This morning our devotional will be a bit different. I want to revisit the power of declaring the word of God into the situations you and I face every day.
Today’s verse tell us:
YOUR WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH
My 95 year old mother-in-law lives with us, and it’s one of the great joys of our lives. If we’ve been driving somewhere at night, when we return home I typically have a light that I shine on the ground in front of her as she walks back into the house, so she can see the pathway more clearly. I want to minimize any potential for her to slip and fall. Extra light makes the way clearer and easy to see. It also illuminates any potential obstacles, so they can be avoided.
God’s word is a lamp we can use to light our path. Just like I can grab a flashlight (or a “torch” if you’re from the UK) and make a decision to turn it on and shine it where I need more light, you and I can make a decision to turn the light of God’s word onto the problems and challenges we face. When we do that, it will minimize any potential for us to slip and fall. Extra light makes the way clearer and easy to see. It also illuminates any potential obstacles, so they can be avoided.
About a year or so ago I shared a few of the declarations that I pray to “turn on the light” and apply God’s word into the challenges I am trying to solve. I want to share several more this morning. I’ll repeat a couple of the “key” ones, because there are thousands of new readers since I shared them previously.
As you’ll see, these declarations are a personalization of scripture, taking a promise from the bible and applying it to you and your life. God’s promises are for His children, and so we who have committed our lives to Him can use His word as our light. God’s word will create light when we bring it into the darkest issues we face.
Although I do not usually quote many books, chapters and verses in my regular devotionals, I will include them here so that you can use a bible app to find them if you wish. They are listed by book, chapter and verse, with a colon between the chapter and the verse. So, for example, “Ephesians 1:17-20” would mean that the verse is found in the book of EPHESIANS, in the FIRST chapter, and verses 17 through 20. (It’s pretty simple, once you’ve done it a few times.)
YOUR WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH
from Psalm 118:6
I declare that the Lord is with me, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me, He is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.
from Joshua 22:5
I declare that I love the Lord my God, I walk in His ways, I obey His commands, I hold fast to Him and serve Him with all my heart and all my soul.
from Psalm 19:14
I declare that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart will be pleasing in the sight of the Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
from Isaiah 54:17
I declare that no weapon forged against me will prevail, and I will refute every tongue that accuses me. “This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.
from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
I declare that God will count me worthy of His calling, and that by His power he will fulfill every good purpose of mine and every act prompted by my faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in me, and I in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
from Ephesians 1:17-20
I declare that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, is giving me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that I may know Him better. The eyes of my heart are being enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which He has called me, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power in me, as one who believes. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
from Psalm 86:11
I declare that the Lord teaches me His ways and I walk in His truth. He gives me an undivided heart, that I may fear His name.
from Ephesians 3:16-21
I declare that out of his glorious riches God is strengthening me with power through his Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. I am being rooted and established in love, and have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within me, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
from 2 Corinthians 2:14
I declare that God always leads me in triumphal procession in Christ and through me spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
from Philippians 1:9-11
I declare that my love is abounding more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that I may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.
from Colossians 1:9-14
I declare that God is filling me with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding, in order that I may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that I may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
from 1 Corinthians 1:5-9
I declare that in Him I have been enriched in every way – in all my speaking and in all my knowledge – because the testimony about Christ was confirmed in me. Therefore I do not lack any spiritual gift as I eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep me strong to the end, so that I will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called me into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
YOUR WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH
I encourage you to save these declarations of scripture in a way that you will be able to use them. Print them out, if that is easiest. Or save them as a note to your phone or tablet. Whatever you do, have them nearby; close at hand.
When it gets dark, it can be tough to find a light if you don’t have one handy!
