My Declaration starts with Biblical premises. Truths about both God and myself on which to base my declaration. Following are three about God.

• God is Merciful - Psalms 103:8, Ephesians 2:4, Lamentations 3:21-23
• God is Powerful - Genesis 18:14, Psalms 24:8, Luke 18:27, Revelation 19:6
• God gives me songs in the night. This could be literal night time and/or a dark time in my life - Job 35:9-10, Psalms 42:8, Acts 16:25 and one of my favorite passages in which God sings over me! Zephaniah 3:17

And three about me.

• I am deeply loved - Ephesians 3:16-19, Romans 8:35-39
• I am rescued/protected from darkness - Colossians 1:13-15, Ephesians 6:12-18, 2 Peter 1:11
• I am completely forgiven - Psalms 103:10-12, Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 2:12

Feel free to develop some that have particular meaning for you in your current situation.

How many times have you made New Year's resolutions - or any other kind of resolution for that matter? How long did you manage to stick to the resolution. While some may have a level of self-discipline that keeps them on track, most don't. The biggest reason for failure if that we are focused on the behavior instead of the belief system that has worn a path in our brains where the electrical signals that control our behavior travel. You could call it a rut.

If you want to successfully change the behavior, you must change the way you think. Rewire your brain.

Our lives follow the direction of our strongest thoughts. If you want to go a different direction in your live, you must change your thoughts.

As with most anything we learn, having a good example is helpful. So, let's start with a review of the most clearly defined temptations Jesus faced and His reaction to them.

There are three recordings of this event.

Matthew 4:1-11

Mark mentions that this confrontation took place, but provides no details.

Luke 4:1-13

Notice how Jesus quotes scripture against the devil's temptations, aka lies on which he wanted Jesus to act.

Notice too, that the devil quickly started quoting scripture as well, twisting it and taking it out of context. 

There is a church growth program called Natural Church Development that is about 20 years old now and has had amazing success all over the globe. NCD has defined eight basic characteristics of a healthy church and have developed a survey for identifying the level of health for each of the characteristics. Once the survey results are compiled, they choose the characteristic with the worst score and work with the church to improve that one characteristic. 

It may be a church where all the scores are quite high, or a church whose scores are all quite low. It doesn't matter. They take the lowest one and focus on it.

What they've found is that rallying the church around improving that one characteristic inevitably improves the scores of all characteristics.

Ideally, this process is repeated periodically and again, whatever characteristic has the lowest score is the one that is tackled.

To Do:

Grab some tools:

• The most important: a prayer for the Holy Spirit's leading / guidance John 14:26
• Your Bible
• A  Bible concordance
• A Topical Bible reference

Consider the thought that most often defeats you. That thing that you tell yourself that makes you feel like a worm. David describes this feeling in Psalms 22:6 You are not alone in this.

Clearly define this lie / temptation so you can more easily recognize that this is not a message from your Creator.

Now start searching scripture for passages that counter this lie. Make a list.

Based on the references you've found, write a declaration against the thought that has been plaguing you.

You don't have to believe the declaration right now. Simply write it, repeat it, take note of everything the Holy Spirit brings to your remembrance; everything you read, sing, hear, experience that SUPPORTS your declaration.

Deliberately fight against - with your Bible based declaration - everything that doesn't support it. It's the devil trying to keep you down. Resist him! James 4:7

Admit you are at war. Put on the armor that protects you from darkness! Ephesians 6:10-18

Remember Paul - the Paul that wrote a lot of the New Testament? He was a master of positive self-talk. He could be bit by a viper and shake it off, stoned and left for dead, escape potential killers by being dropped over the wall in a basket, chained in prison and always his letters refer to the way God is helping him to spread the Gospel.

Perspective is everything. You may not be able to change your circumstances, You certainly can't change your history, but you can design a new perspective for yourself. 

There is a perspective story I like to tell. . .two groups competed in a race. The winning team loudly broadcasted their win. The loosing team announced they had come in second but their competition had ranked next to last. Both were factually true. Don't be afraid to spin your truthful declaration in a way that makes you smile when you pray it, say it, think about it and reject lies with it.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.