Day 14 Our Seven Day Recap

We are in the midst of training our minds to trust God with each of our days. Training takes repetition until it becomes second nature to us.

On DAY EIGHT we learned that we are not alone and that God cares very much about our everyday lives.

On DAY NINE we learned that nothing is too small to turn over to God. He desires to show us just how much He is concerned about everything in our lives.

On DAY TEN we learned that God has the blueprint for our lives and He is very willing to show us which paths to take.

On DAY ELEVEN we learned God had every one of our days planned out and written in a book. And just like any well-meaning parent, those plans are designed for our good.

On DAY TWELVE we learned that God doesn’t barge in and take over, but instead He waits for us to come to Him and ask for His wisdom and His help.

On DAY THIRTEEN we learned that God wants to establish us. That means He wants to bring our lives into order so everything falls right into place.

God has given us a very simple formula for success.  Obedience to do our part enables Him to do His. Here is the promise that will cause your life to prosper:

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; 

He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, 

and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

Proverbs 16:3 (AMPC)

Grab your journal and jot down some things that have changed in your life in these last fourteen days. If you haven’t put this principle into practice yet, it’s never too late to begin!

Day 13 God Wants To Establish Us

On Day 12 we asked a lot of fairly serious questions. It might overwhelm us if we did not know that God had written all our days down in His book. (Psalms 139: 16 NIV) Each time we turn one of our days over to Him, I can see Him smiling because He already knows all of the plans He has for us. It stands to reason that we would be wise to check with Him before we go ahead and proceed on our own. God wants us to be established in the good plans that He has ready and waiting for us (Proverbs 16:3 AMPC).

You might say, “Don’t I get to choose my plans?” Of course! We know that everyone has their own choices to make but when we align ourselves with God’s plan for us, we are guaranteed to be established so we can succeed.

The word “establish” means to set things in order permanently. Have you ever had those times when everything just falls into place?? Maybe you can’t see your desired destination from where you are but you know you are headed in that direction. You are on the right track and it feels so good. 

Here’s how it works:

Surrender your plans to God—commit your concerns to God.

Thank Him that He causes you to think like He thinks.

Praise Him for guiding you in the right direction.

I can guarantee that you will enjoy your new way of living, based on a solid foundation of peace and security.

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)     Your plans will be set in order

2 Samuel 23:5 (NLT)          He will ensure your safety and success

1 Corinthians 14:33 (NLT)  You will be established in peace

Day 12 God Waits For Us To Ask

On Day 11 we learned that God has the plans for our lives all worked out and they are very good plans. The Bible describes the nature of God in very simple terms—He is good! 

Every day we have plans whether we acknowledge them or not. We plan to get a lot done or we plan to do nothing. Somedays you may plan to work and other days you plan to play and enjoy a day of recreation. We might make little plans or huge plans. An example of a large plan is deciding whether to go back to college or take the job that is offered to you. Another might be, should you relocate your family to a new city or maybe you need help to get out of a bad financial situation. Whether you are choosing what to have for dinner or making a life-changing decision, God is waiting for you to invite His input.

• Take a few minutes and jot down a question you might have for God. 

• Turn in your Bible to Proverbs 16:3 (AMPC- Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).

• Pray something like this: Father, I surrender my plans, my ideas, my intentions to You and I ask You to help me think like You think so I can be established and succeed. 

• Then just relax and know that He will cause thoughts to come to you. 

God wants to help you be successful in every area of your life. His thoughts may come to you in the grocery store, at work or in the shower tomorrow morning. 

Psalms 139:17 AMPC         Desire to know God’s thoughts

Jeremiah 33:3 AMPC         He wants to show you.

Matthew 7:7-8  AMPC Whoever asks, receives.

Day 11 I Came With An "Owner's Manual"

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in Your book

    before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)

Did you catch that? God is your Creator and your Designer and in addition to that He planned out all your days before you were born. God was—and is—mindful of you! The Bible says He wrote all your plans in His book. Aren’t you glad that God has already laid out the blueprint for your life?

Psalms 119:68 says that God is good and what He does is good. That means that each of His daily plans for you is a good plan—and there is no loss, pain or suffering listed there. It stands to reason then that we should consult Him as we plan our days—what we are to do or not do. Should we make that purchase, take that vacation or marry that person? When our thoughts are in tune with God’s plan, we will experience the success that He has designed for us.

Psalms 100:3  (NLT) We belong to God

Acts 17:26-27  (AMPC) He knows our times and the places that we should live

Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC) God prepared those plans before we were born

Refer to Day 9 if you would like to learn how to consult your Creator and Designer.

Day 10 Your Future Is Bright

There are times in our lives where we are uncertain of what lies ahead for us. Maybe your career path is hidden and you can’t seem to find your way. Perhaps your company is struggling financially and you don’t know the answer. Or maybe you are just plain lonely and don’t know where to turn. In the last post, I challenged you to pray along these lines: 

Father, I commit all my plans to You. (Or I offer my day to you.)

Please cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will

So that I can align with Your heavenly plan.

Thank You in advance for giving me Your ideas

so I can be established and succeed in this situation.

Be intentional about doing whatever you need to do to make sure your situation remains in His hands. When I first started this, I formulated a one-liner that I said out loud every time I wanted to take something back on. I would say, “This is not my deal!!” Somehow those five words set me in a place of freedom where I knew that God was taking care of me and I didn’t need to help Him.

No matter how difficult your situation is, you can keep it simple. Proverb 16:3 is the answer to a marriage that is in trouble or a company that is heading for bankruptcy, or even a day that is unraveling. We’ve all had those! It all boils down to thinking like God thinks so we can experience success.

Proverbs 8:14 (TPT) The power of wisdom

Eph. 2:10 (AMPC)  God has a blueprint for your daily life

Prov. 3: 5-6 (NLT)       God will show you which path to take

My Pool Story

For the past nine "days" I have been showing you how to apply Proverbs 16:3 to your daily lives so that you experience success.  The Amplified Bible/Classic Edition says:

Proverbs 16:3 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

3 Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

If we practice rolling our "works"--our plans for the day--upon the Lord, "He will cause our thoughts to become agreeable to His will," so we can be established in order and thus be successful. No complications, do-overs, regrets, etc. Doesn't that sound nice?

This morning I was under the impression that the outdoor pool in my area was open. I proceeded to write a text to my grandkids to invite them to join us. Right before I was going to press the little arrow to send it off, I had a thought--"Maybe you should make sure the pool is open." I went online and sure enough in large caps it said, SATURDAY- CLOSED!

The Holy Spirit saved me and the kids a lot of confusion, disappointment, and time--not to mention my credibility!! I erased the text, regrouped my thoughts and now I am heading to my gym where the indoor pool is open 24/7!!

This is just a little example but day after day, as I commit my day (my week, our trip, my project) to the Lord, He causes me to put the details in order so I can be efficient. The Holy Spirit has free reign to delete any of my plans and also to add things in that I had not thought of. When I choose to partner with Him, all goes so well--and when it is all said and done, I am so grateful for His help.

Join me next time for "Day 10" on our 40 Days To A Successful Life! If you are new to this blog, you can begin with "Day 1" in the archives.

EnJOY!!

Karol

Day 9  Practice Makes Possible  

We are learning to commit our plans to God and asking Him to “cause our thoughts to become agreeable to His will” so we can be established and successful. (Taken from Proverbs 16:3 AMPC) When we are learning something new, we have to routinely put it into practice until it becomes a habit. In the case of Proverbs 16:3, it’s learning a habit that will lead us to success in every aspect of our lives.

You may be a student, the CEO of a company, a doctor, a dad, an athlete…..and the list goes on. We are learning to surrender our plans to God no matter what we are doing. God wants us to be in tune with His perfect plan because He knows it will bring us peace and fulfillment. We do that by letting His thoughts have preeminence over ours.

You might say, “Are you talking about hearing from God, because I don’t think I can do that. It’s just too hard.” Actually, I am talking about inviting God into our day and asking for His guidance instead of doing it on our own. When we do that He is more than happy to plant His ideas in our thoughts. 

If this sounds intriguing to you, I would encourage you to put this simple prayer into practice—-not just once but several times a day for the next 7-10 days. When you pray this prayer, be purposeful about it expecting new thoughts to dawn on you.

“Father, I roll my plans upon You today. Cause my thoughts to align with Your will so I can be established and successful today.”

Take one day at a time and I promise you—you will be pleased!! Practice makes possible!

DAY 8   God Cares About Us  

Did you know that God cares very much about your daily life—-your concerns, your fears, your decisions, your needs——in fact everything that concerns you. In Psalms 138:8 NKJV, He says:

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;

Psalm 138:8 (NKJV)

That’s so good to know because if you are like me, some of the things I am concerned about might seem ridiculous to a friend, a family member or a co-worker. God’s attitude is “If it’s important to you—it’s important to Me.” Here’s our Father’s invitation to us:

Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, 

eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it 

before God as an offering….. fix your attention on God. 

Romans 12:1 MSG

Another of His invitations is:

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and 

trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable 

to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

Proverbs 16:3 (AMPC)

It’s you and God working together throughout your day. He cares about your grocery list, your time schedule, your date tonight and that flight to California next week. There is nothing too small or too big for God. Like any well-meaning father, God is all about us being successful in everything that we do. When we have a surrendered state of mind, God is able to place His ideas, His plans, His affirmation and yes—-even His correction in our thoughts. He loves nothing more than working with us so that our lives function well.

Jeremiah 29:11  AMPC   God has a good plan for us.

Proverbs 16: 3  AMPC  He wants us to experience success.

III John 1:4  AMPC  God is joyful when we are aligned with His truth.

Here's What We Have Learned So Far

DAY 7   Our Seven Day Recap  

Over the last six days, we talked about how to lay a foundation for developing a successful lifestyle. To experience success, we should train our minds to think successfully-- and then be willing to follow the pathway to achieve it.

On DAY ONE we learned that God wants us to think His thoughts so that we can make wise decisions. He will guide us if we let Him.

On DAY  TWO we learned that God wants our lives to function. He is willing to train us to use "good common sense." (Psalms 119:65-72 MSG)

On DAY THREE we learned how to submit our plans to God in order to receive His advice because He has the bigger picture.

On DAY FOUR we learned how to set up a meeting with God in order to partner with Him on a daily basis.

On DAY FIVE we learned that God wants to be very personal--as personal as we need Him to be.

On DAY SIX we learned how to turn to God in times when our feelings want to overtake us. In doing so we find an anchor for our souls. (Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT)

How about if we end these seven days by intentionally submitting our plans to God and asking Him to help us think His thoughts so we can experience the peace that He has for us? If you haven't established your time and place to meet with God, it's not too late. If you decide there is a better time and place, you can always make adjustments until you find something that functions for you. Once you find what works, consistency is the key.

Hi everybody!

I want to share an experience I had this week which I hope will give you a deeper understanding of our foundational scripture which says in part, ".....God will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will."  (Proverbs 16:3 AMPC)

On Monday David and I had to take care of some business that we were believing would go well for us. The appointment wasn't until 12:30 so we had all morning to wait. About 10:30 I said to him, "We need to pray specifically for our afternoon. We held hands and prayed, turning the appointment over to God and asking Him or orchestrate everything according to His plan. After we were done, I said to David that God was already at the place where we needed to go and He was lining everything up--administrating the staff and organizing everything.

When we arrived everything went like clockwork. It was one of those hurry up and wait kind of situations. We arrived early and they took us early. When does that ever happen?? Besides that, we had unusual favor. Several staff members made sure we had everything we needed. It was like we were the only ones in the world that they had to take care of. The rest of our Proverbs 16:3 scripture says that if we roll our works (our plans) upon the Lord, we will be "established" in peace. Instead of fretting and worrying and creating negative drama, we experienced God working on our behalf. We drove home with a smile on our face completely satisfied that God had gone before us and taken care of everything--in our favor.

If you haven't actually put Proverbs 16:3 into practice yet, I encourage you to try it. Pray it every day until and watch what happens. God is faithful to His promises!

Here you go:

Proverbs 16:3 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

God bless your day!

Day 6   An Anchor For The Soul   

Yesterday I shared a personal experience that took me from a time of sorrow to one of joy. One word from God will do that for you!! If you have had experience in hearing God’s voice, you will know what I mean. However, if this is something new for you, allow me to explain how to get started. 

Previously, I mentioned that it’s good to start with a devotional—either hard copy or a phone app. There are many available in each format. Find one that applies to the time of life that you are in. The more applicable it is the more meaningful it will be. Read the devotion for the day. Look up the scripture references in your Bible and if one is particularly meaningful to you, write it in your journal. There—-God has just spoken to you!! 

The Bible is the most foundational way that God uses to speak to us. His words are an anchor to our soul. You might even say it’s like receiving a reassuring hug from God. 

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things 

are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who 

have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the 

hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor 

for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

Hebrews 6:18-19 (NLT)

Hebrews 13: 5b (AMPC)  For God Himself said, I will not leave you without support.

2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17 (NKJV) God Himself will comfort your heart and establish you.

Psalms 112: 1 (TPT)  Cherish God’s words and be blessed beyond expectation.

Day 5   Hearing God’s Voice 

Please allow me to give you an example of hearing from God in a personal way. Our family had gone through a year or more of sadness over an event that happened of which we had no control. The result left us all in great sorrow. I was so very glad to have had about twenty years of daily “meetings with God” at this point because I knew to Whom I could turn.

One morning I was particularly sad. I turned to Jeremiah because I remembered that I had found peace there several times before. That particular day I read the following scripture:

They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion and shall flow together 

and be radiant with joy over the goodness of the Lord….And their life shall 

be like a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow or languish anymore at all.”  Jeremiah 31:12 (AMPC)

My heart was so touched by these words. It was like they were personally written for me. I wrote them in my journal and even posted it on the bathroom mirror. I spoke them out loud during my prayer time and sang them out loud in praise to God. I did not want to lose sight of what God was personally saying to me. These were the words that would change the trajectory from sorrow to “radiant with joy.” These were life-changing words to me. 

Never forget—God will be to you as personal as you want Him to be!!

I Corinthians 1: 3 (AMPC)  God gives us the grace to experience His heart peace.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV) God’s promises are “Yes” and we agree by saying “Amen.”

Isaiah 35: 1-2 (AMPC) Our “desert”  blossoms abundantly and rejoices with joy.
                                                       

Hi everybody!

It is my hope that you are catching the meaning of our foundational scripture--Proverbs 16:3 AMPC. We are submitting our plans to God and asking Him to cause our thoughts to become agreeable to His will so that we can be established in peace and be successful. Success leads to satisfaction and the opposite of running into road blocks all day long. That only leads to frustration.

Let's continue with Day 4:

Day 4   Meeting With God 

When God knows you want to spend time with Him, He will take notice and make sure He spends time with you. Many years ago I set my clock for a certain time of the day that was allocated just for Him. I also designed a comfortable place where I could keep a basket filled with everything I would need to learn from Him—my Bible, a journal, my tablet, and a daily devotional. Everything was easily accessible for my meeting with God. And oh yes, did I mention that a cup of coffee was a necessity—especially if you do that early morning thing!

I began by praying “Father, I commit this time to You. Cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will.” (Taken from Proverbs 16:3 AMPC) I then would read my daily devotional and write down on my journal page what I had learned from a particular scripture. The heading on my journal page was—and still is—-“What Do You Want Me To Know Today, God?” I soon realized how much I enjoyed these times and how much peace I experienced because of them. Through these "meetings with God" I was teaching myself to hear how God speaks through His written word. 

If you haven't already developed consistent times with God, I challenge you to begin today. Find your time and place, gather your materials and expect God to meet you every day. I promise that you will be amazed!!

2 Timothy 2:15 (AMPC)   Do your utmost to present yourself to God.

Psalms 119: 127 (AMPC)   I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great spoil.

Isaiah 26:3 (AMPC)   God will keep me in peace as I fix my mind on Him.

Day 3  Commit and Trust   

Here’s our foundational scripture from Day 1: 

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; 

He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] 

so shall your plans be established and succeed.

Proverbs 16:3Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

Let’s picture for a minute how things operate in the business world. There’s the CEO and under that position are the Department Heads. Each Department Head has a team of marketing people to promote the company’s products. The CEO assigns the Department Head to come up with a marketing campaign for a certain product line. He or she brainstorms with the team until they reach what they think is a successful plan. When all the details are complete, the Department Head shows it to the CEO for final approval. The CEO says one of three things—

This plan isn’t going to work. 

This is a good plan but let’s tweak a few things to make it better.

This is a great plan—let’s go with it.

You can easily apply this process to your unique, daily life no matter what you are doing. It works for the stay-at-home parent as well as for a person in a high governmental office.  Each person submits their plan for approval by praying, “Father, I roll the plan I have upon You. I commit and trust it completely to you. Please cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will so that I can be established and succeed today.”

Isaiah 28:29 (NIV)  God is wonderful and His plans are magnificent. 

Psalms 73: 24 (NIV)  God guides me with His counsel.

Psalms 16:7 (NIV) It’s the Lord who guides me. Even at night, my heart instructs me.

A Testimony of Proverbs 16:3

Before I give you "Day 2" I have to tell you what happened last night. Our grandson and his girlfriend drove about two hours to spend some time with us. As they entered our subdivision, Jagger's battery light came on. My husband suggested that it might be the alternator. Dollar signs were beginning to invade our thinking. We sat down and began talking about what else it could be, how they were going to safely get home, etc. Finally, with all of these thoughts floating around I said, "Let's pray." I proceeded to roll the care of this upon the Lord and I asked Him to cause our thoughts to become agreeable to His will so we could be established in peace and be successful.

An idea popped into my thoughts that our son-in-law knew of a mechanic that had done some work for him. The mechanic lived 10 minutes from us and was willing to take a look at it. He did not have his equipment at home to check the alternator so he sent us to O"Reilly's Car Parts. It was the alternator. Next puzzle piece, please!! They had one in stock (which is not always the case). The price was a lot less than we thought and son-in-law's mechanic was willing to put it in at 9:00 p.m. By 9:30 they were on their way home in a safe care with the repairs completed.

From 5:00 p.m. till 9:00 p.m. it was like dominoes falling one right after the other. They were falling in our favor and for the good of these kids. Rather than worry, fretting and confusion we had God's wisdom, His peace, His orchestration, and His favor!! That is why Dave and I begin each day by praying the simple prayer that I gave you yesterday. Again, I challenge you to take the next 40 days and keep a journal of how God causes you to think like He thinks. By the way, I'd love to hear from on what happens when you pray Proverbs 16:3.

Now onto Day 2:

Day 2  Living Beyond Ourselves  

Are there areas of your life that you need help in order to be successful? Could you use more wisdom, more understanding, more strength, more finances, stronger relationships, a better marriage? The good news is that God wants to supply all of these—and more. He wants your life to function well because when it does, you become a testimony of His goodness and His greatness. 

Sometimes we fail to recognize how good God really is. He desires for us to have plenty so we will be enriched and able to give to others. Plenty of wisdom, plenty of understanding, plenty of strength, plenty of joy—and the list goes on and on.

When we purpose to spend time with God at the beginning of the day, He is willing to meet with us. We can ask Him questions and receive His directions so we can live out each day with Him.  All of His resources (wisdom, understanding, strength, joy, etc.) are ready and waiting for us. These provisions are set aside for His kids because He loves us so much. Let this be your prayer today:

You have done many good things for me, Lord,

    just as you promised.

I believe in your commands;

    now teach me good judgment and knowledge.

I used to wander off until you disciplined me;

    but now I closely follow your word.

You are good and do only good;

    teach me your decrees.

Psalm 119:65-68 (NLT)

Philippians 4:19 (NLT)  God promises to meet all of your needs.

Psalms 119: 65-72 (MSG)  God is good and the source of all good.

II Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)  God wants you to have plenty left over to share with others.