Deuteronomy 6:18-19 - Possess With God
Step 1: Pray. Select.
As I stepped into my time with God this morning, the word "commitment" stood firm in my mind.
I asked the Holy Spirit to show me what about this particular word was important for the day ahead. He answered by bringing a vehicle back to my remembrance that drove in front of me the other day on the way to take my son to school. It was a medium-sized moving truck, and on the back roll-up door was a picture of a large tree similar to an ash or olive tree. Underneath the tree was a call out to Deuteronomy 6:4.
As I always do, I read the whole chapter to gain more context on any verse I study. As I read through the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 6, I discovered that 6:4 was not my assigned verse for today, but 6:18-19 was.
Let's begin our journey here, friends.
Step 2: Write. Read. Circle
Deuteronomy 6:18-19 - “And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers, to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.”
After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out amongst the others:
Do What Is Right
The LORD
With You
Possess The Land
Cast Out Enemies
Before You
Step 3: Re-Write
With a focus on the words that stood out, here is the personalized sentence that came alive. Don't forget, if you are doing this alongside me today, to add your name to your unique sentence:
Jennifer, do what is right. The LORD with you, possess the land, cast out enemies before you.
Step 4: Visualize
As I began to meditate on the sentence the Holy Spirit placed on my heart today, the word "deliverance" also came to mind.
In the practice of deliverance, which I engage in upon request with a prayer partner when people have asked, my prayer partner and I have seen people go from being tormented back to a state of freedom. Once they renounce whatever has been robbing them of their peace and joy, we have physically witnessed a shift outside to what they are feeling inside. Two things specifically come to mind this morning that allow people to successfully take back their lives:
Praying in and upon the authority of Jesus since we can do all things through Christ Jesus.
The person must want to surrender to the will of the Father and truly break the bond or covenant they have with the demon or stronghold they have come into agreement with. They must send whatever is holding them prisoner to the feet of Jesus to let him stomp on the devil’s head once and for all and let Jesus drive their life from there.
So often, we do not intentionally do bad or want to act ill-willed, but slowly, we allow the dark to grow stronger by justifying our shortcomings over time. I am not saying we need to be perfect. We are already made perfect in our Father's image and are loved regardless of our imperfections. When referring to shortcomings, I mean falling short of what we know we are capable of. Missing the mark because of poor choices. Jesus knew we are not aware of what we do sometimes, which is precisely why he died on the cross - for the sins we did not mean to do and that we have not yet committed. He fullfilled his commitments to save us from ourselves and died to give us hope. Which is why the key to this verse to posessing the land is to go with the LORD so you can overcome and be victorious through Christ Jesus.
This morning, friends, the Holy Spirit is not asking if we want the land; he commands us to take it. Fulfill your commitment to God that His will be done. Have confidence with God by your side and Jesus within your heart, and you can drive out the enemies. Whatever He gives you today, what is set in your path, remember, He is on the throne, He owns everything, He is with you, and together, you can drive out anything that tried to separate you from receiving the promises of God and what he has rightfully for you.
Go forward today, encouraged that not only will you be successful in keeping your commitment to God, but he has already made a way in the wilderness, keeping his covenant to deliver you until the day of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit brings to mind an old, familiar praise song by Michael W. Smith: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.”
And on that note (no pun intended), I have a question as the jingle plays repeatedly in the background of my mind. I move to Step 5.
Step 5: Ask. Seek
The question that came to mind is:
Holy Spirit, how do I know I am doing what is pleasing to the LORD today?
Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive
Here is the answer I received:
"Ask. Stop guessing. Go forward in confidence the Jesus inside you will guide your footsteps. But you must let him take the wheel. When you are with your family and friends, you don’t have to think about how to be. You just are. This is the freedom you should be living in at all times. If you feel caged or confined in any situation, you must let go and let your Father take over. When you feel discouraged or dismayed, look for where Jesus is in that moment. Find him. Your Father is telling you with Him, you will possess what He has waiting for you. There is no fight. It is yours for the taking. Do not be deceived by the enemy like Eve, feeling she needed to take a bite of the apple to have what God had, but in turn, robbed herself of what God had already given her. Take hold of God; don’t go into the garden alone or without wise counsel. Adam may have been the wise counsel Eve needed to intervene in her costly mistake. See your helpers and the God in them, and together, where two or more are gathered, He is there in their midst. So go forward, and with God, take the land He promised you to possess.”
Step 7: Pray. Confirm
What a powerful message of holding onto God within and the importance of being surrounded by His helpers, or other believers, in providing wise counsel.
Heavenly Father, I come to you through my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
I thank you for your wisdom and confidence today, knowing that what is mine no man can take. Thank you for reminding me of the order in which to claim what you are giving me: let you go first, look forward to Jesus in every situation, and then proceed with wise counsel along the way.
Thank you for being the great I AM and for allowing me to access you at any time I need, so I will never be alone.
Thank you for your promises and for showing me a way to identify the freedom I have when I walk with you.
Let me go forward today very strong and courageous, knowing you are with me every step of the way.
I seal this prayer with the precious blood of Jesus, and every knee shall bow today and further more, forever and ever - Amen!
If you used the scripture of the day and need prayer or someone to pray with you, connect Here. Remember, you are not alone.
Step 8: Share. Testify
If you workshopped any of the verses mentioned above using the 8-Step Prayer Practice, we would love to hear from you in the comments below about what the Holy Spirit showed or spoke to you today.
Remember to spread hope and share your miracle or testimony HERE. We want to see how God is working in your life!
Conclusion:
Today, I feel relieved that God has given me access to him so that I can walk into a land of my enemies and take back anything that is rightfully mine.
I feel comforted that he has sent wise counsel through the Holy Spirit and various believers in my life to provide wise counsel.
Keep my heart open to you, LORD, and your commandments. As the song says, “Open the eyes of my heart, LORD. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you. I want to see you.”
Stay alert and look for Jesus everywhere you go today, friends. See you soon!
