How to Use Scripture
It's not just for reading

How to Use Scripture- it’s not only for reading.

Proverbs 4:20-27- NIV

1. My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ears to my words.

2. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;

3. for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole

   body.

4. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

5. Keep your mouth free from perversity;

6. Keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

7. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

8. Give careful thought to the paths of your feet, and be steadfast in all

   your ways.

9. Do not turn to the right hand, or to the left; keep your foot from evil.

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This subject is “How to use the Word.”

 

When we take scriptures in reference to each other on a particular subject matter we see a bigger picture. We will see how to access the Word to change our heart.

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There are steps to it. Ways of immersing yourself in the Word to get a proper perspective. Have an open heart (mind) to what God is telling you through His Word. Allow Him to correct when needed and to edify, and strengthen. (2 Tim. 3:16.)

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Recall the last teaching was about the “heart”. It is our soul: mind, will, emotions/ feelings, & personality. It is the un-renewed part of us that is joined with our Spirit. And only the Word can divide between the two (Heb. 4:12). Plus the only way to renew our hearts (the soul) is with the Word. This is how we renew our minds (our soul) (Rom. 12:2).

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As 2 Tim. 3:16 says, His Word is for instructing us, correcting us, and reproof. It’s to help us. And when we allow the Holy Spirit to direct us (Spirit and Truth John 4:26) you can’t help but “be helped!” He is our Helper! And so is the Word. It’s our Teacher, Helper, Strengthener- it is the Holy Spirit. It is Jesus! It is the Anointing! (The Holy Spirit is truth, the Word Is truth. The Holy Spirit is the Anointing and The Word was made flesh - Jesus! Jesus is the Truth! ) All in all!!

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1. Verse 20-21- keep the Word in front of your eyes. As much as you can. We don’t need to get weird about it. Because if we do then we are basing it on “works”. Remember...Jesus gives us rest and His burden is easy and His yoke is light. So don’t allow yourself to get caught in “rules”. Keep your focus throughout the day on the Word. Think it. Ponder it. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Focus on Jesus throughout the day. When we keep our eyes on Him we stop looking at ourselves. Much better option. He’s perfect and will help us. He never fails. Love never fails. If we look at us... well, you get the picture. Like Joshua 1:7-8 basically says the same thing: be courageous, don’t look to yourself, look to the Word and keep it in front of of your eyes (literal and in your imagination! ...in your thinking.) and MOUTH!! Mutter it. During the day, speak the Word to yourself. As you do this you’ll get revelation from the Holy Spirit about it! It’s awesome as He teaches you throughout the day!! “Work” things out with Him- tell Him about the questions you have, ponderings, ideas, upsets, all of it! Don’t allow the excuse of: “But He knows my thoughts, why do I need to do that?” Because as you do that He then opens up what you were unable to “see” before!!! And always brings scripture(s) to your remembrance (John 16:13-15; 14: 26-27!). It will bless you!! Major revelations come this way.

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2. Pay attention to the direction the Holy Spirit is giving you through His Word and do it. Keep it in front of your eyes and ears! Eyes and ears are “gateways” to our heart! When you want to know what is in your heart, take a look at the things you typically/usually say. (Matt. 12:34.) There are over 100 scriptures that talk about what comes out of our mouths! That’s what is in our hearts. When we don’t like the words we have been speaking, then we need to change what is in our heart (soul)- this is what needs to be renewed: mind, will, emotions/feelings, personality. And we do that by changing our “automatic thinking” and speaking to that part of us with what the Word says. We take control of what our minds think (2 Cor. 10:3-6). (*verse 5 used to say “vain imaginations”. That’s different than “imagination” which is what God gave us to envision His Word manifesting in our lives. We are to cast down vain imaginations- from our soul.) Things that are contrary to the Word of God. And we do that by putting the Word in our eyes, ears, and mouth! We read it. We listen to it. We speak it. And especially when our heads are telling us something different than what the Word says.

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3. James 2:12 we speak and act! We then put the Word into action. Example: the Word says to forgive. So, do it. Doesn’t matter how we feel about it. That’s a “feeling” - soul. We change it by acting on the Word! And it will eventually change our feelings. It changes your heart!!!

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4. When you are changing your heart with the Word of God, be sure to pray for a “crop failure”. The words that we have spoken over our lives, good or bad, are seeds. And they will produce a harvest!!!! When the Holy Spirit reminds you of something you’ve spoken that is not good cancel those words out in Jesus Name and pull them up by the root!! Stamp them with the Blood of Jesus to eradicate anything that can grow or has grown from it.

1. When you speak the Word and read the Word it is life to you! And healing!!! You feel sqeeky clean! (Ephesians 5:26.)

2. Verses 23-25: we are to guard our heart. How do we do that? We guard what comes in the “gates”. Our eye gate- what we look at, books, movies, etc. Ear gate- what we hear through people, podcasts, videos, music, conversations, etc. And what goes out our mouth gate- the words we speak. That’s how we guard our heart. And notice the following verse...verse 24 is about what we speak. What we speak is what we become. As it was in the beginning in Genesis 1, God spoke and the Holy Spirit moved to bring it to pass. It is the same with us. And if we speak something ungodly- not just foul language or lying, but anything that is contrary to the Word of God- we then have activated demonic spirits to bring that word to pass. What we speak either activates the Holy Spirit or activates demons. (That’s an eye-opener!) That’s why praying for a “crop failure” for contrary words that have been spoken is so important. We don’t want to give the devil any fuel. This is why he bombards our mind’s with junk: “As a man thinks in his heart so is he” - Prov. 23:7. Once your mind gets inundated with thoughts you will then speak them. satan is after your thoughts and tongue. That lier attempts to get you to doom your own life by speaking bad things into being. The majority of people allow him to do this to them. But you can stop him in Jesus Name. Don’t let him have your thoughts or your tongue.

3. The remaining verses are about staying focused with this. Keep this as a way of operating. When we first do these things it’s a challenge. A lot of work. But it gets easier day by day! The more you do it the easier it gets.

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Restate:
Use scripture on purpose when praying. Take a scripture, whatever has “unction” on it, speak the scripture back to God expecting. When you speak the Holy Spirit moves, just like God did in the beginning and in Acts when the Apostles spoke the Holy Spirit moved with signs following (Acts 14:3; 2 Cor. 12:12; Acts 5:12 (all through Acts); Romans 15:19).

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This is praying in faith. Expectant!! Because you can’t “see it”. You can only pray in faith when you can’t see it. Hebrews 11:1. God’s Word that you speak IS the evidence that thing exists!!

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You keep speaking it with thanksgiving until it shows up!!!

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Example: Let’s say I’m believing for a friend who has struggled in life. They are saved but have had problems. I can stand in the “gap” interceding for them. I am praying for them because they don’t know to do this. So I do this in their behalf. I will use Philippians 1:6 and I will word it for this person:

 

“Heavenly Father, I bring my friend (______) before you in Jesus Name, according to Philippians 1:6. I am confident that You who has begun a good work in him will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, and I praise You that is done!”

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Any other scriptures the Holy Spirit brings to mind, use them! Then whenever this friend comes to mind simply praise God for him being perfected by the Lord and the Lord performing His perfect work in him.

You can also do that, speak it with thanksgiving, from the place of having already received it. By saying something like: (Eph. 1:17-23)- “I thank You Father God that You have already given me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation knowledge, You have opened my eyes so that I can see what it is you want to show me...” and so on. Not from “going to” receive it. But already HAVE IT! IMPORTANT.

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The verbs are IMPORTANT!! If we keep saying “God is going to do this or that (from a promise in the Bible) is putting it in the “future”. Instead, speak as if it has ALREADY occurred! Because it has in the Spirit. Like when Daniel prayed and Gabriel was immediately sent to him when he prayed but the enemy held up Gabriel. So Daniel may have thought God didn’t answer his prayer...but God did. Immediately!!! What you pray for is answered immediately.

 

There are different reasons why something doesn’t show up right away. You have to get the scoop from the Holy Spirit to see what’s up.

 

Sometimes it can be a test of your faith; strengthening you for standing on the Word; enemy is getting in the way; a curse; un-repented sin; bitterness/unforgiveness; all sorts of reasons. Ask Holy Spirit so you know what to do. He will show you.

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Hold fast!! Hold fast with the Holy Spirit and the Word!! They will always lead you right!! You’ll be left with joy, peace, and washed clean!!!