Blessings, Poverty, and Sickness

"But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day" (Deuteronomy 8:18).

After affirming this Bible verse, I am reminded that God has given me the ability to become wealthy, that I need not suffer in poverty. That poverty, sickness, and foolishness are due to having a lack of faith and are not from God.

God is not the author of human suffering as many believe. Instead, He is the author of human blessings. That is why God encourages us to pray for blessings and believe that the blessings will occur.

Permanent poverty is a condition of hopelessness, just as permanent sickness is. There is nothing good about poverty or sickness. If you find yourself in the situation of poverty or sickness, it is best to begin praying, affirming God's Word, and working your butt off to get out of the situation.

Indeed, God has given me the ability to be wealthy. Not only that, but the ability to partake of other blessings.

Faith is the Metaphysical Force developed by certain Exercises

"And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:16).

Upon affirming this Bible verse, I understand that faith is the metaphysical force or energy within and around every living thing. Faith can be likened to the Force described in the movie "Star Wars," which gives the Jedi Masters supernatural powers.

The stronger my faith becomes, the abler I am to accomplish an objective. This objective could be good health, wealth, relationships, or other blessings. Faith is the metaphysical force behind success and living the good life.

Faith is like a muscle. For faith to be strong, certain exercises must be done regularly. These exercises comprise of prayer or affirmations. The more I pray or affirm something to be true, the better chance it will become true.

Just as a Jedi Master must do certain exercises to develop the Force, I must do certain exercises to develop my faith (metaphysical force).

Communication and Prayer contribute to Good Health

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

After affirming this, my awareness of communication and prayer regarding healing is increased. I am now aware that communication is vital to providing a harmonious workplace and home life, thereby contributing to good health. Also, I am aware that prayer is vital to providing a harmonious mind-set, thereby contributing to good health.

The communication of my faults, frustrations, and other troubles to a trusted friend is a good way of easing my mind, thereby creating a sense of equilibrium. A mind-set of equilibrium leads to good health, since stress is alleviated.

Saying a prayer for others as well as myself is a good way to keep my mind positive, thereby creating a sense of joy. A mind-set of joy leads to good health, since joy creates healthful chemical reactions within the body.

Indeed, communication and prayer contribute significantly to good health.

Prayer gives you Power over Circumstances

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).

After affirming this Bible verse, I feel myself being filled with power, power to direct my life in a positive direction. Having power is essential to living a successful life. It is important to have power over circumstances or else circumstances can swallow you up.

As sons of God, we need to connect to God via prayer. Just as a cell phone needs to be recharged regularly, we need to be recharged via prayer. Prayer equals power.

There is a connection between mind and body as well as among mind, behavior, and circumstances. Since prayer alters the mind, the other factors also get altered: body, behavior, and circumstances.

That is what mind over matter means - mind over body, behavior, and circumstances.

Faith is a Force

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

After affirming this Bible verse, I understand that faith is a force that builds a bridge from where I am now to where I hope to be in the future. Faith is a very important force that I must use to direct my life. Without faith, it is very difficult to direct my life.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. In other words, I have to believe something will come to pass first, then I will see it manifest in my physical reality later. I have to believe that I can achieve my goals first, then I will achieve them later.

Faith begins from the invisible and intangible, and ends with the visible and tangible.

Many of the best self-help books regarding success emphasize the importance of faith. Books such as "The Secret," "Think and Grow Rich," and "The Magic of Believing" emphasize the importance of faith in achieving goals.

Though faith is an invisible force, its impact on success is essential and can never be overestimated.

Mind, Environment, and God's Word

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2).

After affirming this Bible verse, I feel my mind transforming into a more positive mind-set. The transforming of my mind is more inwardly driven rather than outwardly driven.

A person's mind is usually molded by his environment (e.g., television, radio, family, friends, coworkers, economic condition, neighborhood, and so on). If the person's environment is positive, his mind-set becomes positive. If the person's environment is negative, his mind-set becomes negative.

Given this, the person is at the mercy of outside forces and really does not have any free will at all. He is a mere puppet.

I, on the other hand, am immune to the effects of my environment, since my mind is molded from within. The force within me is God's Word. As long as I affirm God's Word regularly, my mind will be molded accordingly.

God's Word contains significant power.

Impossibilities and Possibilities

"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize that there is no firm barrier between what is possible and impossible. In fact, the barrier is blurry and fuzzy, with "impossibilities" becoming possibilities often enough.

Humans may have limits to what they can do, but God does not. Therefore, if I connect myself to God, then I do not have any limitations. Connecting myself to God enables me to turn "impossibilities" into possibilities.

I no longer have to be mired in the frustrations of my shortcomings. I can transform my shortcomings into long-comings. I can transform "impossibilities" into possibilities.