It seems a growing trend in our society is to train as or be trained by “life coaches.”

Tony Robbins, the motivational speaker and author, defines a “life coach” as:

“someone who helps you identify your goals and develop an actionable plan to achieve them.”

I Googled "what is a life coach" and got 994,000,000 results. I learned that people pay between $1,500 and $8,000 to become a certified life coach.

Our teaching is not about encouraging or discouraging anyone to be a life coach; however we’re going to share seven secrets that will help you find the best Life Coach available and, in the process, you will learn how to become a highly successful life coach yourself.

While I personally think the vast majority of people who call themselves life coaches are not qualified to do so, if you don’t have a personal life plan how can you effectively help someone else develop one?

To be a life coach you need to tap into the One and Only Real-Life Coach. . .one who knows the ins and outs of the marketplace, workplace and what happens at your place.

The One who is not only creative. . .but stirs in you a determined ability to finish what you start.

We both know . . . you and I have such a Coach. . .available 24/7 and He’s always given us the best insight when we stop to listen.

I was talking with my Life Coach about this matter and He revealed. . .a seven-fold prayer to help anyone who has the desire to be a highly effective life coach.

1.      A prayer of revelation

It was an early morning when the Lord began this rapid-fire succession on the seven best things to do to make 2019 our best year ever.

# 1    Believe Things Are Going To Change.

There is an old saying. . .if you don’t believe in something you’ll fall for anything.

More properly said, if you don’t believe in the Word of God then you’ll more likely fall for the tricks, traps, lies, deceptions and wiles the enemy throws your way.

The word believe is found in 131 verses in the King James Bible. However, I feel led to share with you seven things you must believe.

First, You must believe He is a miracle working savior.

Matthew 9:28 says:

“And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.”

Second, He wants you and your family saved.

Acts 16:31 says:

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Romans 10:9 says:

Do you realize you can love God with all your heart. . .be saved, sanctified, filled with the Holy Spirit. . .walk in the gifts of the Spirit. . .but not have it all together?

A few days ago, the kind of person I just described stopped by our offices for a chat. This person has a spiritual depth and love of the Lord. . .but he was focused on some unpleasant circumstances in his life.

My advice to him and to each of us is simple.

Stop looking at your circumstances. Create the circumstances you want instead of the ones you’ve got.

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:”

Let me tell you one fact that can’t be modified or changed.

I’ve seen some things in my life.

I’ve traveled in all fifty states, 19 foreign countries: England, Ireland, Scotland, Brazil, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Egypt, Greece, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Japan, Hong King, Taiwan, South Vietnam and France.

I’ve ridden a camel to the Pyramids in Egypt.

I’ve climbed the Eiffel Tower.

I’ve viewed the Parthenon in Athens.

I’ve toured the Palace at Versailles.

I’ve been in the Tomb where Christ was raised from the dead.

I’ve watched the sun rise on the Sea of Galilee before crossing over in a boat.

Back in 2004, there was a movie entitled Fifty First Dates starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.  In the story Barrymore has a short-term memory loss; she can't remember anything that happened the day before. 

So every morning the Sandler character has to woo the Barrymore character all over again from the beginning hoping she'll like him.  At the end of the movie, he prepares a video for her to watch each morning which reminds her of the things in her life which she has forgotten like the fact that they are now married.

That was a movie...make believe...but let me tell you about some ways we have short-term memory problems about God and how real He is.

Sometimes we seem to have short term memory loss when it comes to remembering what God has done for us.  That's why we have a book of life...called the Bible in which we can and should refer to on a daily basis.

There are seven things God is doing just for you every day.

1.      God hears our prayers.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who thought they “knew it all?” Perhaps you even referred to that person as a “know it all.”

Truth of the matter is. . .when we think we know it all. . .we haven’t even begun to tap into the wisdom and knowledge that’s available to us.

The scientist and science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov once said:

“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.”

Now that’s funny.

Have there been times in your life. . .when you totally realized you didn’t “know it all?” In fact, you didn’t even know what to do next.

I got excited thinking about how we have four months remaining in 2019. That’s more than enough time to change the direction of our destiny.

Yes, it’s definitely turnaround time for each of us no matter where we are around the world.

We believe the next the next four months to be the most positive, successful, uplifting and inspirational days of your life.

So, you can imagine our surprise when we were led to teach seven bad things to not do in the remainder of this year or ever for that matter.

Please understand this is not a negative teaching but rather one that’s instructively providing a clear direction on what the Word says we should and shouldn’t be doing from this day forward.

Deuteronomy 4:40 in the Contemporary English Version says:

“Today I am explaining his laws and teachings. And if you always obey them, you and your descendants will live long and be successful in the land the LORD is giving you.”         

As my fine wife, Bev and I were in special prayer for our partners...God allowed us to see the intense spiritual battle faced by some our partners and His many children.

We felt the concern of His children over their prayers going seemingly unanswered.

You may have been praying for changes in your finances...a new job or a promotion...a healing for your body...turning lack into more than enough or overcoming addictions to alcohol, drugs or sin…but your answer hasn’t manifested…yet.

As we were praying. . .our attention was turned to Daniel 10:12-13 where He drew a direct parallel to what happened to Daniel and what may be happening to you.

“Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence of [and in response to] your words.”

Here are seven keys to getting your prayers answered.

Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady, once said:

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; and small minds discuss people.”

If you’ve got a great mind. . .focused on ideas. . .say “I do.”

Yes, I know we can't see you reading this blog. . .but God can. And He's the One who counts.

People who think about and act on ideas. . .are the ones who become winners in life.

Henry Ward Beecher once said:

“The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret of outward success.”

Some years ago, I read where ideas go through three stages.

First, it can’t be done.

Second, it might can be done but it’s not worth doing.

Third, I knew it was a good idea all along.

How do you see yourself?

Wait. . .don’t answer that.

Too many people, especially Christians get down on themselves because they’re not looking at themselves through the mirror of God.

We don’t generally see ourselves the way He sees us.

We should never let our friends, relatives or society label us. . .instead we need to find out what the Word of God says about us.

Let’s talk about how God sees you. And then believe He means what He says.

1 Peter 2:9-10 in the Amplified Bible says:

“But you are not like that, for you have been chosen by God himself—you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own—all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were less than nothing; now you are God’s own. Once you knew very little of God’s kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it.”

First, you have been chosen by God Himself.