Joseph went from the pit to the palace. Yes, he had God’s favor, but he also didn’t complain about his circumstances. He made the most of each one. He continued to praise God; he maintained his work ethic and integrity in each circumstance no matter how deep his pit looked. Praise rescues us in the dark of the night and is a necessary ingredient on the path to our dream.
Cast Down All Thoughts Not Of God. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
We can be on a mountaintop of a blessing with the best of everything, but then the negativity of our past clouds our joy. Our imagination magnifies and embellishes that past situation to be even worse than it was originally. This process steals our blessing.
Try This Test
Start counting in your head from one to ten. When you get to seven, say your name out loud. When we are talking, we have to think about what we are saying. We stop the negative thoughts by speaking God’s word. We start speaking positive words about our situation and the people around us.
Why Praise?
Praise gets our mind off of our situation and onto God. The enemy flees, and we stop our complaining. Praise humbles us and invites God in. It paves the way for God to work in our life and opens the door for his blessings.
My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long. (Psalm 35:28)
The Word Of God Is Our Weapon (Ephesians 6:17)
We capture negative thoughts by saying things such as I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). Nothing can separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). God wants to prosper me, not to harm me, to give me a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). All things work for the good of those that love God (Romans 8:28). I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) I am chosen (John 15:16) and I have God’s favor!