Personal Revival: The Sanctification Process - The Bible 1. (6 Part Series)

Personal Revival: Sanctifying Yourself:

I have been given a unique opportunity—a space in time to spend with God—so I have decided to discipline myself into becoming more like him and less like the world. This means having to kick out the old man (unrenewed sinful/carnal nature) and begin a renewed lifestyle of service for God. He has given me a strategy for this pathway with key elements to direct my steps. One of these key elements is reading or listening to the word of God. The Word of God is the foundation stone where everything else is built upon.


Personal Revival: Your Sword - The Bible

If you want to hear from God, then you need to read your word. If you want to hear from the Holy Spirit, read your word. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the word of God. The Bible is the foundation stone on which our relationship is built. The Holy Spirit highlights the importance of reading your word (bible) so that it becomes implanted into your heart. Jeremiah speaks of a new covenant written on the tablets of our hearts, which is echoed by Paul to the church in Corinth. (2Corin 3:3).

The Holy Spirit gave me a strategy of placing this in action by the use of wireless headphones so I can listen to the Bible on YouTube with Max Mclean, who narrates from the KJV. I would not usually choose the KJV when it comes to Bible preferences, but I like his dramatic expression combined with his soothing yet authoritative undertones.

It draws you into the story and gives you a snapshot of what it was like in the lives of those who lived during that period of time. It’s easier for me to listen to the Bible rather than try to sit still and keep focused enough to read it. There are many benefits to Bible narration, but it also comes with minor issues, as he has already revealed that when you are listening, it can affect other spiritual senses. So my advice is to not listen through the entire day or as you sleep, as this has an effect on your spiritual sight. (visions)

With that in mind, I have listened to the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation in 8 days, and I’m just going through it again. I can listen while I’m doing everyday tasks and also during my workout at the gym. There are times when I am not always attentive, but my spirit man is, so it feeds my spirit man and makes it strong as those narrated words begin to be transferred onto the tablet of my heart. The Holy Spirit can then bring up any scripture to mind as a word in season for someone or/and when necessary.

I'm a part of an international Christian ministry, and this morning we had a guest speaker at our service who has teaching and prophetic gifts. She asked us to bring to mind Bible verses that reflect who we believe we are in Christ. I had no problems with doing this, as the entire Bible is already planted in my heart through the training that the Holy Spirit has been taking me through. Right now I am listening to the Book of Judges. This is the second time going through from Genesis to Revelation within a period of two weeks. I am on 1 Chronicles now and going through the Bible the eighth time. I will continue in this manner and have a two-week break each time until the Lord tells me to stop. Glory!


Angelina 19/06/2024

Personal Revival: Spending Time With God In Prayer:

I have always been a person of prayer, but this is a little different. Spending time with him is not a repetitive or ritualistic type of prayer, nor is it speaking in tongues or warfare or intercessory prayer, but rather a daily two-sided conversation with the Lord, sometimes with the Father and other times, the Holy Spirit, depending on the circumstances.

Yes, there is a time when you would go into your prayer closet, but I am not referring to that kind of prayer. It’s about having a conversation with your best friend in the same room. So I wake up early every morning, repenting and asking for forgiveness for any sinful way in me, particularly any unforgiveness that I may harbour in my heart toward anyone. I am an open book before the Lord.

The bible says, Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Unforgiveness can fester in our hearts over time or within a day, so I spend some time dealing with my heart and crucifying my flesh in prayer. I then pray for my family and friends. Some of those friends are here on this forum.

Sometimes God gets me to pray for other people, and other times he wakes me up and gives me a vision so I can pray into a situation. Sometimes it's a quickening of the spirit, and I will ask someone near me if they would like prayer. There have been situations where I have met people while shopping, and I can see that they have problems walking, they do not look well, or the Holy Spirit gives me a nudge or prompts me, so I will ask if I could pray for them, and most of the time people agree, so I will pray for them right there. I am not ashamed to do things that will bless others, particularly through prayer. So I try to take every opportunity in the Lord to pray when situations arise.

Prayer opens the channels of communication between you and God in the heavenly realms. It enables you to have clear direction each day. It is not about you telling the Lord what plans you have in a day and asking him to bless it; it’s about the Lord giving you instructions for each day as you listen and obey his will. Things can change rapidly, as:"Man plans his way, but God directs his steps." (Prov 16-9) Blessings!


Angelina 15/06/2024

Personal Revival: Praise And Worship 3.

Worship God With All Your Might And Give Him Praise And Glorify His Name With a Thankful Heart.

In the O/T, Jehoshaphat placed the singers in the front of the armies and as they praised the God of Israel, the Lord God went out before them, confused their enemies, and they destroyed themselves. (2 Chronicles 20:21)

In the N/T, Jesus, the Son of God, triumphantly entered the city of Jerusalem riding on a colt; the Bible says,

“and the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! The Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples. Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” [Luke 19:36:40]

Similar to prayer. Worship opens the doors of heaven and brings down the presence and the glory of the Lord, who inhabits the praises of his people. (Psalms 22:3) and we are his people.

I have found that when I worship before praying, the anointing comes down very quickly, and the presence of God is tangible as I pray for others or a situation or whatever I am led to pray for. Particularly when there are two or more prayers. matthew 18:20

One night my friends and I were walking to a night service at our church. At the time there were a lot of complaints in my area about roaming, vicious dogs that owners were allowing to roam around the streets at night. This night my friends and I were set upon by a number of growling dogs. Then I started to sing and worship the Lord. My friends were trying to tell me to stop because it seemed to be antagonizing the dogs but I kept singing until one of them let out a yelp and they all turned and ran away Lol!

The Bible tells us in Colossians 3:16 that we are to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God”. The Word of God is linked to praising and worshipping him.

After many decades of worship leading, I know how important it is for us to set aside time in the day just to praise Jesus, to worship him, to give him the glory, and to thank him for everything he has done in our lives. selah! Psalm 40:3, Psalm 71:8, Psalm 149:6

So whether corporate (in a church environment or gathering) or as individual members in Christ, "Praise and worship" is another key element in our spiritual growth in Christ. Praise Jesus!


Angelina

Written 16/06/2024

Personal Revival: Gathering Together and Build Each Other Up In the Most Holy Faith

Another important element of my personal revival walk is to gather together with other believers. I am not a member of any particular church however, I am involved in a very anointed ministry where we gather every month and sometimes I lead the worship team. I am also involved in a number of prayer groups and get together with my Christian friends on a regular basis. When I am in another city, I usually visit a particular church that my family is involved in.

Although the CyB forum is not a church and may lack some elements of getting to know each other, it does, however, help to be connected with brethren from a multitude of denominations and beliefs.

I have found that when you do go to church or any type of christian gathering, it gives you the opportunity to exercise your gifts, for example praying for each other, prophecy or a word in season. It helps to encourage one another and build each other up and opens opportunities to socialize and create some long term Godly relationships.

Sometimes the church may have prayer groups, house groups, night services, food kitchens, child care services, youth outreaches, healing nights - All these doors can give the believer a chance to fellowship and to freely give to others

Gathering together teaches us to remember that we are a family in Christ Jesus, it gives us the opportunity to hear what God is saying to us personally and corporately through the preaching of the word which equips us with keys, understand, knowledge and wisdom on how to walk in these uncertain times.

So also faith, builds up our inner man because it comes from hearing and hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17).

Hebrews 10:23-25 says: :Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."Glory!


Angelina 17/06/2024

Personal Revival: Your Body Is A Vessel And Is Holy Because The Holy Spirit Dwells Within You 5.

The Bible tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corin 3:16, 6:19-20) and as such, we should be taking care of it just as Moses and the tribe of Levi facilitated and maintained the tabernacle, which housed the ark of God while they lived in the wilderness and even later on when the ark was housed in a more permanent establishment. The ark of God (Ark of the Covenant) is likened to the Godhead (the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) dwelling with us as believers.

I go to my local gym at least four times a week so that I can get on the road to being physically fit. This requires discipline, and sometimes I just don’t feel like going to the gym, but God reminds me that I need to be consistent because it will eventually bear fruit.

(Hebrews 12: 11 AMP) says "For the time being, no discipline brings joy but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."⁣.

Paul also says in (1Corin 9:27 AMP)
But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified" [as unfit for service].

I have also changed my eating habits to a healthier eating regime and monitor what I eat on a daily basis. This also requires discipline, and sometimes I just want to go out and eat whatever I want, but I don't because God has set out a pathway that I am determined to follow through.

Exercise and monitoring my food intake have been a process within itself, but I am fitter and healthier than I have ever been for a long time and able to do things I couldn’t do since joining. I like the idea of redeeming my time, so I use this opportunity at the gym to listen to the word of God via wireless headphones while working out. Have a blessed day!


Angelina 28/06/2024

Personal Revival: Fasting (Last But Not Least). The Most Important Elements Of Sanctifying Yourself.

I have never been the type of Christian that fasted as an essential part of my Christian walk with God. Possibly because it was never preached in my church growing up as a new believer, nor was it ever expounded on in general. I always believed that fasting was reserved mainly for ministers and leaders in the church. I did fast 12 days once just because someone mentioned at work that you could only live for a week without food and three days without water. I wanted to bust that old wive’s tale and fasted to see if he was correct, but he wasn’t. I was still alive after twelve days. Then I decided I had better eat because I would have continued on otherwise. As a young Christian, I had fasted for 3 days on a number of occasions for prayer and direction, but it was more like trying to win a marathon and get over the finish line rather than fighting the good fight of faith and being in communion with God since my whole focus was on what I was going to eat when I finished.

Looking ahead to the present day, I decided that I needed to fast as a number of serious issues had arisen that required me to fervently seek God through prayer and fasting. Prayers, which were urgently needed. intercessory prayer for my family, friends, and also for my own personal direction and purpose in God.

A good friend once told me that “fasting forces him to pray more, and prayer combined with fasting gets God's attention, so it’s more like entering into better obedience.". The Bible speaks of a time when the disciples of Jesus could not cast out a specific spirit (Mark 9:24–29), which can only be cast out through prayer and fasting. So prayer and fasting are powerful tools when dealing with certain unclean spirits.

Fasting is a way of depriving your body by abstaining from food or drink for a specific period of time (in my case, 3 days) so that you can draw closer to God. This is also a good opportunity to abstain from various forms of addictions at the same time, as it has a way of canceling each other out.

The bible tells us in Matthew 4:4 that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Fasting requires a purpose, which you may want to write down so that you can focus on your objectives. (An example)

My Purpose:
1. To draw closer to God, enabling me to clearly hear and discern his leading and direction.
2. To Pray for the immediate needs and divine intervention of my family
3. To pray for the immediate needs and divine intervention for specific members of my friends
4. Pray for personal direction and for ministry.

Create clear, concise strategies to help you keep on track without wasting any valuable time, like scrolling through the internet or mindless activities that are not productive.


Key elements to keep yourself focused while fasting (An example)

Prayer:
I have been getting up every morning at 3am for months now, so it’s not a difficult thing for me to pray as it has become a good habit. You can also pray for those specific needs you are seeking God for at any time during the day. I have kept these various prayer times separate because my early morning prayer time with the Lord is a set time I spend with him anyway. Prayer spent for my specific purpose of fasting is done many times during my fasting days. This is also a good time to put on the armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10–18, which is another thread entirely. This is because the enemy does not want you to be free in anyway or for you to help others through prayer and being obedient to God to fasting, so he will work on your flesh to try to stop you from spending that quality time with God.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 tells us;
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Worship:
Spending time worshipping God or listening to worship music. It sets the tone for an open heaven to pray as you give God the praise and glory for all the wonderful things he has done and for all the blessings and good things he has given us. Worship is a form of sacrifice of praise to God. I have an hour-long worship playlist on YouTube that I listen to or I will just sing out loud to him or pick up my guitar with praise on my lips
John 4:24 says
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Reading the Bible.
I am an avid Bible reader, or should I say, I listen to Max Mclean, who is a Bible narrator, reading from the KJV. Wonderful smooth, rich vocals, very dramatic in his articulation of scripture as he walks you through the old and new testament. I do this as I sometimes have difficulty with small print, which is most of my bibles. I spend at least an hour, sometimes 2 hours, just listening to the word of God per day. The bible tells us in Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Keeping physically active.
There is always something to do around the house. I have a list of things that need my attention, including things to do inside, i.e., cooking, cleaning, laundry, fixing things, preserving summer fruit and vegetables, making meals for the week for the freezer, etc., and also on my property, i.e., gardening, pruning trees, picking vegetables, trimming hedges, mowing the lawns, etc. Other activities could include fellowshiping with other believers, doing a Bible study, or creating a support group to help you keep your mind focused on your objectives. Walking and praying on a daily basis and things that keep your mind occupied. I had decided not to go to the gym during my fasting days because I did not want to feel faint or cause any kind of injury for lack of energy while using any of the workout machines. These activities also include doing groceries. I kept away from people while fasting, as I do not wish to offend anyone as I wrestle with bringing my body into submission to Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:27 says -27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Combining Those 4 Key Elements To Keep Focused For 24 Hours

Using the idea of a 24-hour time period and removing 6 hours for the hours I would personally need to sleep (this will depend on each individual), leaves 17 hours for those 4 key elements above.

Divide those hours into 4 equal parts with one hour free. This leaves an hour per day for each of those key elements, four times per day. Prayer, worship, Bible reading, and keeping active. Allowing an hour for unforeseen situations.

Having a strategy to keep focused is a good idea, particularly when we can get distracted easily and sometimes lose sight of our objective. You can also use this 24-hour model for each day of your fasting period. One specific thing I noticed was when you are doing some of these things anyway, the transition between the flesh and the Spirit is not a big leap. I could have stopped fasting on the second day because I received the answers I was requesting from the Lord, but I finished the whole three days out anyway. Glory!

May the Lord bless you as you endeavour to draw closer to him in the mighty name of Jesus!

Be Blessed


Angelina 01/03/2025