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Introduction - The Foundation of Success

Success is often associated with accomplishments or obtaining things such as lots of money, material possessions, or high positions of power. The more you have the more successful you are viewed by the people around you. Have you considered what success is in God’s eyes? Let’s talk about the world’s view of success compared to God’s view as found in the Bible.

According to the dictionary success is…

the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

This definition of success is based on tangible things and what other people think of you. There is a path to success that is TRUE and founded upon God’s word. Success for the believer is based on the Word and not attempts at gaining worldly popularity or material gain. Success in God is not temporal; it is not temporary and doesn’t fade even if your worldly accomplishments fade.

To understand true success we need to gain knowledge of some basic principles that can help us as we strive for success in God’s Eyes!

These principles are things that we need to practice daily. Not just sometimes but DAILY! Using these principles will ensure that true success becomes a normal part of your everyday routine.

God’s Word is your manual for life. As you begin to use it as your foundation, you will start building everything you do on the principles in God’s Word. The principles shared in this report begin and end with God in mind. This is where true success begins – in our yielding every part of your daily life over to Father.

There are many principles found in the Word that provide us with the keys to true success. Everything from accepting Christ to understanding the vision or the dream God has given each of us. In this report we will discover 7 of these practical principles for success in life, business, and everything else you may deal with daily.

Be encouraged to not just read, but apply what you learn through these principles. Write them down and place them next to your desk, bed or anywhere that will allow you to see them daily.

Enjoy reading!

Success Principle 1: Start With Prayer

Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly] (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Success without prayer is like a pool without water. Something vital is missing in order for you to get the full potential out of the pool. And the same is true for success. You can never really get to your full potential without prayer. It is that vital element that, if left out, will leave you empty and wondering how to fill the space.

Prayer is communicating with God, one on one. The bible tells us to pray without ceasing! That means consult the Father about everything, allow him to become so ingrained in your life that you cannot imagine life without your prayer time with God.

Your success depends on your relationship with God.

A true relationship with God centers on our communication with Him. Too many times we make prayer a magical incantation when it is not. It is simple communion with the Father who knows all, is all, and has all things already planned out for you!

Prayer is also about listening to and hearing from God. In the quiet moments of prayer ask for direction and wait for an answer. God will never steer you in the wrong direction.

So pray about everything before, during, and after. There is no necessary posture for prayer, standing, kneeling, and lying prostrate are not necessary to pray but you can if you feel so led. While you can do all of those things, and they are important in their own way, you can just as well be in the tub, laying down or even at your desk in the midst of meeting, praying! You also don’t have to be loud as you pray, speak in tongues, or have an audience to pray. Just pray!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 talks about those quiet prayers without any pretense, at any time, and any place. True success begins with prayer.

Success Principle 2: Live By the Word

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Imagine walking down a dark hallway, a little frustrated because you stumble on something, but cannot see how to get around it because it is so dark. What do you do? Would you continue on or turn on the light so you can navigate safely and with direction?

The Word, according to Psalm 119:105, is a lamp to your feet and light to your pathway. It is through His word that you will understand the will for your life and stop trying to do it your way.

You no longer have to stumble through this sometimes dark life without light.

Everything you need to know to be successful is in God’s Word. There is so much positive wisdom for life in the Word and all you have to do is open the book.

Start by setting aside some time every day to allow God’s Word to be a light for your path. Take that time to read and meditate on God’s Word. Within that reading and meditation, look for His plan and purpose for your life.

In understanding the Word, we have to be willing to take the word line upon line, precept upon precept without church doctrine, worldly logic, or even your own thoughts. Pour all of those things out and read the word for what it really says allowing it to fill back up the area you emptied within yourself.

Study to show thyself approved and you will find that God’s Word has not only the answer, but also the anecdote for whatever is blocking your view of success!

Having daily quiet time and reading the bible every day is important, but most important is your focus on LIVING it every day! Once you’ve read you must take action on what you’ve learned in order for it to make a real difference in the direction your life is going and the amount of success you develop.

Success Principle 3: Your Faith is Powerful

And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be

pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you. (Luke 17:6)

The Bible is full of testimonies of power through faith. So many Christians rely on worldly faith when spiritual faith is readily available through belief in your heart, which is the only requirement. The kind of faith Jesus spoke about in Luke 17:6 is powerful.

With this faith we have the power, might, or strength to uproot a mulberry tree. A MULBERRY TREE! Have you ever seen a mulberry tree?

A mulberry tree, depending on it species, can grow to be anywhere from 30 to 80 feet in size. It has thick branches and a trunk that, if I am mathematically correct, can grow up to about 5 to 7 feet in circumference or bigger. The tree can branch out to be as wide as some homes.

Like many others, growing up I believed the mulberry to be a small bush because of a childhood song we sang. You might remember it too. It went “Here we go ‘round the mulberry

bush.” Don’t underestimate the power of that innocent belief. The mulberry is a tree and a very powerful one. Bushes tend to be easy to uproot, but a tree and a mulberry one at that… WOW!

Just imagine what you can do with that kind of faith?

Is the picture clearer now? And just to clarify, you don’t have to have super faith either. You can have faith the size of a mustard seed which is about 1/20th of an inch!

No more bush thinking. You have the POWER through your faith to uproot a giant!

Success Principle 4: You Are an Agent of Change

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things

than these, because I go to the Father. (John 14:12)

Faith is a powerful tool for the Christian, but in order for it to work to it’s potential, you must not only believe in Jesus, but believe in yourself too. In John 14:12 we have Jesus yet again telling us about the power of our faith. With faith we can do even greater things than Jesus. Can you imagine how different the world around you could be if you exercised your faith power?

Jesus performed many miracles during his time on Earth, but the number one thing He did was that He changed people’s lives. Everything Christ did was for the sake of glorifying the Father through life changing experiences. Everyone He came into contact with was never the same again.

Have you thought about how your faith power could change the world around you?

Think about how you can use your faith and the power that lies in it to manifest the healing power of God in the earth today.

God’s will for your life is that you also change others’ lives because of your faith. Let your presence, like Jesus’, leave no one untouched. You can be an agent of transformation according to the power that is in you because of faith.

He wants you to be transformed and restored back to His original glory before sin became evident in human existence. Use that knowledge to move about in the world changing the lives of those around you, but first make the necessary changes to yourself and start with having as much belief in yourself as you have faith. Allow them both to grow. By doing so, you’ll see the fruits of your labor multiplied in ways you never imagined possible.

Success Principle 5: You are Being Transformed

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire]

renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

(Romans 12:2)

Transformation begins in your mind. What kind of thoughts are you thinking? Are they positive, encouraging, uplifting to yourself and others? There is power in thoughts and you must begin the transformation process by letting go of some of those negative thoughts and replacing them by mediating on the things of God and what he has in store for you.

You cannot transform from the outside in. Transformation is an inside out process and it all starts with the mind. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that transformation starts with the mind. Why the mind?

Because that is where Satan loves to dwell! He puts seeds of doubt, fear, worry and rejection in our heads as early as our childhood and without us even realizing it those negative thoughts carry over into our adult years. This means, we come to our adult lives as junked filled beings, before a perfect God, in whose image we were created, crippled in the mind.

When our mind is off kilter God cannot perform His perfect work through us in an effective manner. The transforming work starts with us and that is why we have to be transformed in the mind first. How does this transformation happen?

You must replace the thoughts of the world, with the thoughts of God. Prayer and meditation of Bible verses is a great place to begin filling up on what God thinks of you and how your life should be. Listening to worship music is another great way to fill up on God and just bask in His presence. You will experience a change in the way you think and act when you begin to do these things.

This transformation will lead you towards better living mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Success Principle 6: Have Great Expectations

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full

completion in you. (Philippians 1:6)

Have you ever prayed for something and when it happened you were amazed – as if you didn’t expect it to really work? I can admit that has happened to me. Another common mistake is to pray for something and then try to solve it in your own power, as if to help God out.

Faith is belief in God, belief in yourself and an expectation that God will move in your situation. Expect God to do great things through you and in you. Success will come when you let God be God and go with His flow. This takes a certain amount of trust in God. You can trust Him when you know who He is in your life.

Call upon Jehovah Jireh who is our provider: The one who gives us everything that we need. Expect God to move in your life. Rest in the fact that He is Jehovah Shammah. He is there!

What a great way to live trusting and depending on God, and knowing he is there for you.

Life will be difficult! Yes there will be hard times! Yes, there will hills to climb! Yes, you will lose some friends! Yes, you will lose some of yourself (the stuff that needs to go)! But…

When you expect GOD, He will come through.

Don’t expect man! Don’t expect self! Expect God to do what He says He will do because as Phil 1:6 tells us, He will complete it.

Success Principle 7: Live on Purpose

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final

outcome. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Your life is unfolding just as God wants it to. Stop walking around living life in a haphazard, accidental zone. Things don’t “just happen” to you.

We serve a purposeful God, so we must live with purpose and determination. Stop reacting to life events as if you are a victim of accident or chance. Know who you are and more importantly who God is in your life. Your purpose is being revealed as you learn and grow through every situation that materializes in your life.

Circumstances do not determine your success in life.

You determine your success by how you handle every obstacle that comes in your path to block you!

Think about grocery shopping. What do most experts in the area of diet tell you about it? Not to shop while you are hungry. Instead go shopping on a full stomach.

Why?

Because if you don’t you end up buying stuff you don’t need for your body that will make you fat, unhealthy, and unable to perform to the best of your ability.

The circumstance was what? You went grocery shopping hungry. Because you did not control the circumstance of being hungry before going the grocery store; you allowed the circumstance to determine your life at that moment in time.

The outcome: You ended up doing something you did not intend on doing, spending money you did not need to spend and getting junk you didn’t need in the first place. This is what happens in life when we don’t walk purposefully every day!

God knows the plans He has for us. If we don’t wake up each and every day with our mind focused on that fact then we don’t walk purposely and miss out on so many open doors to opportunities!

True Success is Waiting for You!

So, what is TRUE success?

What does it “look” like? How does it “feel”? What are the keys to reaching it?

True success is…

1. an internal change in the way you interact with God and the world around you.

2. your heart becoming centered by prayer and meditation.

3. you realizing the power you have because of your belief and trust in God.

4. witnessing your thoughts change as they are transformed by God’s word.

5. allowing your true faith to blossom and be activated by your actions.

6. you no longer doubting first, but instead expecting great things, and anticipating God’s miracles around you.

Finally, success is understanding who you are in God and allowing His purpose to shine through in your life for others to see!

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