When it comes to declaring God's word, does the power of confession hold much weight? As far as Scripture is concerned, I would venture to say that it is. Through the power of confession and declaration, the Bible suggests that we have the ability to change our world and improve the quality of our lives here on earth. According to Genesis chapter 1, God created everything on earth through the sound of his voice and the declaration of His words. In the scriptures, it is explained that everything he spoke became, and not only did it become, but it multiplied and filled the entire earth.
A good friend of mine is going through a difficult season. He lost his job several months ago, his severance has run out and many of his calls to prospective employers are ignored. And even though he has money in the bank and food on the table, anxiety about the future sometimes robs him of sleep. At times it feels like God is ignoring his calls, too. "You are in an uncomfortable wilderness season," I told my friend today. "But don't forget that God is in the wilderness."
Throughout my years of advanced study in ministry and theology, I've delved deeply into hermeneutics, the science of biblical interpretation. In my view, no subject is more crucial for anyone seeking to understand the Scriptures. Hermeneutics is the key to unlocking the true meaning of the Bible, yet many believers are unaware of the lens through which they interpret it. In this article, we'll explore eight common approaches to interpreting Scripture.
I receive letters and e-mails fairly often from people who are confused about "praying more than once about the same thing." Sometimes they think that if they confess the Word more than once, the second time is in doubt or unbelief. Prayer and confession of the Word are two different things. Prayer is simply talking to God and talking to God can be for many different purposes. You can talk to God simply to fellowship with Him and not ask anything. You can praise Him for the blessings in your life and all He has done. You can worship Him because of Who He is – holy and worthy of our reverence.
Lovers of Jesus desire for His glorious return, but we read in Ephesians 5:25-27 (NKJV), "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."
Our American diets are loaded with sugars, toxins, processed foods, meats, etc. Yet it is possible for us to be eating large meals, be overweight and still be malnourished. In that sense, it is easy to see how our physical lives again parallel our spiritual lives. We can become over-nourished on a hefty diet of church programs and activities, religious structure and traditions of men and yet be severely undernourished when it comes to the deeper things of God.
My father became a Christian when he was 83 years old. There were many times throughout the years when I thought, "He will never change!" But I kept praying for him. And thank God, eventually, he did change—he experienced the greatest transformation of all. To be transformed means you are changed entirely from the inside out. When you become a born-again Christian, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says you are: ...a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us, and He works in us—transforming our mind, will and emotions—so we become more like Jesus day by day.
In the Christian journey, faith is more than a belief in God; it is the key that unlocks the door to miracles. The Bible teaches that faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). This means that through faith, we access the invisible, bringing God's power into our lives in tangible ways. The miraculous becomes possible when we choose to believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He promises.
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:20–21 The name "Jesus" is Yeshua in Hebrew, which contains an abbreviation for Yahweh, the name of God in Hebrew. So, the name "Jesus" literally means "Yahweh is our Savior" or "The Lord is our Savior"! What a beautiful name!
The name YHWH—often rendered as Yahweh in English—holds profound significance in Jewish and Christian traditions. Known as the Tetragrammaton (the four-letter Hebrew name of God), YHWH transcends mere words, representing the divine presence that is both eternal and intimately connected to life itself. It is a name so sacred in Judaism that it is rarely spoken, often replaced with titles like Adonai (Lord) or Hashem (The Name).
Follow Up
