Electives – Section 8

… (Your name), listen to what you are saying. Let yourself believe, love, and be thankful for the truth!

…I repent of demanding that my identity be defined by how thin I am. The Lord is my God. I am called by His name, not my own: “…You are in our midst, O Lord, and we are called by Your name…” (Jer. 14:9); so I turn my heart to embrace and enjoy being called by His name rather than mine. Heart, since identity is something I put on and wear, I CAN trust the closeness of God as my identity. God says to me, “…put on the armor of light…put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh…” (Rom. 13:12, 14). Heart, I received Christ for salvation by faith, I walk IN Him the same way: “…as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” (Col. 2:6).

…Heart, the benefits I gain from anorexia are not the best I can hope for! Far greater glory, beauty, perfection, and power are available for me to enjoy. The more I direct my heart (1 Sam. 7:3) to “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33), and the more I get my heart to trust with the faith of a child that I am receiving the kingdom of Heaven here with gratitude (Mark 10:15; Heb. 12:22-24, 28), the more “…the tabernacle of God is among men…” (Rev. 21:3). So Lord, as I align my mind with Your Word (Rom. 12:2), believing I can receive Your kingdom and present my body before You (Rom. 12:1), I pray You would “…make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence (Isa. 64:2)!

…I repent of agreeing with lies about starving myself to be attractive. Whether I can get my heart to agree right now or not, the truth is that anorexia is my enemy and not my friend. By these joyful declarations, I am turning my heart to trust and enjoy God as my friend! I repent of receiving a sense of pride, glory, and beauty from anorexia. I set my heart to boast in the Lord because the nearness of God’s beauty and glory is what I need. I am turning to open myself up to God so I can drink like a sponge from the glory around Him because His glory fills me far better than human glory from being thin. I turn eyes on loving the nearness of Your perfection and beauty, Lord: “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2); I am turning to make God my God by declaring to the ears of my heart that “…You are my God…My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You…Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory…My soul is satisfied…” (Ps. 63:1-2, 5).

…I repent with joy and turn from wanting to punish myself by denying my body food. Jesus was punished on the cross with great pain. And by faith in His payment on my behalf I have the acceptance of God (Rom. 15:16). Yet even after salvation it says to believers, “…God is Light…if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another…” (1 John 1:5,7). So, I turn my heart to trust with joy and delight that the radiance of God is shining on me and that I am walking inside His holy and living Light. I set my heart to trust the power of the cross and the blood of Christ for cleansing my sin and burning the filth away: “…I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols” (Eze. 36:25); “I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me…” (Jer. 33:8).

…I don’t have to punish other people for their wrong expectations of me—I don’t have to get back at them by forcing myself to be thinner than they want me to be. I repent of loving the power I feel when punishing myself and other people: “…the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Ps. 73:28); “…the Lord is our righteousness.” (Jer. 33:16); “I have set the Lord continually before me…my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.” (Ps. 16:8,9).

…I don’t have to feel dirty when I eat. God is my righteousness. Lord I turn to You and receive Your cleansing presence upon me here: “…the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion…by the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning” (Isa. 4:4); “…by the sanctifying work of the Spirit…sprinkled with His blood…” (1 Peter 1:2).

…I don’t have to find the perfection I desperately long for by starving myself into meeting their expectations. The closeness of God is my perfection because I take refuge in His presence around me here: “I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’” (Ps. 91:2); “On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.” (Ps. 62:7); Lord, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.” (Ps. 56:3).

…Rather than depending on my human attractiveness, I set my heart to depend on and treasure receiving God’s presence and kingdom around me as my identity of perfection and beauty: “The eternal God is a dwelling place…” (Deut. 33:27). Heart, God is my refuge and nothing else: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield…my salvation, my stronghold” (Ps. 18:2); “…He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (2 Sam 22:31); “Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I take refuge in You” (Ps. 143:9).

…I repent of wanting to kill myself with anorexia because of things I have done wrong and how sinful I feel at times. The power of the cross and the sin and punishment that Christ took on Himself are greater than my sin: “…the gospel of God, so that…the Gentiles may become acceptable…” (Rom. 15:16); so, by the playful faith of a child I am presenting my body to God so that I can trust that He is cleansing my body acceptable: “I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isa. 44:22); I turn my heart to enjoy with bold faith that “…the Lord has washed away the filth…by…the spirit of burning” (Isa. 4:4).

…I turn my soul away from having to quench my thirst by pride about my thinness. I turn from pride about how well I control my relationship with God and people. I set my heart to feed on God, and my praise is toward You, Lord, NOT myself. I am joyfully declaring to the ears of my heart that “My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear it and rejoice” (Ps. 34:2); “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him” (Ps. 28:7).

…I repent of wanting to kill myself with anorexia because of those horrible things that happened. I set my heart to turn from the lie that I am so bad that God can’t fix me. God CAN fix me! Heart, “…it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefitted” (Heb. 13:9). I am turning my heart to believe and love being strengthened by the grace of God that freely gives His presence because God says to me, “…repent and return…in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

…I don’t have to hide from the truth that anorexia will never help me enough. God presence can “satisfy” me because “God is spirit…” (John 4:24); “…and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’” (Mat. 1:23). Heart, have faith that I am entering before the Lord so He can wash me clean, “…we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19, 22). Have faith and gratitude that I am receiving the kingdom of heaven around me here (Heb. 12:22-24, 28). Only then can the thirst of my soul and the yearning of my body can be satisfied; “…You are my God…My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You…Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory…My soul is satisfied…” (Ps. 63:1-2, 5).

…I don’t have to be nervous until I can weigh myself the next time. Lord, I turn my heart to find my delight in You. Lord, You are my peace. Your presence is what calms me: “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.” (Isa. 55:1,2); “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32); and, “…the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power” (1 Co 4:20).

…I don’t have to pride myself on how disciplined I am and how well I starve myself. God has given me a Spirit of love and of discipline, but not so I can praise myself instead of Him. I praise You Lord that I turn from praise toward me and still benefit from my exuberant praise toward You: “…worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3); “Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.” (1 Chron. 16:10); “…You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Ps 3:3); “to the end that we…would be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12).

…I don’t have to reassure myself by proving how well I can stay in control. It is heaven that rules (Dan. 4:26); “I have set the Lord continually before me…my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely” (Ps. 16:8,9); “Many are saying of my soul, there is no deliverance for him in God…But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head.” (Ps. 3:2,3); “…My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…” (Ps. 28:7).

…I turn away from wanting to be thin to find acceptance and a feeling of protection by being small. I turn from wanting pleasure, control, or reassurance from the strength of my self-discipline and how well I deny my healthy need for food. I turn to You, God, because “…the body is…for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body” (1 Cor. 6:13); and, when by faith I “…present your bodies… acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1); God is “…the Lord who sanctifies you” (Lev 22:32), “…by the sanctifying work of the Spirit…sprinkled with His blood…” (1 Peter 1:2); Heart, “…the Lord has washed away the filth…by…the spirit of burning” (Isa. 4:4).

…I don’t have to dream of feasting on food and then avoid it altogether. Lord, I delight that I don’t have to starve myself from You. God says to me, “I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,’ declares the Lord.” (Jer. 31:14); “…you will rejoice in the Lord, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the Lord, will answer them Myself, as the God of Israel I will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land fountains of water” (Isa. 41:16-18); and since Jesus has made me a kingdom priest (Rev. 5:10), God says to me, “…do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers…” (2 Chron. 29:11).

…I reject and renounce anorexia as the “god” I serve. God says to me, “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33); and with childlike faith I say, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Thank You, God! I can use the “keys of the kingdom” to find the deliverance I need! Jesus says to me, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matt.16:19). So, by faith I present myself before the Living and holy God together with all of the demons pushing me toward anorexia. I bind their power, influence, and effectiveness at causing me to sin, and I loose the kingdom of Heaven, angels, and the holiness of God upon them and myself so that I can be purified and so the works of the devil can be destroyed, burned (Isa. 4:4), and crushed (Rom. 16:20).

…Heart, I am making the Lord my God. I am cutting off and turning away from the power I find through anorexia. I am trading that, for an “abundance” of the presence of God given to me freely (Isa. 55:1-2). Because “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14), I am turning to love that I can receive God’s presence by believing with childlike faith that He is coming to me freely (Mark 10:15). I am turning my heart to love the nearness of God and the power of His kingdom so I can more fully entrust my wellbeing to God’s presence and kingdom freely drawing near to me here. I love the power of God’s holy presence and kingdom that punishes evil for trying to harm me and my closeness to You, God! Heart, “…it is Heaven that rules” (Dan. 4:26); “…My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…” (Psa. 28:7).

…I turn away from loving pride about how well I control my relationship with God and people. I set my heart to feed on You, Lord. Heart, the Lord is my perfection and beauty because I am taking refuge inside the closeness of the kingdom of God all around me here: “…the Lord is greater than all the gods…” (Exo. 18:11). Heart, God is greater than anorexia could ever be. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man” (Psa. 118:8); “…the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Ps. 73:28).

…I cut off and turn away from feeding myself with the pride and the power I feel from how well I punish myself. I turn my heart to treasure and enjoy receiving the presence of Heaven coming down around me as my identity because “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17). Thank You, Lord, that “…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15); “The Lord bless you…the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (Num. 6:24-26 NIV).

…I repent and cut off wanting to pride myself by showing off how thin I can be. I turn to thrill myself with God. God’s presence is a far greater glory than anything I could ever achieve apart from Him. Lord I love that receiving Your presence isn’t based on how well I perform: I embrace that I can draw near to God by trusting Him to draw near to me here and by this, God’s holy and tangible presence washes me clean: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8); “…have confidence to enter the holy place….” (Heb. 10:19); “…through Him we…have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18); “…we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Eph. 3:12); “…the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37).

…I repent of hiding from the truth that I will never perform to perfection to deserve God’s presence. Heart, hear this again: it is right and safe to trust that I am drawing near to God and that He is drawing near to me, without His holding back. When from my perspective I am receive God’s heavenly kingdom around me here by faith and with gratitude, God’s perspective is that I have come to Him: “…you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus…Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude…” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28).

…I don’t have to be the next size down to gain more honor for myself. I repent of trying to be my own glory because I am turning to entrust myself to the Lord as my God and my glory. Humbling myself into freely receiving the radiance around God is a far greater glory than anything I could ever achieve by self-effort or works. I set my heart to trust God because He does not lie; “God is not a man, that He should lie…” (Num. 23:19); “…the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2); “…has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19).

…Heart, I cut off and turn away from an identity based on how disciplined I can be about my weight! I turn my heart to treasure and enjoy depending on the presence of God and His kingdom upon and around me as my identity. Thank You, God, that Your Kingdom comes as I cut off taking refuge in an identity based on anorexia. Heart, it is by childlike and confident faith that I am receiving God’s heavenly kingdom with gratitude around me here: “I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living’” (Ps. 142:5); “You are my hiding place…” (Ps. 32:7); “…in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock” (Ps. 27:5); “he who takes refuge in Me…will possess My holy mountain” (Isa. 57:13).

…I turn my soul away from having to punish myself by denying my body proper amounts of healthy food. The punishment Jesus suffered is enough. Thank You, Father, for glorifying Jesus so I can present my body before You and trust that You are washing my body and heart from all sin as You come to me here (Heb. 10:19-22). Speaking of our body it says to, “…present your members…resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:19); so, I am telling my heart to enjoy believing that I can “…walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light…and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5,7); Heart, put faith in God to make me holy by “…sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2 Thess. 2:13); God is my purity because “…the Lord has washed away the filth…by…the spirit of burning” (Isa. 4:4); and, “…Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near…” (2 Ch 29:31).

…I humble myself from the pride that comes from anorexia. By my bold and joyous declarations, I am turning my heart toward God so I can boast in Him: “My soul will make its boast in the Lord…” (Ps. 34:2). I repent of hopelessness about being able to change! I can become more childlike in my faith and love for God. Rather than feed myself with what I get from anorexia, I set my heart to trust and enjoy that I can drink from the radiance around God by faith that opens me up to Him so I can freely receive the kingdom of Heaven upon and around me as my strong refuge: “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (Ps. 36:7-9). Heart, hear it again: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

…I don’t have to ponder and meditate on my superiority because of how my weight compares to others. God is my glory. Anorexia doesn’t prove my worth. I turn and face toward You, Lord. I turn and set the Lord before me, not my thinness: “I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living’” (Ps. 142:5); “You are my hiding place…” (Ps. 32:7); “…in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock” (Ps. 27:5); “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken…my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely” (Ps. 16:8); “he who takes refuge in Me…will possess My holy mountain” (Isa. 57:13).

…I repent of pride from how demanding I can be about perfection coming from me. I repent of avoiding the truth that my humanity will never achieve perfection. Instead of boasting in the results I get from anorexia, “My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice” (Ps. 34:2); “…let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 9:24). Heart, embrace the truth that the more I teach my heart to turn away from worldly sources and to playfully believe about receiving God’s kingdom so I can abide in His presence, the more His kingdom and presence come to me. The more I receive of God’s kingdom with open faith, the more God is free to do His will here: “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33), “Your kingdom come. / Your will be done, / On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

…I turn away from anorexia as my identity and what I do to feel good about myself. I present anorexia before the Lord so that He can wash it off of me and burn it with His holiness. I set my heart to enjoy that God is washing me inside and outside when I “…have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19, 22). Heart, the Lord is my perfection and beauty because I am taking refuge inside the closeness of the kingdom of God all around me here: “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2); “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

…I don’t have to aim my self-denial at food for my body. I love that I can deny myself from feeding my soul with earthly glories. Lord, I love that I can trust I am in the throne room and that You are with me here. I will not hold back from faith and delight about the abundance I can receive from God: “…Why do you spend…your wages for what does not satisfy…delight yourself in abundance” (Isa. 55:1-2). So heart, be like King David where he said, “I have set the Lord continually before me…my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely” (Ps. 16:8,9); “…O Lord God, You are my confidence…” (Ps. 71:5); “…My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…” (Ps. 28:7); “…You, O Lord, are…the lifter of my head.” (Ps. 3:3 TAB); “…You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my confidence…” (Ps. 71:5); “You are my God…I exalt you.” (Ps. 118:28 NIV).

…I don’t have to feed myself with how desirable I am to people. The Lord is my God. I turn away from depending on how much they want me. Lord, I love that You want me close to You and desire me. I repent of feeding myself with the rebellion of holding back from God. By faith I am trusting that my eyes are looking at Your power and glory near me, Lord: “…You are my God…My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You…Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory…My soul is satisfied…” (Ps. 63:1,2,5); “…since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude…” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28); “Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” (Ps. 96:6); “…Around God is awesome majesty” (Job 37:22); “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Gal 3:14); “…it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all…” (Rom. 4:16).

…I don’t have to pride myself on how little I eat compared to others; I also repent of distracting myself from God. I turn my soul from feeding on the earthly glory of comparing myself to others. The glory I need is not from how well I put others down. I turn my heart to love God’s glory coming onto me by faith in the intensity and greatness of what shines from God Heart, “…the Lord God is a sun and shield; / The Lord gives grace and glory; / No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Ps. 84:11). So, to “walk uprightly” I repent of staying out of the throne room because God makes me holy with His holiness washing over me; “…I am the Lord who sanctifies you,” (Lev. 22:32); “…draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:22); “…sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18). “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely…” (1 Thess. 5:23); “…I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols” (Ezek. 36:25). “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;” (Rom. 10:33).

…I don’t have to agree with the lies that I need to be thin to have the acceptance and confidence I need. The Lord is my God. By faith in the power of Christ’s death on my behalf and His cleansing I have the acceptance of God: “He saved us…by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6); and, “…the gospel of God, [is so] that…the Gentiles might become acceptable…” (Rom. 15:16).

…I repent and cut off wanting to push for more compliments by being thinner. I turn away from having to feed on and find my sense of wellbeing from that. The Lord is my God. God is better than popularity. God is better than compliments from people because I can receive His presence and enjoy His nearness, whether people are around me or not. I love that I can turn and feed myself with You Lord, but to do that I must “Delight yourself in the Lord…” (Ps. 37:4); I am to “…glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3); so heart, “He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord” (2 Chron. 12:14); so, “…come to the waters…delight yourself in abundance” (Isa. 55:1,2); “…I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more” (Ps. 71:14); “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mat. 6:21).

…I don’t have to feed myself by how well I have become what other people want. I turn from feeding myself with the pleasure I cause other people. I turn to You, Lord, and set my affections on loving that my faith causes You pleasure. I love Your approval and smile Lord: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval” (Heb. 11:1,2); “And without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6); “…Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23); “…to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

…I don’t have to pride myself on how much they pursue me. Lord, I love that You pursue me and “…I know that the Lord is great, And that our Lord is above all the gods” (Ps. 135:5). So, I set my heart to enjoy with delight that I don’t have to hold back from God, run away, or play hard to get. Heart hear this: God is my desire and His desire is for me: “…for Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me” (Ps. 31:3); “…He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psa. 23:3); “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, / The place, O Lord, which You have made for Your dwelling, / The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established” (Exo. 15:17).

…I don’t have to feed myself by letting my mind dwell on how jealous I could make other people feel. My glory is God, not how much weight I can lose. I turn away from trying to impress others with how thin I can be. God is a greater glory and I turn my heart to love You as my God, not myself: “…If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke of the Spirit…[but] the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39). But for me to apply this, I must believe that God is giving me His presence from the radiance of the Holy Spirit that shines from Him “…he who comes to God must believe…that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6); “My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear it and rejoice.” (Ps. 34:2);

…I don’t have to love the glory of being thinner than everyone else in the room. I turn my heart to love with freedom that God comes to me by faith in His grace, and not through faith in how perfect I am! Thank You, God, that when I repent in ways that let me open up so I can receive Your presence and kingdom coming down from above, You come with angels around me and Your will is being done on earth more fully like in Heaven. Heart, God is my glory and I open up with gratitude to receive the Holy “…the Spirit of glory…” (1 Peter 4:14), coming down upon me by the radiant glory around God: “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (Ps 36:7-9). I cut off and turn away from feeding myself with myself, and I turn to delight myself in You, God!

…I don’t have to prove my worth by how well I control myself into starvation. The power I feel from starving myself is not what I long for! I turn from putting my trust in how good I look. I repent by joyously declaring to my heart that the Lord is my glory and my God. I turn and I face toward You, Lord. I trust that the kingdom of Heaven is coming down upon and around me (James 1:17) and that my eyes are looking at You here. Heart, “…the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength…’” (Isa. 30:15); “…God…gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!” (Ps. 68:35). Heart, treasure with freedom and faith when I say to God that “…You are my God…My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You…Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory…My soul is satisfied…” (Ps. 63:1,2,5). Heart, “Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.” (Ps. 96:6); “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2).

…Heart, the nearness of God is better than popularity. To experience God’s closeness, I am cutting off and turning away from openness to dependence on myself and the praise of others. By this, I can more freely open up to God with faith and depend on His drawing near to me here. God says, “He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord” (2 Chron. 12:14); and, “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14). But, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (John 5:44). So, heart, salvation is vital, but after salvation, I still must “…remove the foreign gods…direct your hearts to the Lord… and He will deliver you…” (1 Sam. 7:3). By these joyful declarations I am directing my heart away from idolatry and dependence on myself so I can better “…worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3). I am directing my heart toward God by declaring to myself in God’s hearing that “…O Lord God, You are my confidence…” (Psa. 71:5); “…You, O Lord, are…my glory…” (Psa. 3:3 TAB); heart, “…confidence…is…through Christ before God…competence comes from God” (2 Cor. 3:4-5 NIV).

…I don’t have to feed my desire for God by feeding on jealousy of others about my weight. Lord, I turn to You. I can have an abundance of God’s presence far more easily than losing weight. But for that, I must get my heart to delight in “abundance” (Isa. 55:1-2) and trust that “‘…as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and…of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen’” (Jer. 13:11); “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters…Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy…delight yourself in abundance.” (Isa. 55:1-2).

…Heart, I am cutting off dependence on human glory that comes to me through my achievements. When glory comes to me, I will exalt God with praise by declaring with joy. “You are my God…I exalt you” (Psa. 118:28 NIV); “…My soul clings to You…” (Psa. 63:8); “O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells” (Psa. 26:8); I set my heart to treasure that I can receive the kingdom of Heaven like a child because, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matt. 13:44); heart, “…where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mat. 6:21).

…I don’t have to be obsessed with my weight. I turn all my obsessions and focus them on God. I turn my affections away from wanting to thrill myself with how much weight I lose. God is a far greater glory. Lord, I love that I can delight myself with You. I telling myself to “…take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.” (Jos. 23:11); “…you are to cling to the Lord your God…” (Jos. 23:8); so heart, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him” (Ps. 28:7); “…I have hope in Him.” (Lam. 3:24), because “…none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” (Ps. 34:22); and God says, “…the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37).

…I don’t have to pride myself by controlling how close God gets to me. I turn from trying to keep God away. I love You, Lord. God is far more beautiful and attractive than being thin. Rather than discipline myself so I can feel pride about my human attractiveness, I am setting my heart to “…continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). Heart hear this: “He is your praise…” (Deut. 10:21); “From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Ps. 113:3); “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord” (Ps. 31:24); “Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary” (Ps. 96:6); “I love You, O Lord, my strength” (Ps. 18:1);

…I am declaring to my heart that it is right and good for me to humble myself into being more childlike in my faith about entering before You, by receiving the beauty of God’s heavenly kingdom around me here: “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15); “…have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19, 22); “…since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude…” (Heb. 12:28).

…I don’t have to starve myself into being attractive and desirable. I am turning my heart to believe and love being able to receive around me the beauty of God’s heavenly kingdom here: “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2); and, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32); “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’” (Ps. 91:1,2); Heart, “The Lord is my portion, ‘says my soul, Therefore I have hope in Him’” (Lam. 3:24); “…as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more” (Ps. 71:14). Heart, “…none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned” (Ps. 34:22); “…the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37); and heart, it says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” (2 Cor. 13:14), and I am determined to believe and enjoy it.