"An encouraging word"was from Pastor Craig Groeschel. I had never heard him preach before, but let me tell you, he is one funny, powerful, tender-hearted, dynamic, encouraging, anointed man of God. His message was such a blessing that I had to watch it thrice!!
As Pastor Craig puts it (and I conquer), we live in a chronically negative world. The voice of discouragement runs rampant in our daily conversations with those that we care about, and especially with the people or about people we have never met. At work your project's not good enough, you come home and you get picked apart, you go to school you don't do good enough, your in-laws tell you you're not raising your kids right, and your kids tend to agree.
It's amazing how voices can lift you, move you toward revival or hurt you, pull you back, drag you down. A single voice can change the climate, atmosphere, your attitude, your posture, your faith. One voice of encouragement can change your life. One of the most spiritual things we can do is encourage someone else in the things that matter most. Because our God is an encouraging God.
5 When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. 6 But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. - 2 Corinthians 7:5-6 (NLT)How many of us need a breakthrough right now because there are battles going on on the outside and a little fear or unsettledness on the inside? Through the simple action of sending someone who cares, by showing up, reaching out, God encouraged them. We have no idea what God can set into motion through a single word of encouragement. A single touch, a single text, a single note, a single verse, a single song, a single word of hope. We have no idea what He can set into motion by our single act of obedience, encouraging someone else.
THREE THINGS WE CAN DO:
1. ENCOURAGE OTHERS DAILY
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today", so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. - Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)Every single day people are hearing the voices "that wasn't very good", "nobody appreciates me". If you think something good, say it. Every time you think something good about someone set that blessing free. Never withhold a blessing that would rob someone of building them up.
2. ENCOURAGE OTHERS SPIRITUALLY
10 One of the things I always pray for is opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. - Romans 1:10-12 (NLT)Lift each other spiritually. That's why worshiping corporately is so important. So that I can encourage you by my faith and you can encourage me with yours - Iron sharpens Iron. We want to encourage each other spiritually, so instead of just saying "Congratulations on your promotion", why not say "You have been so faithful with the small things that God is now blessing you with the bigger things." Or the other example Pastor Craig used, was congratulating his son when he kicked a goal at his soccer game. Instead of just saying "great goal, son" taking the time to encourage him spiritually saying "man God gave you a great gift and you're a hard worker and you're honoring God with your hard work". Taking something normal and adding spiritual language to it to give God glory and credit through it. Never tell someone what they are not, speak life into them, speak faith into them. With your words, you are telling them who they are. "Thank you for your hard work, you're honoring God", "Hey when you did that, you were such a blessing".
3. ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the sould of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. - 1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV)Because there will be battles on the outside and fear on the inside. There will be negative voices that are telling you who you're not, why you can't, why you won't; trying to rob you out of your destiny. What if you learned to encourage yourself in the Lord. Start declaring the truth of who you are, who God is & what God's promises are, to yourself. Say out loud, my God is always with me. I have faith for this. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I believe my God will make a way. My God is always faithful. God always comes through. My God will never leave me, nor forsake me.
Below are 2 declaration lists, 1 is Pastor Craig's, the other is a generic list of things that you could put in your own declaration list. How would your life be different if you woke up every day and began declaring these things over your life?
Pastor Craig's personal declaration list:
Jesus is first in my life. I exist to serve and glorify Him. I love my wife and I will lay down my life to serve her. My children will love God and serve Him with their whole hearts. I will nurture, equip, empower and train them to do more for His kingdom than they could imagine. I love people and believe the best about others. I am disciplined, Christ in me is stronger than the wrong desires in me. I am growing closer to Jesus every day. Because of Christ, my family is closer, my body is stronger, my faith is deeper, my leadership is sharper. I am anointed, empowered, equipped and called to reach people far from God. I am creative, innovative, driven, focused and blessed beyond measure because the Holy Spirit dwells within me. I develop leaders, it's not something I do it's who I am. My words and my thoughts and my imagination are under the power of Christ. I take all thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. I wake up with purpose, meaning, direction every day of my life. Pain is my friend. I rejoice in suffering because Christ suffered for me. I bring my best and then some, it's what happens after I bring my best that glorifies God. The world will be better and different because I serve Jesus today.
Declaration list Two:
Today I am going to be thankful to Jesus. Today I'm filled with the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells within me. I am going to see what God can do through me. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am an overcomer by the blood of the lamb and by the words of my testimony. I am a child of the living God. I am an ambassador of the most high God, I am a diplomat sent by heaven to earth. I am free from the law of sin and death. I have the mind of Christ. I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for me. I am the head and not the tail. I am blessed coming in and I am blessed going out. God has not given me a Spirit of fear but of power and of love and of sound mind. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
Pastor Craig said, "it's all about the RE-words". We,
RELEASE - RECEIVE - RESPOND - REPEAT
When you REbuke the enemy and you REturn to God, by REpenting of your sins and REceiving Christ, your Spirit will be REborn, your mind REnewed, your life REbuilt. You will be REconsiled by Christ's REdeeming word and while you REjoice you will REap the REwards of RElationship causing REvival!
SEE WHAT GOD CAN DO
THROUGH YOU!
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