Electives – Section 9

Page 1: Works to Grace for Women

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

…More and more, I am turning my heart away from idolatry and toward faith about seeking God’s face because without that God doesn’t have freedom to heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14). After salvation, and in ever increasing ways, because God has called us out of the darkness in the world and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), I am directing my heart into faith for walking in the radiant light that shines from God and washes my body clean (1 John 1:5, 7).

…Heart, to abide IN Christ to the fullest extent available, I must humble myself from pride and become more childlike in my faith so I can receive from the radiance around God by faith in His grace to come to me here. So, heart, I am using joyfully bold declarations of repentance and faith to help me grab my soul, and I turn it away from having to feed on myself on what I receive from earthly things, other people, or sin. I need protection from temptation and the evil in the air around me (Eph. 2:2), so I am turning away from having to receive from the world and its darkness!

…Heart, the repentance that changes my thinking happens in degrees! By taking one step after another, I am removing the obstacles and building up my faith (Isa. 57:14) with declarations that help me direct my heart away from idolatry and toward God (1 Sam. 7:3). More and more, I am turning my heart away from self-protection and toward faith that believes the Scriptures for experiencing God’s presence around me as my strong refuge of protection (Ps. 91; Ps. 27:4-8). 

…Heart, my joyful declarations are helping me repent of sin before it occurs by building up playfully childlike faith that helps me be more intentional to enjoy the emotional benefits of God’s presence with faith that His kingdom is coming onto and around me, here. I am telling my heart to believe God is helping me with holiness by bold faith that I am receiving the radiance that shines from God as the armor Light upon and around me that protects me from temptation and lust: “put on the armor of light … and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust” (Rom. 13:12–14). “walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light” (1 John 1:7); “He wraps himself in light as with a garment;” (Psa. 104:1,2 NIV); “God is Light” (1 John 1:5); “they walk in the light of Your countenance” (Psa. 89:15-17).

…Heart, Jesus died to give me access into the throne room. So, more and more, I am directing my heart away from idolatry and into greater faith (1 Sam. 7:3). The more I can direct my heart away from what I receive from the world, the greater my capacity for faith becomes because, “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). I am turning away from the glory of the world so I can better believe I am receiving the glory of God upon me like the sun gives it’s light.

…Heart, I will rejoice with gratitude for the truth until I can believe it enough to experience it fully: “For 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). Thank You, God, that the shine of Your glory upon me helps me to abide in ways that enable me to “walk uprightly” and be kept from “stumbling” (John 15; 16:1). 

…Heart, it is through childlike faith that is intentional about believing. So, I trust I am coming before God and am presenting my body before Him (Rom. 12:1) like a kingdom priest (Rom. 5:10; 1 Chron. 29:11). I do this, by believing that I am drawing near to God, through intentionally trusting that He is drawing near, and washing my heart and body, by bringing Heaven down upon and around me here (Heb. 10:19-22; James 4:8).

…Heart, by faith that is intentional about believing, I CAN come to the Father and trust that God is rewarding me with His presence (Heb. 11:6). “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). It is right for me to believe I am receiving the shine of His face before me here and that He is giving me His peace by what shines from Him: “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); “…He has not despised…the afflicted; neither has He hidden His face from him…” (Ps. 22:24).

…Heart, by joyfully turning away from dependence on the world and toward greater faith about what God promises, I am doing my part in giving Him freedom to heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14); and, to get there, little by little, I am boldly listening and intentionally hearing these joyfully bold declarations of repentance and faith! By these, I am resting more and more into loving, believing, and thrilling myself with the closeness of God so I can satisfy my thirst for God, with the greatness of His power and glory close to me here (Ps. 63:1-2, 5).

…Heart, the praise that flows from me toward glory near me is praise that is going toward the closeness of God. The presence of God and the kingdom of Heaven around me is my greatest treasure: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field…and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matt. 13:44); for, “…where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mat. 6:21).

 …Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to be ok by achieving human standards of perfection and beauty. God is seeking true worshipers who will depend on His nearness for the security (Deut. 32:37-39; Psa 36:7-9), confidence (Hab 1:11; Jer. 17:5-8), and worth (Jer. 2:11-13) that we need. So, because of these Scriptures, I embrace that because of God’s intentional design, I MUST depend on something that I “drink” and receive from to find the worth, security, and confidence I need; and, heart, God wants to be that to us, or idolatry is our only other option.

…By joyous declarations of repentance and faith I am directing my heart into the place of childlike faith so I can trust with confidence that I am receiving the kingdom of Heaven here (Heb. 12:22-24, 28). When by faith in God’s grace that Heaven is coming to me, the perfection and beauty of God are shining all around me because: “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2). So, I repent of wanting to make my beauty and perfection an idolatrous replacement for the presence of God. God’s beauty with me is so great, that I can be much more confident in God and His perfection with me than I could ever be by depending on myself. 

…Heart, by listening to myself make bold declarations of repentance and faith, I am turning my heart away from dependence on myself and the reactions of other people. I am turning my heart to love the nearness of God’s presence as the reassurance I need. Heart, I am turning away from trusting my human perfection and beauty. “…the Lord God is a sun and shield; / The Lord gives grace and glory…” (Ps. 84:11);

…I am telling my heart to treasure the nearness of God as my God. Heart, by hearing my thanks and praise for the truth, I am directing my heart into faith that enjoys God’s desire to be near me as the perfection and beauty I enjoy and am reassured by. I am turning my heart toward greater childlike faith about receiving the kingdom of Heaven around me here (Mark 10:15; Heb. 12:22-24, 28). 

…Heart, turn away from self-protection and enjoy believing that “The Lord is my light and my salvation…The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread…One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me…” (Psa. 27:1, 4, 5). Heart, hear it and enjoy treasuring the truth where it says, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32); and, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2).

…Thank You, Lord, that when I trust like a child, Your kingdom is coming to me, the tabernacle that is the “secret place” of God is coming down from above, and the “beauty of the Lord” is all around me here. Little by little, and more and more, I am cutting off and turning away from wanting to receive confidence, worth, and identity because of my human beauty, attractiveness, or perfection. I am turning my heart to depend more fully on God by telling myself to treasure believing about God that “…You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Ps 3:3).

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to set my hope on sin that brings their approval or pleasure. I set my heart to drink from God and not from other people. Lord, You are my God and You are my perfection. My perfection is not how well my performance measures up and earns or causes pleasure. I am turning my heart to believe that my faith about receiving His presence causes God to feel pleasure: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that…He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). So, I am turning my heart to believe the pleasure of God enough to enjoy it and be motivated by knowing I am causing God to feel it. 

Page 3: Works to Grace for Women

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

…I cut off and turn away from bondage to faith in what I deserve as my basis for receiving the presence and kingdom of God with me here! Heart, God wants to be God to me and doesn’t want me to have to depend on other things! Because God wants His kingdom to come so His will can be done on earth (Matt. 6:33; 6:10), I can be boldly childlike in trusting God to draw near as my reasons for confidence, worth, and identity.

…Heart, even when I don’t understand it with my mind, it is right for my heart to believe I “enter” the heavenly sanctuary of God by faith that I am receiving His kingdom here because, “…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15). So, with playful joy, I am directing my heart away from trusting myself and the world for the sense of well-being I need. I am directing my heart toward increased faith that playfully enjoys the presence of God coming to me because “…the Lord God is a sun and shield; / The Lord gives grace and glory…” (Ps. 84:11).

…Heart, hear it again that “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2). So, I set my heart to trust that by the glorious radiance around God, He is shining the presence of His Spirit onto and around me here; and, I CAN depend on feeling good about myself because God’s kingdom comes to me freely, and NOT because I have earned or deserve it. Heart, hear it again that God’s will is able to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, when I receive His heavenly kingdom here with the faith of a child who takes refuge in Him (Ps. 36:7-9).

…Heart, I am turning away from having to abide in the pride I feel because of what I receive from idolatry. I repent of wearing pride like a necklace (Ps. 73:6). The better I turn from idolatry in my heart, the easier it is for me to trade my pride for trusting and enjoy God’s presence coming to me with His beauty, perfection, and holiness washing over me here. Thank You God that I can trust You for that and feel worth and courage because of Your nearness!

…Thank You, God, that YOU are God, not me. Thank You, God, that You come to me freely when I turn my heart away from having to depend on what I earn or deserve and toward loving that You want to come to me so YOU can be God to me instead of other things. Heart, by these declarations, I am tuning to trust God to draw near to me by His grace so that more and more, the nearness of God’s great beauty, perfection, and strength, I am making God my God, and His presence with me is becoming what makes me confident, reassured, and worthy.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to feed on my human perfection and beauty. I turn from wanting my own beauty to be what feeds me. I am setting my heart to trust You as my God, not myself. So, I set my heart to take refuge inside the power, beauty, and perfection of the kingdom of God right up close to me, touching me all around. By faith, I am trusting that my eyes are looking at You, Lord.

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to feed myself with how well I have earned and deserve worship and praise from other people. I don’t even have to want that because pride keeps me depending on myself and the world, and “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14). So, I turn my heart away from fear and away from having to feel pride about putting faith in myself. I turn my heart toward faith in God that His presence is coming to me by the radiance that shines from Him.

…My well-being is from You, God, and I will boast in You, Lord! Heart, God tells me to “…walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light…” (1 John 1:7). So, I set my heart to worship and praise the nearness of God’s “Spirit of glory” (1 Peter 4:14), coming onto me from the radiance around God and resting on me.

…Thank You, God! Rather than staying in bondage to the reassurance I need, coming from the praise I get from people, I am turning my heart to be the praise of God’s glory (Eph. 1:12). I repent of living for the prize of finding reasons to praise myself! I am telling my heart to joyfully trust with childlike faith where it says, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32); and because the presence of “…God is Light…” (1 John 1:5), I can receive the radiance from around God upon me here. I CAN walk in the Light and when I trust His radiance is upon me here the presence of God washes me clean (1 John 1:5, 7).

…Heart, I repent of the faith I put in my human ability to be the God that I need because only the nearness of God and the kingdom of Heaven around me can do that! I embrace that God will not give away to anyone the glory that comes to Him through our praise (Isa. 42:8). But, I also embrace that “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; / The Lord gives grace and glory…” (Ps. 84:11). I embrace that because He wants to be God to me here, God wants to give the radiance of His glory upon and around me here. Thank You, God, that I don’t have to be God to myself because I can receive Your presence and kingdom around me here!

…Heart, God wants to be God to me here, and I embrace that it is only the glory and power of God and His sanctuary around and near me that can satisfy my soul (Ps. 63:1-2, 5). So, heart, I am telling myself to believe with openness that I can receive God’s presence and walk IN Him, just like I received the Spirit of God into me for salvation. God says that just “…as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Col. 2:6). So, I repent of wanting to receive from the worship and praise I get from other people so I can abide in that.

…I repent and turn away from depending on the glory I receive from people as support for my pride (John 5:44)! I turn away from that so I can be more childlike in my ability to freely receive from the radiance around God. Thank You, God, that when I depend on You as my God, I will find the reassurance, courage, and well-being I need by praising the impressiveness of Your nearness to me here! Heart, be joyful in worship toward God and enjoy by faith the nearness of HIS beauty because “They raise their voices, they shout for joy; They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the Lord” (Isa. 24:14).

…Heart, with boldness, I am intentionally being thankful that God draws near with His beauty and majesty so that I can enjoy His being my God rather than needing to depend on myself for the beauty I need! As for me, “My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice” (Psa. 34:2). So, I praise You, God; I praise the majesty and beauty of Your presence drawing near to me and coming around me here, God! “I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’” (Ps. 91:2); “You are my hiding place…” (Psa. 32:7); “You are my hiding place and my shield…” (Psa. 119:114). My heart will hear this and enjoy believing it because that is what opens me up like a child to God’s presence! “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and…my stronghold.” (Psa. 18:2). By hearing with joy my declarations of bold and childlike faith “…I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Psa. 73:28).

Page 4: Works to Grace for Women

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

…I turn away from wanting to drink from the power and glory I feel from the world or other people. Jesus wants me to drink from the radiance that shines from Him because of His glorification: “…come to Me and drink…But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39). So, I thank You, Father, that Jesus is “…the radiance of [the Father’s] glory…” (Heb. 1:2,3.); “…the fountain of living water…” (Jer. 17:13); “…He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of [the Father’s] nature …” (Heb. 1:3).

…Heart, when my declarations break down my pride enough for my faith to increase about entering before the Lord, that is where I get to satisfy myself with the nearness of God’s power and glory; I am declaring to my heart about God that, 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…” (Psa. 63:1,2,5); and, God wants me to trust with bold faith that I am entering the “holy place” where God dwells so I can drink from Him instead of from the world and the darkness in it: “…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).

…Thank You, God, that by taking refuge in Your presence like a child, I get to drink from You! “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” (Psa. 36:7-9); “…they walk in the light of Your countenance…” (Psa. 89:15-17).

…Heart, to help me stay turned away from the world and more fully to God, I am determined to break down my fears, disbelief, and pride in myself so I can boldly give myself permission to believe and treasure the Scriptures about God drawing near to me here. I am turning my heart to love being childlike in my faith, so I can take refuge in the sanctuary of God coming to me here. My soul WILL make its boast in the Lord! I am directing my heart to enjoy opening up with faith so I can drink from the radiance and beauty around God coming onto me here.

…I repent of living with the purpose of finding reasons to praise myself for the human glory I get from earthly things and other people. I am turning away from the glory of the world, and I set my heart to live “to the end that we…would be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12). Because I know that worship in Heaven will be joyously exuberant, I set my heart on enjoying that I can praise God with worship that is playful and exuberant now in this life, before I die.

…Heart, I can honor God with worship in this life in ways that are far more significant than what I will be able to do in Heaven after I die. I am cutting off and turning away from pride that keeps me from expressing joy and playful childlikeness in my worship toward God. I am telling myself to enjoy believing that I am causing God to feel pleasure by my childlike dependence on Him and my praise toward His nearness for His being God to me here.

… Heart, I repent of disbelief about God wanting to be God to me here. God wants to be my refuge, and it is idolatry to depend on other things (Deut. 32:37-39). So heart, I must humble myself from pride and fear enough to believe God’s presence is coming to me freely because “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14). I set my heart on becoming childlike enough in my freedom and faith, to find refuge by faith that lets me open up to God and believe I am receiving His presence and the kingdom of Heaven coming to me here. Heart, “…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…” (Psa. 36:7-9); and, more and more, I can do this too!

…I repent of wanting to find a safe refuge by walking in the darkness of the world around me. God says to me, “…you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). And, to priests God says, “…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 turn my heart away from hopelessness about easily being able to receive God’s presence and kingdom. God wants me to abide in Him instead of abiding in the darkness of the world around me. But heart, God doesn’t force Himself on us. So to cooperate with what He desires, I am turning my heart to treasure the coming presence and kingdom of God given to me freely. By this, I give God freedom to do His will on earth more fully. Thank You, God, that by getting my heart to believe I can receive Your kingdom, I can do my part in helping to further the kingdom of Heaven on earth.

…Again, I say to my heart, repent of disbelief and turn to God with joy. Just as I draw near to God by trusting Him to draw near to me here (James 4:8), I “enter” before the Lord and “come” to God by receiving His kingdom here with childlike “gratitude” and praise. God says to me, “he who takes refuge in Me…will possess My holy mountain” (Isa. 57:13); and, when I believe with childlike faith that I am taking refuge in the Lord, it says, “…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).

…On behalf of myself and those around me, I set my heart to reassure myself with the presence of God’s love being poured out into me and all around me here. The people around me need God’s love just like I do, so I will not hold back from faith about the love of God being poured out upon and around me because by this, “…the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you.” (Deut. 23:5).

Page 5: Works to Grace for Women

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

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to find the love I need by submitting to evil or pushing myself to align with the sinful standards others set for me. I cut off wanting to abide in pride from sin, which only makes me feel bad afterward. Heart, Jesus tells me to “…abide in My love” (John 15:9) and because “…he who comes to God must believe…that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6), I am setting my heart to believe I can receive God’s love as a covering banner over and all around me here. Heart, it is right, safe, and good for me to believe and enjoy that “…his banner over me is love” (Song of Sol. 2:4).

…Heart, I am cutting off fear and pride that keep me thinking I should have to deserve God’s presence or earn it. God wants to be God to me by His love being with me, so I don’t have to find it in sinful ways. I just need to get my heart to believe God’s love over me is great enough for my heart to be thrilled by it, instead of the thrill I find from sin! Heart, God wants to draw near so He can help me stay holy. In a context of talking about abiding with God in us and us in Him (John 14, 15), Jesus said He told us about those things in order to keep us from “stumbling” (John 16:1).

…I thank God for the people who love me, but I cut off and turn away from having to abide in their love in order for me to be confident, reassured, secure, and feel protected. Heart, only the presence of God and His love around me has substance that lets me abide in ways that keep me from sin. Heart, the love of God coming down upon and around me is so holy and strong that God Himself becomes armor around me here.

…Rather than daydreaming of earthly glories and setting those before me, it is the presence of God with me that reassures me. It is God’s presence and kingdom around me that is my protection: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear…The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me…I shall be confident. / One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. For 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. / And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, / And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. / Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek” (Ps. 27:1 and 3-5).

…Heart, I am turning to embrace and enjoy the nearness of God’s kingdom and presence is my protection and glory! I am turning my heart to believe with joyous faith that it is by faith that I can do what David did when he said, “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Ps. 16:8); and, I am determined to get my heart to hear the truth and joyfully believe God’s Word, so I can be more childlike in my faith and enjoy God’s presence near me, as my security and what reassures me. Heart, “…none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” (Ps. 34:22).  

…Heart, it 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); and we walk in “newness of life” by the “glory of the Father” (Rom. 6:4). So, I repent of disbelief! I can open up to God and receive the radiance around Him by faith and by faith that enjoys the greatness of God’s presence with delight; the nearness of God’s powerful presence satisfies me more than sin. Heart, God says to me that I should “…put on the armor of light…and make no provision for the flesh…” (Rom. 13:12, 14); and because the armor of light enables me to make no provision for the flesh, I must allow myself to receive the Light of God upon me with faith about the strength of the armor, before I should expect to live a holy life!

…Heart, God says to “…walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light…” (1 John 1:7); and, “…He wraps himself in light as with a garment;” (Psa. 104:1,2 NIV); so, God’s will is to come to me as armor when I submit to that truth and drop my self-protection that keeps me guarded and holding back from Him. Heart, be thankful for the love others have toward me, but the love I need to abide inside is the presence of God and the heart of my good Father God toward me. So, I am transforming my mind (Rom. 12:2) by declarations of joyful repentance and faith about God’s goodness and His desire to be God to me here.

…Heart, I am telling my heart to believe the Scriptures about presenting my body to God (Rom. 12:1). Heart, “…the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Psa. 73:28); “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good besides You” (Psa. 16:2). So, instead of trying hard to be good enough and live a holy life apart from an abundance of God’s presence with me here, I am humbling myself into the place of believing the love of God is continually being poured out and is coming down upon me like a “banner” of armor and strong love over me and around me here.

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to reassure myself with pride because of lustful looks from men. I repent of letting myself stay feeling dirty because of their lustful looks! Instead, I turn my heart to believe and enjoy with bold faith that God delights in me because: “The Lord your God is in your midst, / A victorious warrior. / He will exult over you with joy…He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” (Zeph. 3:17). I am replacing the twisted reassurance and glory I get from the lust of men with the pure and holy embrace of God’s presence drawing near. Thank You, God, that the attention You give me by the radiance around You is safe! The radiance of God burns their lust off of me because “…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).

…Heart, treasure the truth that God is drawing near me as a “victorious warrior;” He is rejoicing over me even now! I am turning to enjoy without holding back that God pays attention to me and as He comes to me His presence is washing my conscience and my body clean (James 4:8): “…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 from an evil conscience…and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19 and 22).

…Heart, because God wants me to depend on Him instead of other things, His “holy place” comes to me touching me with His pure and holy presence all around me here. By my faith that He is drawing near, my conscience is “sprinkled clean” and my body is “washed” by His presence. So, heart, I can cut off and turn away from needing to satisfy myself by abiding in the twisted glory and power I feel when others cover me with their lust. Instead of that, I declare boldly to my heart that “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…” (Psa. 28:7). I love You, Lord! Rather than staying away from God when I feel dirty because of their lust, I am turning to love that God’s presence and kingdom are coming down upon and around me and are burning away the lust of men and their demons trying to make me feel unclean.

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

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to satisfy myself with how well I control and punish others with my mouth. I repent of finding the power and protection I need by punishing people and putting them down. I turn my heart to trust the punishment that Jesus suffered on my behalf and theirs! Heart, the power of God is good and not mean! It is the goodness of God that we all long for. So, heart, hear this and enjoy that God is sovereign, not me. God is building all of us together into a dwelling place for His presence (Eph. 2:21); and because Jesus “…has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father…” (Rev. 1:6), I should “…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).  

…Heart, I am determined to let myself to boldly believe God’s grace about receiving His presence because “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14). Just as I must believe that I am receiving the presence of God in order to receive, it is also by faith that I enter the holy place (Heb. 10:19-22) to present my BODY cleansed and “acceptable” to God (Rom. 12:1). Heart, I can stand before the Lord as a kingdom priest; “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). I am telling myself to enjoy trusting that I can “present” my body to God (Rom. 12:1). by faith that His kingdom is coming down from above: By faith that Heaven is coming down upon and around me, the presence of God’s Spirit washes me clean. I don’t have to feel shame about my body when I stand before the Lord because His presence is sanctifying my body (Rom. 6:19). 

…Heart, it is right to trust that like a child (Mark 10:15; Heb. 12:22-24, 28), that Heaven is coming to me here; , I am setting my heart to believe that the presence of God is touching my skin because “…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). So, heart, be encouraged that my declarations of repentance and faith help me to turn to God so that He can wash me clean; “…if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21). So, I set my heart to trust by faith the kingdom of Heaven is coming to me here so I can stand clean before the Lord. Heart, God says to me, “…Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool…’” (Isa. 66:1). Thank You, God for cleansing me and for being a strong refuge of holiness around me here! 

…I repent of putting others down in order to build myself up with pride. Feeling good about myself is not dependent on my being above them. I am directing my heart into the place of humility so I can more boldly trust and enjoy depending on the presence of God and His kingdom coming to me freely. Heart, the nearness of God is what makes me ok, not “…the glory of…pride…” (Isa 13:19). I am turning my heart away from idolatry so I can more easily believe God wants to do His will on earth by my receiving His kingdom here. Heart, “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33); so, I say to God, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). But it doesn’t stop there because, when talking about the heavenly Jerusalem, with angels and where Jesus is, it says, “…since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude…” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28).

…By joyous declarations of repentance and faith I am “changing my mind” so that I can repent of making substitutions for God’s presence and heavenly kingdom with me. I repent of finding glory and power from pride so I can be assured about depending on myself as the god I need. And, heart, I repent of seeing myself above others because, God is trying to do the same thing with all of us: “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). So, I thank You, God, that You want all of us in the throne room where we can present our bodies before You (Rom. 12:1) as kingdom priests (2 Chron. 29:11).

…Heart, by declarations of repentance and faith I can direct my heart into playfully childlike faith that brings Heaven here. When I make joyous declarations of repentance and faith with other people, we build each other up. And, we are directing our hearts to remove obstacles (Isa. 57:14) and make a highway for God. On my own, or with other people, I can “…Clear the way for the Lord…Make…a highway for our God…Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed…” (Isa. 40:3-5): So, I am determined to keep directing my heart into faith about these things because God says, “…indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Num. 14:21).

…Heart, be thankful to God, that I can be confident about Heaven around me here and that “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2). Thank You God that I can identify myself with Your beauty upon and around me! I can open up and drink from the radiance around You (John 7:37-39), and take time to enjoy and think about Your presence with me, as what identifies me. I can receive with the “gratitude” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28) of a child (Mark 10:15), the kingdom of Heaven and the glory You are pouring out from around You (Ps. 84:11)! 

…Heart, repent and turn away from wanting to gaze at the greatness of my human identity and the worldly kingdom I build for myself here. Instead of that, I set my heart on believing with faith and joy that I can turn to God and receive His kingdom here. Heart, be confident about receiving the kingdom of Heaven with “gratitude” because when talking about the “heavenly Jerusalem” with angels all around, it says, “…since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28). Thank You, God, that as a kingdom priest it is my duty and right to enter the “holy place” by receiving Heaven around me, so I can present my body before Your cleansing radiance (Heb. 10:19-22).

…Heart, “…God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Cor 6:16). So, by childlike faith about receiving God’s kingdom around me as my refuge I can stand before the Lord and walk with God, like others in the Bible: “…the Lord said to Moses, ‘…Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb…’” (Exo. 17:5,6); and, “Elijah said, ‘As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand…” (1 Kings 18:15). And “Elisha said, ‘As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.” (2 Kings 3:14). Thank You, God, that it is so right and good for me to trust You are walking with me, that I can trust my eyes are on You here, with confidence that if I keep looking, I will see You!

…Heart, God wants me to depend on receiving His presence near me instead of what I receive from worldly things, other people, or myself! And, heart, it is right and good for me to depend on God’s presence and kingdom coming down upon me as a strong refuge of protection and strength. Rather than depending on the physical strength of others close to me, I am building my faith and turning my heart to take refuge in the strong and holy presence and kingdom of God coming to me here. Heart, “…the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psa. 34:8); and, I say to God, while my heart is listening that Lord, “…You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’” (Psa. 142:5).

…Heart, “The eternal God is a dwelling place…” (Deut. 33:27); “Guard my soul…for I take refuge in You.” (Psa. 25:20). I will not be afraid because when “…My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…” (Psa. 28:7). I take refuge in the Lord and am delivered by God, by trusting with bold and joyous faith that the Kingdom and presence of God are coming to me and are around me here; “Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I take refuge in You” (Psa 143:9). It is right for me to be confident in God because “…The word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (2 Sam 22:31); “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely” (Psa. 16:8-9). Thank You, God, that these scriptures are true! 

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

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to satisfy myself with only feeling enough when others approve of me. I repent of receiving their approval or their disapproval as an indicator of my worth. Heart, God is righteousness in me because of salvation; and as for the holiness of my humanity, I trust that “…the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Psa. 73:28); “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good besides You” (Psa. 16:2); and, “…the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness…” (Ps. 11:17) and He loves me because “…the Lord is our righteousness” (Jer. 33:16). Thank You, God, that “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man” (Psa. 118:8). 

…I repent of being fearful because of the weakness of my humanity! It is “…God who girds me with strength…” (Ps. 18:32), and when God girds me, He is all around and even underneath me here. Heart, it is God’s presence and kingdom coming down upon and around me that girds me with strength: “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17). So, instead of being fearful or wishing to satisfy myself with myself, I am declaring that “The Lord is my strength…and I will praise Him…” (Exo. 15:2); “I love You, O Lord, my strength” (Psa. 18:1); and, “O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!” (Psa. 68:35). So, I turn my soul away from the strength I feel from how well I exalt myself over others. Heart, believe, and enjoy that “On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God” (Psa. 62:7). I am cutting off and turning away from everything else so I can depend on God and His presence drawing near to me more fully.  

…I repent of receiving condemnation from others. I repent of wearing their condemnation as what identifies me! My adequacy is from God: “…Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God (2 Cor. 3:4-5). So, I am turning away from depending on the opinions of others by joyfully telling my heart to be thankful that I don’t have to be what they want. The nearness of God is what identifies me, and God is perfect, holy, and fully adequate. The holiness of God near me is what I love, and I present myself AND their condemnation before God for cleansing. Heart, the presence of God is armor around me that gives me worth and protects me from being labeled by their condemnation. The presence of God around me is holiness that burns away the filth of their condemnation and keeps it from landing on me. 

…I cut off depending on other people as a replacement for God’s presence because only the nearness of God’s holy power and glory can satisfy me. I declare it out loud so my heart can embrace that 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). So I thank You, God, that I too can satisfy myself by faith in the significance of Your power and glory, drawing near and being all around me here. By playfully childlike faith, I open myself to the radiance of God’s power and glory coming onto me from the radiance around Him.

…Heart, instead of trusting what I earn or deserve, it is by joyful faith that I can trust I am receiving the greatness of God’s nearness onto and around me here. Heart, God’s Word says, “…repent and return…in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). So, by joyous repentance that changes my thinking and builds faith, I set my heart to trust in the greatness of God’s power and glory drawing near me here. By bold and childlike faith, I set my heart to enjoy that I am now being refreshed by God’s presence coming down upon and all around me here. Heart, the more determined I am to enjoy God being God to me instead of relying on other things, the less I will want to turn away from God or return to receiving from people or earthly things.

… I repent of shame about my body because as I present myself with my shame before the Lord, by faith that I am before Him, the presence of God drawing near to me here, is perfect, and God is washing my body by touching me physically with His perfection and holy presence. So, I will not live in disbelief about the acceptance of God for eternity because of salvation (Rom. 15:16). The presence of God’s Spirit touching me inside is the righteousness I need for spending eternity in heaven with God. Talking of after salvation, it says, “…present your members… resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:19) and, “…the body is…for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body” (1 Cor. 6:13). So, I embrace where it says “…to present your bodies… acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1). To apply these Scriptures, I set my heart to enjoy with playfully childlike delight that God is drawing near and washing my physical body clean by touching me here (James 4:8).

…I humble myself and rejoice into enjoying the God’s presence because when the holiness of God touches something, it too becomes holy (Exo. 29:37). So, heart, the moment I find faith that confidently believes God’s holy presence is touching me physically and that He is washing me strongly enough to impart His holiness to my humanity, that is the moment I can trust I am near to Him and God is before me here: “…Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near…” (2 Ch 29:31); “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude…” (Heb. 12: 28). Thank You, God, that I can fight shame by presenting all of it before You so that You can wash and burn it off of me! Heart, thank God with delight for the power of His holiness to burn away the filth of the demonic in the air around me here. 

…Heart, by joyful declarations of repentance and faith I am turning away from self-protection. I am embracing that no amount of holding back and trying harder will protect me. I am turning my heart to love taking refuge in the nearness of God and His kingdom coming to me by faith. Heart, “The eternal God is a dwelling place…” (Deut. 33:27); and when by faith I trust He wants to be God to me by His presence with me being my protection, “You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence…or of the destruction…it shall not approach you…For you have made the Lord…even the Most High, your dwelling place” (Psa. 91:5-9); and by my openness to receiving His kingdom around me so I can abide in Him, I can say boldly that “…You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Psa. 3:3). When I take refuge in the Lord by trusting He is drawing near and bringing Heaven with Him, it is right for me to trust that He will protect me (Ps. 91); and, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thes. 3:3).

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

…I repent of believing the lie that I have to depend on something about myself for the perfection and righteousness required for standing with my humanity before the Lord. Heart, God “…has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father…” (Rev. 1:6); “…a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev. 5:10). So, heart, believe it with joy that I am a kingdom priest who is commanded, “…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). So, thank You, God, that I can draw near to You by trusting You to draw near to me by Your presence coming to me here.

…Heart, God says, “By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy” (Lev 10:3); and, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” (Ps. 24:3-4). But it also says, “…Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down)” (Rom. 10:6). So, by faith I come to God, by trusting that He is coming near to me here freely, and that He is washing my humanity in ways that prepare me for His presence so I can stand before Him without fear: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts…” (James 4:8).

…Thank You, God, that one reason I can trust You to come freely is because of the work you want to do in my world by my turning my heart to receive Your presence and kingdom here. Another reason God comes to me freely is because I am turning my heart to take refuge in God’s presence and His heavenly kingdom rather than finding security and protection by trusting myself, other people, or the things of this world. Heart, “…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” (Psa. 36:7-9).

…Heart, hear this and enjoy that more and more I am turning my heart toward childlike faith that believes God’s presence is coming to me here because when He comes, the Spirit of God cleanses my heart and washes my body with His holiness (James 4:8)! Thank You, God, that I can submit into receiving the touch of Your cleansing presence even now. Heart, it is right and good for me to trust I can “…draw near…in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean…and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22). God says to me, “…I am the Lord who sanctifies you” (Lev. 20:8); so, I will not be afraid to draw near to God by trusting Him to draw near so He can wash me clean (James 4:8).

…Heart, God has made me righteous on the inside by salvation (2 Cor. 5:21). And, I thank You God, that by His cleansing upon me, on the outside, You make my humanity holy also because, “in full assurance of faith” we are having our hearts sprinkled clean…and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22). So heart, God makes me holy inside and outside “…by the sanctifying work of the Spirit… sprinkled with His blood…” (1 Peter 1:2). Rather than let myself stay feeling dirty spiritually, I turn my heart to enjoy the simplicity of being “…washed…in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11).

…Heart, rather than settling for feeling spiritually dirty, I will trust that God wants me holy and only His nearness can do that for me! So I rejoice that by faith that God is washing my body holy, even now. By bold and childlike faith, I can welcome the kingdom of Heaven with “gratitude” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28). Thank You, God, that “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17); and, by this I can present my body to God (Rom. 12:1) and stand before Him here without shame. So, I set my heart to show gratitude about Heaven coming down upon me because when Heaven comes down upon and around 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).

…Heart, my praise is toward the closeness of God, NOT toward anything about me. Thank You, Lord, that I can live for the end purpose of praising Your glory instead of my own human glory; I can live “to the end that we…would be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12). Where I praise myself, I present my pride before the Lord so He can burn it off of me. Thank You, God, that “…You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You” (Ps. 86:5).

…When I feel condemned for my sin, whether past or present, I will not hide from God because when by faith I draw near to God, He draws near to me washes me clean: “…draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean…and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22); “…washed…in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11); “…cleansing their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9).

…So, heart, when by faith I enter before the Lord, God says to me, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). So, I set my heart to treasure and actively believe “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely” (Psa. 16:8-9). Thank You, God, that “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” (Psa. 56:3,4). So, heart, enjoy that “…I have hope in Him.” (Lam. 3:24); “…My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…” (Psa. 28:7). 

…Heart, when I repent of finding refuge by what I receive from other people and things, my faith grows for taking refuge in the presence of God (John 5:44); and, by opening up to drink from the radiance around God so His presence can come and become a strong refuge around me, God “gives [me] to drink” from the “river of His delights;” and by faith that I am receiving from the fountain of God, the “…Spirit who gives life…” (John 6:63) comes to me because He shines from the glorified Jesus (John 7:37, 39).

…Heart, when I make bold and joyous declarations that direct my heart (1 Sam. 7:3) away from idolatry so I can take refuge in God, He says of me that “he who takes refuge in Me…will possess My holy mountain” (Isa. 57:13). So, when I come to God by trusting Him to come to me and wash me, I enter through the torn veil, God washes my heart and body (Heb. 10:19-22), and God says to me, “…you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels. . . and to God, the Judge of all. . .and to Jesus. . . Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28).

…So, heart, “…with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2Co 3:18). Like the verse says above (Heb. 12:22-24, 28), it with faith and “gratitude” that I open up to God. I trusting with joyful freedom that the torn veil is spreading apart above me, the mountain of God, and Heaven is coming down around me, with angels and the heavenly Jerusalem. Thank You, God that because Heaven has come through the veil and I have “unveiled face” before You, I can trust Heaven and angels around me are so real, that when I keep looking with bold expectation. Heart, rejoice that it says, “…as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, / As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, / So our eyes look to the Lord our God, / Until He is gracious to us” (Ps. 123:2). By my faith applied to looking at the Lord like this, I can expect His presence to come upon and around me; By continuing to look at Him, I will also eventually see Jesus, angels, and the glory of God around me here. 

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

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to hide myself by being smaller and going unnoticed. The Lord is my God. His closeness is my reason for confidence because God has promised, “…I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people” (Lev 26:11,12); “…I will dwell in them and walk among them and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Cor 6:16); “…Holy is He.” (Ps. 99:3); “You are good and do good…” (Ps. 119:68). For me to stay turned away from depending on idolatry and sin, I set my heart to believe the scriptures about the closeness of God so that His presence can come to me easily.

Heart, I can rightfully set my heart to enjoy putting faith in God’s nearness, as what reassures me and gives me courage. The example God gives us in Scripture shows it is right for me to listen to myself making declarations about God as my protection because “…the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Ps. 73:28). Related is where it says, “…God is Light…” (1 John 1:5); and, “…if we walk in the Light…the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us…” (1 John 1:7). So, when I am afraid or feel spiritually dirty, I will NOT hold back from God! By bold faith, I will present my fears and my body with its shame before the Lord so His cleansing presence can wash me clean and burn away my filth: “…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); and by the Spirit of burning around me, I turn my heart to trust that the holiness of God is also burning any demons or witchcraft trying to come near me. 

…Heart, my joyous declarations of repentance and faith are helping me turn away from the things of this world and become more childlike in my faith. More and more, my heart will believe the Scriptures, and I will rejoice with faith that I can receive Heaven around me here because “…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15); and, I will not be afraid because it is by childlike faith that I take refuge in the Lord and by this, His heavenly Kingdom comes to me and I can drink from God (Ps. 36:7-9).

…Heart, when by confident faith I enter before God, I enter with my physical body so that God can wash me clean as He comes to me here: “…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); “…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); and, “…since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude…” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28). So, I thank You, God, that by showing gratitude with the faith of a child, my heart will hear and believe the truth more and more. My declarations of repentance and faith are breaking down the hardness of my heart: “Break up your fallow ground, / For it is time to seek the Lord / Until He comes to rain righteousness on you” (Hos. 10:12). I CAN take refuge in the presence and Kingdom of Heaven coming down upon and around me; I CAN find safety and protection in the Lord by receiving the Kingdom of Heaven around me here.

…Thank You, God, that I don’t have to live in despair and hopelessness about receiving the Kingdom of Heaven and the presence of God: “…through [Jesus] 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); and, “…the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). So, I repent of fear because when I trust I am coming to God, He comes to me here, and washes my heart and body clean (James 4:8). Heart, “…have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…through the veil, that is, His flesh…let us 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. 10:19-22). So, I thank You, God, that I CAN enter the “holy place,” by faith in the blood of Jesus, through the veil between earth and heaven, and that the veil between us has been torn. Heart, by becoming more playfully childlike in my faith, I CAN enter before God, by receiving the Kingdom of God around me here because “…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15).

…I am turning my heart to trust and enjoy the nearness of God and His Kingdom are my greatest treasure, so when by faith I trust the veil between me and heaven has been torn, I can open up to God and receive His heavenly Kingdom, just like when I open up to the glory I receive through someone’s smile. So, with playfully childlike freedom, I open up to Heaven above me. To align my thinking with the Scriptures, I am trusting with faith that each side of the curtain above me is spreading out to let the king of glory come into the earth realm (Ps. 24:7-10). Thank You, Jesus, that because YOU are the curtain that opens above me, I CAN live in an open Heaven above and around me here. Instead of despair about living inside the darkness of the world around me, I set my heart to playfully treasure the greatness of God’s heavenly Kingdom coming down upon and all around me here.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to feel shunned by God when others turn away and reject me: “…God is the one who justifies” (Rom. 8:33), NOT them! I repent of letting their disapproval toward me become an idol that keeps me away from God! I repent of receiving their disapproval and putting that on and wearing it as my identity. When people shun me and turn away, I will forgive them and present myself before the Lord, along with their disapproval, so that God can burn away the spiritual filth of it. Heart, God says to me that “…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 not hold back in fear. I will trust God to draw near and wash me with His Spirit, because it says to “…draw near…in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean…and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22). Heart, when I draw near to God by faith that He is drawing near to me He washes me with His presence; “…washed…in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11); “…by the sanctifying work of the Spirit… sprinkled with His blood…” (1 Peter 1:2). “…God is Light…” (1 John 1:5) And, “…if we walk in the Light…the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us…” (1 John 1:7). So, by faith that God is washing my humanity of its shame I can rejoice that “…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).

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

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to achieve a harsh place of refuge by being critical of myself or others; and, I repent of trying to hide myself in a cave of condemnation or depression when others are critical of me. When I feel the pain of rejection, I will run to You, Lord. I turn my heart to trust God’s grace to draw near so I can love, taking refuge inside the strength, holiness, and love of God around me here. Heart, Jesus says to me, “…abide in My love” (John 15:9); and, “…Christ also died for sins…so that He might bring us to God…” (1 Peter 3:18). So, when I feel too dirty to come to God, I will not hold back! It also says, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” (Ps. 24:3-4). So, I thank You, God, that I can present my heart and hands before You and that You wash me clean!

…When others are critical of me, or even when I have done something wrong, or made a common human mistake, I will turn my heart to believe by faith that I am entering before the Lord so that He can come to me and wash the rejection and shame off of me. I am turning my heart with boldness and joy to “…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); “…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); and, Jesus says to me that “…the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). So, thank You God, for touching me with Your presence; thank You that I am “…washed…in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11).

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to improve myself by being more critical of myself. I repent of trying to motivate improvement by fear of self-contempt and self-directed punishment. My energy for motivation comes from faith that brings a holy thrill from believing I am exalting God in a significant way. Heart, love the truth that single-hearted childlike dependence on God to quench my thirst strongly exalts and honors Him as God, even when nobody here sees. Thank You, God, that I can depend like a child on You to draw near and be my refuge, strength, and glory! Heart, motivation for me comes when I believe I am living “to the end that we…would be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12); and, “to the praise of his glorious grace…” (Eph. 1:6). So, I will praise and thank God that He is coming to me freely because of His grace.

…Heart, God loves me, but it is NOT because of me that God does what He does! He says, “…I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake…” (Isa. 43:25). So, heart, believe that all I must do to receive the presence of God and His Kingdom is to believe He is coming to me by His grace and NOT because I deserve it somehow: “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Gal. 3:14); and, “…he who comes to God must believe…that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6). So, hear it and rejoice that God wants to do His will on earth as it is in Heaven and He chooses to do that when by faith in His grace we trust that His holy presence comes to us with His Kingdom 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).

…Heart, in order to stay turned toward God and away from the world, I am setting my heart to love, finding refuge inside the power and the extreme beauty of the Kingdom of God, that I boldly trust is drawing near and surrounding me here. I am telling myself to believe the Scriptures with joy so I can rest into faith about the significance and ease of receiving the Kingdom of Heaven around me with “gratitude” (Mark 10:15; Heb. 12:28). By faith in the greatness of God’s power and glory near me, I can satisfy my thirst for God (Ps. 63:1-2, 5); “…Around God is awesome majesty” (Job 37:22); “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2). So, by faith, Lord, I trust that my eyes are looking at the radiance around God and that His beauty all around me here: “Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, / As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, / So our eyes look to the Lord our God, / Until He is gracious to us” (Ps. 123:2); Thank You God that I can enjoy with praise that YOUR closeness to me is the beauty that thrills me. My praise is toward YOU, God, NOT myself.

…Heart, I repent of hopelessness about being able to freely receive God’s presence and Kingdom. I rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to feed on glory from being critical and punishing myself because of fear about not being enough for God. I repent and cut off that kind of pride! Instead of holding back because of fear, I turn my heart to enjoy like a child that the presence of God is near and protecting me here. I set my heart to “Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad” (1 Chron. 16:10). I am declaring to my heart about God that “…You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Ps 3:3); my glory is the nearness of God around me as my shield. So, I humble myself from pride about wanting to achieve human perfection in order to earn and deserve God’s presence. I declare with courage and boldness that “My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice” (Psa. 34:2); so, I am turning my heart to have childlike and playful freedom so I can “…worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3).

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

…I repent of hopelessness and fear about my adequacy for drinking from God because my “…adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). So heart, to receive Heaven around me and present my body before God (Rom 12:1), I must humble myself from pride about my needing to be worthy enough on my own. Heart, I am joyfully humbling myself from pride so I can become more playfully childlike in my faith and my love for God. By faith, I am entering by receiving Heaven here because Jesus said, “…come to Me and drink…But this He spoke of the Spirit” (John 7:37, 39); and, “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); “… ‘Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’” (Matt. 19:14).

Heart, be thankful that when by faith I take refuge in the throne room of Heaven, it says, “he who takes refuge in Me…will possess My holy mountain” (Isa. 57:13); and when by faith I enter through the veil (Heb. 10:19-22), it says, “…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). So heart be thankful about drinking from God instead of the world, “…come to the waters…delight yourself in abundance.” (Isa. 55:1,2); “for through Him we…have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Eph. 2:18; see also Heb. 4).

…I repent of hopelessness about a safe place to hide because God was a shield around King David’s body on the battlefield. So, I am turning my heart to love taking refuge inside the sanctuary of God around me here, so that “…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). Heart, I can draw near to God by receiving Heaven around me because “…we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Eph. 3:12); and, I am told to “…draw near with confidence to the throne of grace…” (Heb. 4:16); “…the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). But I will not press my inner being way out into Heaven before the Lord because “…Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down)” (Rom. 10:6). Instead, I will trust God’s Word with “gratitude” that I am entering the “holy place” by receiving Heaven here like a child (Heb. 10:19-22; 12:22-24, 28; Mark 10:15).

Heart, I can take refuge in God’s presence by receiving Heaven here because “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” (Psa. 36:7-9). So, thank You God that when I enter and believe with faith I am standing before You here, Heaven comes to me and You wash my conscience and my physical body by touching me with Your holy presence here. Heart, the nearness of God is my protection so “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32); “…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).

Heart, by faith I can do what David did when he said, “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely” (Psa. 16:8-9); and, “…The word of the Lord is tested; 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” (Psa 143:9).

I repent of holding back from God. I am turning my heart to love so that I don’t have to stay away from God when I feel inadequate or spiritually dirty. Heart, God forgives and cleanses me freely: “…You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive…” (Ps. 86:5); and, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9); God says to me, “I…am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25); “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).

Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to worry about not having what it takes to drink from God. I am turning my heart so I can put my faith in the radiant glory around God and His grace to draw near to me freely. Heart, hear the truth and believe that my relationship with God is not based on how well I deserve it! Because of salvation I have the righteousness of Christ inside me (2 Cor. 5:21). I am also declaring to my heart that when the holy presence of God touches my skin “…the Lord is our righteousness” (Jer. 33:16) even for my physical humanity; and heart, “…the Lord…loves righteousness…” (Ps. 11:7); “…the Lord takes pleasure in His people…” (Ps. 1149:4); “…great is your love toward me…” (Ps. 86:13). So, I love that it is safe to direct my heart toward God because You Lord, are holy, righteous, and good; “…the Lord is good…” (Ps. 135:3). Heart, God is my righteousness, not me. Oh, how I love Your holiness touching me here, Lord.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to hide from God when I have feelings that something is desperately wrong with me. Heart, salvation makes the inside eternal part of me acceptable to God for eternity. So, the pain I feel isn’t because of a problem with my salvation. The pain I feel is from trying to receive from earthly and human power and glory sources, and not from God: “Has a nation changed gods when they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. ‘Be appalled, O heavens, at this, and shudder, be very desolate,’ declares the Lord. ‘For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water’” (Jer. 2:11-13). So I repent of drinking from the glory of the world!

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

Heart, when we, as Christians, drink from the twisted glory we find from idolatry and sin, we receive the darkness of this realm around us, and that is what makes us feel spiritually dirty. Instead of settling for despair and abiding in darkness around me, I am teaching my heart to believe and enjoy drinking from the radiance around God, by faith. Thank You, God, that it is right and good for me to trust that Your holiness is touching my skin and washing my body clean from evil. I am turning my heart to believe and enjoy with great delight that “…God is Light… (1John 1:5); and when by faith I trust I am “…[walking] in the Light…we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1:5,7).

Heart, hear it and rejoice! I repent of hiding from God when being attacked by the demonic realm. I am turning my heart to trust that God and His Kingdom are coming to me so I can have the cleansing protection I need from the demonic realm that tries to push their filth onto me here. Heart, God wants to be a protective shield and refuge around me here: “… the Lord God is a sun and shield; / The Lord gives grace and glory…” (Ps. 84:11). As a blood bought believer, I have the acceptance of God for eternity (Rom. 15:16). So, I repent of agreeing with demonic lies that I should stay away from God when I feel dirty!

Heart, I am turning away from thinking that is misaligned with the Kingdom of Heaven. I repent of thinking I have to live righteously enough to earn the cleansing and protection I need from God. Heart, God “…has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9); and the holiness that shines from God is protection that burns away the filth of the demonic on and around me: “…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); and, when by faith “…we walk in the Light…” (1 John 1:7), the Light of God is on us and the atmosphere around us. Heart, the holiness of God upon me is protection that burns demonic enemies out of the air around me here! Thank You, God, that You hate evil, and when I trust You to come as protection that burns and crushes evil, You are coming to me so You can envelope me with YOUR loving strength and by that, more fully destroy the evil in the world by what Your people receive. Thank You, God!

Thank You, God. I repent of hopelessness about holiness and purity! I am turning my heart to love the holiness of God close to me more than I enjoy the pleasures of sin. I am turning my heart to love the reassurance and protection I need because of God, rather than letting myself love the power I feel from rebellion. Heart, God says, “By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy” (Lev 10:3); and, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” (Ps. 24:3-4).

I set my heart to entrust myself to the cleansing protection of God because by this, God helps me stay holy. Heart, I am a blood-bought believer, so I repent of living inside the darkness of the world around me here. The heart training declarations are directing my heart away from receiving glory and power from the world. I am speaking the truth of God’s Word so that I can get better at abiding in His presence by building faith that joyously receives a constant cleansing for my physical body and the atmosphere around me here. The righteousness of Christ inside me (2 Cor. 5:21). But I also need the righteousness of God for my physical body so I can have “clean hands” and “stand in His holy place!” So, I set my heart to, “…present your members… resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:19); “…present your bodies… acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1).

Heart hear this when I thank God for the truth! Thank You, God, that it is the cleansing of God for my body that makes even my flesh holy. Heart, “…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). And, heart, it is like the verse says. When we “enter” in “full assurance of faith” into the holy place before the Lord by receiving with “gratitude” the Kingdom of Heaven around us here (Heb. 12:22-24, 28), God’s presence comes to us here, so that our hearts and our bodies can be washed holy and we can experience the nearness of our holy God: “…Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near…” (2Ch 29:31).

I repent of thinking my relationship with God is so spiritual that it doesn’t include my physical body. Heart, I can experience the tangible presence of God around me here because “…the body is…for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body” (1 Cor. 6:13). I am to present my body to God (Rom. 12:1), and “…present your members…resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:19). So, heart, when by faith I present my body before the cleansing radiance of God (1 John 1:5, 7) the result is that God’s presence comes to me here and by His touching me, the holiness of God sanctifies me. By this, God makes even the flesh of our body holy, so that He can dwell near to me here. Heart, it isn’t that my body becomes permanently holy because God says to walk in the Light continually so that I can keep on being made clean (1 John 1:5, 7). And, again, the holiness of God is inside us for salvation and that determines where we will spend eternity, but, the cleansing of God includes my humanity in this life because God says, “…I am the Lord who sanctifies you” (Lev 22:32). 

Heart, the Old Testament priests were told, “… consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy” (Exo 40:10). So, when the priests did their part to consecrate the altar, then God came and actually made it holy by touching it with His holiness. God says, “…the veil…the altar…My sanctuaries…I am the Lord who sanctifies them” (Lev 21:23); and, “For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy and whatever touches the altar shall be holy” (Exo. 29:37). So, to be made holy, the principle is that the holiness of the Spirit of God has to touch me physically, inside us and outside. This is also why receiving the Kingdom and the presence of God is important for our physical humanity. When by faith we walk in the radiant Light of God upon us, God’s presence keeps washing our humanity holy, AND the atmosphere around us.

Heart, I am included where it says we are “…sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:16); and heart, God says, we are “…sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18). I am turning my heart toward faith so I can enjoy the the truth in these verses and trust that God is washing me clean. Heart, the way it works is that I MUST get my heart to believe with childlike freedom that I can trust with faith that I am receiving the holiness of God and that His presence can touch my skin and that by this, God can wash me holy. Heart, by this I can “Pursue…the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).

I set my heart to joyously thank God until faith rises that lets me open up and receive with faith that I am walking inside the holiness of God coming down upon and around me here. Heart, because we know God wants us holy, we can trust Him to come to us as we “delight ourselves in abundance” (Isa. 55:1-2); and, when by faith we receive His cleansing, inside and outside, God says, “…Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near…” (2 Ch 29:31).

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

…Thank You, God! I repent of hopelessness about holiness and purity. God says, “By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy” (Lev 10:3); and, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” (Ps. 24:3-4). So, I set my heart to entrust myself to the cleansing protection of God because by this God helps me stay holy. Heart, I am a blood-bought believer, so I repent of living inside the darkness of the world around me here. The heart training declarations are directing my heart away from receiving glory and power from the world. I am speaking the truth of God’s Word so that I can get better at abiding in His presence by building faith that joyously receives a constant cleansing for my physical body and the atmosphere around me here. The righteousness of Christ inside me (2 Cor. 5:21). But I also need the righteousness of God for my physical body so I can have “clean hands” and “stand in His holy place!” So, I set my heart to , “…present your members…resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:19);

“…present your bodies… acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1). Thank You, God, that it is the cleansing of God for my body that makes even my flesh holy. Heart, “…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). And, heart, it is like the verse says. When we “enter” in “full assurance of faith” into the holy place before the Lord by receiving with “gratitude” the Kingdom of Heaven around us here (Heb. 12:22-24, 28), God’s presence comes to us here, so that our hearts and our bodies can be washed holy and we can experience the nearness of our holy God: “…Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near…” (2Ch 29:31).

…Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet. So, we need the peace of God to come and crush the evil in the world! But, in the wisdom of God, He has chosen to do the crushing through us. How does it work? The Holy Spirit shines from God. The peace of God shines from His face, and the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. So, God is waiting for us to love Him enough to open up and receive what shines from Him so that His will can be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus asked, “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, the problem is that we have to turn from trusting the world for the glory and power we need BEFORE we can easily receive the radiant and holy glory and power that shines from God: “O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!” (Psa. 68:35).

…Heart, God’s people need to repent in ways that remove our fear and enable us to receive what God wants to give. How do we do that? We must direct our hearts into faith that lets us recognize and repent away from the substitutions we make for God so that we can more easily be open to God and receive the glory, peace, and Kingdom of God that He wants to give us by what shines from Him. Rather than depend on ourselves or the world for the sense of adequacy and worth we need to receive from God. Instead of simply getting ourselves to believe we are worthy to receive what shines from God, God’s people need to repent in ways that make the presence and Kingdom of Heaven with us, what makes us adequate, worthy, and enough to receive and keep receiving from what shines from God. God’s people must recognize and repent of receiving glory from others, ourselves, and the world in order to put it on and abide in pride in our human glory in order to ease our sense of falling short of God’s glory. God’s people must repent in ways that make the presence of God our righteousness and what enables us to stand before the Lord and receive the radiance that shines from Him so that His will can be done on earth and the evil in the world can be crushed.      

…Lord, I love that I can turn from faith in myself and turn to enjoy the security, confidence, and worth coming to me because of the radiant fountain of God pouring out His holiness, love, power, and glory upon and all around me here. I repent of believing I have to be perfect on my own, apart from You, God. I repent of trying to protect myself from God because of my lack of human perfection. Heart, my perfection is the nearness of God’s perfection on me, around me, and touching my skin. I have no perfection apart from God! So, I thank You, God, that I can love Your perfection and depend on that instead of depending on myself to achieve it apart from Your nearness. When I sin or make a human mistake, I am turning my heart to trust that God’s radiance upon me is the blood of Christ washing me clean: “…God is Light… if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5, 7).

 …I grab my soul and I turn it away from having to depend on myself or other people. 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). Lord, YOU are my glory, my power, and my beauty. It is believing the greatness and the abundance of Your presence that satisfies me, NOT what I get from the world or sin. I am turning away from wanting what I get from earthly sources because “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14); and, “…they were not able to enter because of unbelief” (Heb. 3:19). Heart, Jesus asked, “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, by bold declarations of repentance and faith, I am turning away from earthly and human glory to increase my capacity for faith about receiving the radiant glory that shines from God; and, I must believe I am receiving because “…he who comes to God must believe…that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). So heart, my praise is toward the closeness of God and the greatness of His glory, NOT my own human glory.

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

…Heart, God says, “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; see also Exo. 31:18-23); and, “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). So, I turn my heart toward childlike delight in the abundance of what God offers freely for quenching my thirst for Him. Heart, listen and embrace the truth about the abundance and believe God is coming by the radiance of the fountain of His glory around Him (John 7:37-39).

…Heart, “…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; [God says] 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). So I set my heart to believe and enjoy with playful faith that God is doing this for me even now!

…Heart, I am turning away from confidence in the flesh so that I can find greater freedom to “Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad” (1 Chron. 16:10); it is right and good for me to joyously “…worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3). God says to me that “…the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). So, I delight that “…none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” (Ps. 34:22).

Heart, with bold faith I “…come to the waters…delight yourself in abundance.” (Isa. 55:1,2). “‘For 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). It will not be that way for me. I turn my heart to trust that God is near and that with my inner being, I am clinging to His Kingdom around me here!

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to perform spiritually in order to have closeness with God. The adequacy I need for experiencing closeness to God is from Him: “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God (2 Cor. 3:4-5). I set my heart on identifying with God’s presence upon and around me as what identifies me.

…Heart, rather than thinking I am distant from God, I am telling my heart to believe God’s Word and put my trust in God to carry me close because “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. The Lord alone guided him, and there was no foreign god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, and he ate the produce of the field; and He made him suck honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock” (Deut. 32:11-13). So, heart, because God carries me close, the truth about what identifies me is that the closeness of God is a greater reality than the material world around me here.

…I am turning to enjoy the beauty of God’s presence with me as my identity because wearing His presence is more beautiful and more attractive than how I look and the physical clothes I wear. Lord, I love Your nearness God and I treasure the greatness of your beauty and attractiveness near me and all around me here. It thrills my heart when I think of wearing God’s presence as what identifies me.   

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to want to be prettier because the attention I would receive would never be enough to quench my thirst. The nearness of God is more real and is greater than what is material around me here. I set my heart to be intentional about treasuring God’s nearness because “…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…” (Psa. 36:7-9). 

…I am turning to make God my God and am turning away from having to depend on myself. When talking of Heaven, it says, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2). So, heart, because I am turning my heart to take refuge in the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven around me, I am trusting that the beauty of Heaven around me is my beauty. Jesus said, “…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15). So thank You, God, that I can enter before You with playful faith that enjoys that I am receiving Heaven here! Because I can receive the Kingdom of Heaven like a child, I CAN identify with the beauty of God’s Kingdom around me as my beauty.

…I repent of faith in myself about my needing to be perfect before God will come to me here. After talking about abiding with Him in us and us in Him, Jesus said He spoke of these things to keep us from “stumbling.” So, I am turning my heart to enjoy believing that God wants to be near me so He can help me with holiness. Jesus also said, “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33) so that His will can be done on earth more fully: “Your kingdom come. / Your will be done, / On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Thank You God that I can further Your Kingdom on earth by receiving Heaven upon and around me here with the “gratitude” of a child: “…since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude…” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28). 

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to push myself to prove how smart I am. I will never be smart enough to quench my thirst. I turn to You, Lord. I love having the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). Thank You, God that I can receive Your wisdom coming down to me from above because, God’s “…wisdom is…that which comes down from above…” (James 3:15); and, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). Thank You, God that I can stand in Your council coming down upon and around me here (Jer. 23:18).

…Heart, it says, “…as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Col. 2:6). So, it is right to believe that I receive the presence of God’s Spirit and walk in His presence by continuing to receive His Spirit coming to me, by faith in His grace, just like I did for salvation.

 

 

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

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to feed myself with approving or lustful looks from men. Lord, it is You who are worthy of their pursuit—not me. I turn and face toward You, Lord. I love having Your eyes of love, passion, and kindness on me. I love YOUR strength near me, not theirs! “O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!” (Psa. 68:35); “I love You, O Lord, my strength.” (Psa. 18:1); “The Lord is my strength…and I will praise Him…” (Exo. 15:2); and, “…it is Heaven that rules” (Dan. 4:26). So, I thank You God that when Heaven comes the rock of the mountain of God crushes demonic enemies under my feet (Rom. 16:20).

…When my heart trusts that I am drawing near to God by faith that He is drawing near to me here, I “…have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels. . . and to God, the Judge of all. . .and to Jesus. . . Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28). Thank You God that I can apply this, NOT because I think I deserve it, but because by trusting I am receiving, Your kingdom comes and your will can more easily be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10).

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to be unhappy with my body—I don’t even have to be unhappy with my        (give an example)   . It is God who is my glory, my good, my reason to feel pretty and powerful. God is a refuge of beauty and perfection all around me, and I rest in Him. Heart, “…Around God is awesome majesty” (Job 37:22), and the Lord is my God, NOT what I receive from worldly things, other people, or sin.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to protect myself by being angry about my appearance. I turn and face toward You, Lord, because You are the God who soothes my pain. Thank You, Lord, that because You tell me to enter the Holy Place in Heaven (Heb. 10:19-21), by receiving Heaven here, with gratitude (Heb. 12:22-24, 28), I am turning my heart to boldly believe that when You draw near to me, You bring the beauty of the Kingdom of heaven all around me here.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to feed myself by pushing until I have their attention and approval. I turn to You, Lord, because it is Your attention that I treasure. It is God’s pleasure that I love. You are the God who quenches my thirst, and I strip away every other option except to trust that Your presence is coming upon me by the radiance that pours out from all around You. I rest in You, God.

…I grab my soul and I turn it away from my having to depend on myself or other people. I submit to the truth of God’s Word so I can rest into the place of loving and believing that God can and will be God to me by satisfying my thirst with His nearness. So to make that real, I am trusting I am receiving Heaven around me so that by my faith in the extreme greatness of God’s power and glory around me, His nearness can satisfy my soul and body, here. 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). So, I set my heart to enjoy and to thrill myself by bold faith about the greatness of God’s power and glory around me here. Lord, Your presence with me is my beauty and power, and I will not depend on myself for that.

…I set my heart on loving that I don’t have to avoid drawing near to God: “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.” (Ps. 116:5); “…you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Ps. 86:15 NIV); “…His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime…” (Ps. 30:5); “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.” (Lam. 3:22). I turn to You Lord, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God…” (Ps. 36:7).

Heart, “…repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). Thank You, God, that I can make declarations of repentance and faith that change my mind and build childlike faith that believes Your presence is coming to me here. Heart, “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. [God says to me,] Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. To give drink to My chosen people. The people whom I formed for Myself, will declare My praise” (Isa. 43:18-21).

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to push myself until I achieve perfection in the eyes of men. I turn my heart from wanting their pursuit. The Lord is my God, my thrill, my pleasure, and I turn my heart to playfully believe His radiant glory is pouring upon me here.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to hide from the truth about my imperfections. My humanity will never be perfect, and I turn away from wanting to depend on myself because God is my perfection, my goodness, my reason for being enough. My eyes are on God. I trust that His radiance is washing my imperfections and replacing them with God’s perfect holiness all around and touching me here. Thank You, God!

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to validate my worth with evidence of how desirable I am to men. I am turning my heart from pride and toward humility that trusts God to come to me so I can depend on Him as my God rather than depending on other people or myself. Heart, it is with joy that I rest into faith about drawing near to God and letting Him draw near to me here. I love that the Kingdom of God is advanced on earth when I humble myself into depending on the presence of God and His Kingdom coming to me as my safe refuge of beauty, majesty, and power. Rather than wearing pride for the sense of worth I need, I am turning away from that and am humbling myself into childlike faith that depends on the nearness of God’s worth as I depend on for value.

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

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to want to be more attractive in order to drink from that. The Lord is my God, not how attractive I am to others. The beauty of my humanity will never be enough to quench the thirst of my soul. I turn my eyes to You, Lord. Heart, the beauty of God in His Kingdom upon and around me, is what I am making my identity. The Lord of Heaven is my God, and the beauty of Heaven and God’s radiance upon and around me is my beauty. I have nothing else but to depend on You, God.

…It is NOT because of my human worth or anything about me that I can receive God’s presence. My adequacy is from God (2 Cor. 3:5). So, it is with gratitude (Heb. 12:22-24, 28), and the faith of a child (Mark 10:15) that I receive God’s Kingdom upon and around me here. So, heart hear this and have fun—don’t hold back! I rejoice that I can “…receive the kingdom of God like a child…” (Luke 18:17); “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” (1Co 4:20). When I receive the Kingdom upon and around me here with “gratitude” (Heb. 12:22-24, 28), I can rightly say about the nearness of God, “O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house And the place where Your glory dwells” (Ps. 26:8). 

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to depend on the response of others to my personality. I turn my heart away from trusting the glory I receive from others in order to quench the spiritual thirst of my body and soul. I am turning to put my trust in God and that, “…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, heart, it is not by faith in what I deserve that feeds me. It is the grace of God that lets me receive what satisfies my soul. It is right for me to trust that I am receiving Heaven upon and around me here. By my playfully childlike faith that I am receiving, the coming presence of God helps me with holiness, and God advances His rule and reign in the earth.

…I repent of wanting to feed myself with the power and control I feel because of the way men look at me. I repent of wanting to feel secure because of how much attention I get from them. I turn my heart to apply the Word of God which says, “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psa. 16:8). Heart, I am telling my heart to trust the Scriptures that I can enter before the Lord by receiving Heaven here (Heb. 10:19-22, Heb. 10:22-24, 28). I can stand before the Lord as a kingdom priest (1 Chron. 29:11; Rev. 5:10). By faith, I am setting God before me with His glorious radiance upon me so I can keep my eyes on Him. Heart hear this! God is my pursuit. The nearness of God is my first love.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to push until I can drink from being popular. I turn my eyes from wanting to gaze at the attention they give me because of what I stir up. Heart, the Lord is my God, not them. I put my trust in You. I love that it is right for me to trust that I am in the throne room here and that the glorified and risen Christ is with me here. Rather than looking for evidence of how popular I am, I set my eyes on God and His radiance because, “Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, / As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, / So our eyes look to the Lord our God, / Until He is gracious to us” (Ps. 123:2). Oh, how I love You Lord.

…I grab my soul and turn it away from having to depend on the glory I receive from myself or other people. Heart, “…God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2Cor 6:16). So, I set my heart to love praising the nearness of God instead of myself. I set my heart to live “to the end that we…would be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12); So, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, / And forget none of His benefits” (Ps. 103:2). I am turning my heart to love feeding on the attractiveness of God, whose presence I wear around me here. Heart, my praise is toward the closeness of God, NOT myself.

…I repent of fear about letting God draw near to me. I repent of fear about whether God will be there for me when I turn my heart to depend on Him. Heart, God will not abandon His people: “…I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). God is “…the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25). I am telling my heart to joyfully treasure that I can trust God because “…the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name…” (1 Sam. 12:22).

…Heart, stop fighting against the truth and let yourself enjoy believing that “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Ps. 118:8); “…He will not fail you…” (Deut. 4:31); “…the Lord will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake [us, as] His inheritance.” (Ps. 94:14). By faith that lets me trust God’s grace for receiving His presence and kingdom I can rightly say that “…You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Psa. 3:3). “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” (Psa. 9:9 NIV). So, I will “…not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you.” (Deut. 3:22). And, heart, it is true of God that “…those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Ps. 9:10).

…I love that You don’t hold back Lord, because God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2Cor 6:16). And for receiving the presence God’s Spirit around us after salvation it says, “…as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Col. 2:6); And, “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). So heart, believe you are receiving His presence because “…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). So I repent of wanting more reasons for pride before I let myself believe God will come to me freely. I turn away from self-protection because, “…he who comes to God must believe…that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).

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

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to be envious of the power that people have over others. God’s power and strength are far greater. Heart, the Lord is my God and He surrounds me with His strength because He is “The God who girds me with strength…” (Ps. 18:32); So, I turn and feed myself with the presence of God’s power and glory coming to me by the radiance around Him.

…Heart, no power is greater than God’s: “…My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…” (Psa. 28:7); “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid…” (Psa. 56:11); “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” (Psa. 56:3,4); “My help comes from the Lord…” (Psa. 121:2); “…I have hope in Him.” (Lam. 3:24).

…Rather than looking to myself or others for strength, I say to the Lord while my heart is listening that “I love You, O Lord, my strength” (Psa. 18:1); Heart, I am “…armed in the presence of the Lord…” (Num. 32:32); “On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God” (Psa.. 62:7). 

…I repent of depending on self-effort and works that earn the glory I need. I am turning my heart to trust the grace of God for His presence and Kingdom because, “…the Lord God is a sun and shield; / The Lord gives grace and glory…” (Ps. 84:11); and His presence helps me walk uprightly. So, heart, “…worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3). So to break up the hardness in my heart I am declaring with joy that “…O Lord God, You are my confidence…” (Psa. 71:5); Heart, “…Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” (Eph. 6:10); “The Lord is my strength…and I will praise Him…” (Exo. 15:2); “…You, O Lord, are…my glory…” (Psa. 3:3 TAB).

…I repent of trying to perform for people and even other Christians in order to measure up to their standards! The Lord is my God. “…the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Psa. 73:28); “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good besides You” (Psa. 16:2).; and heart, “…confidence…is…through Christ before God…competence comes from God” (2 Cor. 3:4,5 NIV).

…I put my faith in the grace of God that He is drawing near to me, so I can quench my thirst for His presence and power close to me here. I am turning my heart toward God by listening to myself as I declare about 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…” (Psa. 63:1,2,5).

…Heart, be intentional to think of the nearness of God and enjoy His greatness: “…taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psa. 34:8); “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).

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to submit to society’s demand for my being perfect. The Lord is my perfection because God makes me holy. By salvation, Christ is in me, the presence of the Spirit of God is inside me, and this is what makes the eternal part of me acceptable to God for eternity. After salvation, “…the body is…for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body” (1 Cor. 6:13), and God wants His presence near to me but for this I need to trust that God’s presence is washing my physical hands and making body holy: When by faith I trust God is drawing near He washes me clean by touching me with His presence: “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); “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” (Ps. 24:3-4).

…Heart, to all of us, God says, “…present your bodies… acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1). But, God also says, “…I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy…” (Lev 11:44); “…Holy is He” (Psa. 99:3); and, “By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy” (Lev 10:3).

…The practical problem is that even though God says to be holy, it also says, “There is no one holy like the Lord…” (1 Sam. 2:2); so, to fix this, God says, “…I am the Lord who sanctifies you” (Lev 22:32); and, when God sanctifies us, He makes us holy by washing us inside and outside with His Spirit of holiness; “…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); and for this it says to “…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 Christian life is by faith and that is how all of this works! So I must believe it, when by faith I trust I am entering the holy place in Heaven, I am literally presenting my body before the radiant glory of God where by faith I can trust and experience that I am “…washed…in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11); “…by the sanctifying work of the Spirit… sprinkled with His blood…” (1 Peter 1:2).

…Thank You God that when you sprinkle me with Your blood, the Holy Spirit that shines from You burns away any demonic or evil filth on or around me here. Heart, believe and enjoy that “…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). I embrace that to believe and experience it best, I must be intentional to enjoy with faith that God doing this for me even now. Thank You God!  

…Heart, it says, “…present your members… resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:19), and the reason for this is explained clearly. The Old Testament priests were told, “… consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy” (Exo 40:10); and, when the priests did their part to consecrate the altar, then God came and actually made it holy. God says, “…the veil…the altar…My sanctuaries…I am the Lord who sanctifies them” (Lev 21:23); “For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy, and whatever touches the altar shall be holy” (Exo. 29:37). So I thank you God that when Your holiness touched me inside for salvation I will get to spend eternity with You after I die. For now though to walk with God my body needs to be holy and when I trust God is touching my skin He makes even my flesh holy.

…Heart, it says we are “…sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:16), touching us, inside and out (see also 1 Thess. 5:23). So, when we enter before the Lord by faith in the blood of Christ and that the Holy Spirit is bringing us into the holy place before the Lord, He washes us clean inside and outside by touching us with His holy presence as we draw near (Heb. 10:19-22 above); Heart, hear this: “…through Him we…have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18); and, “…we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Eph. 3:12); so, “…Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near…” (2Ch 29:31); and, “…the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). à

…Heart, I turn and thrill myself by enjoying the closeness of God’s holiness, perfection, and purity touching me all around. Heart hear this: God is my holiness and perfection—not me. I present those things before God that feel unclean to me. I present before the cleansing holiness of God, any demonic beings or witchcraft trying to harm me. By this, the holy presence of God coming down upon me is burning them away and washing me clean (Isa. 4:4). Thank You God! 

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

…I repent of holding back from directing my heart toward God. I am directing my heart away from faith in myself and into the place of trusting the nearness of God as the protection, security, and comfort that I need.

…Heart, God becomes my refuge, strength, and glory when I drink from Him (Ps. 7:37-39; Jer. Jer. 17:5-8; Jer. 2:11-13). So, I am telling my heart to open up with faith so I can get better at receiving His presence and kingdom upon and around me here.

…Abiding in God is my protection and security (Ps. 91), so it is with boldness, that I am setting my heart to intentionally enjoy God with faith that believes the nearness of God and His kingdom around me are my protection and comfort!

…Heart, “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). It is my joyful declarations of repentance and faith help me believe and apply God’s Word enough to prove that the will of God is acceptable and perfect, even in my situation!

…I repent and turn away from wanting to find my worth and well-being from being popular and having the attention of others. Depending on my worth is idolatry so I am turning to make God my God and enjoy depending on His nearness. It is abiding in the substance of God’s love and acceptance that thrills me. The worth of God is greater than anything else I could depend on. And, I set my heart to enjoy and experience that wonderful truth.

…I repent of fear about not having what it takes to be popular because the presence of God is more freely available to me than being popular with people. Because I am turning to make the nearness of Gods worth be what makes me feel worthy, it is the presence of God that I treasure in order to feel worthy and accepted. 

…I am telling my heart to turn and love that God is drawing near so He can be my God, and I don’t have to depend on myself, other people, or things. Heart, love with childlike delight that I can let myself enjoy being loved by the nearness of God and that His presence coming to me and is wrapping me all around.

…I cut off and repent of agreeing with pressure from myself, others, or the demons, to think of myself as a sexual object. With great joy, I am turning away and cutting off wanting reassurance of my worth from the lustful ways men look at me.

…Heart, Jesus lives in me, and because worth is something we wear for identity, I turn my heart to find the reassurance, worth, and fulfilment I need because of the presence of God with me here.

…Because we receive the promise of the Spirit by faith (Gal 3:14), I set my heart to treasure believing God’s desire to draw near. God made me needy, but He doesn’t want me to have to depend on sin and idolatry so He will not hold back from coming to me abundantly. 

…When I open up to God, I am presenting my filth and all that feels unclean in and around me. It is right for me to open up to the radiance around God with playfully childlike faith so that God’s presence can draw near to me here. By my faith, that believes God comes freely, He is better able to be God to me and I am less apt to be drawn away by sin.

…Heart, do not fear the closeness of God because His presence is what burns the evil and crushes it under my feet. When I feel fear about the closeness of God, I will NOT hold back. By faith, I set my filth before You so you can wash it and burn it off of me. Rather than hold back, I run to you with joy so I can hide myself in Your holy radiance coming down onto me, and all around me God.

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to deny or hide from how much I hurt inside. By faith, in the God who freely draws near me, the Lord is the God who soothes me, not other things.

…I turn away from having to ease my pain by hurting myself with sexual sin or wanting it. When being tempted, I present my body and the temptation before God so that His Kingdom can come down onto it, and He can burn away the evil and the temptation. Thank You God that I can put on the armor of Light in order to avoid the lusts of the flesh (Rom. 13:12-14).

…I am turning my heart to love with faith, that the closeness of God’s power is here with me. Heart, the reassurance I need is coming from the presence of God that I am believing is with me here. I love that God wraps Himself around me; He is “The God who girds me with strength…” (Ps. 18:32). And, heart, when God girds me, it is saying His strength surrounds me completely. 

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to make myself hide or hold back from God by putting myself down. Heart, Jesus paid the price for my fallenness, and I am turning to trust the punishment He suffered on my behalf. The Lord is my God, not myself. When I am afraid, by childlike faith in God’s grace to draw near me, I hide myself in His presence around me here. Oh, Lord God, I trust in You, not how well I can cower and hide when punishing myself.

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to hide behind a personality that makes people think of me as being tough. I turn my soul to trust and reassure myself with the Lord and His strength drawing close to me here.

…Heart, when I turn away from faith in myself to be the security and strength I need, I am given the right to expect without any doubt that God will draw near. By listening to myself make bold and joyful declarations I am rejoicing my way into feeling childlike and having freedom and faith that I can depend on God to draw near abundantly.

…Heart, because of the nearness of God’s holiness upon and around me, I don’t have to stay in bondage to worldly things or sin; I don’t have to live under demonic pressure to stay in darkness. The nearness of God is my strength, “On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God” (Psa.. 62:7). He is “The God who girds me with strength…” (Ps. 18:32). By faith in God’s desire to be God to me, I am turning away from self-protection and entrusting myself to faith. It says to the kingdom of heaven belongs to the children (Matt. 19:14); it also says to delight yourself in abundance (Isa. 55:1-2), so I set my heart to believe with the delight of a child that God is drawing near and that His presence and kingdom are being given abundantly and are near to me here. 

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to soothe myself when people shun and tease me. I turn from having to punish them for what they do wrong. I forgive them for trying to hurt me, and I turn and open myself to letting God draw near to me here. Heart, there is nothing greater that I could ever depend on than God. So I present my fear before the Lord so that His holiness can cleanse me of it. Heart, I have nothing else to depend on but the presence of God and His goodness near to me here.    

…I repent of wishing I could be more attractive and beautiful than those around me. I cut off wanting to depend on how much they esteem and honor me. I turn away from wanting to depend on the approval I get from them because the nearness of God and His holiness around me is what I long for!

…More and more, I am turning to God so I can put my trust in His abundant grace for drawing near. I set my heart to rejoice in the truth until I can open up with freedom and receive God’s presence abundantly (Isa. 55:1-2).

…Heart, I don’t have to put my faith in “works” in order to draw near and drink from the river of God’s delights (Ps. 36:7-9). By faith in the coming of God’s Kingdom, I am taking refuge inside God’s beauty and majesty upon and around me here.

…When I trust God to draw near abundantly enough for me to abide in His holiness and strength, the Holy Spirit becomes my helper and God keeps me from stumbling (John 15:4; John 16:1)!

…Heart, “…Around God is awesome majesty” (Job 37:22); and, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth” (Ps. 50:2). And, true believers, “…are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:22); So, I declare to my heart that I am turning to love being able to say with confidence, “O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house And the place where Your glory dwells” (Ps. 26:8).

…To make my abiding more steady, I am turning to playfully enjoy the nearness of God and His Kingdom around me as what identifies and protects me. More and more I am turning my heart to trust God’s closeness as what makes me worthy, not myself, or what other people think of me. I am turning to make the nearness of God and the Kingdom of Heaven around me, to be my greatest treasure and delight. 

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

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to be insecure about my femininity because it is the closeness of God who is my beauty, my perfection. I am turning to trust that God is drawing near intensely because no earthly “god” is enough for me. In the words of the Bible, God wants to be my refuge (Deut. 32:37-38), strength (Hab 1:11), and glory (Jer. 2:11-13). And, God doesn’t want me to have to depend on other things, so to make Him my God in each of these areas, He lets me open up and drink from the radiant glory in Heaven around Him (Psa 36:7-9; Jer. 17:5-8; Jer. 2:11-13).

…Heart, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psa 46:1). So I am reminding my heart that my soul and my body are “satisfied” when, by faith, I enjoy the greatness of God’s presence and His heavenly “sanctuary” around me here (Ps. 63:1-2, 5). By this, I can be intentional to enjoy the nearness of God as my confidence, security, and worth.

…Heart, I am turning from depending on my self, other poeple, and sin because the Lord is my God, and His presence satisfies me. I am turning to open up with faith so I can more freely receive an abundance of His love, presence, and Kingdom upon and around me, more and more. 

…I rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to punish myself for the harassment others give me. I delight that I don’t have to hide from God when people make me feel dirty. Lord, I turn and face toward You because You are the one who washes me and makes me clean.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to demand that I perform well enough to always please others. I delight that I don’t have to punish myself when I fall short of their expectations. God is my hope of being able to quench my thirsty soul, not other people. When I fail or make a mistake, I do not hide from God. I also do not hide from God, the shaming accusations I feel from people, or demons. By faith, I present my failures, mistakes, and the accusations before God so that the coming of His holiness and perfection can wash me clean of it all.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to be afraid of being harassed and teased by God; others may do that, but God does not. I am turning my heart to love that I can trust God to come to me so I can hide myself in Him. Heart, it is far safer to be near than far away. God is the refuge of comfort that soothes my hurts.

…I grab my soul and I turn it away from having to feed on earthly things. Jesus died to give me access so that I can come to the Father and drink from the greatness of God’s power and glory close to me here (Ps. 63:1-2, 5).

…Heart, it is right to trust that I am to draw near to God, by faith that He is drawing near to me here so He can wash my humanity clean (Heb. 10:19, 22; James 4:8). So, I rest into loving and enjoying that the closeness of God is cleansing my humanity. Instead of staying in bondage to the world, the thirst of my body and soul is “satisfied” by faith that God’s power and glory are near to me and all around me here (Ps. 63:1-2, 5).

…I repent of wanting to stay away from God when I am hurting or feel put down because of others. Heart, God comforts His people by His nearness so I am turning my heart to be open to the radiance around God and am trusting He is coming to me here because “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). I don’t have to hide from God because my “…God…comforts the depressed…” (2 Cor. 7:6). He is “…the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3).

…Heart, God has “…called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). God has called us out of the darkness that is in the world because of the evil in the air (Eph. 2:2); He has also called us into the place of abiding that stays in His marvelous Light.

…I am turning my heart toward faith that lets me treasure that I can drink from God because of the radiance around Him. Heart, “…God is Light…” (1 John 1:5); “…He wraps himself in light as with a garment;” (Ps. 104:1,2 NIV); and, “…if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light…the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7).

…Heart, the Lord is my Light and I welcome God’s presence that shines from Him. I set my heart to enjoy with freedom the faith that embraces the grace of God that lets me “walk in” the cleansing and strong radiance that pours out from all around God.

…Heart, it is the strength and initiative of my believing and enjoying the closeness of God’s power and glory that keeps me feeding on God and being refreshed by God. By faith in the death of Christ and His payment, God gives me access into the throne room so I can present my body before Him, here.

…Heart, I am turning to trust that my eyes are looking at God and His radiant presence with me here. 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); So, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. For 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. 27:3-5).    

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to be envious of the physical strength of a man or the relational dominance that women flaunt sometimes. I am cutting off a heart that makes the human power of others into an idol that I envy with awe and praise. Instead of that, I am turning my heart to love the closeness of God’s strength and power Lord because by boldly childlike faith I can “…we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken…” (Heb. 12:28), and by this, “I … become a marvel to many; for You are my strong refuge” (Psa. 71:7).  

…Heart, I can say with joyfully bold confidence that “I love You, O Lord, my strength” (Psa. 18:1); “O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary… God… Himself gives strength and power to the people…” (Psa. 68:35). So heart, because I am “directing” away from idolatry and toward childlike freedom in my faith, I am finding I can open up to God with gratitude about receiving the Kingdom of Heaven with angels around me here (Heb. 12:22-24, 28). Instead of idolizing the human power and strength others possess, I am saying about the nearness of God’s presence that “The Lord is my strength…and I will praise Him…” (Exo. 15:2).

Page 19: Works to Grace for Women

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

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to agree to wear labels of being undesirable. Heart, God is my desire, and His desire is for me. I turn away from thoughts and feelings of fear about my not being enough. I bind the power of the demonic to push feelings of inadequacy onto me because my “…adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5);  “…The Lord is my God” (Zech.. 13:9); “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God (2 Cor. 3:4-5).

…Lord, I put my faith in believing I am before You. I open myself to You and welcome Your Kingdom and presence around me here because only by this can I say, “I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!” (Psa. 91:2); and, “…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). Thank You God that by receiving Your presence with me, the holiness of Your nearness upon me, helps me to live “uprightly.”

…I love that God’s holiness coming onto me from His radiance is powerful enough to burn away my filth and any filth of the demonic anywhere near me here. The more I treasure and praise the power of your holiness, the more I believe Your Word and by that the more I am able to receive and experience the benefits of Your presence with me God! Heart, “…God is Light…” (1 John 1:5) And, “…if we walk in the Light…the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us…” (1 John 1:7). “…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). 

…Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to hide from fears about my being unclean and untouchable by God. I expose my fears to You, Lord, and I present all that is causing my fear before You for cleansing. Heart, enjoy and rejoice that God is safer than the demons keeping me afraid. God is cleansing me of demonic pressure be afraid. It is right for me to trust and enjoy that the holiness of God is pouring over my uncleanness right now. I am saying it again: “…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); “…I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!’” (Psa. 91:1,2); “…none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned” (Psa. 34:22).

…Heart, God wants me to seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:33). So I am determined to hear and enjoy the truth God longs to be close and touch me with His cleansing presence because He wants me to enjoy His holiness. I submit to this truth and turn from fear. I delight to draw near to God by trusting Him to draw near and wash my hands and my heart (James 4:8); I take refuge in the presence of God by loving the radiance that pours out from the fountain of God.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to agree with pressures to feed myself with how sophisticated and deserving of honor I think I am. I am telling my heart to love and treasure the nearness of God as my importance. My importance does not come from anything about me! I feed myself with loving the greatness of Your nearness, God! I am turning away from the glory and honor that come from people. Heart, for me, “…his praise is not from men, but from God” (Rom. 2:29); so, heart, be bold about playfully enjoying the nearness of God enough to “…glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3);

…I set my heart to believe and enjoy applying the truth in God’s Word: “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters…and delight yourself in abundance” (Isa. 55:1-2); “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:14); so, to receive more, I am telling myself to worship God with “delight” about the “abundance” of God’s presence and Kingdom coming to me here.

…Heart, rejoice in the truth that I don’t have to look at other Christians and their seeming lack of desire to seek His face so that God can heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14). “…He has not despised…the afflicted; neither has He hidden His face from him…” (Ps. 22:24); “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). So, I repent of agreeing with pressure to lose hope about abiding by receiving the Kingdom of Heaven like a child (Mark 10:15; Ps. 36:7-9). God has given me a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

…I repent of self-protection that keeps me holding back from hope about standing before Him as a kingdom priest (2 Chron. 29:11; Rev. 5:10). “The eternal God is a dwelling place…” (Deut. 33:27); “…I have hope in Him.” (Lam. 3:24).

…Heart, I am turning to make the nearness of God my security and well-being. So, I turn and put my hope in You Lord not in other people or how well they value abiding. David set the Lord continually before him, and that kept him safe. He said, “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely” (Psa. 16:8-9).

…By faith, whether others are with me in it or not, I am trusting God is near to me and that His radiance is on me, here. I am telling my heart to believe with faith and delight, that God is before me and that my eyes are on You Lord: “Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, / As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, / So our eyes look to the Lord our God, / Until He is gracious to us” (Ps. 123:2). With joy and confident hope, I set my eyes to keep looking at You, Lord. 

 …Heart, rejoice that I don’t have to try to be someone else because that is NOT what will make me measure up. God is the standard, and it is God who justifies me. Heart, God wants to be near to me and be God to me here. God in me makes me acceptable for eternity, and God around me makes my flesh feel worthy. Only God measures up, and I put my trust in Your nearness to me here, Lord.

… I repent of wanting to be small enough to disappear. I repent of wanting to fit myself into a smaller area in order to hide. The Lord is my refuge and I hide myself in Your presence around me, Lord. God, “You are my hiding place and my shield…” (Psa. 119:114). “…my rock and my fortress.” (Psa. 71:3); “…You are my refuge in the day of disaster.” (Jer. 17:17); heart, “…The word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (2 Sam 22:31); “…the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psa. 34:8).

…I am boldly declaring the truth so my heart can believe and experience God’s presence more fully. I am saying with confidence of God that “…You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength…[I am trusting You to] let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings…” (Psa. 61:3-4). I love that God’s glory is so great and that by the radiance that pours out from Him all the time, the Living Holy Spirit is coming to me in fresh and new ways, more and more intensely.

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