Deliver Me from Negative Self-TalkPDF Download
By Lynn Davis
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Sometimes, it seems like things just aren't going our way. We pray and have others pray alongside us. We read scriptures and declare what we seek. We go to our respective services, religious or otherwise, and sometimes utilize fasting as an approach. All these things sound and are great on the surface. I am sure many of us have tried some combination of these things and, if we are honest, have all been frustrated when we are not seeing results. Perhaps you have had thoughts like, "Maybe it's just God's will for this situation to never change," or "It was selfish for me to believe for a new car (or money or whatever) anyway." If you're like me, perhaps you have even felt selfish for wanting something for yourself. It becomes even more frustrating when we are seeking resolution in a more selfless area – like seeking something for someone else. The struggle is real sometimes.
I can remember a time in my life when I found myself struggling emotionally with a situation I found myself in. I had checked all the boxes. I had prayed and had people pray with and for me. I was going to church. I was giving. I was humble. I was reading and declaring the word. I had even fasted. NOTHING CHANGED. I still remember how heavy everything felt and just how frustrated I was with the hardships I was facing at the time. In one of my fits to God, I got this simple, beautiful, transformative nugget dropped into my spirit – a nugget that completely wrecked me and shook me to the core of my being. In the midst of my crying and venting to God, the Spirit simply dropped in my spirit, "your INTENTION is more powerful than your confession." That hit me like a ton of bricks.
Do the Internal Work
You see, sometimes when we are going through, despite all the stories we tell ourselves and others; beyond all the words and rituals and actions we hurl at the situation, our intention – that is, the signal we are emitting to the universe (both in this natural realm and in the spiritual realm) is contrary to what we are outwardly displaying. Sure – we may be declaring things such as, "I am the head and not the tail," "My cup runneth over," "All my needs are met according to His riches and glory," "I am more than a conqueror. I am a victor and not a victim," "By His stripes, I was healed" – the list could go on forever. While we are speaking and declaring these things outwardly, our internal dialogue is running a very different script. In our spirit we are saying, "I'm a failure...I'm not good enough°I'm lacking°I'm going to die." Energy by its very nature cannot lie. Here is the uncomfortable truth: we can throw all scriptures, all the declarations, all the praying and fasting for our situation we want, but if we do not do the internal work, nothing will change. In fact, by not addressing the fears and worries we keep hidden inside, we are allowing them to produce after their own kind. We are allowing them to do the exact opposite of our declarations of what we seek. Job said, "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me." (Job 3:25)Another translation states it this way: "For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me." We attract our energetic transmission. Friends, it is vitally important for us to guard our hearts. We must be diligent in acknowledging and addressing our fears, anxieties, and insecurities as they arise.
This is why the "name it and claim it" approach isn't effective for most people. This is why the "sowing and reaping" approach doesn't work either. Many times, we are declaring, claiming, and sowing out of fear. When we do this, we are not multiplying faith; we're multiplying fear. When our confession doesn't match our intention, we go from fear to frustration. Frustration builds and we move into being overwhelmed. Just like Job – we take inventory of all we have done outwardly and become even more frustrated that our confessions have produced no fruit. Dear friends, I encourage you this week to take inventory of where you are. Own where you are struggling and own what you are feeling. In my next article, I will discuss some practical methods to deal with our internal dialogues and how to redirect our energy to become more fruitful.
Be encouraged.
Chris Reed
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