Believe & Declare- Finding hope as you journey to fertility

It is okay to you acknowledge and assess the problem; you shouldn’t live in denial. But don’t stop there; there are a couple of things you can do at such times, and we will be considering one of them today.

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak 2 Corinthians 4:13 NKJV

Don’t allow hopelessness and despair get the better of you, arise and speak

We frequently lose sight of God's immeasurable grace in our lives when we are in need. We are so preoccupied with what we lack or the situation we are in that we fail to recognize that God is still mindful of us.

1 Peter 5:7 AMP- Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

You are precious and honored in God's sight. He sees you and is present in that struggle. Don’t allow the enemy to deceive you; God’s love is steadfast and unwavering. He is concerned for men and animals alike.

I urge you to use this method for all of your concerns, fears, worries, and other issues. After acknowledging them, weigh them against God's steadfast love and faithfulness.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:5-7 New Living Translation

Faith speaks what it believes.

We have the same Spirit of faith that is described in the Scriptures when it says, “First I believed, then I spoke in faith.” So we also first believe then speak in faith. 2 Corinthians 4:13 TPT

We are in a time where everything that was previously fruitless and barren will be fruitful and overflow with fruits.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “When the plowman shall overtake the one who gathers the harvest, And the one who treads the grapes [shall overtake] him who sows the seed [for the harvest continues until planting time]; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills shall melt [that is, everything that was once barren will overflow with streams of blessing]. Amos 9:13 AMP

Imagine the wilderness whooping for joy, the desert’s unbridled happiness with its spring flowers. It will happen! The deserts will come alive with new growth budding and blooming, singing and celebrating with sheer delight. The glory of Lebanon’s cedars and the majesty of Carmel and Sharon will spill over to the deserts. The glory of the Eternal One will be on full display there, and they will revel in the majestic splendor of our God. Isaiah 35:1-2 Voice

Yet at the scent of water [the stump of the tree] will flourish And bring forth sprigs and shoots like a seedling. Job 14:9 AMP

Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the roar of an abundance of rain.” In a little while the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there were heavy showers. And Ahab mounted and rode [his chariot] and went [inland] to [a]Jezreel. 1 kings 18: 1, 41, & 45 Voice

For all the years of your waiting and seeming drought situations, I declare the rain is here and in abundance.

God is actively watching over his word to accomplish it

You may have prayed for days, months, and even years, and you are yet to see his promises fulfilled. Don’t give up hope; the promises are now about to be fulfilled, not in the distant future. No, they are about to happen. The healing, victory, children & all you have been believing are here. Things may still look like they have always been, but don’t be discouraged; the time is now. Continue to hold fast to the hope you acknowledge without wavering, for the One who made the promise is trustworthy.

Jeremiah 1:12 AMPC Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.

As we go through life, there are events and circumstances that might make us feel embarrassed and humiliated, for no fault of our own.

I love that this scripture and others like it were recorded for us because it shows it is possible for a reproach of many years to be removed in a day.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach (derision, ridicule) of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal (rolling) to this day. Joshua 5:9

There are many promises of God in the Bible that we stand on and believe for/to see the manifestation; with these, we pray them till we see the manifestation. However, when we get a specific word from the Lord in our private devotion, we most often think the season for its fulfillment is at the time we heard the word. As time passes, we try to keep hope alive, but some fall into despair along the way. This is mainly because we expect him to simply bring it to pass without our involvement, so we fail to contend for it.

We were told in advance that hard times will come, and we have no reason to fear or be anxious. God expects us to find our peace in him. He told us these things so that we would be whole and at peace. He encourages us to be filled with joy knowing that He has already obtained victory, and nothing in this world can undo that.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] John 16:33 AMP

Many times, we find it hard to be joyful because we are so focused on the current unpleasant situation rather than on God, the one who loves and tends to us.

The Lord engages his right hand for his children, and it acts not only victoriously but also thoroughly. It accomplishes completely the purpose for which it is engaged. Be expectant this year; the Lord is poised to show himself strong on your behalf.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength! Psalm 118:15 AMPC

They did not win the land with their swords. It wasn’t their strength that won them victory. It was Your strength—Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your presence that gave them success, for You loved them. Psalm 44:3 Voice

Perception affects behavior, who do you say Christ is? Many times we perceive things differently from reality.

Exodus 24:17-18 In the sight of the Israelites the appearance of the glory and brilliance of the Lord was like consuming fire on the top of the mountain. Moses entered the midst of the cloud and went up the mountain; and he was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

In times of waiting, there may be temptations to not trust that God will do what He has promised. God is worth waiting for, His loving purpose is for you to live well and to be well.

Don’t imagine, dear friends, that God’s timetable is the same as ours; as the psalm says, for with the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. Now the Lord is not slow about enacting His promise—slow is how some people want to characterize it—no, He is not slow but patient and merciful to you, not wanting anyone to be destroyed, but wanting everyone to turn away from following his own path and to turn toward God’s. 2 Peter 3:8-9 Voice

The word is powerful, no doubt, and God says his word will not return to him useless without accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent. What then, is the problem? Jesus higlights the importance of faith in his earthly ministry

Jesus asked the blind men who came to him for healing “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”;  and their sight was restored. Matthew 9:28-30

Live with hope, live expectantly, and don't lose sight of what is true. As long as we are on this side of eternity, we’ll find ourselves in the midst of impossible circumstances and difficult situations. We need to have the right perspective on our situation.

Do not forget to rejoice, for hope is always just around the corner. Hold up through the hard times that are coming, and devote yourselves to prayer. Romans 12:12 Voice

[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised. Romans 4:18 AMPC

I know year-end can be daunting and that there will be plenty of voices in the back of your mind telling you to give up. As the year winds down, we tend to focus on the unmet expectations, forget all the goodness we enjoyed, and fall into despair. I want you to refute the lies of the enemy.

The devil will do everything in his power to keep you from inheriting the promises of God. He has always employed deception to get us off track. Contend with the lies that the enemy hurls at you with the truth of God's Word. Rest in the promises of God, knowing that faithful is he who promised. Let them stir you and direct you as you wage good warfare to enforce them.

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

That’s right. From this know that I am watching over My word until it is accomplished. Jeremiah 1:12

Abram scoffed at the seemingly impossible circumstance and secretly pondered, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?". God is able to fulfill his promise to you. For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. Luke 1: 37

God is fully capable and well-equipped to do what he purposes to do. Abraham and Sarah came to understand that what God promises, He will fulfil. Don’t try to complete what was started in the spirit in the flesh

God is fully capable and well-equipped to do what he purposes to do. Abraham and Sarah came to understand that what God promises, He will fulfil. Don’t try to complete what was started in the spirit in the flesh

God wants you to rest assured knowing He is by your side even during the most trying moments, helping you get through them and providing you with the strength to overcome them.

When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. Isaiah 43:2 TLB

The devil will do everything in his power to keep you from inheriting the promises of God. He has always employed deception to get us off track. Contend with the lies that the enemy hurls at you with the truth of God's Word. Rest in the promises of God, knowing faithful is he who promised. Let them stir you and direct you as you wage good warfare to enforce them.

Never allow the enemy draw you into a conversation about God's words or instructions with contradictory ones of his own.

This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare. 1 Timothy 1:18 AMPC

In 2 Kings 4:8–37, the Shunamite woman held fast to her confession of faith, declaring that all was well, and such was the result.

Words either build up or tear them down. It’s as simple as that.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words. Proverbs 18:21 AMPC

Many times we fear God has abandoned us or that he is not paying active attention to us, so we attempt to rouse Him to action. We see from scripture that this is not the case.

It is the Lord Who goes before you; He will [march] with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; [let there be no cowardice or flinching, but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit—depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm]. Deuteronomy 31:8 AMPC

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8 AMP

Sow the seed of life today, and prayerfully begin to speak life over yourself. We are tasked with using our God-given authority and creativity to name things and bring things into conformity.

Genesis 2:19 AMP- So the Lord God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

Proverbs 18:21 AMP- Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.

He will not defer or delay help on your behalf. God is faithful to his promises, will he find you in faith?

Withstand being overpowered by anxiety, worry, or doubt. Throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him; you are his personal concern.

Luke 18:7 AMPC- And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf?

Psalm 55:22 AMP- Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).

How do you respond to God in difficult circumstances? God hasn’t changed; there is no shadow of evil in Him. Goodness is his essence and nature, and this is reason enough for giving him thanks.

Psalm 118:1 AMPC: O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving kindness endure forever!

On this side of eternity, there will be many dry places, and the Lord has made provision ahead of these times and seasons, and we see this all through the scriptures. The dry places could look like a number of emotions, situations, & circumstances that rob us of the joy we should have. This is not God’s intention for us.

Isaiah 12:3 AMPC- Therefore with joy will you draw water from the wells of salvation.

2 Peter 1:3 TLB: For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!

The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.”Zephaniah 3:17 CEV

Because God himself is in the midst of his people, they stand unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. His help is not delayed in any way.

God not only reveals His greatness to us; He also invites us to partake in His reality.

You can expect victory in hard circumstances. For everything man has declared humanly impossible, God steps in today and shows himself strong on your behalf. Only believe; don't doubt.

Jeremiah 32:27 AMPC: Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?

Luke 1:37 AMPC: For with God, nothing is ever impossible, and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.

Abraham kept believing in God’s promise. He wasn’t having conversations in his mind about whether God would come through for him. Whatever reality you are faced with, choose to trust. God He never fails.

Yet he refused to allow any distrust of a definite pronouncement of God to make him waver. He drew strength from his faith, and while giving the glory to God, remained absolutely convinced that God was able to implement his own promise. Romans 4:20-21 JBP

God’s ability to hear and answer prayer is a constant theme throughout the Bible. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes God's responsiveness.

For the Lord watches over the righteous, and His ears are attuned to their prayers. 1 Peter 3:12 Voice

Many times we get angry at the Lord when things do not turn out the way we expect. We all get angry, and when we do, sin is not far behind.

What does the Lord require from us at such a time that we feel offended by Him?

James 4:6 Voice- You may think that the situation is hopeless, but God gives us more grace when we turn away from our own interests.

God is good and does what is good, sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are anything but good. In those moments when we can’t see the end, it becomes difficult to trust, but if we choose to trust, there is a level of intimacy we come into. There is also the benefit of finding ourselves. Yes, and this comes from identification; when we gain a better understanding of God, only then do we know ourselves better. Who we are in Him and what we have in Him.

Romans 5:3-5 MSG- There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Be mindful of your thoughts, don’t be like Job who constantly allowed negative thoughts. Focus only on the voice that matters, while you shut out all other voices competing for your attention.

You should do the same thing Jesus did and recommended in Mark 5:36 AMPC- Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing.

Mark 5:36 MSG- “Don’t listen to them, just trust me.”

Mark 5:36 TPT- “Don’t yield to fear. All you need to do is to keep on believing”.

There’s no risk of failure with God. So why would you let worry paralyze you?

No matter how many of God's promises there are, Christ carries out and fulfills all of them. God is faithful.

2 Corinthians 1:20 :

In Jesus we hear a resounding “yes” to all of God’s many promises. This is the reason we say “Amen” to and through Jesus when giving glory to God. [Voice]

For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” So through Him we say our “Amen” to the glory of God. [AMP]

He carries out and fulfills all of God’s promises, no matter how many of them there are; and we have told everyone how faithful he is, giving glory to his name.

Have you ever cried out to God, "How Long?’ amid a waiting period that seemed to go on forever?

There are a few things we can do when we are in waiting seasons. You will be blessed by this episode and others where we discussed some effective waiting techniques. You’ll find these in Ep. 2: The Waiting Posture  Ep. 21: While You Wait Ep 23: Waiting & Resting  Ep 53: Waiting Hopefully & Expectantly.

Personalize and pray these for physical healing

God never uses illness to chastise or teach you a lesson; rather, He always brings life, hope, healing, and restoration. The enemy is the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Christ reconciles every broken thing to God through what He accomplished on the cross. It is counterproductive to do things that push you away from the very life he paid the price to have. In fact, here is what he says about such actions in Matthew 12:26: "Any kingdom divided against itself is bound to collapse, and no town or household divided against itself can last for long."

God is actively watching over his word to accomplish it

You may have prayed for days, months, and even years, and you are yet to see his promises fulfilled. Don’t give up hope; the promises are now about to be fulfilled, not in the distant future. No, they are about to happen. The healing, victory, children & all you have been believing are here. Things may still look like they have always been, but don’t be discouraged; the time is now. Continue to hold fast to the hope you acknowledge without wavering, for the One who made the promise is trustworthy.

Jeremiah 1:12 AMPC Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.

God is good and does what is good, sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are anything but good. In those moments when we can’t see the end, it becomes difficult to trust, but if we choose to trust, there is a level of intimacy we come into. There is also the benefit of finding ourselves. Yes, and this comes from identification; when we gain a better understanding of God, only then do we know ourselves better. Who we are in Him and what we have in Him.

Romans 5:3-5 MSG- There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Be confident that God hasn’t forsaken you; He is with you, and he will perfect all that concerns you. Whatever the promises you are believing for, those in the word or those he spoke to you personally—he will fulfil them.

Psalms 138:8 TPT- You keep every promise you’ve ever made to me! Since your love for me is constant and endless, I ask you, Lord, to finish every good thing that you’ve begun in me!

Start by seeking God's will and His direction as you plan. Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG

If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. Proverbs 3:5-6 TLB

Who better to trust to help you lay hold of the promises than the one who made the promise? Will you trust Him to guide you and enable you take possession of them? So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out]. Hebrews 3:19 AMPC

In the midst of difficulty and at the most appropriate time, the Lord appears. God is of a gracious disposition, and he says he has resolved to be merciful to those who wait on him.

Isaiah 30:18 AMP- And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Do it God’s way so that you may enjoy the full supply of the Spirit, who knows how to brood over shapeless, chaotic, and dark situations to produce the word that accomplishes God’s purpose. 

Genesis 1:2 GNT- The earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water.Then God commanded, “Let there be light”—and light appeared.

Ezekiel 37:1-2 & 7 

The power of the Lord was upon me and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley full of old, dry bones that were scattered everywhere across the ground. He led me around among them,

So I spoke these words from God, just as he told me to; and suddenly there was a rattling noise from all across the valley, and the bones of each body came together and attached to each other as they used to be. 

*Read Ezekiel 37:1-14

Waiting to lay hold of something we desire can be difficult, and it can be even more challenging when we can't physically see what we are anticipating. It is an uncomfortable place to be, and today's episode sheds light on how to wait actively and positively.

God wants you to rest assured knowing He is by your side even during the most trying moments, helping you get through them and providing you with the strength to overcome them.

When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. Isaiah 43:2 TLB

In difficult times and periods of prolonged waiting, it is easy to feel like God is distant or that He is withholding what we are believing for from us because of something we have done wrong. Remember, whatever you are going through does not determine God’s position towards you. In the last podcast, titled The Seed of Doubt, we focused on how the enemy uses doubt as a tool and how, if unchecked, it can have negative effects.

Today, in light of God's word, we will be discussing the feeling of unworthiness—that sense of never being enough.

John 3:17 MSG: God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

In this episode, we'll be looking at how to overcome doubt.

Don't let the odds of any situation keep you from trusting God. When you find yourself blindsided by overwhelming odds, find out what God's position on the matter is and hold on to it.

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. Philippians 4:8 AMP