“Becoming Who the Lord Declares You to Be”

Genesis 1:27 NIV

[27] So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

 Colossians 2:10 (KJV)

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

 Jeremiah 1:4-5 NIV

[4] The word of the Lord came to me, saying, [5] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

 I was going through a time in my life where I couldn’t figure out which way was up, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to see through the fog, and I was falling into a state of depression. I couldn’t understand why so much was happening in my life and nothing appeared to be improving; things were only getting worse in my eyes. It’s funny how we get so caught up in our own heads and situations that we forget we are not alone. I would wake up every morning, put a smile on my face, and pretend that everything was okay. We can fool people, but we cannot fool the Lord. I would go to church faithfully wearing my façade, too embarrassed to admit I was not as strong as I pretended to be, so I kept it to myself. Until I decided I didn’t care what anyone thought of me, I started to remember whose I am and the promises the Lord gave me. I prayed like never before, and I would walk to the alter at church for prayer, and I started to worship as if the situation had been fixed. Something strange happened; the situation didn’t change, but the way I viewed things changed. Jesus changed me, not the situation, this is what he wants for our lives; we were already forewarned that we would face trials and tribulation.

We serve a God who cares about what we are going through, and we are to stay in continual communion with the Lord. In order to allow him to shape and mold us into the people we are called to be, we must stop focusing on what’s going on in the world around us. As I write, I know this is not just my story, but there are those of you with similar situations right now, and the enemy is trying to convince you that you are alone, and the Lord does not care about you or what you are going through. Let me tell you, that is a LIE for the pit of hell. Be encouraged; if the Lord could pull me and countless others out of despair, he will do the same for you.

I had to discover who I was in Jesus and what the word declared, and I had to start declaring them over myself. I have shared some of the things I started quoting to myself daily. These words come from the Bible and the help of the shepherd the Lord placed over my life. I pray this will bless you and help you as they did me.

 1. I will believe in the ability God gave me.

 2. I will boldly walk through the doors of opportunity when no one else has faith in me.

 3. I will express confidence that God will fulfill His purpose in my life.

4. I will not be defined by my feelings, my environment, my circumstances, or my past.

5. With this revelation of who I am in Christ Jesus according to His Word, the only way I will become all He created me to be is when the way I think of myself is aligned to the truth of His Word.

6. I will have confidence in the ability God has given me when nobody even has a clue about what God is doing in me.

 7. I will believe in the ability God has given me when I am doubted and criticized by those who supposedly know me the best.

 8. I am going to boldly walk through doors of opportunity, confident in what God has called me to be, even when nobody else can see it yet.

 9. In the middle of uncomfortable, unpleasant circumstances, I will still worship with the confidence that God is fulfilling His purpose in my life.