The word of God is one of the greatest treasures any believer can have. The word of God is your life, your hope, and the essence of your living. However, the word of God works only when we lay hold on to it. There is a way to ‘work’ the word to see it become a reality in your life. I will show you five ways to lay hold of the word and make it your reality.
5 WAYS TO WORK GOD’S WORD:
- RECEPTION:
The first thing to do with God’s word is to receive the word in your spirit. It is not enough to listen and hear the word; you must open up your heart and spirit and accept it as God’s word directed personally to you. Proverbs 2:1 talks about “receiving my words.” Receiving God’s word is the first condition to benefit from God’s word. It is only the word that you receive or accept that will change you. To receive is to come into possession of something; to receive is to admit or to permit something into your life. To receive the word is to give the word a place in your heart. It is to see yourself in the pages of the scripture.
The Greek translation of the word “receive” is lambano, which means to lay claim and take a thing to use it. For example, When the Bible speaks of healing in 1 Peter 2:24b, He says, “By whose stripes ye were healed.” To Lambano this word, you must claim it as your own word. You must begin to see yourself as healed, even when you feel or experience otherwise. When you Lambano this word, You know it in your heart like you know your name that you can never be sick! I am already healed! Glory to God!
- STORAGE:
Your heart is designed to be the treasury of God’s word. Just like money is stored in the bank, God’s word should be kept in your heart. The primary function of our spirit is to bank on God’s word. We don’t read the word to address problems; we read it to store it in our hearts. When you receive the word, the next thing to do with it is to keep it in your heart. Don’t let it go; hide it in your heart. The Psalmist said, your word have I hidden in my heart (Psalm 119:11).
How do you hide God’s word in your heart? Let’s learn from Mary in Luke 2:19. The Bible said that Mary kept all these things in her heart and often thought about them (NLT). Mary treasured the things happening in her life and held onto them. She did not dismiss it as either a coincidence or a mere occurrence. She valued it, and so she kept it in her heart. To hide the word in your heart is to regard it highly. It is to elevate the word above every other thought or experience. Anything you do not appreciate or consider as important, you will never treasure in your heart.
- MEDITATION:
Meditation is staying on the word and setting your heart on the word to gain wisdom and understanding. To meditate is to tune your heart and direct your attention to the word you have already stored in your heart, no matter the business around you. Meditating on the word is one way to train your powers of discernment. Meditation enables you to seize and possess (Katalambano, greek translation) a word. Meditation is to roll over a particular scripture in your heart repeatedly. It is not glancing or merely going over the scripture. It is akin to the practice of chewing the cud by ruminants.
Ruminants are animals with a special compartment in their stomach to store food eaten. After a while, they regurgitate the stored food and chew it again. These animals lie down for a long time to do nothing but chew the cud. They do it to get the most nutrient out of the food. Like the ruminants, learn to chew the cud of the word of God. Don’t be in a hurry to go to another part of the scripture; stay on one word until understanding comes. Devote 30 minutes of your day to meditate, chew the cud of God’s word, and watch what happens to your life. While driving, working, doing the laundry, and cooking, have one scripture to chew upon. Keep your attention on that scripture until the Holy Ghost opens it up to you.
- CONFESSION/DECLARATION:
When God instructed Joshua to meditate on the word in Joshua 1:8, a part stood out to me. He said, “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth,” meaning that the word of God is intended not just to be read and meditated upon; we are to speak it out! We are to declare it! We are to confess it! You must learn to give voice to the word of God in your life. Don’t just receive it and believe it; declare it! Reading out the scripture was the practice and custom of the Jews; they usually read it before the people’s assembly. Deut 11:18-19 talks about the tradition of speaking the word while sitting, lying, or even walking on the way. Why? Because God’s kingdom is a kingdom of words. We make war with our words.
Declaring the word is giving permission or consent to the word in your life. One proof that you believe God’s word is that you speak it out and confess it with your mouth (2 Cor 4:13). You don’t keep mute! You talk the word! God has given you the authority as his legislative assembly on earth to decree a word, which shall be established. Do you have a daily confession or declaration that you make? If not, go and get one from God’s word.
- PRAYING THE WORD:
This part is non-negotiable. The primary way to get the word into your spirit is by praying the word. By praying the word, you make the word part of you. You incorporate the word into your very essence, and it becomes a part of your subconscious. It becomes an involuntary response to every situation you face. There is no better way to pray in line with God’s will than to pray God’s word. The Bible tells us that when we pray in accordance with his will, he hears us (1 John 5:14-15). So praying the word is a sure way to answered prayers. You get results every time you pray the word. Pa Hagin said, “The minute you get scriptural, things happen.”
Finally, make the word your experience by receiving, storing, meditating, declaring, and praying the word. You are sure to have good success and make your way prosperous!
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