One of the most important aspects of reading Scripture is found in applying it to our lives. When we begin to take God’s Word and put it into practice in our lives, we not only become more effective disciples, but we also open ourselves up to all the blessings that God has for His people. Today, allow the Holy Spirit to begin doing a work in your life through the application of these five passages of Scripture.
“Standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior
Standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God”
Standing on the Promises: 1886
Russell Kelso Carter
The Bible is filled with God’s promises. His Word is His written will, and we can take those Scriptures, apply them to our lives, and immediately begin to see a change in our quality of life. While reading His Word should be a part of our everyday routine, it’s important that we don’t simply read Scripture as though we are reading any other type of book. Instead of simply reading the words and acknowledging them, it’s crucial that we take the promises found in Scripture and actively and intentionally apply them to our own lives.
When we stand on the promises of God like Russell Kelso Carter wrote about doing in 1886, we open ourselves up to the types of lives that God wants for His people. Not only does claiming and applying Scriptures to your life make you a more effective disciple of Christ, it also properly positions you so that you can fully experience the blessings that God has for His people.
If you’re not sure where to start with claiming and applying the principles of God’s Word to your life, begin with these five passages.
Declaration 1: “I Am Favored”
Deuteronomy 28:13 (NLT)
If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.
The favor of God is one of the most misunderstood topics discussed in Scripture. Some people believe that the favor of God equates to material wealth and nothing more. That’s simply not the way that God’s favor works according to Scripture.
In the story of Christ’s birth, Mary was told that she had been chosen to carry the Son of God because she was “blessed and highly favored by God.” When we embrace the concept of God’s favor in our own lives, we can better fulfill His plans for our lives. Mary’s favor didn’t enlarge her bank account. However, it led to her playing a pivotal role in God’s plan for humanity.
Stand on the truth of God’s Word that declares that you are favored. God loves you exactly as you are right now.
Declaration 2: “I Will Not Be Afraid”
2 Timothy 1:7 (TPT)
For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.
Fear is one of the most powerful forces that we ever come against in life. The Bible talks a lot about fear and is quite clear that there are times where fear is a good thing. For instance, having a reverent fear of God is considered the “beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Additionally, we know that being afraid of certain things protects us from harm. For example, being afraid of getting hit by a car is why we look both ways before we cross the street.
The type of fear that Paul was telling Timothy was about was the type that leaves us anxious and miserable. Satan wants us to be afraid of what’s coming next in our lives. This is because he doesn’t want us to embrace the fact that God has already gone into our futures and has set the path for us. We don’t have to live in fear because we know that God is in control.
Today, declare that you will not live in the fog of fear. Instead, allow God to operate in you and through you through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Declaration 3: “I Am a New Creation”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (TPT)
Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.
While we’ve already tackled the issue of fear, it’s important that we recognize another one of Satan’s most powerful tools against us. Satan wants you to live your life in a state of perpetual shame. Each of us can look back at the lives that we lived before we came to Christ and find things that we’re ashamed of. Moreover, we can point to events post-conversion and find some things that we’d like to change.
God does not want us to live our lives in a perpetual state of shame. When we do that, we’re undermining His redeeming, forgiving grace that has made us into new creations. You are not the things that you have done wrong in your life. You are more than the sum of your worst moments. You are redeemed, you are forgiven, and you are loved.
Today, embrace the truth of God’s Word that declares that you do not have to live your life in shame.
Declaration 4: “God Defines Me”
Romans 8:16 (TPT)
For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as he whispers to our innermost being. “You are God’s beloved child.”
“Who am I?” That question is something that each of us have asked ourselves at least once in our lives. We often struggle with trying to determine who we are and what we’re here for. Discovering your purpose and your identity is one of the most liberating things that any of us can ever experience.
Unfortunately, we live in a society that tries to put labels on us. Even more unfortunately, those labels often point to the lowest, worst moments in our lives. While we’ve already declared that we’re not going to live in shame, it’s worth noting that part of overcoming shame is found in finding your identity in Christ.
The only force in your life that has the power to define you is God. When you read this passage from Romans, it becomes obvious how God views you. You are His beloved child.
Declaration 5: “God Has Beautiful Plans for Me”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
In recent years, this passage has found its way onto keychains and other mementos that are given to high school graduates. It’s typically done as a way to remind them that the next chapter of their lives has been orchestrated by God and that they should trust His plans for their future. However, this powerful verse of Scripture is applicable to each of us at every point in our lives.
We don’t always get to know what’s next. For those of us who struggle with the need for control, that’s especially alarming. However, when we submit our lives to God, it becomes much easier to embrace the fact that while we don’t know what lies ahead, God has already gone into our futures and has a beautiful plan for us.
Your future is not up in the air. Your future is not uncertain, even if it’s uncertain to you. When we embrace that God has a beautiful plan for our lives, it becomes much easier to wake up each day and step into the future without fear. God has already gone ahead of us and has prepared a way for us.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to take these passages of Scripture and apply them to my life every day. Help me to stand on the promises that You have made me in Your Word so that I can live the life that You want me to live. I know that You have a beautiful plan for my life, and the best way for me to embrace that future is to stand on Your Word. In Christ’s name, Amen.