5 Steps to Walking in the Blessings of God

It was not in an obnoxious or arrogant manner.  I was very young at the time and knew nothing else but that God loved me very much.

In my then innocence, I thought everyone felt that way—that every person in the Universe experienced God the same way I was experiencing Him.   

I owe that youthful confident regard of myself to three women; my maternal great grandmother and both my paternal and maternal grandmothers.  These three powerful women of God stirred up and nurtured my young spirit. Each in her own way, assured me of God’s considerations of me and just how much I meant to Him and to them.

Each invested in my life more than I realized back then. I will forever be grateful to them for that. 

They made me understand the depth of God’s love toward me and that He had already blessed me beyond my wildest imaginations, and that there was nothing I lacked. They made me believe that whatever I wanted, if I asked God, He would give it to me.  

That concept, that thinking was ingrained in me from my infancy. 

At that early age, I had also learned to spend time with God and would wait late at night when everyone was asleep and sneak into the sitting room and worship and fellowship with God.   

So, if I had such a great relationship with my Heavenly Father, what happened? How do I know about being in a rut? 

Well, Fast forward years later. As a young adult, I started attending churches that based one’s well being on a person’s works.   

It got blinded to the truths in the scriptures and started questioning everything. I second-guessed whether or not I should pray for a need, and if I did pray, doubted whether I would receive. Moreover, I questioned whether I had earned the right to pray for the things I needed.   

I allowed the negative vibes and experiences from other Christians to influence the foundation my grandparents had established. I started focusing on how good I had to be rather than what Jesus had already done for me on the cross. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 confirms that it was by His grace I had been saved and that through faith; not by what I had done or what I do: my salvation and those benefits were gifts from God: Again, they were not by my doings, so I had no grounds for boasting.  

The truth of that scripture became clouded by bad teachings.  These negative teachings chipped away at my confidence and ultimately caused me to doubt my position as a child of God. 

I soon became someone hoping her prayers would get answered, begging and pleading with God for things He had already handed over to me, things in the past, I knew were already mine.

I stopped praying and believing in faith. My words changed, and with that, heavenly portals once open wide and at my grasp—closed.   

I no longer thought I had the access or freedom to walk into my Father’s throne room and receive from Him. 

When I started agreeing with the negative beliefs of other Christians, things turned for the worse. I began to struggle in ways that I never imagined possible. All that was due to what I like to call “stinking thinking” of religious people.

I became doubtful, uncertain, and confused. 

I was like the daughter of a billionaire who could no longer live off of her inheritance because she doubted if it really belongs to her.   

Don’t get me wrong. The Christians I encountered then and fellowshipped with, were sweet, sincere folks, albeit sincerely deceived. They literally broke to pieces my solid foundation of faith. 

Aligning my way of thinking with theirs, rather than Gods’ thoughts, set me so far back that it was an unbelievably long, hard road to recovery. 

Yet, I can only put so much blame on them. I must own up to my mistake. It was me who allowed their words, their teachings, and their beliefs to enter my spirit. I was the one who did not protect God’s anointing in me nor guard my early teachings.

Listening to lies from those we trust for guidance and support in our Christian walk can become very detrimental, especially to young believers. 

It took years to shake off cockeyed ways of thinking, retrace my steps, and rebuild those foundational truths. 

But, I did it!  I recovered and so can you. 

Guidance:

First: 
Know that God loves you and wants the best for you.  That He wants you to prosper in everything you do: in your job, at home, your business, your Church, wherever you go. Knowing who you are in Christ should give you that power.  Knowledge is Power!  Not only do you need to know it, you need to believe it in your heart. 

Second: 
Align yourself with the Word of God.  Do not let anyone write the script for your life.  God has already written the blueprint for you to follow.  It is in His word. If you’re asking yourself, what and how to align to God’s word or His blueprint for your life, numbers 4 and 5 will tell you after you’ve done number 3.   

Third:
Spend time with God. How else do you get to know someone? It is so easy to spend time with our friends, do over time at work rather than get to know God.

Fourth:  
Meditate upon the word of God. It is wise to know the Word of God, meditate upon His truth in order to protect His anointing in you and upon your life. Otherwise, man-made words, rules and regulations, and religion can destroy Godly foundations. Take those things you have gathered from your intimate time with God and read and meditate upon them.  Make it real to you.  These are the truth of God’s words and what you need to set you free.   

Fifth:
Speak it out.  It is speaking what God has already declared over you.  God encourages us to remind Him of His word, to mirror His word to Him.  Remember we are His children. What do our kids do, when we promise them something? They nag and nag us until we make that promise happen. Do not stop bringing up Gods promises.  Fill your heart with the expectation of Gods promises and let it spill out of your mouth.

Do not let the stinking thinking of others be the GPS for your life.  Let God’s Word direct you to where you need to go. 

The Challenge:

2.    Find scriptures in the word of God to back up your needs.

3.    Confess/speak the change you wish to see and meditate on the scriptures.  

4.    Block out time (15-20 minutes a day) – use your lunch time if you have to – and bring those desires to God.  

5.    Refrain from speaking anything negative (put a guard over your mouth) and don’t allow anyone to declare negative things over you or your family or affairs of your life.  When folks speak negative things concerning you, be firm and come into disagreement with them.  Tell them, “I do not receive that” or “That is not God’s will for my life,” or “the word of God says surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”  Know God’s word so you can stop the blessing blockers.

God tells us clearly in Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) what His plans are for each and every one of us—For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.   

Stop and think about that for a moment.  Memorize that verse and meditate on it throughout the day. Live everyday expecting from God.

That verse clearly tells you that God has good thoughts for you, for peace and to ensure that you have hope and a blessed future until the end of your life—and expect even the end to be good.   

The phrase “expected end” denotes an outcome or result that is not a surprise. What is your expected end? Better yet, what is God’s expected end for you?  

Until next time, be purposeful to walk in the blessings of God.