A Plan To Succeed

“Apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

At times in my life, I’ve felt overwhelmed with life’s issues… and realized that I hadn’t taken care of my heart as well as I should.  I hadn’t spent the time with God necessary to fuel my heart.   As a result my heart was diminished in spiritual vibrancy.  This left me without the reserve of inner empowerment to overcome.  The fact is simple: empowerment to overcome life’s issues really only comes from spending time with God.

“Guard over your heart with all diligence for from it flow all the issues of life.” – Prov 4:23

Since we’re prone to shame-based thinking, at first glance we may think this verse means to try to keep our hearts as free from the world and evil as possible.  Well, of course… that’s elementary… but what it really means is that we must keep it full of the Life of God.  And there is no substitute for keeping it full except to spend time with God.

That begs the question, “How do I know if my heart is full… or healthy?”   Well, ask yourself what kind of self-talk thoughts are rumbling through your mind.  If you are thinking negatively about life’s issues, you are probably deficient in ‘God-life’.

A great hero in the faith, Bill Johnson says, “If I am more than two weeks away from tears, then I know what I have to do.”  In other words, tears are one of his indicators that his heart has been refueled with God-life. (For more on tears, read: The Language of Tears )  We too must find the indicators which help us become aware of the status of our hearts.

In those times when I was overwhelmed by life, I have discovered that if I give myself to several weeks of more focused God-time, my heart is refueled and life’s issues are now much easier to face.  The solution to most of our inner struggles and stress is really quite simple… spend time with God.

For various reasons, most of us have some level of desire to spend more time with God, but don’t have a strategy or plan to make it meaningful.  Over the years, I have gradually discovered a plan that works for me.  It goes like this:

Plan to succeed

Find a place where I can be fully real and uninhibited with God
Establish regular and predictable set-aside times with God
On a calendar at home, check off my times with God
All conversations with God are ‘out loud’

1. Start with praying in the Spirit

Invite Holy Spirit to pray through me
He prays the right prayers and best prayers
He always prays in agreement with Father
He always gets the answers to His prayers
He edifies me as He prays through me
I ask Him what He’s praying so I can pray with Him

2. ‘Love-on’ Jesus / Father

This is the First Commandment
It is Matt 6:33 “Seek ye first…”
Develop new vocabulary to express my affection

3. Pray God’s heart over each of my issues

No ‘beggar-prayers’ allowed
Must pray faith-filled prayers
Agree with God’s heart and thoughts about me
What does the Word say?
Practice prophesying His will into issues

4. Thank God for this time with Him

Train my heart to expect and love face-time with Him
Anchor my heart in Heaven’s favor today
Declare eagerness to meet here next time

When asked, I have offered this plan to many hungry or ‘stuck’ people and have heard some pretty cool testimonies of break-through as a result.  A more detailed A plan to succeed gives a specific plan to follow and a way to keep one’s self accountable until a new life-pattern has been established.

“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” – Hab 2:2

I have ‘written the vision’ so that anyone can ‘run’ with it.  If you are hungry for more or don’t like your ‘stuck’ feeling, try this plan… be serious with it, and I’m confident that you find a noticeable… even significant changes within a few weeks.

Click here to download A Plan To Succeed ‘work-sheet’… and expect  new spiritual vibrancy.

— MLH

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