How to cultivate a heart that receives

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Have you been waiting to receive God’s promises in your life? God’s Word is clear—His will for you is wholeness, abundance, peace and blessing in every area of your life. But maybe today there are areas in your life where His will isn’t being done—pressing needs and desires about which His promises don’t seem to be manifesting.
If this resonates with you, it’s time to go to the garden of your heart and see if it’s in prime condition to reap a harvest of God’s promises. Learn to cultivate the kind of soil that receives all God has for you by checking your heart vitals, evaluating your love walk and avoiding blessing blockers.



  1. Check Your Heart Vitals
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” –2 Chronicles 16:9, NKJV



What kind of heart do you have? The answer reveals your ability to receive from God. When you go to the doctor for a physical, the first thing he or she examines is the condition of your heart because the heart is critical to the total function of your body.



The same is true of your spiritual heart. God always looks at the heart in every matter (1 Samuel 16:7). Outward deeds are not always evidence of the state of one’s heart, but He knows the condition of our hearts—regardless of how we might appear to the world.



Jesus used the parable of the sower in Mark 4:15-20 to illustrate four kinds of heart soil. The seed sown in this parable represents the Word of God (Mark 4:14). While there is only ONE type of heart soil that receives from God, it is important to be willing to take an honest look at each one to determine which one describes you. No matter where you find yourself today—be encouraged—you can choose to move into the one heart category that will make the manifestation you need a reality in your life!



Heart Soil No. 1—The Pavement-Like Heart


The first type of heart is one that Jesus describes as “those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them” (Mark 4:15, AMPC).

These are people who hear the Word, but there is no harvest, or result. For example, they hear the message of the gospel, but they don’t get saved. Satan may have told them that they weren’t good enough, or perhaps that it would cost them too much. At other times, pride and selfishness allow the devil to come and steal their seed. The result is always the same: Seed that is stolen means there is no seed to yield a harvest.


Heart Soil No. 2—The Stony-Ground Heart


The second type of heart Jesus describes is the stony-ground heart. When seeds are sown on “stony ground,” they have no real root in themselves, and so while these people endure for a little while; when trouble or persecution arises, they immediately stumble and fall away (Mark 4:16-17).



These are people who have no root of the Word of God. Think of what a root does for a plant. It nourishes it, feeds it and anchors it during a storm. These people stumble and fall away from the Word when adversity comes their way. Instead of holding on to the Word of God to see them through the storms in life, they let it go. The end result is they, like those with pavement-like hearts, do not receive the promises of God, or a harvest.



Heart Soil No. 3—The Thorny-Ground Heart
The third type of heart soil Jesus describes is the thorny-ground heart. These are people who “hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19, NKJV).

Most Christians will likely say, “I don’t fit this category. I have good soil.” However, many Christians fall into the thorny-heart category. If you take a look at their lives, they really aren’t bearing much fruit in the areas of healing, prosperity and deliverance. So, what could be happening?

At first, they get excited about the Word of God. They’ll hear a message on prosperity, for instance, and they’ll go home saying, “Hallelujah! I’m going to prosper in the Name of Jesus!”



But, over time, worries, fears and troubles become more real than the truth in God’s Word. This heart puts more stock in what the world says than what God says. In doing so, they forfeit their harvest.



Heart Soil No. 4—The Good-Soil Heart That Receives

This is where we all want to be! This is where manifestation lives. So, how is this soil different from the other three? In Mark 4:20, Jesus makes it very simple when He says the good-soil hearts are “the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit,” (ESV). That means, not only do you accept the Word, but you cultivate what has been sown.



To cultivate means to feed your heart with the Word of God and let the Word be the final authority in every decision you make. Once your soil is cultivated, it is ripe for God to give the increase. Then, the time will come when you can “put in the sickle” for your harvest.



Sure, you’ll get knocked down sometimes. But when you do, get back up and say, “Look here, Devil, I’m not going to let you steal the Word out of my heart. It’s in there and I’m meditating on it. I’m saying it with my mouth, and I’m acting on it until God’s blessings overtake me. If you don’t believe me, just hide and watch!”

If you’ll take that attitude, no matter what that devil does, he’ll never make a “thorny-ground” Christian out of you

  1. Evaluate Your Love Walk
“If I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2


After you’ve checked heart vitals, it’s time to evaluate your love walk. How do you treat people? How do you talk to and about them? Are you bitter? Have you forgiven? These are things every believer needs to consider when seeking a manifestation of the promises of God.

Offense is one of the most crippling things the devil has ever come up with. You can be sure he will give you plenty of opportunities to get offended.

What is the answer? Become so filled with love that offense can’t come near you. We must learn to live in love, walk in love, talk in love and edify one another in love. Then when the pressures come, when the hard times come, when disasters approach us, we won’t have to stop and think. We will immediately react in love.



  1. Avoid Blessing Blockers
“Every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.”

1 John 5: 4



The next step to cultivating a heart that receives is to avoid filling your heart with blessing blockers. Jesus talked about the thorny heart in Mark 4:18-19, and we identified it as a type of heart that many Christians today have. Just like a natural garden needs tending to remove and keep thorns and thistles out, so does your heart.

We must be diligent to not let the thorns, or blessing blockers, in our hearts. What are the types of thorns that can crop up in your heart? Mark 4:18-19 reveals three.



  • The Cares of the World
Most often, these include concerns about health, finances, marriage and children. This can be a daily struggle, but the bottom line is, you can’t be in fear and walk in faith at the same time. If you want to cultivate a heart that produces a hundredfold harvest, you must seek to drive worry, fear and anxiety out of your life by learning to trust God and by putting your faith in His Word concerning every issue in your life.



  • The Deceitfulness of Riches
We know that prospering is a good thing—it is God’s will for us to be blessed financially. What is outside of His will, however, is when money or material possessions become the most important priority in your life. If money or making money becomes more important to you than spending time in the Word, attending church, or spending time with your family, it has become a heart issue—a thorn that is stealing your blessing from you.



  • A Longing for Other Things
Mark 4:19 calls these “the lusts of other things” (KJV). This can also be described as foolishness or folly. So, where are believers finding folly? Well…every television set, movie theater, radio and magazine stand…just to name a few. With hundreds of cable channels and the internet, it’s not difficult to find an unlimited supply of foolishness to feed on! When you spend more time consuming worldly entertainment than the Word of God, your heart will become cluttered and take on thorns that crowd out THE BLESSING.



When you check your vitals, evaluate your love walk and avoid blessing blockers, you will be cultivating a heart that receives every promise from the Word of God. You will have a good-soil heart that opens the door for blessing. You won’t have to wonder why your manifestation hasn’t come—you’ll know it’s on the way. And that is the life of blessing God intends for you to live!


© 1997 - 2017 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. All Rights Reserved
 
How to Remove “Thorns” From Your Heart
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If you’ve been waiting for a manifestation of God’s promises in your life, Mark 4:18-19 may have your answer. In these verses, Jesus tells us about three blessing blockers, or “thorns,” that will steal your harvest: Cares and anxieties, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things. Learn how to remove these thorns from the soil of your heart, so you can receive your blessing!



1. Cares and Anxieties
With concerns about health, finances, marriage and children, this can be a daily struggle. But, the bottom line is, you can’t be worried or be in fear, and walk in faith at the same time. If you want to cultivate a heart that produces a hundredfold harvest, you must seek to drive worry, fear and anxiety out of your life by learning to trust God and by putting your faith in His Word concerning every issue that you face.



It isn’t always easy at first, and it does take diligence to find out what God says about your situation and to continue to stand in faith and not fear—no matter what your eyes may see.



How to remove this thorn: Whenever an anxious thought pops into your mind, rebuke it, take it captive, and say, “No, I refuse to worry about that. Jesus, I roll this care over on You because I know You care for me.”



The good news is...if you keep fighting the battle against worry by keeping the Word in your heart and in your mouth, it will become so real on the inside of you, you won’t have to fight it anymore. You will naturally begin to exercise faith and not fear.



2. The Deceitfulness of Riches
We know that prospering is a good thing—it is God’s will for us to be blessed financially. What is outside of His will, however, is when money or material possessions become the most important priority in your life. If money or making money becomes more important to you than spending time in the Word, attending church or spending time with your family, it has become a heart issue—a thorn that is stealing your blessing from you.



If you face this thorn in your life, it doesn’t have to stay—no matter how deep it runs or how long it’s been there. The power of the living God is the power to deliver and restore. He makes all things new (Revelation 21:5), including you.



How to remove this thorn: Begin by making a commitment to change the priorities in your life. This may require a big change in your schedule, but the Lord will be with you as you take these steps toward freedom. Ask Him to meet your natural with His super, and guard your heart against the enemy, who will certainly be there to try to talk you out if it. Remember, he is already a defeated foe, so pay him no attention. God is on your side!



3. The Lusts for Other Things
The third and final thorn is another all-too-common reason born-again people don’t produce fruit or receive an abundant harvest of blessings. It is “the lusts of other things.”



So, what are the lusts of other things? Well, the Hebrew translation of the word lust is “longing desire for other things,” no matter how innocent they may seem. This can also be described as foolishness or folly. Proverbs 15:14 says, “a fool feeds on folly,” (NIV). No one wants to be called a fool, but the Word makes it plain—if we spend a lot of time feeding on folly, we’re being foolish. One of the primary reasons most Christians aren’t seeing the kingdom of God manifest in their lives in greater power is because they are spending time feeding on folly and not the Word of God.



What is folly? It can also be defined as “silliness.” So, where are believers finding folly? Well…every television set, movie theater, radio and magazine stand…just to name a few. With hundreds of cable channels and the internet, it’s not difficult to find an unlimited supply of foolishness to feed on.



How to remove this thorn: When you spend more time consuming worldly entertainment than the Word of God, your heart will become cluttered and take on thorns that crowd out THE BLESSING. Limit or remove this thorn—and you’ll see breakthroughs in areas you’ve been praying about for years.



In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” This means we must put God and His kingdom FIRST. He must be our highest desire and priority.



Once you have removed these thorns, you heart will be uncluttered by the cares of this world, the love of money and the lust for other things. People with these kinds of hearts are the ones who see God’s kingdom at work in their lives—the good-soil believers who bear fruit—30-, 60- and a hundredfold

© 1997 - 2017 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. All Rights Reserved
 
Scripture Confessions for Guarding Your Heart
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As you spend time in the secular world, whether at work, school or in your neighborhood, you know there is a battle against the Word of God. So, how can you guard your heart against the barrage of fear and negativity? Keep your faith in action every day.

According to Proverbs 4, God says you must keep His Word constantly in your ears and in your heart. He says to guard your heart diligently. To be diligent means “to be hard-working, industrious and persevering.”

Why do you have to be so diligent with the Word? Because the devil is diligent with his junk. He is constantly throwing fiery darts at you. He works diligently to make sure the world is surrounding you with fear, sickness, poverty and every other kind of garbage he can use to destroy you. But you can protect your spirit from those things by conditioning yourself to respond to every one of them with the Word of God. Change your routine, and make a decision right now to begin that spiritual conditioning.

Start today and make speaking the Word part of your daily life. Try these confessions today:



  • Father, keep my tongue from evil. Help me to depart from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it. (1 Peter 3:11)
  • I will walk in wisdom, and my speech will be filled with grace . (Colossians 4:6)
  • I guard what I say and keep myself from trouble. (Proverbs 13:3)
  • I always think about how to answer, even when I am upset. (Proverbs 21:23)
  • I give all my cares and troubles to the Lord. I don’t hold onto them or worry and become troubled. I know He takes care of me. (Psalm 55:22)
  • I don’t look at or listen to anything that is not pleasing to God. If it is against His Word, I don’t let it into my life. (Psalm 101:3)
  • No matter what people around me say, no matter what the doctor says, I know that I know that I know that I am healed by the blood of Jesus! (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24)
  • I am not under the curse of sickness. I am not under the curse of poverty. I am not under the curse of lack. I am not under the curse of generational mistakes before me. I am not under the curse of strife. I am free, and I am blessed in Jesus’ Name!(Galatians 3:13)
  • I am not friends with the world. I don’t receive what the world has to say about me or my situation. My heart is fixed on the Word of God! (James 4:4)


Speak these words as a part of your daily routine. As you read your Bible each day, locate and highlight more to add to your collection. Then, watch your words, guard your heart and get results

© 1997 - 2017 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. All Rights Reserved
 
Really good reading. Thanks for posting this.
I appreciate your time in putting this together and sending it out. I enjoyed reading all of it.

thanks, Cturtle.
 
Really good reading. Thanks for posting this.
I appreciate your time in putting this together and sending it out. I enjoyed reading all of it.

thanks, Cturtle.

Always welcome my friend... :)

The Holy Spirit knows what's important for others to glean from, and what will help us all to be more like Him and better equipped to walk in His ways.
 
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