Would you like to have spiritual boldness?
Developing spiritual boldness is not an outside job. . .but rather. . .an inside work.
Ephesians 3:12 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:
“In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).”
2 Corinthians 3:12 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:
“Since we have such [glorious] hope (such joyful and confident expectation), we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly.”
Confidence in God and His Word gives us a boldness to be about His business.
Acts 28:31 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:
“Preaching to them the kingdom of God and teaching them about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and quite openly, and without being molested or hindered.”
If you are alive, God has a divine assignment for you.
Dwight L. Moody once said:
“David was the last one we would have chosen to fight the giant, but he was chosen of God.”
Here are the seven keys to spiritual boldness.
1. Exercise Emotional Control Over Negative Emotions.
A person with spiritual boldness must fight and conqueror the following seven emotions.
You may be attacked but they don’t have to over take you. The list includes:
“anxiety, fear, doubt, guilt, depression, discouragement and jealousy”
Where others fail, a Christian who is continually applying of the Word of God will succeed.
Standing on the scriptures guarantees victory.
First, anxiety.
Philippians 4:6 in the Amplified Bible says:
“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.”
Second, fear.
Second Timothy 1:7 in the Amplified Bible which says:
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
Third, doubt.
Mark 11:23 says:
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Fourth, guilt.
In a courtroom. . .all charges are dismissed if there is no evidence.
Get Isaiah 43:25 in the Amplified Bible down in your spirit:
“I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
When you ask Jesus to forgive you. . .the evidence of sin is gone. Therefore, don’t allow anyone or anything to condemn you for past sin.
Fifth, depression.
Psalm 40:1-3 in The Living Bible says:
“I waited patiently for God to help me; then he listened and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in him.”
Sixth, discouragement.
Discouragement is a temporary feeling when somebody does not do what was promised…or things don’t go the way you thought they should.
Deuteronomy 31:8 in the New International Version offers some great advice:
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Seventh, jealousy.
Jealousy is negative and also deceptive.
I Corinthians 13:4 in the Amplified Bible says:
“Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vain glorious, does not display itself haughtily..”
Love overcomes all vices. God is love which makes Him the answer to every problem we have.
Proverbs 14:30 in The Living Bible says:
“A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life; jealousy rots it away.”
Apply these scriptures until they are real in your Christian walk.
2. Bull-dog tenacity.
What does the Word have to say about tenacity?
Hebrews 10:36 in the New International Version says:
“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”
The King James Version of Hebrews 10:36 says:
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
According to Strong’s Concordance the Greek word for patience is G5281 and it means:
“steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings”
Job is a good example.
James 5:11 in the New International Version says:
“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
What is bull-dog tenacity? Galatians 6:9 in the Amplified Bible says:
“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.”
3. Mental Discipline.
A person with spiritual boldness doesn’t dwell on the foolishness of negative thinking.
Three powerful thoughts come from Proverbs 23.
First, mental discipline requires you to THINK.
Proverbs 23:7 says:
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. . .”
What a person thinks on. . .is what he or she will act on.
Developing a positive mental discipline. . .requires breaking negative thought patterns…by the power found in God’s Word.
Meditate on Philippians 4:8-9 in the Message Bible
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”
How quickly can you catch negative thoughts that come into your mind and then cast them down?
Do you always think positively?
Are you a surplus thinker?
Are you a rich thoughts thinker?
Are you a debt-free thinker?
The second mental discipline is for you to control what you speak.
Proverbs 23:16 says this:
“Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak right things.”
How often you use negative or self-defeating words?
Do you often express doubt or a lack of confidence in yourself or fear about something you are facing?
Rich speech doesn’t say, “I can’t, if only, I know I should.”
People who say “I know I should” . . . don’t ever do it!
SPEAK THE WORDS YOU WANT TO BE TRUE.
What you think and speak determine where you’re going.
Romans 4:17 says:
“(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.”
What you think about …you speak about and what you speak about you bring about.
The third mental discipline is how you apply the words you’ve thought and spoken.
Proverbs 23:12 says:
“Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.”
The development of strong character qualities is based on what we do about what we think.
James 1:22 says:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
According to Strong’s Concordance the word doer is the Greek word poiētēs (G4163) and it means:
“a maker, a producer, author, a doer, performer; one who obeys or fulfills the law.”
James 1:22 in the Amplified Bible says:
“But be doers of the Word (obey the message), and not merely listening to it; betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the truth.].”
Successful people go ahead and accomplish great things while others are still talking.
4. Power of an optimistic outlook.
You choose whether to allow rejection, setbacks or temporary failures to spoil you, control you or push you into retreat.
Your inward disposition determines your outward outlook. That is why you must be continually grounded in God's Word.
We cannot let what’s happening around us affect what’s living in us.
Read that once more to make sure you get it in your spirit.
We cannot let what’s happening around us affect what’s living in us.
Proverbs 22:17-19 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:
“Listen (consent and submit) to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge;
18 For it will be pleasant if you keep them in your mind [believing them]; your lips will be accustomed to [confessing] them.
19 So that your trust (belief, reliance, support, and confidence) may be in the Lord, I have made known these things to you today, even to you.”
What does the Word of God say about outlook?
Colossians 3:1 in the Message Bible says:
“[He Is Your Life ] So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.”
When our outlook is a reflection of His outlook. . .we’ll have spiritual boldness.
5. Be A Finisher.
Have you ever started a project, assignment or job only to be slowed down and stop short of your goal by continual obstacles?
That happens when you’re average. Those who rise above the crowd are the ones who go the extra mile while others are relaxing in front of the TV.
The strength of a person’s character. . is determined by whether they finish what they started.
Employees who complete the task are valued above those who don’t.
Jesus, by whom our every effort, thought and action should be measured . . . was a finisher.
John 4:34 in the New Living Translation says:
“Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”
Because Jesus a finisher, He made a way for us to finish also.
Philippians 1:6 in the New Living Translation says:
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
One day we will be able to say the words the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:7 in the Amplified Bible:
“I have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith.”
If we want to be a finisher. . .the words in Hebrews 12:2 in the Amplified Bible need to be like second nature to us. The verse says:
“Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
6. Don’t complain about your circumstances instead create the ones you want.
Dictionary.com defines circumstances as:
“a condition, detail, part, or attribute, with respect to time, place, manner, agent, etc., that accompanies, determines, or modifies a fact or event; a modifying or influencing factor:”
Circumstances are temporary. . .because you have the authority, wisdom and access to create any and every circumstance you desire.
Circumstances don’t determine our destiny. . .they just reflect the current location . . . and what we’re doing at the moment.
Circumstances and facts change. . .the truth of God’s Word doesn’t.
A financial condition can change for the worse by a sudden illness or accident, an unforeseen layoff or another catastrophic event, such as a death or divorce.
But a financial condition can also change for the better with an unexpected bonus, increase in salary or perhaps, an unanticipated inheritance your long lost aunt left you.
Your financial circumstances can change in a heartbeat. . .for better or worse.
However, there’s one thing that will never change.
Malachi 3:6 says:
“For I am the Lord, I change not. . .”
Hebrews 13:8 in the Amplified Bible says:
“Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages).”
If God’s promises remain the same. . .and they do. Then it’s fairly obviously. . .we and our circumstances are the ones and things that can and need to change.
Where a person will spend eternity. . .heaven or hell. . .changes. . .when you change your mind.
Whether you live in lack or surplus. . .changes. . .when you change your mind.
Romans 12:2 in the Amplified Bible says:
“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
I once had a lady ask me to pray for her because she was on a fixed income. The Spirit of the Lord came to me suddenly saying: “Ask her who fixed her income because I didn’t.”
Are we looking to God or to the world for our answers? That is the question.
7. Talk Is Not Cheap.
Anyone who ever said talk is cheap. . .never argued with a traffic cop.
Matthew 12:37 says:
“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Getting into the Word is where we build our faith. As we build our faith it’s time to put faith into actions.
James 2:18 in the New King James Version says:
“But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
James 2:24 in God’s WORD Translation says:
“You see that a person receives God’s approval because of what he does, not only because of what he believes.”
You receive God’s approval by doing what He says in His Word.
Will you make mistakes? Yes. Too many Christians give up on their destiny by letting a mistake toss them to the sideline.
Do you want to move from the prison of mediocrity to the freedom success can bring? Then get up and keep moving forward.
Genesis 39:22 says:
“And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.”
According to Strong’s Concordance the Hebrew word for doer is `asah (H6213) which means:
“to do, accomplish, produce.”
Joseph was tossed about by his circumstances . . .but his destiny manifested because he continually moved forward based on faith in what God showed him.
If you become known as the go-to person. . .you will find doors of opportunity opening for you. . .beyond your expectation.
Joseph remained a doer and it opened the doors to eventually escape from a prison into his destiny.
If you’re not doing what the Word says. . .then you are deceiving yourself.
James 1:22 in the Amplified Bible says:
“But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].”
Be bold in God’s Word. . .even in the midst of darkness and adversity.
The last part of Daniel 11:32 says:
“… but the people who do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
We are living in a time when God needs us to hear His voice and do exploits as He leads.
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Harold Herring