All right, welcome, welcome, welcome to the Power Hour.
Of course, this is where we are every Wednesday morning, and this is our opportunity.
For me, it's starting my week because, you know, Mondays and Tuesdays are off for me,
so it's like the first day of the week for me.
So I like to say start my week, but with prayer, and it's been so awesome just seeing as we
lift each other up with prayers right now for our parents, especially those that have
living parents, and praise, celebrating just the God winks and what God is doing.
And so every week we go through a promise.
This is part of being a Prosper Leader member.
And so every week we go through a promise, and then we hit the principles behind it,
and then we pray.
So we are working over these next days, we're working through the Prosper System, the P-R-O-S-P-E-R.
I wanted to go all the way through it, especially, you know, tomorrow when we're doing from pressure
to partnership.
I wanted to work through that because that is the format to experience this transformation.
So today we are in the R, okay?
And who knows what the R is in the Prosper System?
Who knows what the R is?
Anybody read the book, Total Soul Prosperity?
What is the R?
You can put it in the chat, or you could just say it.
Renew?
Yeah.
Renew?
Yeah.
Renew our mind.
So the first step that we did last week, P is partner with God, okay?
So the first step is coming into understanding that we're partners with God, and the R then
is you can partner with God.
And you know, I often think of the metaphor of, it's a historical, but also it's a metaphor
when you think about it, when God took the Jewish, when they were slaves in Egypt, and
God completely set them free, led them, you know, pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud
and their shoes didn't wear out and manna came down.
Like God set them free, provided, protected, did everything that God does.
But there was one thing that God can't do that we have to do in partnership with God,
and that is renew our mind.
And so, you know, they kept experiencing things that caused, you know, what would have been
just a seven or 11 day journey to be like 40 years, right?
And so today, as I talk about renewing the mind, I want to look at it from a really fresh
perspective.
And the perspective I want to look at is praying that the Lord opens our eyes, that the Lord
opens our eyes, that we walk in revelation knowledge.
Have you ever been so focused on a problem that you couldn't see a solution that was
actually right there?
We get so obsessed talking and thinking and looking and speaking about the problem that
we, it actually constricts our ability to see the solution that is right there.
So the prayer today is really going to be around open our eyes, because the first step,
awareness is the first step to transformation.
Awareness is the first step to transformation, and I think this story always hits me when
Abraham ended up casting Hagar and the son Ishmael out.
And you could read that whole story in Genesis.
Here they were in the wilderness, Hagar and Ishmael, and they had no water.
The container of water was running out and they had no water.
And Hagar was so focused on that, that she really felt like she was going to die.
And so she gave the little water to the son.
son and just was planning to die.
And scripture records something really interesting.
It was in Ishmael's prayer.
It says that Ishmael prayed, and God opened Hagar's eyes.
And she saw that right in front of her was a well.
Now, God didn't make that well.
He didn't dig that well right then.
The well was always there.
But she was so blinded by her beliefs and the problems,
she couldn't see the solution.
And so this is what I want to talk about when
we talk about renewing the mind.
So the promise that we're going to focus on is Romans 12, 2.
Romans 12, 2.
And so you guys can look that up.
We'll read it in different translations.
Anybody have Romans 12, 2?
And tell us what translation you're reading from.
Romans chapter 12, verse 2.
Right after the Gospels.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans.
OK, I have New King James Version.
And it says, and do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God.
Love that.
Do not be conformed, but be transformed.
Anybody else have a different one?
I do.
I have the New Living Translation,
and I've had small print.
Yeah.
And it says, do not copy the behavior and customs
of this world, but let God transform you
into a new person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God's will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Love that.
Here it is in the Amplified Translation.
And do not be conformed to this world
any longer with its superficial values and customs,
but be transformed and progressively changed
as you mature spiritually by the renewing of your mind
so you may prove for yourselves what the will of God
is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect
in his plan and purpose for you.
What jumps out for you in this verse?
I love that he has a perfect plan for us.
Yeah.
That I think we don't have to worry or be anxious
about anything, but just trusting that he
has a perfect plan in our life.
I love that.
Yeah.
This good, acceptable, perfect plan and purpose he has for you.
But then it says, so that you can know it,
so you can prove it.
So there's something to live that perfect will that
has to happen, right?
Love that.
Anybody else?
What jumped out?
I also have it in the Passion Translation.
Yeah.
It says, stop imitating the ideas and opinions
of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed
by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation
of how you think.
This will empower you to discern God's will
as you live a beautiful life, satisfying
and perfect in his eyes.
So good.
Yeah.
So good.
So juicy.
Yeah.
It also reminds me, like he's saying,
when you renew your mind, you have the ammunition
to do everything that I have set for you to do.
Yes.
But you have to renew your mind.
Yes.
Yeah.
So good.
So there's some things, you know, I always,
I usually bring out the fact, the contrast.
Do not be conformed, but be transformed.
So first, you've got this contrast.
Don't do this, do this.
Don't be conformed.
And that word conformed.
shaped by, okay?
And it's the word like a jello mold.
When you pour jello into a jello mold
and then after it's in the refrigerator
and you take it out, it took on the shape of that mold.
So this is saying, don't let the world shape you.
Don't be shaped.
And the different translations you read
by its external values, by its customs,
don't let the world shape you.
And then there's but, there's the contrast.
Instead, be transformed.
And of course, the amplified progressively changed, okay?
So what I want you to get out of this especially
is that transformation is possible.
That's the first thing.
Transformation is possible, right?
Transformation is possible.
So what that means is you're not stuck
with the same thought patterns.
You don't have to be stuck with the same fear cycle.
You don't have to be stuck with the same emotional reactions.
Like yesterday, Linda and I were talking about,
we're just learning different ways to handle difficulties
and difficult people.
We don't have to keep on being stuck in patterns.
We can be transformed.
We can rise above it.
You're not stuck with the same way of building.
And transformation doesn't begin with pressure.
It begins with renewal.
So we're transformed by renewing, right?
We're transformed.
So the world wants you to conform and it uses pressure.
Hurry, catch up, get it done.
You're not enough.
It's a pressure, pressure, pressure, right?
And being transformed by the renewing of our mind
is about partnership.
It's God saying, come to me, all you that are heavy laden.
Partner with me, co-labor with me, abide in me.
Let me lead you, be trust.
It's this relational transformation that happens, right?
And so when I think about the different examples,
I think about Hagar and the well.
I think that one of the greatest parts of transformation,
wish I could find where that's coming from
so I could get it to stop beeping.
One of the greatest things of transformation
is that sometimes we don't need to create something new.
We need God to open our eyes
to what already exists right in front of us.
The renewing that I wanna talk about today,
there's so many aspects to renewing the mind
that's so powerful, but the one today
that affects every area of our life
is to walk in revelation knowledge,
to ask God to open our eyes that we can see.
And there's so many examples, you know,
I just gave you Hagar.
Another example is when Elijah and his servant comes
and says, we're in trouble boss, basically.
We're completely surrounded.
The armies had completely surrounded them.
There was no way out.
And sometimes problems look like that.
It's too big.
And no matter where I look,
there's absolutely no way out of this problem.
And Elijah prayed and said, God, open my servant's eyes.
And God answered that prayer.
And suddenly the servant could see legions
of angels all around.
And I think how true is that for us?
Do we see all that God has placed around us,
the hedge of protection, the angels?
Do we see the solutions?
Do we see the opportunities in every challenge?
And so, the idea of renewing the mind today,
I want the prayer to be, God, open my eyes,
and open my eyes to the lies that I've believed.
Open my eyes to the things that I haven't seen
that you're showing.
Open my eyes to what you're doing in this season.
Help me to see, Lord.
And there's so much in scripture
about God opening eyes, right?
Even Paul, I mean, Paul really felt
like he was just doing the right thing,
persecuting Christians, dragging women, babies, everything,
you know, having them stoned.
And he's riding on the road to Damascus,
and the light of God was so bright that it blinded him.
And of course, then when Cornelius laid hands on him
and the scales fell off of his eyes,
but he could hear the voice of Jesus.
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
He says, who are you, Lord?
I'm Jesus, I'm the one that you persecuted.
Look that Paul went and wrote most of the Bible.
What we're reading right now, this verse in Romans,
started when the scales fell off of his eyes.
We literally have scales on our eyes
to not see what God is trying to show us.
I like to say also in Romans, Romans 8, 28,
that God works all things together for our good, right?
And so when things are really hard to ask the question,
God, you're working everything together for good,
what's the good here that I'm not seeing, right?
So I love that.
And I also have shared with many of you, Isaiah 26, 3.
So just as backup to our promise, Genesis 21, 19,
that's the Hagar story,
if you wanna go read it for yourself.
And with that one, we can say,
you know what, what provision is already here,
but pressure has made it hard for me to see, right?
What pressure is already here?
What provision is here that pressure has made it hard
for me to see?
Because we're so focused on the problem,
we can't see the solution, okay?
And then Isaiah 26, 3,
it's one of the first Bible verses that I ever, ever learned
and it's that you will keep in perfect peace
all those who trust you and whose thoughts are fixed on you.
And so what I want you to get from this
is that peace doesn't come from your circumstances changing,
peace doesn't come from your circumstances changing,
peace is connecting to what you're fixing your thoughts on.
Are you fixing your thoughts on fear
or are you fixing your thoughts on pressure?
So here's the principle that goes with this promise
before we go into prayer, here's the principle.
Who or what are you agreeing with?
The principle is the power of agreement.
So which thoughts have you come into agreement with
that have even begun to become part of your identity?
Which thoughts have you so believed
that it's actually shaping your circumstances?
So in, oh, I think it's 2 Corinthians,
2 Corinthians 10, 5 says,
we're destroying sophisticated arguments
and every exalted and proud thing
that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God
and we're taking every thought and purpose captive
to the obedience of Christ.
So the idea of this is taking every thought captive.
And so what I like to think about like horses,
like a horse is like putting them in a corral, okay?
Our thoughts can be just like wild horses.
And if your thoughts have.
not been trained, if you have not trained your thoughts,
trained yourself, if you have not trained yourself,
that just because you think something doesn't make it true.
So the unrenewed mind believes its own thoughts.
If you think something, it must be, it's a fact.
The renewed mind knows to take every thought captive
to the obedience of Christ,
knows to take every thought and say, is this true?
Does this line up with the truth of God?
Does this, so the renewing of the mind
is beginning to really look at every thought,
examine every thought, is this true?
So what thoughts have you come into agreement with?
You've accepted them as truth.
You've actually believed your narrative.
You've believed your story.
And by believing that story,
it's shaping all the rest of your life.
Did you believe a lie?
I'm stupid.
I can never do or be.
I don't have enough.
I'm too old.
I'm too much.
You believe these lies
and they actually begin to shape your very existence.
And so you cannot renew what you refuse to notice.
So the very first step of transformation is awareness.
Brenda, I, you know, it's, you know,
in the Passion Translation in Romans 12, two,
and this is something that the Lord's been working with me.
The very first thing that it says is stop imitating
the ideals and opinions of the culture around you.
And the thing that he has been sharing with me
is that we are his children.
And when we do not stop, we're being double-minded, right?
So in order for the transformation to take place,
that we have to be either cold or hot, right?
We can't be lukewarm.
And he has been speaking to me in my journaling
and saying, let go of your wicked ways.
And I'm like, wow, that's pretty tough, Lord.
I never thought of myself as being wicked.
But I see, because he keeps speaking
about my spiritual eyes, right?
So I'm like, ooh, so that really, as you're speaking,
I'm going, wow, that transformation really cannot take place
until we've decided that we will no longer be double-minded.
Like you were saying about the culture of the world.
So I had to share that, because it's heavy on my heart.
So good, Kim, thank you.
In the wicked ways, I'm like, wicked?
Gosh, man, you must really love me,
because you're telling me how it is from the center.
Yeah, it's funny.
It's those thoughts that are so contrary to the truth, right?
So what immediately hit me when you said that
is the parable of the talents, right?
And God gave all of them talents.
And the first one multiplied, the second one multiplied it.
The third one said, I knew you were a harsh
and like ruthless God, right?
And so I hid it, I was afraid, and I hid it.
And that was the only one that, you know,
in the parable, the manager, which represented God,
said, you wicked and slothful.
It was all around thinking.
It was thinking in terms of fear
and coming into agreement with fear.
And it was thinking about,
why thinking matters so much?
Because what happens is we have a thought,
but it doesn't just stop there.
We apply that thinking even to how we view God,
how we view life, how we view the world, right?
So he said, I knew you were a harsh and ruthless God,
and I hid it, I was afraid, and I hid it.
And then he said, I knew you were a harsh and ruthless God,
said, I was afraid.
And on that fear, he didn't take action,
so it shaped his actions.
He hid the money.
We're going to talk about how our thoughts shape our action.
It shaped his actions, but it shaped his worldview,
and it shaped his God view.
I knew you were a harsh God, a demanding God,
depending what translation you look at, right?
So it actually shaped even how we viewed God.
So this is why our thoughts are either
creating beautiful things when they're
aligned with truth and God's truth,
or they're actually destroying us by the thoughts
that we come into agreement with.
So I'm so glad that you said that, Kim.
It's so beautiful.
And so you notice in this scripture in Corinthians
that Paul says sophisticated arguments.
And so some lies are not so obvious,
like what you were just saying, Kim.
Some lies actually sound responsible.
I have to do everything myself.
Some lies sound realistic.
There'll never be enough.
Some lies sound humble.
I'm just not ready.
Some lies sound really spiritual.
I love this one.
I'm just waiting on God.
That's one of the biggest guys for I'm scared to take action.
That's a spiritual definition.
Sometimes are they truly waiting on God sometimes,
but most of the time it's like God's waiting on you, right?
I have a question about that real quick,
because I have ran into a lot of people
that say that, Brenda, that are saying,
I'm just waiting for God to answer.
And it is so true.
And I'm sitting here going, OK, it's
not that I don't believe that he won't answer.
I believe even greater that he is
waiting to see what kind of step we're going to take for him.
Is that what?
I mean, I'm asking for clarification,
because I hear that way too often.
And I'm like, man, is that an excuse for us to play small?
I have done that.
Most of the time it is.
I can't judge the hearts of men.
We can only judge ourselves.
Most of the time, that's fear guised in spirituality.
Because I don't want to go down a rabbit trail,
but faith without works is dead.
So there's never a case where God says, just believe,
but don't take any action.
Faith and action always go together.
Read the book of James, really goes into that.
And so we also have to take steps forward,
and then scripture says a voice will say, walk this way,
walk that way.
But we have to take the steps forward.
And you don't see in scripture where
God told his people, other than maybe like the book of Acts,
when the action was prayer, where he said,
gather together and pray and fast and wait on me.
So there's a time for something like that.
But when it goes through weeks and months and years of not
doing anything, and I'm just waiting on God, like what?
God's going to just fall out of the sky
and hand you a Mercedes Benz and do everything for you
that you're not taking any action?
That's not scriptural.
And so that's where I say, it says here,
these are very sophisticated arguments.
Our thoughts are very sophisticated, right?
Yeah, I love that, Christine.
It's called stepping out in faith for a reason, right?
And so it's a partnership.
It's a divine dance.
And that's why I use dance as such a beautiful metaphor.
I can't dance and run way ahead of my partner.
I can't, you know, that's not going to work
or wrestle with my partner.
But I also can't just stand there and say, OK, partner,
dance me.
Like, that's not going to work either.
Drag me around the floor.
It's going to be a beautiful dance.
Here I am.
Just drag me, right?
I did my part.
I learned the movements.
I got my body in shape.
I studied.
I did my part so that together it's a partnership.
We're both moving and those that are led by the spirit.
So Kim, but most of the time in my experience,
when people say, I'm just waiting on God,
and I'll usually kind of say, well,
I think God's waiting on you.
What action steps are you taking?
Yeah, you said that to me.
I know it well.
I'm just speaking from the truth
because I can say that.
You know what's very interesting, too,
is because I keep hearing, well, you know,
because Amanda agreed to that.
We've probably all done that, right?
And so did Christine.
But I'm thinking, you know, it's that childlike wonder, too.
Yeah.
Like he wants us to be in childlike wonder and just say, you know what, Lord, I'm going
to go out there.
I feel that what I'm doing is correct.
Yeah.
Correct me if it's not, you'll leave.
And it's that partnership you're talking about.
So that's, this is so profound, I think, for all of us here.
For me, I'm just feeling such a, you know, such a blessing because I hear it so much
and I'm kind of like, gosh, Kim, am I that out of alignment with the Lord?
Am I that out of alignment with obedient, you know, that thing being obedient, right?
Okay, I'm just going to hear and then I don't hear and I don't hear and that's a year later
and I don't hear and it's, he's like, I gave you the power to do this.
Yes.
You need to, you need to show me that you really want it.
Yes.
You know, that that's truly your desire and then all, I will direct your paths.
Yes.
So, um, Proverbs three, five is exactly what, what you're saying, right?
Um, and so as, as we acknowledge him in all our ways, so it's about our heart being in
the right position.
God, I'm yours.
I'm surrendered.
I desire to please you.
Our hearts in the right place, acknowledge him in all your ways, right?
And he will direct your paths.
And so you take steps and Lord, you know, open doors, closed doors, but I think this
really ties in, um, to what we're talking about in this particular aspect of renewing
the mind, which is awareness.
God, make me aware, open my eyes, help me to see my blind spots, help me to see the
opportunities I'm missing.
Help me to see the good in that person that I'm not seeing.
Help me to see, you know, opportunities that I'm not seeing.
Help me like, like asking God to open our eyes is, is what I really want to, to get
from this.
And so, um, what I want to share really quick is two things and then we need to pray.
We're going to run out of time and we'll pick up on this in from pressure to partnership
more deep.
But understand the heart, the heart, the mind, heart, mouth connection.
Understand that this is all the way through scripture, right?
So we think a thought and then as we feel it in our heart, it really becomes part of
us.
And then as we speak it, we really manifest it.
So first understand that, that renewing of the mind and the awareness, what am I thinking?
And even tap in and we'll go deeper in this tomorrow.
What am I feeling and what am I speaking, right?
And so, um, what happens is we, we become it and we, we live from it.
So for example, if I say I'm, if I, if I have the thought I'm behind, I'm behind.
And so then the feeling is like pressure or anxiety or shame that goes with that idea.
So I'm behind moves into a feeling, right?
There's this shame, there's this anxiety, there's this pressure, and then we speak it.
I'm so overwhelmed.
I just can't catch up.
There's just not enough time in the day.
I just can't do it.
There's not enough.
I mean, we start speaking it and then our identity starts to step into, I'm behind.
And from that identity, we then move into actions and the actions we, we rush, we avoid,
we overwork, we collapse, we make decisions from pressure.
So you see how this works and that's why tomorrow is so important from, from pressure to partnership
because we can't consistently build from partnership while we're agreeing with pressure.
You see how that works?
And so the shift starts with awareness.
I, you've seen it a million times in anything I've written, awareness is the first step
to transformation.
So be aware, Lord, open my eyes.
What am I thinking?
What am I feeling?
What am I agreeing with?
What am I, what if I just accept it as truth?
That's probably not true.
What am I agreeing with?
And then identification.
So what fear-based or lie-based thought have I been holding onto so much?
So you start looking at the fruit.
You look at the fruit of it.
Is this thought producing peace or pressure, right?
There's a scripture, let peace be your umpire.
Is it producing?
right? Faith or fear? Clarity or confusion? Partnership or striving? So we look at awareness
and we look at identification. What am I holding on to? And then we compare it to truth. This
is taking every thought captive. What does God say instead? What's the truth here? What's
the truth that I'm not seeing? Okay, so that's going to be our practice for the week. But
let's take some time right now to just pray and let's let the prayer, let's lift up the
prayers that have been requested, right? For our loved ones, for parents, prayers that
we've prayed before for healing and all of that. But also, let's really pray that as
we're going into the season, that God renews our mind and pray that he opens our eyes.
God help me see what I'm not seeing. What's the truth here I'm not seeing? What's the
good here I'm not seeing? Even in difficult people, what's the truth about that? How do
you see? How do you see me, God? The truth about how we see ourselves, our loved ones.
How do you see this person that's being so difficult, Lord? Let me see them through the
eyes of love. I've been doing that a lot this week. Just difficult people and just going,
you know what? That's a son of God. You know what? That's a daughter of God. Let's just
leave it at that. Okay? So asking this week as God renew my mind, teach me to take thoughts
captive. And as the process of that, which starts with awareness, open my eyes, Lord,
help me to see. Transformation begins. And can you imagine how different your life when
you're not living by lies, but you're living in revelation knowledge? You're seeing things
as God sees them. How powerful. How beautiful. Okay, let's pray. Go ahead. Anybody start
and I'll finish this. Heavenly Father, thank you again for this opportunity to come before
your throne with my sisters. Thank you for all of the revelations in today's teaching.
And thank you for allowing us to be together to support one another. We lift up all of
the petitions from today's call and from previous our previous calls. If there's anything that
is unresolved, Lord, do your will. We want to be in your will at all times because we
know that you only want what is best for us. You mean no harm to us. And you can see the
big picture. Why you're doing what you're doing. And we we submit ourselves to your
will. Thank you. Thank you. Holy Spirit, we just come before you today, Lord. And we just thank
you, Lord, for this gathering of these beautiful sisters together, Lord, and the support and
uplift one in another. And just to keep on learning more of your wisdom, God in your truth,
Lord, not what the world has to say your truth, Heavenly Father. And God, we just ask you, Lord,
to renew our minds, Lord, and just open our eyes, God, and just reveal what we have not been
seeing, Lord. God, reveal our blind spots, Lord. And just let us really
just see, Lord, what you are showing us every single day, Lord. And we just ask you, Lord, to
uplift people that are going through seasons right now, Lord, with their parents, Heavenly
Father, with their elderly parents, Lord, and their health issues that they're having, God.
And we know you, Jesus, are the ultimate healer, Lord. You are the doctor. You are the one with
the last say. And we just ask you, Lord, to continue to comfort Kim's mom, Lord, and just
heal her body, Heavenly Father, and just keep on continuously to give Kim the strength through this
season that she
is walking through with her mom, Lord.
And we just ask you, Lord, to uplift Linda
with her mom too, Heavenly Father,
and just comfort them and give them strength
in the season as well.
We ask you, Lord, to uplift my dad and be with him, Lord,
as he is in the hospital, Heavenly Father.
And we just ask you, Lord, to heal him,
to take away his pain, Heavenly Father,
and just get the answers, Lord, that we need, Lord.
Just have the right people in the room
operating on him, Heavenly Father,
and just heal him, Heavenly Father.
We ask you, Lord, to be with Christine,
with her mom and her son as they are traveling to Florida
to protect them and keep them safe.
And we just thank you, in Jesus' name, amen.
Lord, we just thank you for your word this morning.
Lord, we just ask that you renew our minds,
renew our hearts, and open our eyes, Lord.
Open our eyes to see you,
to see the truth and the beauty and the love
and the opportunity that maybe we haven't been seeing,
to see solutions where before we saw problems.
Open our eyes to see lies that we've been believing
about ourselves, about life, about you, about others.
We wanna see clearly.
Like with Paul, when you just remove the scales
from his eyes, Lord God, remove the scales from our eyes.
We desire to see, Lord.
We desire to see you in your beauty,
in your holiness, in your glory.
We desire to see and experience and feel your presence,
your miracles, Lord God.
I pray that you just touch this week,
every Prosperous Sister, both live here in the room
and all those that are traveling.
We pray traveling mercies.
And all those listening to the recording,
we continue to lift them up, Lord God.
Bring healing to their body, bring safe travels,
help them through the things
they're going through, Lord God.
But I pray your touch on our mind, renew our mind,
on our bodies, heal our bodies, heal our hearts, Lord.
Change our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh.
We say like the person who said,
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
God, where we have believed,
strengthen that faith and belief.
And where we have walked in unbelief
that we thought it was too big, too hard, couldn't be done,
God, strengthen our faith in this season.
Let each of these sisters just be light in a dark world,
Lord God, let them just shine, like scripture says,
as stars against the dark sky.
We love you, Lord.
We just thank you, in Jesus' name, amen.
Well, I love you sisters, and just be blessed this week.
Remember to pause, to pray.
God, open my eyes, identify, what have I been agreeing with?
Test the fruit, replace it with truth,
and take one right action.
Okay, we'll see you tomorrow,
and we'll see you here next week.
Blessings.