Don't Be a Victim of Deception!

by Jeanne Alcott

       Most of us would agree that none of us can go through life without some kind of deception coming our way.  It can come through other people or through the devil infiltrating our own thoughts and emotions.  He tries to get us to believe things that will deceive us into receiving less than what God has for us. 

       However the deception comes, the only truthful thing about it is that it will, in fact, come.  But that doesn’t mean you have to be a victim of it.  That’s right, you don’t have to be taken for a ride—led down the wrong path, fall for something deceitful, or be “led to the slaughter.”  That’s not for you.  God has made available all the means you need to stop deception and the destruction it tries to bring in your life—to your family, work, finances, health, relationships, and ministry or business.

       We’ve all seen the fallout, and most of us have experienced it, from being deceived by someone.  That experience usually makes us wiser and more watchful.  However, it doesn’t have to make us bitter or lead us to depression. 

       The Lord has made a way out of all that.  He has made us powerful and wise as believers, and He has ways for us to combat deception and to come out on top.

       Praise God, we have a power within us that is so much greater than the devil’s power to deceive us.  That power is the Greater One; He is Spirit of Truth.  (Ref. I John 4:4; John 16:13.. Let’s stop being set up to be deceived.  We can utilize the power God has given us over that.  It all starts, first, by understanding what deception is and, second, by acknowledging the ways that it comes to us.

       We know that those who are close to us can be the ones who hurt us the most with betrayal or by dealing with us in the wrong way.  Then there are those who don’t even know us who will try to take us in—either by selling something dishonestly or by teaching some kind of false doctrine.  There are some who will claim they’re doing certain things that they’re not doing—or that they’re not doing certain things they are doing.  They’ll tell us the way we should go, but it’s all misleading. 

       Then, even if deception isn’t coming through other people, we know that our enemy, the devil, is always going to try to wrongly influence our own thinking.  He wants us to adopt a certain wrong attitude or mindset—or give in to harmful emotions that will short-circuit the blessings of God in our lives.  He knows if he can get us to believe wrong things about ourselves, we will live below what God has for us.  He wants to keep us trapped in a web of lies.  That’s his whole MO—his modus operandi, or mode of operation.  The leader of lies tries to take us right into a lifestyle that is dissatisfying and hurtful and demeaning.  We must be aware of that.

So What Is Deception and How

Do We Fall Prey?

       What is deception?  Simply put, it’s when we believe or fall for something that isn’t true instead of standing for what is true and right.  It’s wrong or misleading, yet we are deceived by it. 

       We need to be aware of what causes us to fall for something that is a lie.  What leads up to deception happening in our lives?  It usually occurs when we are reaching out for something.  We need help or perhaps we’re afraid.  We can be easy prey and be sucked into doing something, or behaving a certain way.  Or we can be susceptible to it through greed in our heart or through pride or anger.  It can even come from simply being lonely.

       For example, I have received letters from dear people who were dealing with loneliness and wanted desperately to marry a godly spouse.  One woman told about how she thought she had found one, but after marriage, she realized that he had just told her the things she wanted to hear.  He deceived her in order to use her and her finances.  It’s sad how we can be reaching out for something we desire, and Satan hands us a counterfeit.  One day, this dear woman woke up to what was really happening and confronted the issues.  Now God is helping her get back on her feet emotionally and financially.

       These kinds of things can make a person more susceptible to being taken for a ride—deceived. 

       We’ve all seen people do deceiving things.  We’ve seen wrong things done in our workplace, in our family, and definitely out in the world.  But even though those deceptions try to use our own human emotions and weaknesses against us to draw us in, we can guard against being betrayed during those times.  Even if we do fall for some lie or a ruse, God is for us, and we can be reinstated to the place He has for us.

       When another person is trying to take us in or the devil is telling us lies about our life, we need to remember that we have the power to stop that deception.  But we have to use it.  We have to identify where the wrong information is coming from and allow God to help us work past it.  Get on top—in the Spirit—where we belong and stay there.

       You might ask, “Just how do I do that?”  One of the first ways you can do that is to recognize the fact God has given you the ability to outwit deception.  I encourage you to write this down and say it about yourself: I can outwit deception! 

Recognize the Power of Truth Over Lies—
and of God’s Ability Within You

       The Lord Jesus told us in Luke 10:19, Behold!  I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. 

       You see, we are not at the devil’s mercy.  Satan is not greater than God is in us so we are never to be at his mercy.  Never!  The devil would try to make us think that we are, but we have power over what he would try to bring into our life. 

       Psalm 89:22 says, The enemy shall not exact from him or do him violence or outwit him, nor shall the wicked afflict and humble him. 

       Do you see that promise?  That’s for us!  The enemy will not be able to exact something from us, outwit us, or humble us.  Of course, the devil works through thoughts, feelings, and also other people to try to keep us pushed down from receiving God’s goodness for us.  But we can stand on that promise from God that he will not succeed!

       Verse 24 continues with the Lord saying, My faithfulness and My mercy and loving-kindness shall be with him, and in My name shall his horn be exalted [great power and prosperity shall be conferred upon him]. 

You Will Be Promoted and Not Outwitted!

       Not only will we not be outwitted, but we will have power and prosperity conferred upon us.  We can live in the physical, spiritual, and financial well-being the Lord has for our life and for our family and on all that we do for Him.

       We can outmaneuver and outsmart what tries to come into our life.  That’s possible when we are listening to God and His Word and speaking out His words.  Then we won’t allow wrong thoughts and wrong words get to us to deceive and destroy us. 

       A good way to think about this is found in the story of a man watching his son compete in a paintball tournament.  In case you’re not familiar with what paintball is, it’s a game played with guns that are filled with balls containing liquid dyes.  Of course, the dye can be washed off, but if you get hit by a paintball, you are “painted” for a while.  The goal is to hit the other team’s players with paintballs and capture their flag. 

       So this man’s son was out there with hundreds of paintballs flying everywhere.  In the midst of all this going on, he noticed that even though the coach of his son’s team was shouting to his players what they should do in order to win, the fans of the other team were yelling false instructions and information.  They were yelling out where players were located so this team would shoot paintballs in a wrong direction.  No one was there—it was just deceptive information to throw them off.

       Well, the father did not like this at all.  After the game was over, he asked his son about it, and the young man explained, “Yes, Dad, it’s called counter-coaching.  They're trying to distract our players with false information.  So we have to really focus on what our coach is saying and block out the distractions.” 

       Does that describe how Satan tries to deceive us or what!  He’s doing some counter-coaching with us at times.  He shouts the wrong directions, trying to make us go a way that is not God’s way for us.  It may not even appear to be a wrong direction, but it will keep us from winning the game if we listen.  The only way we can overcome the deception of that “counter-coaching” maneuver is to outwit what he is doing.  That’s what God gives us the ability to do.  He’s going to make sure we’re able to win the “game.”

       Titus 1:10 talks about …misleading talkers and self-deceivers and deceivers of others…—those who, when they talk, mislead others.  They not only deceive others, but they have deluded themselves also.  They’re trying to pass wrong information your way.  They’re doing “counter-coaching” concerning what God wants to say to you.  They counter the words of blessing, healing, endurance, and perseverance.  They try to suppress your ability to hear what God’s Spirit is saying.  The deception is trying to coax you into going the wrong direction.

      The enemy would like to send you around a blind curve so that you can’t see where God wants you to go.  When I think of this truth, I remember a man’s description of his following behind a very large truck on a two-lane road.  You know how it is when you get stuck behind someone who’s got a heavy load and can’t go very fast, and you can’t pass them.  Well, that’s where this man was.  There were too many blind curves.  Every time he started to pass the truck, there would be another vehicle speeding toward him from the opposite direction.

       He was stuck on that narrow mountain road for miles.  Finally, the moment seemed right when he could go ahead and pass, and it appeared to be safe.  He was almost ahead of the truck when an oncoming car appeared.  So he floored the gas pedal, his car jumping to full power and propelling him safely forward and around the oversized truck.

       That is the kind of power we have within us!  But sometimes, we simply need to “floor it.”  When we’re trying to get somewhere in life, God will direct us, and we’ll make it in whatever we are attempting to do with Him.  But Satan wants to try to get us to pass on a blind curve to harm us and get us out of the will of God. 

       Don’t let the devil put panic in you and cause you to move forward to do something at the wrong timing.  You’re smarter than that!   You can outwit what’s trying to deceive you and come out of that situation victorious.  You do not have to be a victim of deception! 

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life.  

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

DONATE NOW.

Getting Past the 'Why' Question!

by Jeanne Alcott

       There are times when we are tested by trials that come our way.  To be tested means that the quality of our character and our faith are shown up.  We see what we have in us and what we can grow to be. 

       So when trials hit, we have an option: We can allow them to use us, or we can use the trials to grow.  We can refuse to allow them to push us backward or to destroy some area of our life. 

       In other words, when we find ourselves in a test of trials, we can ace the test!  We come out of that test successfully and see God’s power and grace move in our circumstances.  But in order to ace the test, we have to keep moving forward.  We can’t get stuck on one of the questions that invariably comes up during such a test, and that is “why.”

       It seems that question is on every test!  But don’t get hung up there when you’re being tested by a trial.  Learn to get past the “why.”  Why should you get past it?  Because it goes nowhere.  It helps no one.  It stops you from progressing through the trial so you can come out of it.  The “why” question can stump you and cause so much anguish.  You’re going to have to learn to get past it!

       That is what a man was advised to do when he found himself in a trial concerning his parents.  It shocked him when he found out that after many years of marriage, his parents were getting a divorce.  It was so unexpected, and it was so painful!  How could this be happening to his parents? 

       So the man went to see a Christian counselor.  He described to the counselor his shock, anguish, and perplexity because he didn’t know what to do.  He felt his whole world was being turned upside down. 

       He said, “I don’t get this.  How did this happen? This is excruciating.”  In other words, he was trying to answer the why question, and he was stuck! 

       The counselor saw the man trapped in the prison of why, just beating his head against those prison bars, frustrated and to no avail.  So he told the man, “The ‘why’ is none of your concern.  This is not your burden.  It’s not yours to figure out. This is in God’s hands.  As painful as this situation is, it gives you an opportunity to show your parents grace and to love them in their brokenness in a new way — which is precisely what Jesus has done and continues to do for you.” 

       Those words from the counselor made all the difference.  He got past the why question and began to understand that he was to show grace to his parents and work through this trial.  That strategy was where the healing and new hope could be found.  He was then moving forward, finally unstuck from “why.”

Stuck on ‘Why’ Doesn’t Help—It Hurts!
 

       You may have discovered this as I have: There is no healing in the “why.”  In fact, as we continue to ask it, the healing process is slowed down—and it can even be stopped.  Then the help we need can’t get to us—because we’re stuck.

       In other words, God’s healing thoughts can’t get into our mind; His healing power can’t enter our spirit. Being stuck on “why” even affects our physical well-being. 

       When you keep asking why, it’s as though you get trapped in a prison, where all you can do is beat your head against those prison bars.  It’s not healthy to get stuck on that question.  So give it to God and get past it.  Allow healing to be generated.  When you do that, here’s what happens—you are actually exchanging a question for an answer.  Instead of focusing on the question of “why,” you’re focusing on the answer of faith!

The ‘Why’ in the Wilderness

      This is what the Israelites had to do.  In Numbers chapter 21, we see the trials God’s people were experiencing.  They were on their way to the land of promise, but Moses had to change the route.  Because of their enemies, they could not go through the center of the area in a straight shot to get where they needed to go.  So they went around the land of Edom by the Red Sea.  The scripture says, “…The people became impatient (depressed, much discouraged), because [of the trials] of the way” (v. 4).  

       You know yourself how it is when you can’t seem to get to where you want to be, whether it be in your health, in your position or station in life, in a relationship, or in your finances. You keep working on problems that don’t seem to have answers.

       Those are called “trials of the way!”  If we’re not careful, we can become impatient and discouraged, and we might even start asking why just as God’s people did in their wilderness journey toward the Promised Land.

       The Israelites said to Moses, “…Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and we loathe this light (contemptible, unsubstantial) manna” (v. 5). 

       They were saying, “If you were going to deliver us out of Egypt and out of bondage, why did you take us to this terrible place?  So we could die here?  We don’t have bread; we don’t have water.  And this manna stuff you’re giving us—we hate it!  We were supposed to be delivered and led into our land of promise.  Why are we in this trial?”

The children of Israel were obviously stuck on that one question.  They were not moving on—moving forward—and they were failing the test!  If they had gone to God with faith, He would have comforted them, met their needs, and taken them through the trial so they could develop the character and strength they would need to sustain them in their new home in the Promised Land.

The Look of Faith—When We

Exchange Our Question for His Answer!

       The Israelites had come to the point they were rejecting God’s intervention in their lives, so that opened them up to experiencing harmful things.  Serpents began to come among the people and bite them, and many of the Israelites died. 

       So the people came to Moses and confessed they were wrong for turning against God, and they asked him to pray for them.  When Moses prayed, God told him to make a serpent of bronze and set it up on a pole.  And when anyone who was bitten looked upon it, he or she would be able to live. 

       But they couldn’t just casually look upon that serpent; they had to look with the look of faith.  So Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and as the people gazed upon the bronze serpent in faith, they were healed.

       We have to change the bewildered look of why on our face to the look of faith as we turn wholeheartedly to God.  That’s where deliverance from our trial lies.  But we can’t have faith at the same time we’re asking why.  Our “why” cancels out faith and drives our senses crazy.  We get so wrapped up in “why” that we can’t see with the eyes of faith what God wants to do in the midst of our situation. 

       That’s why it’s so critical not to get stuck on “why.”  When you can’t see with your faith what God wants to do, you become stuck and you can’t go on.  When you keep asking, “Why is this trial happening?” that’s what you have in front of your eyes: W-H-Y. Therefore, you become blinded to what God wants to do for you in your trial. 

       But when you reach out and throw the word “why” away from you, your faith can take over, and you can begin to see what God is doing.  Then your puzzled look of why is changed to your steadfast look of faith!  As you turn to God, that is what He sees—faith in your heart and on your face!  Oh, what a picture!  And He is going to respond to you!  He’s going to take you out of the trial.  He will bring you out with victory. 

       When God sees your faith even in the midst of being tested by a trial, He responds to you from His heart and with His power.  He’s going to take your world that seems to be turned upside down in your trial, and He’s going to give you new purpose.  You’ll come out of it and experience all that God has for you. 

       So when the pain seems unbearable and the frustration great, or when disappointment is all you can see, turn to God.  Pour out your heart to Him and do it not with questions, but with faith.  That’s where healing is.  That’s where your future is—and it’s a good one!

       So right now in the face of your trial—no matter how small or big—give God the look of faith and tell Him you believe He will take you through this and that you will come out with healing and blessing in the name of Jesus.  Refuse to get stuck on that one question in your test—God wants you to move on and ace it! 

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life. 

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

DONATE NOW.

There’s Healing in

the Name of Jesus!

by Jeanne Alcott

       It’s important to ask ourselves as believers, Am I living in everything the Name of Jesus does for me?  God has given us the Name of Jesus to use to experience His power and authority.  But are we truly living in that power?  Do we recognize everything Jesus did and what His Name means to us now? 

       He has provided salvation, blessings, privileges, and healing in His Name.  Jesus, your Redeemer and Healer, has provided wholeness and well-being for every part of you—your body, mind, and emotions, and your spirit.  Your entire being can experience peace and wholeness because of the Name of Jesus.

       He became our avenue to healing by what He suffered and overcame on the cross and resurrection.  Isaiah 53:5 says, With the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.  Those were real stripes that Roman soldiers lashed upon Him without mercy.  Pilate had ordered that Jesus be whipped to appease those who were accusing Him.  The Roman governor thought that would be the end of it:  He would have Jesus whipped and scourged and then present Him to the Jews who would be satisfied with the punishment meted.

       That was the plan. But, instead, Jesus went the distance to endure death by crucifixion.  And by those stripes, you and I are healed and made whole.

       Think about all the Savior suffered.  He was beaten, lashed, and blasphemed by the religious leaders and the Roman soldiers.  Nails were driven into His feet and hands.  Later, after He had breathed His last breath on that cross, a sword was thrust into His side.

       Jesus was so savagely beaten and bruised that no part of His skin remained normal.  He was wounded so badly that Isaiah 52:14 says He was disfigured and marred in His appearance more than any man.

       From the crown of His head to the soles of His feet, Jesus suffered so that you could be healed from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet!  That’s why He endured all that humiliation and suffering—for your complete wholeness and well-being in spirit, soul, and body.

       Jesus did all that so He could become one with you and give you His Name.  Now He wants that Name to mean something to you.  He wants it to represent in your life the One who suffered and died for your salvation and healing.  So how can you dare not use that great Name?  How can you allow it to remain dormant and not active in your life?

       I encourage you to allow God to renew within you a greater sense of the power, authority, privilege, and position that comes with using that Name.  Because of His great sacrifice, you can have victory.

The Sixth Man—‘Wounded for Me’

       There was a certain man who came to fully grasp what it meant to have another person wounded for him—wounded for him, in his place.  Although his story can’t compare to what Jesus did for us, it illustrates the awesome, undeserved measure of what we have received as a result of Christ’s sacrifice.

       The man was the Prince of Wales.  During World War I, he decided to visit thirty-six of the men who had been brought to a nearby hospital due to their wounds.  The prince entered the main ward, where he shook hands with many of the men.  But afterward, he noticed that he had just seen thirty soldiers, not thirty-six.  So he asked where the others were.  Administrators informed him that the other six were severe cases in a different section of the hospital. 

       The prince insisted that he see them, so they took him to the second ward, where he saw five of those six men who had been severely maimed.  After he spoke with them and honored them, he asked why only five men were present—where was the sixth man?  They responded that the prince would not want to see the sixth man, and they attempted to describe the soldier’s unbearable appearance due to his severe injuries.

       Although this soldier was marred, almost beyond recognition, the prince insisted on seeing him.  When he and his escorts entered the room, he stood motionless for a brief moment.  Then he walked over to the patient, stooped down low, and kissed him on his cheek.  The prince was moved to tears and could only whisper, “Wounded for me.”

       As you envision Jesus today and all that He endured for you, can you see yourself looking upon Him and saying, “Wounded for me”?  Because of His stripes, you are healed and made whole.  Then because Jesus did not stay on that cross—but He defeated the enemy and was resurrected—you now have His Name.  By the power of that Name, you can be healed.  You can receive the healing that was obtained as Jesus was “wounded for you.”

       Just imagine the Lord standing before you, urging you to take the Name, and all that it represents, to receive wholeness and total well-being.  There’s power in that Name!  It is greater than anything that can afflict you or those you care about—in body, mind, or emotions.  It’s powerful because of what Jesus went through and overcame.  And now that Name is yours.

       One of our Partners testified that he has seen this powerful truth working for him.  He had been going through a time of sorrow and grief because his wife passed away.  But he had also been allowing Jesus to carry his sorrow and grief because he understood the power of what Jesus did for him. 

       He wrote in his note, “Since my wife made a permanent transfer to Heaven, I have found God to be very faithful.  And the word you said that Jesus was sent to heal the brokenhearted is absolutely true!  Through this journey, the Lord Jesus Christ has been with me.  Your ministry has been a part—a word in due season, right time, right place.  I have made a declaration: ‘Lord, I thank You for the joy that will manifest this year.  Every loss will be swallowed up by this joy. The joy of You, Lord, is my strength!’” 

       This man had been meditating on and saying the right things so he could receive the healing in his heart and emotions that Jesus provided for Him in His Name.  And I am happy to report that he is doing just that.  Our Partner has been able to experience some of the wonderful plans and blessings God has for him.  His loss is being swallowed up by joy!

       God has every kind of healing for you that you need.  He wants your entire being to be well and whole.  That’s why He gave you the Name of Jesus—so you can experience what God has provided because of what Christ did. 

       We must understand what we have.  We need to say to ourselves, I have the Name of Jesus.  In fact, stop and say those words right now:  “I have the Name of Jesus.”  That Name belongs to you, and you have the right as a believer to administer the healing power that comes through that Name.

       Oh, the power of that Name!  The power is ever-present. Are you using it to receive the healing you need?  That’s what God is urging you to do.  Jesus was wounded so your wounds could be healed.  Remember, He suffered from the crown of His head to the soles of His feet so you could be healed from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet! 

       What kind of wounds do you have—are they in your body?  Are they problems you’re enduring in your family or work?  Have you been wounded in your emotions?  Are you hurting in your finances or overcome by the burdens and heaviness of life?  Is something trying to hurt you in some other way? 

       You have the Name and the power behind it to see everything change.  So use Jesus’ Name today and experience the healing God has for you. There’s power in that Name!

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life. 

SPECIAL NOTE:

        When you give into Alcott Ministries through your prayers and finances, you're enabling us to send out Word of Power teachings and see hope come to thousands of people.

        So, we pray that you will consider this ministry good ground in which to plant your seeds.  We see God give tremendous harvests to those who sow their seed here.  We believe the same for you as you obey God and hold the Word of Life out to others.
                                                                           

DONATE NOW.

Look and Feel Better This Spring!

by Jeanne Alcott

       We all know that after a long, cold winter, we look forward to getting out more often.  We want to experience sunshine and fresh air!  That’s also when many households undergo what’s called spring-cleaning. 

       We put away the heavy blankets and air out the house.  We dust from top to bottom and maybe even do a few projects, such as repainting a room or thoroughly cleaning the garage.  Everything is thoroughly inspected and gone over from the windows to the furniture. 

       I once read that a possible origin of spring-cleaning can be traced to an ancient Jewish practice.  It was done in anticipation of their springtime holiday of Passover.  As you probably know, this holiday is celebrated in remembrance of the Jews’ flight from Egypt after they had been held captive there for more than 400 years.

       On a much different level, that’s similar to how we can feel during the winter—as if we’ve been held captive for years!  We want to break out of that old season and do some new things.  We were less active during those cold months, but now we’re ready for some activity.  We may have even let some wrong habits develop, and we need to get up and get going from the “captivity” of winter. 

       Simply put, in the spring, we want to look and feel better!

Is It Time for a Spiritual Spring-Cleaning?

       That’s also what we have to do spiritually every once in a while.  We have to do a spiritual spring-cleaning so we can look and feel better.  Perhaps that will entail clearing out some unwanted mindsets that have been allowed to creep in and develop in our thoughts, emotions, and attitudes.  We’ll also need to change certain behaviors.  That means we’ll have to take a look at places where dust may have accumulated in our lives—even places where, in the past, we desired to follow the Lord with everything within us, but something changed somewhere along the way and we became cold. 

       Performing spiritual spring-cleaning in our lives means we’ll need to sweep out some things that we’ve allowed “inside” and didn’t even realize we’d done it.  Those things, like cobwebs, became annoying and unattractive parts of our personalities and lives.

       We’re inspecting our lives and doing a thorough work “top to bottom.”  For example, have we allowed something in our hearts or minds that is affecting our outlook, values, and motives?  Has something pure about our lives become impure?  Just as junk can accumulate in our home, it’s amazing what can accumulate in our spiritual “house” if we’re not being mindful and doing regular upkeep.

       Think about what it’s like when you clean out your garage or the closets in your house.  At some point, you usually say, “Where did all this stuff come from?”

       The same can be true spiritually. You might ask:

·       “Where did this bitter feeling come from?”

·       “How did I let anger build up in me like that?”

·       “When did discouragement creep in and get such a hold on me?”

       It’s interesting how wrong attitudes and outlooks can accumulate in our lives so subtly that we don’t notice them right away.  On the other hand, just as we can accumulate certain items or possessions, we can also lose them.  We wonder where certain things about our spiritual lives have gone.

·       Where is my desire to seek God?

·       Why don’t I have energy and drive anymore?

·       Where is my motivation to serve others instead of just living for myself?

       We need the Holy Spirit’s help as we perform “spring-cleaning” on the inside of our lives so that we look and feel better inside and outside too!

How To Get Started

       If we want to do spiritual spring-cleaning in our lives, we’ll need the Holy Spirit’s help. But where do we start?  Psalm 139:23-24 should be our prayer:

Search me thoroughly, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

       “Search me thoroughly.”  In other words, we’re saying, “Lord, take inventory of me.  Look at my heart and my motives.  Analyze my thoughts.  Do this, Lord, so I can know if there’s any wrong or hurtful way in me.  If there is, please lead me out of that so I can look and feel better as Your child.” 

       We shouldn’t wince at the idea of undergoing a cleansing like that—because that kind of “spring-cleaning” is the only way we’re going to see better days!  Without spring-cleaning, the wrong ways that have developed and accumulated in us over time will be hurtful not only to ourselves, but also to others and to the work of God. 

       It’s just a smart thing to submit to having our spiritual houses searched and swept and cleansed!

Take Inventory, Clean, and Repair

       As we take inventory of our lives, we begin noticing attitudes and behaviors that aren’t really “us.”  We’re taking a close look and observing how we’ve been thinking and feeling, and we realize we’ve begun to allow ourselves to act in ways we don’t desire to see exemplified.  It’s then that we must make the decision to “clean” our spiritual houses of those behaviors and whatever thoughts might be causing them.

       After inventory and cleaning, the last step of this spiritual spring-cleaning is repairing any damage that has been done physically or emotionally so that restoration can come. 

       Thank God that we have been given the Holy Spirit who will give us the discerning ability to see these things for what they really are.  And as painful as it can be when we see them, He gives us the strength to rid ourselves of those unwanted, accumulated things that can seem hard to let go of. 

       Our tendency is to want to cling to our belongings!  Sometimes we do it because those things are sentimental to us and we’re used to having them around.  Or maybe those things bring us some measure of comfort.  So at times we don’t want to undergo the pain of change and of clearing them from our lives.

       But when those things are cleaned out, we can see the better us that’s in there!  Our lives will be improved, and the real us that God wants to be revealed will not be hidden and obscured amidst all the “stuff” of our lives that we allowed to accumulate. 

       This truth reminds me of the artist Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel many centuries ago.  Michelangelo spent five painstaking years lying on his back painting the ceiling frescoes depicting the fall of mankind.  After all that time, his work was finally completed, but the scenes had already begun to fade!  Within 100 years, the images were indiscernible.

       One painter described Michelangelo’s masterpiece as “colors through a smoked glass.” And that’s true of our lives when we allow “dust” to perpetually settle over us without doing regular spiritual housecleaning. 

God’s Masterpiece Revealed in You!

       It’s sad that we can accumulate so many hang-ups, habits, and brokenness that the “original” God made us to be can’t be seen!  We need to undergo cleaning so His masterpiece in us can be observed.

       Fortunately, that's what happened to the Sistine Chapel.  In 1989, after years of artists’ working carefully to clean all the frescoes on the ceiling, the originals could be seen once again.  And the result was breathtaking!  For the first time in nearly 500 years, people could see Michelangelo’s masterpiece the way it was intended.  Beautiful colors that had been buried for centuries once again shined through. 

       God wants others to see in you the breathtaking beauty that He has placed within you.  You may not feel that way right now, but if you will allow His Spirit to do some cleaning and uncovering, He will unveil the good things within you.  And He’ll do away with the things that are hurtful.

       Second Timothy 2:21 says, So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will then himself be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. 

       If we want to be usable by God, we’re going to have to allow Him to clean or remove from our “house” what is detrimental to us.  It may be painful as we dig and do the deep work of spiritual spring-cleaning.  But the results will be greater beauty, greater usefulness, and greater satisfaction.

       That’s what God wants for you!  He wants you to be content with who you are and how you think and act.  He wants you to look and feel better!  He wants you to be fit, prepared, and ready to do His will for your life so you can experience His best blessings.  All the work of inventory, cleaning, and repair will be worth it as it reveals God’s masterpiece in you!

We Want To Believe With You and Pray for You!

      Let’s do as God says in His Word and come into a prayer of agreement for your needs, then believe what the Lord said.  Whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19).

      There is so much power available to you as we do this.  So let us pray with you by sharing your requests for God.  Click here now and we will receive them as soon as you send them.  After we pray, we’ll send you a letter filled with words from God’s Spirit for your life. 

SPECIAL NOTE:

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