July: Confessing the Word

Because last month was so overwhelming and I bit off way more than I could chew, I successfully got back on pace this month with a more structured habit that we have already began to implement into our lives.  Despite the incredible power and fruit we have seen from this spiritual discipline, before this month began I realized that in the midst of so many new and wonderful things to think about (aden and anais bibs or babies r us bibs?  Neutral colors or girly pink?)  this life changing habit had slipped off our radar.  I refer to this discipline as structured because it is not as ambiguous as "learning about labor" and simply takes 5 minutes a day.  Let me tell you that those are 5 of the most power packed minutes of the day, and I can speak from the experience of having kept this discipline in the past of which I am still reaping fruit.  It is simple after the footwork.  This habit and life changing discipline I am referring to is confessing the Word of God.  I was initially exposed to this concept through Joyce Meyer, and she explains it much better than I could.

When we speak what we believe as the Psalmist did in Psalm 116:10, we are making a "confession."  I recommend having a list of confessions- statements or declarations that can be backed by the Word of God- things you can speak aloud over your life, your family, your circumstances, and your future.  

And my husband and I did this that entire year of pain during his legal situation.  We did this.  We typed out the Word and all that we were standing on and believing for and asking for.  We prayed and confessed those truths daily in our own home and handed that list out to dozens of prayer warriors to stand and pray and agree with us.  And our lives today are fruit of those declarations.  Our baby girl is fruit that God can move our sins as far as the east is from the west.  I think I confessed that promise more than any other during the past year.  I remember walking into the court room on the day he was going to be sentenced and asking God to SHOW ME how far the east is from the west.  And here we are.  27 weeks after his release we are 27 weeks closer to meeting our baby girl.  Our testimony and delight and reminder of our gracious Father.  

So my husband and I sat down again at the beginning of this month to write a new list of confessions.  A new list of promises we can find in the Word and CLAIM, not because we deserve them, but because God promised them to us.  Sometimes I have felt like I got this 20 dollars off coupon from target with NO restrictions (unheard of, right) and I don't go to ever cash it in.  That is how I feel I treat God's word and His promises at times.  They are right there, lingering.  But we must activate them.  So at the beginning of this month we wrote down all of the promises we were confessing as our own.  Our most current weakness has been finances.  I feel as if every day that goes by, as we approach the unknown financial needs of raising a child, my faith and trust in God has slipped one tiny notch.  So many of our confessions are declarations of what God has promised us in regards to finances.  Others are promises we pray and believe and confess over our daughter.  

Our list is long (at the end we always say, we want it all!) but here are a few highlights...

With our finances:

*Give and it will be given to you- a good measure.  Pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Luke 6:38

MEN WILL GIVE UNTO US

*And this same God who takes care of me will supply all of your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

GOD WILL MEET EVERY NEED

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten away.  Joel 2:25

GOD WILL RESTORE WHAT WAS EATEN AWAY

*Those who seek the Lord [by the right of their need and on the authority of His word], none of them will lack any beneficial thing.  Psalm 34:10

WE WILL HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED

*Remember this- whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:6-7

CONTINUE TO GIVE AND WE WILL REAP

*Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 19-21

MAINTAIN PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS

With our daughter:

*Our daughter will make right choices according to the Word of God.  Isaiah 54:14

*Our daughter will walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit.  She will be responsive to and guided by the Spirit.  Galatians 5:16

*Our daughter will have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the deep and intimate knowledge of God. Her eyes will be flooded with light, so that she can know the hope to which He has called her, and how rich is His glorious inheritance for all of the saints.  Ephesians 1:17-18

*God has filled our daughter with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  She will live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.  Colossians 1:9-10

*When our daughter commands a mountain in her life to move, it will move according to her faith.  Matthew 17:20

This simple 5 minute practice of confessing these truths and promises aloud, together, has reminded us yet again of the power of speaking, confessing, and praying God's Word.  When we don't know what else to pray, His word guides us.  We have seen incredible fruit this season.  We have seen MEN GIVING UNTO US.  We had our first baby shower and it was a smaller one with close family members and the gifts people brought blew our minds.  Their generosity and creativity was more than we could have ever asked for or imagined or thought.  This month we received a hand sewn quilt from a lady at our old church- sent to us in the mail.  What an incredible blessing!  Beyond the incredible gifts- we received checks- literally checks have shown up to meet needs.  This word that we have confessed and asked for has been activated and we have been blessed this month with more than we could have ever asked for or imagined or thought.

Even beyond the financial, other needs have been met.  An incredible family allowed us to stay at their cabin to celebrate 3 years of marriage this month!  Plus we already have an incredible childcare situation in place for when I go back to work in February!  What an incredible relief, and from talking with other friends who have recently had babies, it is almost unheard of for such a decision to already be decided so early on before the baby is even born.

The fruit we have seen so far gives us confidence that these truths we continue to confess will continue to manifest themselves in our lives.  That EVERY SINGLE NEED will be met.  That the generosity of those in our lives will continue to bless us in small and huge ways, and that God will be enough for us in every way.

And while we have not met our baby girl yet, we are confident that the truths we are confessing over her life will come to pass as we activate the power of prayer and God's word.  We cannot wait to meet her!  This is certainly one habit worth maintaining!

Habit #7: Confess God's Word