Positive confessions

[Apple]

In the Evidence, prophecy, facts section LadylovesJesus has posted a thread called What the Bible says about positive confessions.
I have tried for about 5 hours, on and off to respond to that article but have been denied access every time.
As my response fits into this section I think, I hope that it is OK to post here.

I read this article with fascination as I have been told many times in my life that I can never say anything good about myself - and that is indeed true.
If 99 people say something good about me and one person doesn't, I only 'hear' the words of the one person, not the other 99!!!!!!! Psychologists would say that I have a low self-esteem!!!!!!!
Psychologists would also say that if you tell a child enough times that they are bad/not good enough etc then they will believe that and act accordingly. They call it the 'self-fulfilling prophecy'.

If I understood the article correctly, this is what the article was saying -
"If we speak evil long enough, it will come to pass;"

If we say that we are sad 100 times a day, every day for a set time period, then we will be sad.
If we say that we are happy 100 times a day, every day for a set time period, then we will be happy.

My mind is full of negative thoughts, memories and experiences and some people have even gone as far as to say that my illness is as a partial (??) result of this. Many doctors would say that serious illnesses 'can' be caused by unresolved bitterness etc. Does the mind have so much power over the body? I believe so.

Now if I understood the article correctly, it is advising us to fill our minds with positive thoughts from the Bible - eg it talks about the 'Never again list'. Psychologists would say that this is good for a person's well-being.

So how do we do it??????

Maybe I have already answered my question. If I say that I am loveable and that God loves me 100 times a day for a set period of time, will that be enough for me to believe it?

If I do the same with:

"With His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus "Himself took my infirmities and bare my sickness" (Matthew 8:17)."

will that be enough to heal me?

I understand the psychology behind it (self-fulfilling prophecy) and I understand the power of words and the power of positve thought, but I am going to need a miracle to turn my whole mind-set 180 degrees!!!!! At the moment, I hate myself. It is going to take a lot to get to the point that I can say that I love myself!

I was also interested in the writer's thoughts about internet usernames. I have had a few comments on this forum about my username. If you looked into my eyes, you would know why I chose that username. However, am I just reinforcing the sadness by using that name?

Words, I believe are very powerful - for good or for bad and I think it tends to be more bad than good that my/our words do.

However, if I say these words and verses from the Bible enough times, maybe I will see a difference in my mind-set, my health and my spiritual experience.

Please, please, please do not be too harsh with me however, if I have misunderstood something. I am feeling very vulnerable about all of this.

 

[ladylovesJesus]

Well I think dear sister you did answer your own question too.

You do need to keep saying these scriptures to really believe them deep down in your heart. It will make a difference. I used to have a low self-esteem too.

People had spoken negatives over my life telling me I would amount to nothing.
It is a lie from the pit of hell.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18.21

We have to be careful what we speak over our lives.

Sadeyes can become joyful, happy eyes when you know Jesus.

You are a new creation now. Remember the scriptures of who I am in Christ too. They are powerful ones as well.

God bless

Love in Christ :rainbow: :rose:

 

[Faithful Son]

I read a large part of that article and I have to say I don't really agree with it.

There is an ongoing phenomena in the world today, especially in developing countries. Lately, about 4 weeks ago, a man came into our house, a friend of my brother. He presented the family with a gift, a dvd disc called "the secret".

We are treading on dangerous ground in our walk as Christians if we profess and say what we say, think or agree on will come to pass, Christ did not intend us to live this way. Do not confuse my words with scripture that clearly state when two or three agree on an issue it will come to pass, I am speaking in a different context.

I am speaking from the context of man, being subjected to the lies of Satan, whereby he uses tricks and small lies to make us think differently towards what God expects.

This is the article about the Secret from gotquestions:

Question: "What is “The Secret”? What is the law of attraction?"

Answer: The Secret also known as the “law of attraction,” is the idea that because of our connection with a “universal energy force,” our thoughts and feelings have the ability to manipulate this energy force to our liking. According to “The Secret,” our thoughts and feelings attract a corresponding energy to ourselves. If our thoughts are negative, we attract negative things. If our feelings are positive, we attract positive things. The essential message of “The Secret” is that we all have the power to determine our own destiny. We can all create our own reality. Through fully and consistently applying the “law of attraction,” we can be who we want to be and have everything we want to have.

Is there any truth to “The Secret”? Is there any validity to the law of attraction? As with most other popular ideas, “The Secret” is a nugget of truth expanded to unbiblical and illogical extremes. As an example, a thesis of the law of attraction is that our physical health is determined by our thoughts and feelings. It has been medically proven that stress and worry are harmful to the body, while joy and peace actually aid in the healing process. The Bible agrees, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones” (Proverbs 15:30). As David was struggling with the unconfessed guilt of his evil actions, he declared, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long” (Psalm 32:3). Our thoughts and feelings do have an impact on our physical well-being. However, this is due to how God designed our bodies…not because of our connection with a universal energy force, and our negativity or positivity attracting negative or positive physical symptoms.

A second error in the “law of attraction” is its emphasis on money and wealth. The Bible has much to say regarding wealth and the management of money and resources. Proverbs 13:11 exclaims, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” Similarly, Proverbs 17:16 proclaims, “Of what use is money in the hand of a fool,

since he has no desire to get wisdom?” Our financial success is determined by our decisions, our hard work, and our wise stewardship of what we have. No matter how positive our thoughts and how focused our mind is on wealth; if we have built mountains of debt, the bills will continue to come (Proverbs 22:7). The only impact the secret of “positive thinking” can have on our financial situation is in motivating us to work harder and spend more wisely. The Secret and its focus on achieving wealth goes directly against the teachings of the Bible. Solomon, the wisest and richest man in the Bible, observed, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Jesus, who possessed everything, warned us, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). 1 Timothy 6:10 could not say it any more clearly, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

With that said, the primary error of “The Secret” / law of attraction is its view, or lack thereof, of God. In the law of attraction, God, if He even exists, is nothing more than a universal energy force that we manipulate by our thoughts and feelings. The law of attraction assumes a pantheistic (God is everything) view of God. The Secret denies the ideas of a personal God (with thoughts, feelings, and emotions) and a sovereign God (omnipotent and omniscient, perfectly in control of everything). The core message of “The Secret” is that we are in control of our own destiny. God knows the truth to be very different, “…All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king of ancient Babylon, a prime candidate for someone who would know “The Secret,” declared, “Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified Him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:34-35).

According to the proponents of the law of attraction, we are all “incarnations of God.” We are all our own god, able to create our own reality, able to control our own destiny. This lie is not a secret, and it is nothing new. Satan’s primary temptation has always been to obtain knowledge and thereby to become like God, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…” (Genesis 3:5). Satan’s own fall from glory was this same error, “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’” (Isaiah 14:13-14). The message of “The Secret” is the same message that Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve into sin: “You do not need God…you can be God!” And just as Satan will fail in his quest to be God (Isaiah 14:15; Revelation 20:10), so too will all those who seek to be their own god will fail: “'You are "gods" … but you will die like mere men…” (Psalm 82:6-7).

The true “secret” is that God is in control. God has a sovereign and perfect plan for us. The key is getting in-tune with God, thereby understanding His heart and knowing His will. Rather than seeking after wealth, fame, power, and pleasure (in which there is nothing but emptiness); we are to seek a relationship with God, allowing Him to place His perfect desires in our heart and mind, conforming our feelings to His – and then granting us the desire of His, and our, heart. “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,the justice of your cause like the noonday sun” (Psalm 37:4-6).

This so called secret, this lie is a deceptive and disturbing commandment of Satan, it has nothing to do with God. We have to be very careful, ever so careful to realize and know that God, the Almighty, Alpha and Omega has the Power and Might.

We "ask" and we receive, we do not think and receive. We ask and we receive, we do not say and receive.

My family is caught up in this lie, it's spreading like a horrible disease, my mouth is shut, I do not offer condolences to the thoughts of Satan, I do not even offer to clear the confusion, because if you willingly, without shame, accept that your thoughts or words can change your life, you have nullified God and His GRACE!

Do not be fooled sister Sadeyes, ask Jesus Christ to Transform you, Ask Him, you can not do it by your own power and insight. He will Transform you with the Power of God, in a miraculous way.

He changed my perception on life, about 2 years ago, I know what God is capable of.

Lord Jesus, please transform sister Sadeyes, give her what she needs Lord. Jesus please transform her. Do not make her self motivated and do not give her high self esteem, do not build her up to be the best person she can be, please Jesus, Transform her and Shape her to become like You Lord. Make her realize that she is a slave for Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, let her know that You are with her, constantly watching over her. Remove all these obscure thoughts from her, and make her realize that she can do nothing, without You. Please Jesus. Amen

 

[trucker]

postive confession

The concept of confessing positive things is rooted in Joshua 1: 8. As you meditate in the word of God and speak it, it establishes your heart on what God ALREADY has to say about you. Meditation enables you to do what God has said in his word.

Many times we are told negative things or have had negative things pounded into our heads. As Christians we are told that we are new Creatures in Christ, the old has passed away, behold the new has come. The new is your recreated human spirit. Romans 12: 1-2 tells us to renew our minds. What does this mean? It means that you need to line up your thinking and speaking with What God has to say about you and any situation you encounter. Its not that you are trying to change God and get him to move on your behalf. You’re confessing and saying what he has ALREADY said about you.

A great example is the story of David and Goliath. Everyone around him was speaking fear. David marches in and says who is this uncircumcised Philistine? Goliath does not have a covenant with God, we do and he is defying the army of God. David spent most of his young life renewing his mind to what God had to say about him. David approached God and the giant based on a Covenant. The people around him spoke the problem; David spoke the answer and also knew what his covenant provided for him.

Today, many Christians are trying to get God to do things for them he already has done through Jesus Christ. As you speak what the New Testament says about you, it becomes a living reality.

You used healing as an example. God says that all people were healed by the stripes Jesus bore. Our healing is found in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. As we mediate on Isa: 53: 4-5, I peter 2: 24 and Matt 8: 17, then begin to see ourselves healed and made whole we begin to walk in divine health. Notice all these scriptures tell us what was ALREADY done for us in Christ. It’s not something that he is trying to do. It’s been done, so the key is will we believe and receive that? Our job is to simply believe. You believe by reading the Word, seeing what God says, then acting in faith on the word of God. It states Jesus bore or took on our sickness, then if that is so, then we need to come against sickness through the written word of God and medicine. Jesus will meet you where your faith level is at. If Jesus bore my sickness, then I do not have to. You begin to see that you are the healed and the devil is trying to steal what is rightly yours by covenant right. I firmly believe believers can obtain healing without medicine, but that is up to each individual and what they can personally believe.

I think we all would be surprised how the world conditions us through media, bad influences, bad parenting, religion, and total misconceptions about God.

The key is spend time in Gods word, mediate on it, speak it. Like a seed planted in the ground, you do not know how it grows, but it does.

 

[Apple]

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!

Please don't be cross with me, Teraside. I am just trying to find out what I am supposed to be doing. It is very difficult when one person says one thing and then somebody else says the opposite. I am now confused. I just want to do the right thing.

 

[Faithful Son]

Don't worry sister. I will never ever tell you that you are not supposed to believe. You should believe in Jesus and what He is possible of doing.

Faith is the answer. Not HUGE faith, or lots of faith, like a mustard seed only.

Matthew 17:20
And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

Luke 17:6
And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you.

Mark 9:23
And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."

Mark 11:24
"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

Luke 1:45
"And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."

We should always have faith, we should always believe. But we should never "say" that "we" did it. We should never take things for granted that happened as our own doing.

We should give glory to God, believing in Him, and Him alone.


EDIT:

I edited this post because I said confessing the Bible over our daily lives has no Biblical grounds, I'd like to apologize, since brother trucker showed me that I was in error.

 

[sunshine307]

brother teraside to be fair, sad eyes did say

Now if I understood the article correctly, it is advising us to fill our minds with positive thoughts from the Bible

We are told in Romans 12:2 "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." We are to transform our minds with the Words of Christ, by meditating on the Bible. Sad eyes - reading the psalms is a very good help. A lot of them are written by David and he came through a lot in his life.

 

[Faithful Son]

You're right sister sunshine, absolutely right. I am finding it hard to express what I am trying to say, I don't want to cause more confusion, so if you can, please respond from Sadeys first post.

Thanks.

 

[trucker]

positive confession

Brother and sisters do not confuse confession with positive and negative things. For example, psalms 91 states in verse 2 : I will SAY of the Lord. By saying what psalms 91 promises, we are establishing our hearts on Gods promises.

There are ministers who have used positive confession or that movement to make a sham of speaking Gods word, but we should not throw the baby out with the bath water. In our prayer and meditation, as we speak what the word says, it encourages our hearts.

Someone also quoted Psalms 18: 20-21. It tells us our words are very important. They set into motion positive or negative things. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. God created the whole world with Words. Your words around the house will produce a peaceful atmosphere or a negative one. Have you ever been around people who do nothing but whine, complain and say negative things?? It charges the atmosphere with doom and gloom. Brothers and Sisters, our words are important and we must realize that even the world uses it. For example, for the last twenty years we have had spoken words through the media tell us abortion, homosexuality, adultery ect are all fine. Those words have impacted two generations to the point that a majority of people think these things are no big deal. The word of God has been stifled and it has taken back seat to what the world has to say. Do not allow some of the sham artist who has used the positive confession message to manipulate people cause you disregard the spoken word of God.

There have been many occasions that I have faced situations where I had to write down scriptures that were in direct opposition to what circumstances said and speak them to over come the overwhelming influences of those circumstances. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. As I spoke and read the word of God, faith sprang up and I was able to use that to anchor my soulish realm in the midst of severe trials. David did it all the time in the psalms.

 

[Apple]

So, going back to my original post, have I understood correctly what God is asking us to do?

 

[Faithful Son]

I agree with you brother trucker. I would like to apologize to you sister Sadeyes. We are both learning and I know that I acted wrong today.

Let me say that if we give glory to God, if we acknowledge that He is the reason that things happen, even if we speak words from the Bible, then that is okay, do we all agree on that?

I gave a huge bloated post, but in essence, that is what my spirit was yearning to say. We can't just speak and things will happen, we have to believe, speak and know that God will do it on our behalf, because we are powerless.

I thank God that we have members like sister LadylovesJesus, trucker and sister Sunshine and Sadeyes. Because when I don't know how to say it, Jesus helps by using you.

You understood correctly sister Sadeyes, I'm sorry again.

Thank you

 

[sunshine307]

Sadeyes,

I have already quoted this in a previous post.

Now if I understood the article correctly, it is advising us to fill our minds with positive thoughts from the Bible

We are told in Romans 12:2 "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." We are to transform our minds with the Words of Christ, by meditating on the Bible. Sad eyes - reading the psalms is a very good help. A lot of them are written by David and he came through a lot in his life.

There is a book in the Old Testament about Job - a man who had many bad things happen to him, yet he continued to trust God right through everything. In Job 3:25 he says "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me." In other words, the bad things he was thinking, his negative thoughts came to pass.

I am going to need a miracle to turn my whole mind-set 180 degrees!!!!! At the moment, I hate myself. It is going to take a lot to get to the point that I can say that I love myself!

We have a miracle working God, who loves you and gave His Son for you. I'm sure you already know that and have been told when you come to Jesus you need to repent - that is turning to God and turning away from your sin, turning round 180 degrees!!! It's the same with your thought life - you need to turn your thought life around, turn your thoughts to God's Word. Change doesn't always happen at once - it takes time. You have probably spent many years thinking the way you do now, so don't think too far down the line and think you can't do things. Take one small step at a time.

trucker says this:

Someone also quoted Psalms 18: 20-21. It tells us our words are very important. They set into motion positive or negative things. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. God created the whole world with Words. Your words around the house will produce a peaceful atmosphere or a negative one. Have you ever been around people who do nothing but whine, complain and say negative things?? It charges the atmosphere with doom and gloom.

These words are so true. The words you speak or think have a bearing on the atmosphere around you.

If I say that I am loveable and that God loves me 100 times a day for a set period of time, will that be enough for me to believe it?

You are indeed lovable, and as you read His Word you will eventually come to believe it.

We can't just speak and things will happen, we have to believe, speak and know that God will do it on our behalf, because we are powerless.

Well said brother teraside.

 

[kenwyn]

I'll quote the full text of positive confessions so that we all on the same page

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT...
POSITIVE CONFESSIONS?
A BIBLE CONFESSION OF THE MOUTH
by Betty Miller

As Christians, our confession should be what we term a "Bible confession" instead of just a "positive confession." We are not talking about confessing our sins here, but rather confessing or acknowledging with our mouth the truths from God's Word. Certainly the Bible tells us to confess our sins, but that is not the only confession we need to make. We are also told to confess or speak out loud the promises of God, in faith, so we can receive them.

We need to clarify the difference between the so-called "positive confession" taught by the success propagators in the world and a "Bible confession." Many times, their confessions are directed toward "self," not toward God's Word. They build their "castles in the sky," but they are not founded on the Word of God; instead they are based on what they desire for themselves. For example, you will probably never hear them confessing the following portion of God's Word, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us" (2 Timothy 2:12). We must begin confessing what the Word of God has to say about our lives and circumstances instead of what those in the world may speak about the situation.

In confessing God's Word, we must not pick out only the Scriptures we desire, but also the ones the Lord desires for us. He certainly desires to bless us, but He also desires to cleanse us. We must be as enthusiastic in our confessions to be cleansed from all that would offend the Lord as we are in confessing the physical blessings He has promised us. We must learn to set a guard on our mouths, as it is very important to control our conversation. We will ultimately receive the things that we speak. If we speak evil long enough, it will come to pass; likewise if we speak good.

"Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God" (Psalm 50:23). "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Proverbs 18:20-21).

We must not only claim God's Word, but also learn to speak or confess His Word. We must confess our faith in God's Word.

We must not confess lack, as the Heavenly Father has given us everything we need. We must not confess defeat, as God has made us more than conquerors. We must not confess doubt, as God has given us His faith. We are to speak the things that the Word of God declares as truth. We easily quote what men have to say on a subject, and many times we believe them despite what the Word of God has to say about it. Yet we are often hesitant to quote what God says because the devil tells us we would be lying. He causes us to look at our circumstances rather than the Word.

Circumstances are subject to change, and one of the things that can cause them to do so is the confession of God's Word over a particular situation. In fact, the Word of God tells us to confess or talk about the things we are believing God to do in our lives and He will bring it to pass.

Romans 4:20-22, "He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness."
Romans 4:17, "(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were".

For instance, if we are in need of finances, the devil will try to get us to confess such things as, "I guess we will just have to take bankruptcy since we can not pay the bills," or "I don't know what we will do when we can't make the house payment." Instead, we need to align our confession with the Word of God. "My God shall supply all your (my) need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19) "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (me)" (Matthew 6:33). (Emphasis is mine). We should confess our faith and trust in the Lord by saying,"I don't know how the Lord is going to help us meet this need, but I confess that He will because He cares for us."

We bring evil and good things forth by what we speak. Jesus referred to this in Matthew 12:34-37:
"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

As Christians we should never again confess any of the things that are against God's Word. Let me share with you "My Never Again List" taken from Don Gossett's book, What You Say Is What You Get.

"MY NEVER AGAIN LIST"
Never again will I confess "I can't" for "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).
Never again will I confess lack, for "My God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Never again will I confess fear, for "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
Never again will I confess doubt and lack of faith, for "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3).
Never again will I confess weakness, for "The Lord is the strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1). "The people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits" (Daniel 11:32).
Never again will I confess supremacy of Satan over my life, for "Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
Never again will I confess defeat, for "God always causeth me to triumph in Christ Jesus" (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Never again will I confess lack of wisdom, for "Christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom from God" (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Never again will I confess sickness, for "With His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus "Himself took my infirmities and bare my sickness" (Matthew 8:17).
Never again will I confess worries and frustrations, for I am "Casting all my cares upon Him, who careth for me" (1 Peter 5:7). In Christ I am "care-free."
Never again will I confess bondage, for "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Never again will I confess condemnation, for "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). I am in Christ; therefore, I am free from condemnation.
Never again will I confess loneliness, Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).
Never again will I confess curses or bad luck, for "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us...that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14).
Never again will I confess discontent because "I have learned, in whatsoever state (circumstances) I am, therewith to be content" (Philippians 4:11).
Never again will I confess unworthiness because "He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The confession of our mouths will eventually bring forth the things we speak.

When we are baby Christians who have not yet learned this truth. God, in His grace, does not give us the things we confess or speak wrongly because they are not in accord with His will. We have not yet learned His will. He looks on our heart, and simply because we are desiring to do the will of the Father, He cancels those things that are not His will. Our hearts are speaking louder than our mouths. "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart" (Psalm 15:1-2).

If we continue to speak truth in our hearts, our mouths will soon begin to line up with our hearts. However, until that time the Lord is gracious to us when our hearts and our mouths are not agreeing.

We would like to address an area that is related to this subject of watching our confessions. We should not agree with negative things either spoken or written as this gives the enemy a doorway into our lives. An example of this is one that we have noticed since we have been ministering on the Internet. Many people have email address names that are not only very negative but some are satanic as well. We have noticed that even many Christians are using nicknames that are descriptive of evil characters, traits, or ideas. Please pray about correcting this if your nickname does not glorify the Lord, as this is a form of an evil confession about yourself.

"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:19). This is a perfect example of two agreeing before the answer to prayer can come to pass. My mouth and heart must agree to produce the answers to my prayers.

One area that tends to get out-of-balance in the "confession" teaching is the tendency to not allow others to speak, but continually to correct their negative confessions of speech. We must remember that the highest law is the law of love, and we should not nag at others, but pray for them. Of course, we can gently help correct those who have the same knowledge we do, as they would usually be eager to overcome in this area. However, for those who have never heard, it would generally be wise to just pray for them until they come to the knowledge of the truth.

One other area that is often abused is claiming and confessing only material things. Many are heard claiming cars, property, houses, etc., but we seldom hear them claiming souls. We should be sure our priorities are right when claiming and confessing. The Lord's greatest desire is for us to grow in Him and to bring others to the knowledge of His love. When we are not stressing this in our confessions, we are being led astray by the devil.

Another area that gets pushed out-of-balance is to feel we must continually confess what we are believing before men. We begin telling everyone, everywhere we go, the things God has promised us. We should exercise wisdom, for many times it is not wise to do much speaking. We are not required to confess our promises to everyone for them to come to pass. In fact, the Word of God teaches prudence and wisdom in regard to our speaking. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). "A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards'' (Proverbs 29:11).

Our main confession should be unto the Lord. It also builds our own faith when we confess with our mouths the victory we have in Jesus. Prayer time should be our main time of confessing God's promises so that not only He can hear us, but also the devil will hear our words. Then, if our words are aligned with the Word of God, the devil must bow his knee to those words. We will find that our words have overcome the enemy.
Excerpt from the book Extremes or Balance?

 

[peeps]

Does the mind have so much power over the body? I believe so.

the mind is the battlefield. . .it is a vital necessity that we line up our thoughts with God's thoughts . . .this is a progress that will take time and study . . .

Dont ever give up cause little by little you are changing. . .the more you change your mind for the better . . .the more your life will change to the better . . .

When you begin to see God's good plan for you in your thinking . . .you will begin to walk in it

How can we express the importance of our thoughts sufficiently in order to convey the true meaning of Proverbs 23:7: For as he [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he...?

Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind
von Joyce Meyer (Author)

Contents

Part 1: The Importance of the Mind

1. The mind is a battlefield
2. A vital necessity
3. Dont give up!
4. Little by little
5. Be positive
6. Mind-Binding spirits
7. Think about what your thinking about

Part 2: Conditions of the mind

8. When is my mind normal?
9. A wandering, wondering mind
10. A confused mind
11. A doubtful and and unbelieving mind
12. An anxious and worried mind
13. A judgemental, Critical and Suspicious mind
14. A passive mind
15. The mind of Christ

Part 3: Wilderness Mentality

16. My future is determined by my past and my prestent
17. I dont want the responsibility
18. I cant take it if things are too hard!
19. I cant help it - Im just addicted.
20. Dont make me wait - I want it now
21. Its not my fault
22. My life is so miserable
23. I dont deserve God's blessings
24. Why shouldnt I be jealous?
25. I'm doing it my way!

just found this thinking of you @sadeyes

 

[kenwyn]

There is power in positive thinking. If a person believes they are attractive, they act with confidence, which most other people find attractive, which helps reinforce the belief that they are attractive, which means they find it easy to act with confidence, which...

Low self-esteem and negative thoughts can also take us into a downward spiral, as most of us know.

But the idea of postive confessions works the other way around. It does not say "think good things about yourself until they become true" rather it is "the truth about me in the light of God's grace is good!" And that is far more powerful than the power of positive thinking.

 

[trucker]

positive confession

Sad eyes,

Yes, negative self talk produce emotions just as positive self talk produces emotions. Your emotions are a product of your thought life, not the other way around. What you think on, you will gravitate toward. Your thoughts can produce emotions that are not real. If you believe you are unlovable and think of it all the time, then your emotions will produce the depression that comes with it. Your thoughts can make you sick especially if you are full of fear and worry, self loathing. Your body literally breaks down.

Dr. Jim Richards has a book called How to Stop the Pain. His ministry in Huntsville has the book but you can buy it at most Christian book stores or get it on line. This book deals with these issues. It’s a great book and he is a Christian man.

The biggest thing we need to change is not behavior modification, but asking the spirit of God residing in you to help you change from the inside out. Confession of Gods word plants the seed, but the Holy Spirit within you brings about the changes. Most people must experience the Love of God for themselves, and then everything comes into perspective. When you realize how much God loves you, its begins to get easier for inner healing to begin. Pray and ask God to give you a revelation of how much he loves you and that you want an experience, not just an academic understanding of his love. He will reveal himself to you. Give yourself a break; forgive those who have wronged you. Do it by faith and obedience, then the feelings will come. Ask God to reveal to you why you are sick, and what area do I need to turn over to you so I can experience total healing.

Remember, you are planting the word of God in your heart through confession to reveal to your own heart, what God has already done for you in Christ. This takes time and patience. Some areas you will develop in very fast, others take times. It is what the bible calls strongholds. The way we break them is to cast them down, or reject them and replace them with what God says you are. (II corth 10: 2-6) It tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, or fleshly, but they are mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds. Then the next verse tells us what those strongholds are Vain imaginations that exalt themselves about the knowledge of God. For example, a thought comes that says you’re worthless and full of fault. You cast it down with Colossians 1: 2o-22. It basically states God has made peace with you through Christ, that you were alienated from God in your mind by wicked works. But he know through Christ presents you NOW Holy and blameless and unreproveable in his sight. Hard to believe, yet God sees you holy and blameless through Jesus Christ. You say, but I know me, I know all my mistakes, faults and past hurts, how can I be holy and blameless before God. Because he sees you in Christ! See yourself that way and peace will began to flood your life.

We get to hard on ourselves and we keep trying to perform for God and say see God, I did this, and this and this for you. Now will you love me? God says, I loved you before you did all that, just accept it. But you say, God, I sinned today, how can you love me? He says, I have forgiven you ALREADY, I john 1: 9 says confess that sin, and you will be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Gods already forgiven you, by confessing sin, we are releasing it from having a hold over you. Know this Sad eyes, you can change your name to Bright Eyes! That is the way God sees you!

Satan is a liar, a defeated foe who has no hold on you at all! By walking this life in knowing who you are in Christ, you enforce the victory God won over him through his Son Jesus Christ. Put the Word of God in your Mouth. Revelation 12 tells us we over come Satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. The blood of the lamb was the blood Jesus spilt on the cross, the Word of your Testimony came when you confessed Jesus as your Lord. By making Jesus your Lord, your saying, his blood covered all my transgression, provided the defeat of Satan and allows you and me to have ZOE life here and now. Relax, allow the Word of God to dwell richly in you and let the Holy Spirit in you produce the changes you want.

God loves you and as you seek him, he will reveal his unfailing love for you to you!

Get it????

 

[Apple]

Thank you for the posts. Thank you particularly Teraside for your very kind post.

 

[Tonyb]

God has been known to change peoples names.

He changed Abram's from exalted father to Abraham father of a multitude. Abram's wife was barren so there was no possibility of them having children. When God changed his name to Abraham he too was barren to due to his age. But every time he heard his name he was reminded of God's promise that he would indeed have a son and heir by his wife Sarah, and of course he did according to the word of the Lord.

Gideon did not get a name change it was more of an identity change.
Gideon was afraid of the Medianites and threshed wheat in a wine press so they wouldn't steal it from him. The angel of the Lord came to him and said to him, " The Lord is with you, you mighty man of
valour.
Later on Gideon delivered Israel from the oppression of the Medianites through his God.

First came the word of God then as they believed the Word of God it created a change in their lives and circumstances, and that is how it works.

You have find out from the Bible what God says about you, and then say and think that. I don't like to use the name you have given yourself on this forum, it just helps establish a negative self image.

I've been in your position so I know what is like to hate yourself. When I used to read the Bible I would often read a verse of scripture and see in it, the exact opposite to what it was really saying. I was reading it according to my perception of myself which was horrible.

Praying before reading the Bible for spiritual wisdom and understanding can help offset the negatives. See Ephesians 1:17 to 18 as a possible prayer.

Jeremiah 29 :11 would be a good verse for you to dwell on and confess.

Matthew 8:17 & Iasiah 53:4-5 will work for you if you believe what they say with your heart and speak it out of your mouth. You may have to work on your new image as a Christian a bit before hand though.

Blessings,
Tonyb

 

[kenwyn]

I have been told many times in my life that I can never say anything good about myself - and that is indeed true.

Sadeyes, could I be a bit cheeky and ask you to offer some positive truths about yourself on this forum. It would be great to see you take on some of the promises in the Bible and claim them for yourself publicly.

If I am overstepping the mark here, then I am sorry - please don't feel any pressure to do something just because someone has asked.

But why not give it a whirl? You are feafully and wonderfully made after all.

 

[jiggyfly]

I kinda made a quick scan of the posts here and I just want to say one thing. The goal or fruit of the work of HolySpirit within us as disciples of Christ is not high self-esteem or low self-esteem or any where in between. It is no self-esteem. Hopefully we grow spiritually to the place where we become an overcomer like the ones referred to in Revalation 12.

Revelation 12:10&11

10*And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

I don't find the answer to any kind of depression in thinking more positive of self. Jesus said in John that when we love others we will be filled with joy.

John 15:9-13
9*“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10*When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. 11*I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. 13*And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.