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Hey friends –
Welcome back to 31 Days to Fire Up Your Faith!
If this is your first visit — welcome, friend! Please check out the introductory post here. Grab a notebook, a pen, and let’s ask God to empower us with fresh faith and purpose.
My hope during this 31 Day journey is to explore the question, “HOW?”
How do we allow God to ignite our heart with fresh faith, purpose and passion?
This week we’ve been talking about Key # 2
Key # 2 – God’s Promises
Sweet friends, if we want God to Fire Up our Faith, we must be cling to His promises — memorizing, meditating, studying, sharing, and letting the Word of God dwell richly in us.
But, why?
Before we talk about tips on “how to” memorize God’s Word, first let’s make sure we “want to.”
Because if we don’t “want to,” we’ll never devote the time and energy needed. Right?
“We need to replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of God; to do so we need to know the truth of God.”
Have you found this to be true in your own life?
True confession: I had a situation happen a few weeks ago that could have been a horrible setback — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Y’all know for many years I believed the lie that my worth is equal to my weight. My desire to be thin nearly cost me my life. Literally. (Recap here)
After years of eating disorders, drug & alcohol addiction, and overall “stinkin’ thinkin'” — I finally have been walking in freedom and victory.
And then…this summer.
I bumped into a former friend I haven’t seen since 2008.
Her first words, I kid you not —
“Wow, Cindy, you’ve gained weight.”
Who says that? I couldn’t even believe what I had just heard.
I smiled and played it off and did the small talk thing, and when we were finished chatting I sheepishly hopped back in my truck and said to myself —
“OK, what ya gonna do, girlfriend?”
Yes, I talk to myself this way sometimes. It works, try it.
Friends, I had a choice.
I could allow those words —“Wow, Cindy, you’ve gained weight”— to trigger years of pain, hurt, abuse, addiction, horrible self talk, self-defeating behaviors, you name it.
Truth be told: the “old me” probably would have gone home and thrown up and starved myself for days.
Sorry. Just being real. We do that here.
BUT NOT THIS TIME.
Instead, I remembered one of my favorite quotes from Kelly Minter’s No Other gods Bible Study.
“Satan will tell us what’s true, but he never tells us the Truth.”
And I thought to myself…
- Yes, it’s true I’ve gained weight. When this friend saw me last, I was 25 pounds thinner than I am now.
- But yes, it’s also true, during that time in 2008, I was going to the gym twice a day, wasn’t speaking regularly or serving or writing a blog or a Bible study or a book, and truth be told, I wasn’t experiencing tons of freedom or joy.
Yes, it’s true I’ve gained weight —
but the TRUTH is my weight is not equal to be worth, and the TRUTH is I am accepted, beautiful, chosen, delievered, enough, and in Jesus’ Name, I am free!
Y’all, what Satan could have used for a setback, I used as a powerful comeback to remind myself of the Truth of who God says I am.
And you know the reason I was able to do so?
I had made the pre-determined decision to fill my heart and mind with God’s promises.
Have you, friend?
If not, TODAY is a perfect day to renew your mind with TRUTH!
Today’s Challenge : Day 7 of our 31 Days.
1. Hopefully by now you’ve grabbed your Fire Up My Faith notebook. If you haven’t done so already, please jot down today’s date, and then, spend time praying, asking God to reignite a “want to” to know and memorize God’s Word. Pray that Jeremiah 20:9 would be a reality in your life — “His word burns in my heart like a fire.”
2. Journal your thoughts based on today’s post. How is your “want to” when it comes to memorizing God’s promises? On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 – low), how high of a priority do you place on meditating on & memorizing God’s Word?
3. Are you currently memorizing Scripture? If so, jot your verse on an index card and then please share God’s promise with us.
4. If you are not currently memorizing Scripture, yippee! Let’s do this together! Please print off this free downloadable/printable set of Red Hot verse cards, and then pick one to memorize.
1 John 3:1 (verse 1) is one of my favorites. What a powerful reminder that we are lavishly loved —today.
Not will be loved, used to be loved, could be loved, will be loved if you work harder, lose weight, find a man or get a job.
Sweet sister, you are loved!
Need a fresh reminder? Sing along with Matthew West’s powerful (and catchy) “nametag” song. You’ll have 1 John 3:1 stuck in your head in no time.
5. In the comments section, please say “I’m in!” if you will join us in memorizing one of God’s promises this week, and share what verse you are memorizing.
Bonus challenge: take a picture of where you are memorizing your verse and post it on my FB page here.
Here’s some samples from Fire Up Your Faith friends around the nation–
from Erin in North Carolina
from Laura in Canada
Thanks so much for stopping by 31 Days to Fire Up Your Faith!
I love journeying with you, dear friend! May His Word burn like a fire in our heart and soul, and may we live as lavishly loved women today!
Sweet blessings
P.S. In case you don’t want to miss a day, you can like my FB page, connect with me on Twitter, or subscribe to my blog via the sidebar. There’s 29 more days of ideas, resources, and encouragement to Fire Up Your Faith to come!
Wow, Cindy!
A new friend had shared a recent blog post (Sunday’s I think) of yours and wow! I am a pastor’s wife in Indiana. I am fairly new to this role but not to ministry and having a heart for Jesus. God has been doing a serious work within me these last several months and has been placing wonderful women and resources in my path. Your blog and this Red Hot Faith series is no exception! I have been blessed! The warm embers of my faith are being reignited daily and for that I am beyond words grateful to Him and to those that are allowing themselves to be used for HIS purpose and glory!
Oh Stephanie, it is “good” to meet you! I pray the Lord continues to surround you with women and resources to point you to Him. I also pray God carves out time in your full schedule to be in His Presence. My guess is you spend a lot of time pouring out as a pastor’s wife, I pray your time “up the mountain” with Him is refreshing and refilling for you. Thanks for sharing your heart and passion! 🙂
Thank you so much. SO much. I needed exactly this today. God is using you in a mighty way!!
Oh Erin, I wish you were closer so we could swing through Starbucks and sit and chat. The Lord knows why you needed this today. I am praying He fills you up completely and fully, removes anything from your heart and mind NOT from Him, and reveals His unfailing love for you in powerful, specific and tender new ways. You are the apple of His eye, my friend! xoxo
We are dealing with anxiety in our house……..with prayer God is changing things. Here is a verse………. “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may lift you up at the proper time. Cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5: 6-7
Jen, I am praying for the anxiety in your home. I pray God eradicates the anxiety at its root, and plants in its place new seeds of peace, trust, hope, God confidence, and security in Him. What a wonderful verse to meditate on. I will pray it over your home as well. Look for His hand, He is with you. 🙂
Here’s my promise for the week:
“Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Deut. 7:9
Love it, Sarah! I’m praying it for you now —
Oh God, may Sarah always know that You, the Lord her God, that You are the faithful God, who always keeps Your covenant and Your lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love You and keep Your commandments.
In Jesus’ powerful Name. Amen 🙂
Today’s post really spoke to me! I have a big desire to build a relationship with the Lord and I crave His Word. I’m still working on my biggest obstacle…ME! I let “stuff” get in the way.
I am happy to announce that I’ve been getting up 20 minutes early to spend time in my chair. (Okay, it’s only been two days, but ya gotta start somewhere!)
I really loved when you said:
I am accepted, beautiful, chosen, delivered, enough and In Jesus’ Name I am FREE!
You so know I’m gonna tweet that! And thanks for showing my memory verse!!! It was awesome to see!
Laura, picture me celebrating YOU and getting up early to spend in your chair. YAY! Remember our goal is progress, not perfection. And the good news — you don’t have to do this in your own strength. Ask Him to help you. Hook up to the Divine IV and allow His power and strength to infuse you with everything you need to live out a victorious, free life.
And guess what else: You are accepted, beautiful, chosen, delivered, enough, & His temple! You sweet friend, in Jesus’ Name, you are FREE!
Grateful you are on the journey, Laura! xoxo
I love the comment your friend said to you “We need to replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of God: to do so we NEED TO KNOW the TRUTH OF GOD!”
I decided to try to memorize the verse you suggested 1 John 3:1. Ive always struggled with memorization but Im asking God to teach me and help me to memorize His Word.
I posted the other day about being scared to try memorizing. But I’ve always like 1 John 3:1 so that’s the one I picked and now you mentioned it in this post and Matthew West’s song I love! It’s those small connections that make me feel like I’m on the right track. A little boost that will keep me trying. “How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us that we should be called his children!” OK not exactly word for word, but I did that part by memory! Yay!
I’m still playing catch up but had to say I loved Kelly Minter’s quote about Satan telling us what’s true and God telling us the Truth! I even had to call a friend and tell her the quote and we had an amazing discussion time about it. We both have children dealing with different disorders and sometimes we look at what’s true and Truth the same. Thank you for reminding us that they are different.
This couldn’t have come at a better time. I love the A to Z lost of who we are in Christ. I plan to use it as my days leave me feeling like less than enough according to the world’s standards. I need to keep persevering remembering who I am to Him and that is ALL that matters. And by the way, I’m in. My memory isn’t the greatest but I will do my best with it.