2. Seek God’s face when you receive a dream that has a profound impact on you. A deep and lasting impression is on you, not only when you wake, but as you go throughout your day and week. It is with these dreams that you are to seek God in prayer. Present it to Him and seek for His loving answers. When I was 18 I had a profound dream where I was standing in the middle of a paved road. In one direction, I saw the road got worse with potholes, and the further I looked the sky was darker. Then, in the other direction, the road got better, the trees were lush and green, and the skies were beautiful. This was God guiding me to choose His way or the world’s way. It impacted me so much that I made life-changing decisions to surrender to Him completely.

3. Record your dream. Write it out. If you are artistic feel free to draw it, paint it or design it on the computer. Whatever it takes for you to record the dream, do this prayerfully. Jeremiah 23:28 says, “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream. And he who has My word, let him speak.” One of the purposes of God-given dreams is to make Him known. Our recording the dream may help someone out later on and we should return to it from time to time to review and pray through it.

If you have completed these previous steps, then:

4. Obey what God says in your dream. The dream has to confirm and affirm the Word of God. As we abide in His grace and love under the new covenant of Jesus, obedience is key to His guidance and continue to pursue the presence of the Lord. If we are to share the dream, then we humbly submit it to our leaders. If we are to keep it to ourselves then we are to intercede into it. God will give the interpretation because as we approach Him with it He will answer, as the Scripture says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter,” (Prov. 25:2). Searching for the meaning of the dream and obeying Him is all part of your adventure with God. {eoa}

Jared Laskey is a former U.S. Marine who is starting Destiny Open Bible Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a Master of Divinity student at Regent University. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of His Holy Spirit. You can follow him on Twitter @jaredalaskey, or contact him through his website, firebornministries.com.

Once there was a girl who was talented, pretty and smart. But she had a bad temper.

When she became angry, she said and did hurtful things. Her father became concerned about her and decided to teach her a lesson.

He gave the girl a bag of nails and a hammer.

“Whenever you lose your temper, go out back to that old fence,” he told her. “Take one of the nails and hammer it into the fence as hard as you can. Hold nothing back.” 

Over the next few weeks, the girl did what her father asked. Eventually, all the nails were gone.

“Now, pull out one of the nails,” her father said. The girl did it.

The father then said gently, “Even though the nail is gone now, there is a hole left behind. You can patch it, but this fence will never be the same. That is what you do to others when you say or do hurtful things. You always leave a hole, no matter how many times you say you are sorry.” 

Many Christians have “holes” left behind from past hurts. If you don’t allow God to heal them, they can impact your ability to love others and have a healthy relationship with yourself.

To help you manage your emotions and avoid creating “holes” in others, please read my e-book, Psalm Therapy: Healing Negative Emotions God’s Way. In the book, you will learn how people in the book of Psalms dealt with emotions like feeling abandoned, angry, comfortless, doubtful, fearful and others.

If you don’t have a Kindle, don’t worry. You can get free Kindle reader apps for your computer, tablets, and smartphones here.

Be blessed in health, healing and wholeness. {eoa}

Kimberly Taylor is the author of The Weight Loss Scriptures and many other books. Once 240 pounds and a size 22, she can testify to God’s goodness and healing power. Visit takebackyourtemple.com and receive more free health and weight-loss tips.

Are you tired of seeing the enemy throw a curve ball in your day-to-day plans? Are you frustrated by the way things have panned out?

Did you know that you have been given power by God to change situations and not allow situations to change you? Fight back with spirit-filled anointed words that will transform your life through prophecy. The Bible says that if you decree a thing it will be established (Job 22:28).

As Christian believers, we are seated in heavenly places right now with Christ Jesus; we must listen, pray, rule and engage from that dimension. We are between the best of two worlds—heaven and Earth! Heaven wants to come to the Earth and only comes through you—the believer. God desires that the glory of the knowledge of Him will fill the Earth through you as well. Prophetic decrees from the throne of God in heaven release God’s purposes (Job 22:28).

It is through the decree that is released from God that people of a region arise and fulfill the will of God as in the days of Ezra (Ezra 1:1–5). God was active then, and He will be active today in your life. God is as essential to our daily activities as the very air we breathe. The desire of God’s heart is for us to involve Him in our daily schedule.

We have to make ourselves available to partner with heaven if we want to see remarkable changes in our lives. One of the lethal weapons against God’s people is ignorance. God’s people perish because of lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6).

This is the time to take back your day! There are angels that are unemployed due to the fact that we are not asking God to release them to carry out His will for our lives. Angels hearken unto the voice of the Lord and God wants to use our voice to release the angels to bring to pass His will (Ps. 103:20). Employ them with your voice! God has a prophetic word for you to start your day: 

God Fights for His Beloved

Just when you think you have everything figured out, life throws a curve ball your way. My child, I have given you wisdom, determination, passion and zeal to break through any restriction. When you feel like throwing in the towel, don’t! I’ve come to you this morning to encourage you, to fortify you and to equip you to endure whatever happens. The enemy wants you to strike out, so he throws whatever he can to push you to the breaking point.

But you were never built to break down but to break through. When trouble comes, let Me keep you safe from all harm. It may appear the enemy has the advantage, but he is defeated. Know I have wired you to win the war. I will fight for you and come to your rescue like a mother eagle swoops down to catch her eaglets when they fall. No situation or person is stronger, mightier, or greater than Me.

Now is Your Time to Prophesy

I DECREE AND DECLARE that I will not be defeated.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that I am an overcomer in Christ Jesus.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that today I have victory over my past.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that when the enemy comes to eat up my flesh, he shall stumble and fall.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that I walk in the love of Christ and bless those who curse me in Jesus’ name.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that I have the full armor of God upon me.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that I am anointed, chosen and called of the Lord.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that every illegal barrier, hindrance, restriction and limitation is broken in Jesus’ name.

I DECREE AND DECLARE I will be slow to speak and quick to hear.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that I will not be held back from reaching my full potential.

I DECREE AND DECLARE that my family, finances, relationships, friendships, properties and assets are protected in Jesus’ name. {eoa}

Dr. Hakeem Collins is a new prophetic voice and governmental minister with a unique anointing in the prophetic, healings and the supernatural. He is a sought-after conference speaker, produces a weekly radio program called “The VOICE,” and is the author of the recently released prophetic devotional, Heaven Declares. He is CEO of Champions International based in Wilmington, Delaware, where he resides.

I’ve asked several thousand men a golden question about themselves over the years. All have been eager to respond.

Actually, one was not, but as far as I can remember, everyone else. It is virtually a perfect question. Why?

Perhaps because … who doesn’t want to talk about themselves? And no doubt a big part of it is that when I ask I have a non-threatening and non-judgmental smile on my face, people can really sense I’m sincere, really want an answer, and I give the signal that I want the a) long; and b) real answer.

Sometimes I lead with it, but usually it’s after I ask what they do for work and if they have a family. To keep those short, I don’t ask many follow up questions.

Then I ask the Golden Question: “Where are you on your spiritual journey?”

It’s so good because everyone has given this some thought. I don’t use it as a trick; I really want to know. Invariably they say something that I’ve been through myself. So it becomes a dialogue. I never act like I have all the answers, because I really don’t think I do.

After we have shared, and depending on what they say and how the Spirit leads, I either a) invite them for breakfast, lunch, or coffee to talk further; b) invite them to our Bible study or church; or c) if I think we are having a one-time encounter, I give them a book.

Actually, I offer everyone a book even if I will never see them again. And if someone is clearly ready to become a Christian, I read them a tract and help them to pray the prayer to ask forgiveness and receive Jesus.

Sometimes it’s just a seed on the rocky path. But usually it’s something they have given a lot of thought—cable repair guys, auto technicians, flight attendants, dental assistants, you name it. I believe that several hundreds of times people have been brought to me because the Lord knew that I would be faithful to share the gospel with them, and they received Christ.

First Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.” So I like to ask—all the time about many things: What does faithful look like? My job is to be faithful, not to produce a particular outcome.

My definition of evangelism is simply taking someone as far as they want to go toward Jesus at that moment. These last two sentences take all the pressure off.

“Where are you on your spiritual journey?” Will you ask one person you meet over the next 24 hours this question?

I predict you will like it. And as it catches on, it will give you a whole new dimension to your personal ministry. {eoa}

Patrick Morley is the founder of Man in the Mirror Ministries. For the original article, visit maninthemirror.org.