Deuteronomy 2:3, “Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.” The key to breaking the assignment of forces of stagnation is revelation, warfare and change of direction. If you keep doing what you used to do, you will keep getting the result you used to get. It says TURN. It’s not enough to turn you must turn to the right direction. It says, “TURN YOU NORTHWARD.”
12 Keys to winning the battle against forces of stagnation
1. Reject the status quo. Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, American Inventor and Entrepreneur said, “Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress.” You cannot change a situation you are comfortable with. Those who resign to defeat and failure can never take the steps necessary to succeed.
Peter Obi and the search for a third force
Pope Francis the pilgrim of peace
Don’t put up with being down. When you have been down so long it is sometimes difficult to believe that you can ever rise. But history is no reflection of the future. Know that where you have been is no reflection of where you are going. You can never change a situation you are comfortable with. Many people put up with their problems or limitations. They conclude it’s the only choice they are left with in life. They rationalize by saying that some people were meant to suffer. You cannot change what you don’t hate. Lazarus died poor because he did nothing but go to camp in the house of the rich man to for crumbs with dogs. He may even have prayed that the dogs would not beat him to it.
Why do people accept defeat? People accept defeat when they believe the problem is beyond solution, when they have multiple problems: they give up on even the ones they could have been able to solve, when they are ignorant of other possibilities and opportunities, when they think they have done their best, when they are afraid of taking any step because of the possibility of failing, when they have no vision or their vision is dead, when there is no one to assist them to get up. People accept defeat when those they respect tell them there is no hope, when the situation has lasted a long time-like Sarah/Abraham or when defeat gives them temporary benefits. Some people don’t want to be delivered because of the attention and sympathy they get from their affliction. I have met beggars who refused rehabilitation and even treatment because of the alms they receive from sympathizers.
2. Change your thinking – guard your thought. Demons seek to influence people by thoughts, imaginations and suggestions. But they lose their hold when you disagree with them. Clear your mind of all negative thoughts if you want to move forward. It’s impossible to soar like an eagle thinking like a chicken. You cannot become a crocodile thinking like a lizard. 2Corinthians 10:5 says to cast down imaginations and every thought…Shut down every evil voice speaking defeat and failure into your mind and life. If your focus is negative, replace it with its positive opposite. Instead of dwelling on the things that are missing in your life, focus on what you already have and what’s possible in the future. Defend yourself fiercely against outside toxic negative influences. Stay away from complainers and blamers. Limit your exposure to the sensationalized and negative media. Get in the habit of asking yourself, “What’s influencing my mental focus right now, and is it positive or negative?” Surround yourself with positive influences (or simply notice what’s already around you). Associate frequently with people who lift your spirits and inspire you. Decorate your home and workspace with pictures and colors that make you feel good. Play upbeat music that gives you energy.
In his classic book “Think and Grow Rich,” Napoleon Hill wrote, “You have ABSOLUTE CONTROL over but one thing, and that is your thoughts. If you fail to control your own mind, you may be sure you will control nothing else.” Change your mind set. Deconstruct and reconstruct your mind. Israel had a mind set of ‘we can’t’. Israelites thought and behaved like grasshoppers. They fell and wasted like grasshoppers. Rebuke and flush out every demon of impossibility. Flush out every thought of impossibility in Jesus name. God did not create you to remain stagnant. You can be better than this. You can rise higher than this. You can grow bigger than this. You can achieve more than this. Fill yourself with the knowledge of the Word of God. Ignorance is one of the greatest causes of bondage. God’s people perish for lack of knowledge. Isaiah 5:13 says, “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” The people that know their God shall be strong and they shall do exploits-Daniel 11:32. Get to know who you are in Christ. Get to know how protected and blessed you are in Christ. Get to know that the enemy has been defeated and that you are above him. Stop being afraid of the devil; know that he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. The truth will set you free. John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Spend quality time in the Word of God daily. Deliverance comes through the truth of the Word of God. “He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.”
3. Confess all sins- personal and ancestral. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.” The presence of sin disqualifies you from receiving from God. But God can forgive any sin or mistake. Samson’s hair grew back. You can only avenge all disobedience when your obedience is complete. Repentance and reconciliation of ancestral sins paves the way to complete liberty. (NLT). Psalm 106:6; Lev 26:40-42.
4. Find out the problem. Find out the demon at work. Jesus rebuked demons by name. A thorough investigation of the real issues is mandatory. The worst thing that can happen in this kind of situation is to be solving the wrong problem. You cannot solve a problem you do not know. Depend on the Holy Spirit for proper discernment. God talks. Rebecca was confused when she was experiencing a serious movement in her womb. She went to the Lord to find out what her problem was. God responded by telling her that two nations were in her womb. God will respond to you when you inquire of Him. He is our Shepherd. Once you find out what it is that is slowing you down, don’t make a deal with it, don’t negotiate with it, kill it. Get rid of it!
(To be continued)
Bishop Dr Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.
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