Day Four and Five End of Summer Fast and Detox

Yesterday, I had you write down some goals and pray about them. Today I want to talk about positioning yourself to receive the prayer. At bible study on Wednesday, the pastor spoke about positioning yourself. He said, "So many times we pray and ask God for things, but he can't give them to us because we aren't in a place to receive them. We aren't quiet ready. When you're ready, you position yourself in a place to get the blessing." You've already planted your seeds. Now it's time to water them and wait for God to help them grow. The Bible says, "Faith without work is dead" (James 2:17.) Preparing for God’s blessings requires faith into action. It’s not enough to simply say you’re ready to receive God’s blessings, and yet do nothing to position yourself for God’s blessings. In order to position yourself for Gods blessings, you must first: 

"1. Believe. First, believe He wants to give you good things! Psalm 56 says, “This I know, that God is for me.” Hebrews 11 says: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” It’s been said that faith is the opposite of fear, and if faith comes by hearing the Word of God, then diving into Scripture & listening to sermons is your key!

2. Trust. Even when it doesn’t make sense, allow yourself to rest in His promises… He has goodness in store for you! Psalm 23 says, “Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

3. Humble yourself. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble! If we want His opposition, we can continue to act out of our ego, or we can humble ourselves before Him and receive His grace & mercy. Repent, get right with Him, and humble yourself under His mighty hand that He may lift you up!

4. Repent. For running to things instead of Him. For judging & slandering others. For being selfish & unloving to the people He loves. For being proud & greedy, instead of exhibiting His humble, gracious & giving attitude. For not honoring God or believing His Word. When we do this, we invite His grace to flow into our lives.

5. Forgive. We simply cannot expect His grace to flood our lives if we refuse to give it to others. He Himself said so.

6. Praise Him. We often think God owes us something. He’s already given us ALL we need to live a life of godliness & victory in Christ! He also says “yes” to us when we say “amen” to His word & His promise. So why do we ask for more? I’m not talking about godly asks… but the ones that stem from an ungrateful heart. God loves cheerful givers, including when we give Him gratitude! He doesn’t want to spoil us when we have an entitled attitude."

For my people who are detoxing as well, yesterday you wrote down your goals, with a action plan as to how to get there. Today I want you to start positioning yourself in a place to get success. No one has intentions of being unsuccessful. However, sometimes the way we go about living isn’t conducive to being successful. Which means we need to be better situated in our present situation in order to reach towards the destination we desire. The word “position” means the way in which your life is placed or arranged, so if your present life is a mess, what chance do you have of reaching something greater? Life isn't about faking it until you make it. It's about really doing it, so you don't have to fake it. In order to position yourself for success, you must: 

"1. Position Yourself In Your Own Mind. The way you see yourself will shape the way others see you. The way you think about yourself determines how you do everything. It affects the way you live, the way you grow, the way you manage your time. It shapes everything you do. As a result, people will see you the way you perceive yourself.

2. Position Yourself With Your Attitude. You can't walk into a room with your head low and think you'll stand out. Also, you can't say you want a Benz but mope around talking about how poor you are. It all starts with your attitude. Having a positive, optimistic attitude will go a long way. You must believe you deserve whatever you want. You must have confidence. 

3. Position Yourself With Your Appearance. First impressions get set in stone very quickly. And, like it or not, the way you look is the most important factor in shaping those first and lasting impressions. All you have to do to see how vital good appearance is, is to reflect upon your own reactions to people you meet. Don't you pay more attention to people who look important than you do to people who look sloppy? Most crucial, your prospects judge your importance by the way you look. I'm not saying to judge a book by it's cover but that's the world we live in. Dress for success. 

4. Position Yourself With Your Actions. You determine your importance, your intentions, your reliability, and many other critical factors, by what you do daily. Be proactive, rather than reactive. Make sure your actions align with your desires. 

5. Position Yourself With Your Words. Every word you say positions you either as a person to be considered important or as someone to be dismissed as quickly as possible. Don't be the person who says they're going to do something but never do. Your word is all you have. 

6. Position Yourself With Your Focus. What has your attention? Is it something that will help you reach your goals? If not, why are you focused on it? Remember, you get what you focus on, so focus on what you want. 

I hope these tips can help alter your life and help position yourself for success. Prayer is essential, but make sure you're truly prepared and positioned for the blessings God has for you. Mattie James once said, "If God's timing is faster than your, PICK UP YOUR PACE." Have a fabulous Friday three days left.