(Yearly Cycle) Prosperity After Turning to the Lord

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Summary

Purim is a reminder that Jesus turned the tables giving us access to God's grace. But we must develop the understanding that God is now working for our good and wants to make us great, This understanding then must be converted into God's ways of doings where we trust and rely on his grace to empower our lives. 

Three table turners that can help with this process are taking communion regularly, taking back control of the imagination, and getting more present and aware of God's presence in our daily lives. 

Full Article

Last week Purim was a reminder that Jesus turned the tables giving us a New Covenant of grace. In this New Covenant, God is continually working for our good. Through faith in Jesus we have access to God's grace and everything he has. His wisdom, understanding, righteousness, love, power, peace, joy, energy, health, finances, time, and much more. 

After Purim was over Acts 28:27 seemed to jump off the page at me. It says that if we would see with our eyes, hear with our ears, understand with our hearts, and turn then God would heal us. Last week we said that if we would turn we would see healing happen. But, before we can turn we must understand. We must see what God is doing and stay focused on the light. We must hear and keep our ears tuned to him. And then we must understand grace.

When I wrote my book The 8th Date, one of the main lessons was developing understanding. What I needed to understand is that God is continually working for our good and has given us access into his grace. With this new understanding we must TURN it into good and different actions. In some of the Bible translations of Acts 28:27 the word turn is translated as " CONVERTED." Our understanding that God is with us and empowering us should lead to different actions. For example, if I am working with my kids on learning math. We will go through a process where they see with their eyes as I show them things. Then they will also hear as I teach and train them. But they must be present and pay attention so that they understand what I am showing them. Once they understand what we are doing they should be able to turn or convert their understanding into the appropriate actions to solve the problem and take the correct steps and actions. 

In Isaiah 53 it says that we have all turned to our own ways. Some versions say we have all followed our own path. But, when we turn back to God and his way of doing things it should eventually convert into different actions in life. When we understand all that God wants to do for us it should give us the faith, trust, and confidence to obey and take bold courageous steps of faith. In Deuteronomy 30 the subhead of the chapter is "Prosperity After Turning to the Lord." God takes us through this process of seeing, hearing, understanding, and then turning and converting what we understand into obedience and the proper actions that are trusting and relying on him. Deuteronomy 30 it is all about prospering after obeying. Healing, prosperity, and all kinds of good things come when we simply understand what God wants and convert it into obedience and doing things God's way rather than our own. 

Here are three table turners that can help us convert our understanding into the right actions. In our program the Abundant Life Blueprint we talk often about table turners that make a huge difference in life. 

Table Tuner #1: Communion

The number one table turner in all of life is taking communion often. In our house we take communion every evening with dinner. When we take communion we are applying the spiritual principles of God's wrath being poured on the body of Jesus and the cup as a reminder that we have a New Covenant in the blood of Jesus. Then we are combining it with remembrance in our mind and imagination along with something practical that we actually do. This combines our entire spirit, soul, and body. Communion is converting the sacrifice of Jesus and bringing it into the present moment making it relevant for today. 

In my own life whenever problems or issues arise or my mind just seems to go the wrong way I have learned to take communion as a way to turn my mind back onto God. There may be days when I take communion multiple times in a day. As I do this I believe I receive God's help and presence right now and it begins to change the trajectory of the issue, starting with my mind. When it looks like it a problem is coming communion can help to turn the tables and you may find that problems get turned into blessings.  

Table Turner #2: The Imagination

The most important table turner for our mind and emotions is our imagination. Our imagination will let us know when we are believing things in our hearts that are not true or when we are not fully trusting in God. We must learn to cast down every imagination that exalts itself against God working for our good. Often the areas where we are struggling the most have the most negative video loops in our imagination. These can be areas where it takes some practice to turn them in our minds. A good example of this is a time when I was making chocolate milk for my kids. As I stirred the milk in one direction eventually I took my spoon out and the milk continued to spin in that direction. But then I put the spoon back in and started to stir in the other direction. At first the milk became very turbulent and even started spilling out of the glass. But, as I kept stirring the milk began to stir in the opposite direction, and eventually I could take the spoon out and it would continue to stir.

We have all followed our own way and stirred things in the wrong direction. We may begin to see, hear, and understand that we are going in the wrong direction, but when we start trying to do things God's way it can seem like everything gets turbulent and goes crazy for a little while. But, if we will continue stirring in that direction the momentum will turn and it will become automatic and habit. That is when the healing and prosperity comes, after it is turned. 

God may also give us good ideas. Part of his grace is his wisdom and good ideas. The imagination is the place where we grow and convert these good ideas so that they are turned into something that can be produced in the physical world. This could be a book, music, businesses, ministries, inventions, etc, or just the right step at the right time. Think of three levels of spirit, soul, and physical body. If we win the battle in the middle, in the imagination, all of the promises and good things God put in our spirits begins to flow out of us. 

Table Turner #3: Presence

Presence is the grace table turner. If we will get more present in our daily lives things will turn and we will see God's power flowing in our lives. It takes presence to truly develop understanding. Think of listening to someone who is talking to you. Without presence it is hard to understand what the person is saying. Think of three levels again... the past, the present, and the future. Again the battle is won in the middle. The middle is where the tables turn. If we will get more present and aware of God's presence the tables will turn. God has promised that he has rolled away our past and that he holds our future which allows us to feel secure and get more present in our daily lives. If we will get more present it is like the valve that releases all of the good things God put on the inside of us. 

If we will take communion regularly, take back control of our imaginations, and get more present and aware of God's presence things will turn and will be converted or turned into the proper actions and God's way of doing things. 

After things turn is when we see healing, prosperity, and much more. In Proverbs 19:8 it says he who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. Once we are have understanding we are getting close, but there is one more step. Converting our understanding of God's grace into obedience and God's way of doing things.