Hi saint,
Are you ever discouraged by certain scriptures?
I can be.
Though I'm sure GOD doesn't mean to discourage us at all.
And truth be told, even with hard to accept scriptures it's not GOD who is working to dismay, deflate or discourage us...
It's our enemy.
That's because he constantly 'accuses the saints' day and night before the law courts of heaven.
“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Revelation 12: 10 ESV
He often uses the scriptures to do so because he knows we believers take them seriously.
Thankfully,
Jesus constantly intercedes for us at the right hand of GOD the Father. He acts as our LEGAL defense attorney before Him.
Here He is in action…
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
1 John 2: 1-2 KJV
Good job too.
And by the way,
In the original Greek text the word 'Advocate' above translates Jesus as our 'Paraclete' here. Paraclete means our 'comforter' of course.
Interesting eh?
Isn't that the same word for the Holy Spirit, who Jesus said He and His Father would send to His disciples from heaven?
Absolutely.
Well spotted hawk eye.
More on that another day though. Time is pressing.
So for today...
Here's how you reverse a scripture to fuel success rather than discouragement or fear of failure.
For example,
Here's a scripture which often discouraged me...
"He is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways."
James 1: 8 KJV
It reads even worse if you open it up more in the Greek...
[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].
James 1: 8 AMPC
Ouch.
Grim eh?
Here's how I used to approach a scripture like this (which basically drained my faith instead of building it)...
First I would memorise it.
Then I'd start praying and ask GOD to help not be a double minded man.
The problem though was I then automatically kept seeing myself in the light of the phrase 'double minded man' and all the negative connections surrounding that image.
For example...
Bad business decisions = drained confidence.
‘Inability' to make good decisions becomes a belief.
Kept losing more confidence. Paralyzed by fear.
End result = stop taking any risks at all.
Doubt and confusion wreak havoc.
Afraid to speak.
Afraid to act.
Which is exactly what the devil was hoping would happen to me.
Then the devil would delight in replaying failures back to me loud and clear.
In fact he actively quoted James 1:8 back to me no end!
Devil:
"Oh Dave, you ARE unstable in ALL your ways because you are so double minded! You are SO unreliable. You always let people down. You're always so uncertain about what to do...
You are useless!
Why are you so double minded about everything?
Me (thinking I was talking to myself, [and GOD] not realising the enemy was actually deceiving me!):
"I don't know, but yes it really sucks. Guess I'm just stuck that way. Sorry LORD... sorry I am so useless and so unstable and unreliable. No one can count on me."
(As you read my thoughts above remember though, the devil is a liar.
These things about me were not all true. They were half-truths at best.
We all get things wrong, make wrong decisions… that’s what GRACE is for.
And it’s another reason why we love Jesus so much.
Our blunders and mistakes and miss-steps are forgiven.
The devil is not and never will be. That’s the truth!)
Thankfully...
After being 'stuck' on this scripture for a long time the Holy Spirit said to me...
"There are two sides to every story Dave, just as there are two sides to every coin. Why don’t you look at this scripture in reverse?"
So I tried 'reversing' the scripture and look what I found...
"A SINGLE MINDED MAN is STABLE in ALL HIS WAYS.
He is does not hesitate or doubt what he decides.
He is STABLE and CERTAIN about everything he thinks, feels and decides."
James 1: 8 AMPC (Reverse paraphrase)
Once I saw this scripture this way I could never unsee it.
From then on I turned this scripture into a prayer of intention and deliberate prophetic victory proclamation.
Here's how I pray it since then...
“Thank you Father, that I AM A SINGLE MINDED man. And I am STABLE in all my ways because you are my rock!
I am CERTAIN about everything I THINK, FEEL and DECIDE… because you promised your Holy Spirit will lead me into all truth. [John 16:13]
Which means I will succeed as I act on what you show me to do.
LORD I have decided to do X,Y,Z. I believe it is right to do and you have confirmed it by [A,B,C]. I know all things work together for my good simply because I love you no matter what happens [Romans 8:28]
I am single minded and determined to be victorious in this for your glory Father in Jesus Name!
Amen.”
Since then this text has become one of my most loved. It’s a powerful weapon against the enemies discouragement and fear.
It switched my heart over into faith by rewiring my thinking.
Now when the devil tries to get me into retreat from a path which may be good for me I tell him...
"I refuse your lies devil in Jesus Name.
The LORD has confirmed me in this path. I am not backing down.
I set my face 'like a flint' like Jesus did on His way to Jerusalem.
He never backed down and neither will I...
I AM A SINGLE MINDED MAN. I am backed by God's word. And because of His grace which covers everything I do... I WILL NOT FAIL for JESUS IS WITH ME.
In the Name of Jesus Christ.”
Once the Holy Spirit showed me this, all sorts of hesitations, doubts and fears about making decisions or the right paths to take in life went away.
Gods word works.
So dear single minded saint.
I put it to you, that indeed you are...
Steadfast, stable, single minded and certain about everything you think, feel and decide.
Amen!
My only question to you now is which mountain are you going to conquer next?
See you next time conqueror!
Dave Alston
PS Remember.
We've only covered one scripture today...
In your Bible are hundreds you can flip round like this. Each will unlock revelation, blessing and victory for the rest of your life.