Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission.

HEAVENS PRESS GmbH

P.O. Box 245

CH-6072 Sachseln

Copyright 2012 by Serge Roux-Levrat.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Front cover designed by Heavens Press GmbH

First Heavens Press GmbH Kindle eBook edition June 2012

Author photograph by Adriana Tripa

ISBN 978-3-906001-12-8

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

INTRODUCTION

INSTRUCTIONS

DAY 1: WELCOME THE NEW YOU

DAY 2: STOP SAYING “I CAN’T” - START SAYING “I CAN”

DAY 3: IT IS FAITH THAT CONNECTS YOUR NEEDS TO GOD’S SOLUTIONS

DAY 4: CELEBRATE - YOU ARE DEAD TO SIN, BUT ALIVE IN CHRIST!

DAY 5: REJOICE - THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE

DAY 6: DO YOU LOVE JESUS? THEN OBEY HIS COMMANDS

DAY 7: YOU CAN DO NOTHING TO MAKE GOD LOVE YOU MORE!

DAY 8: DON’T LOOK BACK OR YOU WILL BECOME A PILLAR OF SALT!

DAY 9: WHAT IS TRUE LOVE?

DAY 10: DON’T SPEND MONEY ON WHAT IS NOT BREAD

DAY 11: BEWARE: NOT ALL CHRISTIANS WILL GO TO HEAVEN!

DAY 12: BRIGHTEN UP - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SUCCEED IN LIFE IS ALREADY IN YOU!

DAY 13: DO NOT LET FEAR PARALYZE YOU

DAY 14: REVEL - GOD WITHHOLDS NO GOOD THINGS FROM THOSE WHOSE WALK IS BLAMELESS

DAY 15: EMPTY YOURSELF TODAY

DAY 16: ARE YOU LIMITING YOURSELF?

DAY 17: ARE YOU RELIGIOUS, LEGALISTIC OR IN LOVE WITH JESUS?

DAY 18: DISCOVERING AND GIVING LOVE IS YOUR MAIN MISSION HERE ON EARTH

DAY 19: ALWAYS STRIVE TO EDIFY OTHERS

DAY 20: NEVER HAVE A HALF-EMPTY VIEW OF LIFE

DAY 21: YOUR BEST LIFE IS IN FRONT OF YOU, NOT BEHIND!

DAY 22: TRUTHS ARE TRUTHS AND LIES ARE LIES

DAY 23: DO NOT KEEP EXTRA LOADS

DAY 24: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL?

DAY 25: CHEER UP; IT IS GOOD MEDECINE

DAY 26: SURPRISE PEOPLE EVERYDAY WITH PRICELESS GIFTS

DAY 27: MATURE TO BECOME A REAL CHRISTIAN!

DAY 28: TIME TO REPOT YOURSELF?

DAY 29: MAKE JESUS YOUR ONLY SECURITY

DAY 30: SALVATION IS A FREE GIFT, ABUNDANCE IS NOT!

DAY 31: YOU’RE TERRIFIC. YES, YOU ARE!

DAY 32: GET TO KNOW JESUS INTIMATELY

DAY 33: MAKE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS FLOURISH

DAY 34: BE COMMITTED AND PASSIONATE, NOT JUST COMPLIANT!

DAY 35: CAUSE YOUR MARRIAGE TO BE MORE LIKE HEAVEN THAN HELL

DAY 36: DISCIPLINE IS WHAT STANDS BETWEEN YOURSELF AND SUCCESS

DAY 37: DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE

DAY 38: STOP WORRYING; IT KILLS YOUR LIFE

DAY 39: REST IN PEACE; WHEN ONE DOOR GETS CLOSED, ANOTHER ONE WILL OPEN

DAY 40: THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

PRAYER

YOUR TESTIMONY MATTERS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SRL MINISTRIES

OTHER BOOKS BY SERGE

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to thank the Holy Spirit for being my primary source of inspiration, and for helping me select the themes addressed in this eBook.

He is such a great helper, encourager, listener, comforter and a personal friend that I could not live without Him. There are no words to express how much I appreciate all that He has done in my life over the years.

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INTRODUCTION

Forty is a very significant biblical number:

1. Rain fell for 40 days and nights when Noah was in the ark (Genesis 7:4)

2. Moses was with God for 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai, receiving the law as well as the Ten Commandments from God (Exodus 24:18 and 34:28)

3. The Israelite spies searched the land of Canaan for 40 days (Numbers 13:25)

4. Elijah fasted for 40 days (1 Kings 19:7-9)

5. God gave Nineveh 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4)

6. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, fasting and being tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:2 and Mark 1:13)

7. Jesus remained on earth 40 days after resurrecting (Acts 1:3)

I could also have mentioned that the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness and that Saul, David and Salomon all reigned for 40 years.

Periods of 40 days or 40 years are special and powerfully transformative. God used those periods to prepare, train, strengthen, purify and impart wisdom to His people and key leaders.  All these periods were preludes to something new. Not something ordinary or inconsequential, but extraordinary and important.

Try not drinking alcohol, not eating fatty foods, not smoking or not having negative thoughts for 40 days, and you will notice that your body or mind is no longer craving for those things. Consequently, this will lead you to feel better, sleep deeper and have more energy.

Similarly, start praying every day, speaking positively to yourself through your inner voice, or exercise for 40 days, and you will find out that you quickly miss doing these activities if you stop practicing them for just for a couple of days.

I do not know exactly why, but 40 days seem to be a critical period in any detoxification or habit-forming activities. What I do know, however, is that those who are able to stay on the 40-day regime until the very end reap incredible benefits. I therefore pray that you will find the strength to follow this 40-day plan with the required discipline and commitment until the very last day.

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INSTRUCTIONS

The 40-day plan is so powerful, yet so simple, that everybody can go through it. Big achievements are always accomplished little by little. The world is changed one life at a time. Authors often complete their books by writing a couple of pages each day. People sustainably lose weight by eating every day a little less calories and doing a little bit more exercise. Big projects are successfully implemented by tackling one smaller milestone at a time. The same is true when it comes to living in abundance.  This forty-day plan will help you make real progress towards that goal. Furthermore, thanks to the Holy Spirit who will accompany you during this crucial period, convict you at times, strengthen you and give you key revelations, you will be supernaturally changed in key areas by the end of the 40-day plan period. This will increase your faith tremendously and enable you to go through other growth plans that God inevitably has in mind for you.

However, to reap the benefits of the 40-day plan you will have to follow the instructions to the letter. This sounds easy, but it really isn’t. Why? Because Satan does not want you to detoxify your mind, tear down strongholds, open new taps of abundance, unlock prison doors, or get out of the autopilot that he managed to put you on. Hence, during the 40-day period, you will have to engage in a spiritual warfare to avoid his treacherous traps and cross the finishing line as a winner.

HOW TO GO THROUGH THE 40-DAY PLAN

1. You will need a journal to accompany you throughout this journey. For this purpose, buy a blank book or a notebook that you find very beautiful.

2. Go through each day in order, from the first to the last.  Do not read more than one message per day. If you start the 40-day plan today, begin with Day ONE. Then wait until tomorrow to go to the Day TWO page, and so on.

3. Before you read the message for a day, take 5 minutes to offload your burdens to Jesus so that your mind can receive the spiritual food that it contains.

4. After you have read your day’s message, meditate upon it, examine yourself and enter into a discussion with the Holy Spirit. Then, do the homework that goes with the message you just read. Where appropriate, write an action plan (no more than one or two items) and commit to implementing it right away.

5. Throughout the duration of the plan, refrain as much as possible from entertaining negative, self-defeating and self-limiting thoughts. Tell yourself that you can do anything in Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13) Additionally, do not let guilt or regrets paralyze you. They do have a purpose, to move you into repentance, but once you have done so and asked for forgiveness, move on because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. (Romans 8:1)

6. Finally, each day fill yourself with thoughts of victory and be prepared to exercise your faith muscles because your faith will be tested at times. Remember that what you believe is more or less what you will get. So, if you do not believe in the message of a day, then ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand its inherent truth and transformative power. It is by faith that you came to Jesus, and it is by faith that you must go through this 40-day program. Without faith, you will get no results. So, read each day’s message with an open-mind and thoughts of faith.

Overall, remember, there are no free lunches. Jesus paid the price to redeem you. However, YOU now have to pay for your success by dying to your flesh, ideas and emotion, repenting and exercising your faith muscles. Nobody else can do that for you. Face this truth before you start the 40-day plan and draw the consequences. Ask yourself the following two questions:

a) Do I really want to enjoy an abundant life, to enter into my Promised Land?

b) Am I prepared to labor as much as is needed in order to enjoy the abundance that God has willed for me?

Then, follow the above instructions with discipline, commitment, perseverance, joy and passion.

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DAY 1

Happy New You! Since you got born again, you live in two creatures: the old you and the new you. Your job is now to ensure that you live as much as possible in the new you and that you help him grow and mature as time passes by. This will guarantee that your life is blessed with the abundance that God has already willed and prepared for you.

Do you know that this year can be YOUR year? Yes, and the fact that you bought this eBook attests to this. Trust God, for your miracle can happen THIS year. God will answer your prayers and continue to renew your thoughts with His life-changing Word. He will keep on transforming you. He loves YOU dearly and wants to bless you MORE. Trust Him to meet ALL your needs.

As you go through this 40-day program, you will grow tremendously. You will no longer launch self-pity parties as soon as you go through difficulties, run away or give up on yourself. As a result, over the following months you will conquer new lands, move bigger mountains, break up new chains, overcome old addictions and open fresh taps of abundance. Believe it with ALL your heart and mind, otherwise you are already defeated.

One caveat: do not let your expectations become demands. It is good to hope for some specific results or outcome, but only if we are prepared to joyfully welcome God's will. He knows better than we know ourselves what is good for us. Becoming rigidly attached to particular results can only give birth to feelings of failure, disappointment, frustration, and worthlessness in us, and thus sentence us to defeat.  So, expect to be changed, but remain open as to the blessings that these changes will create in your life.

HOMEWORK

Imagine you have truly been born today, that you have been given a chance at a new life.  Write down in a pad (not on a piece of paper that can be easily lost) right now (otherwise you will forget) your bucket list, i.e. a list of all the goals or dreams you wish to accomplish in this new life in each of the following main categories: spirit, family, social life, work, finance, health and hobbies. As you develop your list of at least 100 items, do not mentally limit yourself. You may write such things as: travel all around the world, run a marathon, be a mentor to 100 children who have had a bad start in life, climb to the top of Mount Everest, swim with dolphins, make a Christian movie, help plant 20 new churches, drive a Ferrari, go on a cruise, learn to play golf, enter a tennis tournament, learn three new languages, or spend a romantic week-end with my wife/husband in a 5-star hotel. Whatever you write, they will be your overarching goals. Keep this next to your bed to look at every day.

DAY 2

This year you've got to take one word out of your vocabulary: CAN’T. Why? Because it's disempowering and it shows lack of faith. The truth is that we CAN do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) Yes, it may take some time (perhaps even years in some cases) before we achieve whatever we wanted to do, but no mountain is too high for us to climb.

"Can't" is used by losers who excel in the art of finding excuses instead of calling upon God for help. Yes, you CAN have an abundant marriage, get promoted at work, lose weight, get out of debt, and have deeper relationships with the persons you love. All you have to do is to change your mind from "I CAN'T" to "I CAN."

"Can't" slows progress, sucks our energy, and leads us into defeat. However, CAN opens taps of abundance, nourishes our faith muscles, and activates the power of God’s Word in our lives. Be determined to never say "can't" anymore and to embrace the world of possibilities with Christ: say I CAN and WILL succeed in whatever I do. Amen!

HOMEWORK

Ask yourself this question:  What is the one thing that I would love to achieve, but have been telling myself that I cannot do? Write it down. Now imagine that you are a superman or a superwoman, able to achieve everything on this Earth. Which are the steps that you would need to do to achieve it? Write them down and do the first step today. Then complete the other steps one by one until you have done them all. If you get stuck one day, pray to God that He shows you how to open the door of the prison you deceptively locked yourself in. Next, open that door and resume completing the steps. Do not think of giving up: there is only one way for you: forward. It does not matter how long it takes you to complete all the tasks: the key is that you achieve whatever you set your mind to.

DAY 3

To activate blessings in our lives, we must realize that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) and to connect to the provisions He has made for us. God loves us and knows that we need miracles in our lives. He even has compassion for us and is affected by our pains. He truly is not indifferent concerning our needs. However, unless we flex our faith muscles, unless we plant a seed of faith, nothing will happen. Why? Because God has ALREADY provided for your needs. Yes, you read well: whatever needs your have, whatever trials you are going through, whatever rough seas you are navigating into, whatever miracles you need, God has already taken all the steps necessary to meet all your present and future needs.

Now, what will enable you to comprehend this reality? Faith! It is faith that moves us to the spiritual world and opens our eyes to the fact that God has already provided for everything that we need. Once we have awaken to the fact that God has since long activated the solution process, we can rest in peace waiting expectantly for our miracles to happen and plant even more seeds of faith, seeds that will each produce fruits in our lives that will help meet our needs. Our responsibility is to be patient and faithful to God while we wait for the day when God helps us connect our needs to His solutions, a step that He will do His way and in His timing.

My dear brother or sister in the faith, our needs exist and are known by God, but so do the solutions to our needs. To connect our needs to God’s solutions, we need to apply faith! Indeed, it is faith that moves us to the place where we can see that our needs are being met. Yes, it is by faith that we connect our needs to the solutions that God has engineered. Faith and nothing else!

HOMEWORK

Today, I want you to select one need that you have. You can choose a pressing need or one that must be met in a few months or even years. Then, I want you to submit in faith your need to God in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. It is very important that you only submit a need for which you genuinely believe that God can supply it according to His glorious riches in Jesus Christ. Additionally, you must sincerely believe that you will receive what you will ask for in prayer. Put differently, you must believe that God is powerful enough to meet your need, to handle your problem. Once you have identified such a need for which you can flex your faith muscles, then submit it to God in prayer.

You are almost done with today’s homework. You have a final step to accomplish. I now want you to read 1 Kings 17:1-16 and then to offer a sacrifice to God that will be acceptable to Him and that demonstrates your faith. You may for example give a special freewill offering to your church or to a ministry like SRL Ministries, give one of your best dresses to someone who God puts in your heart, or spend time coaching baby Christians. What matters is that the thing you do or give truly represents a sacrifice for YOU.

Have you now chosen the sacrifice that you will be offering to God? Great. Then offer it as soon as you have the possibility. Once you have completed this critical step, I want you to look beyond your present circumstances, pains and difficulties, and to see God connecting you to the solution to your need. As God answers your prayer, remain open to do things His way and at His timing, and not at yours.

Remember that God may test your faith to see if it is real. So, be prepared to flex your faith muscles if your situation initially appears to worsen in the natural world. If you keep you faith for long enough, you will see the delivery hand of God operate in your life for God will not fail you.

DAY 4

If we are united to Christ by faith, if we abide in Him and Him in us, then we are new creations and our old selves have passed away as 2 Corinthians 5:17 confirms to us.

True Christians can never remain the same as they were before they gave their lives to Jesus. They undergo over the years such a radical change that they really become new creatures. This change comes naturally (or almost) as they serve the living God, have new views, follow new principles, let go of their past pains and hurts, adopt new habits, plant new seeds, and live for new goals following their spiritual rebirth.

Sin no longer has power over them; this can be seen in their love of sins, which keeps vanishing as they work on their progressive sanctification, and in the new fruits they generate, which are different from those they use to produce.

Nothing can defeat their new selves as long as they remain in Christ, not even physical death. And the same is true for you; so celebrate for you are dead to sin but alive in Christ!

HOMEWORK

Imagine yourself on the cross with Jesus. On your back is a rucksack full of the sins that you have committed until now. Visualize yourself dying with Christ and repeat aloud that you died with Christ. Repeat it again louder this time, with more conviction! Well, what is the immediate consequence of your death with Christ? That Jesus has paid the wages of sin, which is death, on your behalf! You are therefore no longer living under the law because you died to it. And this is great news for you. Why? Because sin has no longer any power over you to condemn you since Christ has paid the wages of sin. This is the reason why you can now consider yourself free from the power of sin – in short dead to sin – and alive in Christ. As Christ resurrected, do you see yourself resurrecting without your rucksack on your back? Wonderful. Tell yourself now that your sins have been forgiven, and do your best not to sin and aim to enjoy the abundant life that Jesus died to give you.

DAY 5

Yes, there is always hope with Jesus Christ. Today could be the day that your lost child returns home, or that your spouse stops cheating on you, or that you meet the person that God has chosen for you, or that your health is restored, or that you find a job, or that you get the promotion that you’ve been praying for, or that you receive an unexpected sum of money, or that you find a bigger and better located, yet cheaper, house to rent.

It is hard to remain hopeful when terrible things are happening in our lives or when we are going through trials that never seem to end. However, each day countless Christians receive their miracle. So, keep your hope up and thank God for everything that happens to you. Believe that your turn has finally arrived, that today a miracle (no matter how small or big) is going to happen in your life and perhaps even tomorrow and the day after. Keep your hope alive!

HOMEWORK

From today on, only see yourself succeeding and successfully going through trials and the storms of life. Envision yourself crossing the finishing line as a victor. Rest your hope on the power of the Holy Spirit who will strengthen you when you become weak, who will walk ahead of you and flatten your paths, and who will give you the patience, endurance and self-control that you need to finish your race, to overcome your challenge. Acknowledge that life is full of difficulties and storms and believe with all your heart that God has equipped you to handle them exceedingly well. Can you visualize yourself doing well and being an overcomer? Can you see the mighty hand of God delivering you in due season and parting your Red Sea?

DAY 6

Are you one of those Christians who deliberately pick and choose which commands they obey and which they decide to ignore? Then be aware that by adopting such an attitude you reveal to Jesus that you do not really love Him. Why? Because He instructed us in John 14:15 to keep His commandments if we love Him.

James 2:10 should also make us think twice before obeying partially. Indeed, it states that if we do not keep just ONE commandment, then we are guilty of breaking them ALL. Thus, to be real Christians, we therefore need to welcome excellence and do our best not to sin. Yes, we will still sin at times, but in our hearts, our motives should remain pure and righteous. And that’s what matters most to God.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can progressively become more sanctified and thus sin less and less. This is the goal towards which we should all work. Christianity is not about choosing which commands we want to follow. It’s about striving to follow them all in order to honor God. So, if you genuinely love Jesus, if you truly claim that you do, then follow ALL His commandments to the best of your abilities. Do not seek to find excuses, just operate at your best for the God you love.

HOMEWORK

Close your eyes right now and ask yourself what is one sin that you are doing that you shouldn't be doing anymore. Choose the first one that comes to your mind. Pray and do a pact with God, that you commit yourself to not doing this sin anymore, and that if you happen to do it, you will voluntarily pay a penalty to the Lord. Think of a penalty that you would do, something that will be tough for you to do, like perhaps giving an offering of 100 dollars the next Sunday at church, or doing something for God that you don't enjoy doing, like fasting for a week. In other words, the penalty must be something that requires a true sacrifice from you.

DAY 7

God loves us unconditionally, which is why nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:38-39) When we do works for Him, we should not do them in the hope that He will appreciate us more, but only because we love Him and want to honor Him for all that He did and keeps doing for us every single day.

Does that mean that He never gets mad at us? No, absolutely not. When we sin or behave foolishly, He hates how we behave. However, He still loves us and stands ready to welcome us back in His presence if we genuinely repent and ask for His forgiveness.

When we sin, He cannot be in our midst. We may therefore feel that He is far away or that He has forsaken us. However, this is not true at all. When we sin, we operate out of our old man who is infected with sin. God, who is pure and righteous, cannot be in the same room as our old man.  Yet, He is longing to be with us again. All He is waiting for is that we open the door that WE closed by sinning, door that now separates us from Him. To do that, all we have to do is to repent. Then we are fully re-established in His presence as Sons and Daughters that we never ceased to be!

So, do not fall into the trap of trying to make God love you more. Just accept the fact that He loves you already with ALL His heart and receive His immeasurable love.

Remember, the more your heart is filled with God’s love, the more your new man will grow, and the more you will be living in God’s presence and enjoying the abundance that Christ died for you to have.

HOMEWORK

Ask yourself the following question: Am I trying to win God’s approval, to earn His love? Be honest with yourself. If the answer is yes, then make every effort to find out why you are doing so. Could it be that you are suffering from an inferiority complex or a lack of self-esteem? Perhaps few people showed you that they approved of you as you were growing up. So, in order to win their approval, you did everything possible to earn their love, but in vain. No matter what you did, it was never enough for them, never good enough for them to compliment you. So, you kept doing more in the hope that one day it be enough for them.

If this situation speaks to you, then I want you to know that what you have experienced with the human beings who crossed your path until now is not an indication of how God deals with you. The reality is that He loves you unconditionally and has completely forgiven your sins if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus not only redeemed us, but also enabled us to receive flows of God’s love in our hearts in abundance again. God has extended to us the fullness of His grace and love through Jesus. We cannot obtain more grace, for we have already been delivered from the power of sin. All we can do now is to receive those continuous and abundant flows of love that God wants to give us.

People may have treated you like you were a good for nothing, or even told you that you weren’t worth anything or that you would never amount to anything, but for God you are a very important person, someone for whom He has great plans. Accept the truth that God approves of you and that His approval is not based on what you have done or could do. No, He approves of you because you have been created in His image and because you stand forgiven and totally complete before Him thanks to the work that Jesus accomplished on the cross. So, from today and for the next 40 days, I want you to repeat each morning and evening that God loves you and that He approves of you just as you are.

DAY 8

Lot’s wife looked back (thereby disobeying a direct command of God), longing for and hankering after what she had left behind in Sodom. And what happened to her? She became a pillar of salt and was struck dead!

What message does this scripture contain for us? That if, after having accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we keep looking back, desiring the things that we possessed before we got born again, then we’re at high risk of losing our salvation because our hearts remain divided and our faith never becomes real.

Once we’re born again, we’re new creatures: i.e. the old us has passed away and the new us has come. We must let go of the past and only look forward. Why can we do so? Because of our faith. It is faith that tells us that our past is past and that it no longer defines who we are.  It is faith that shows us that the past was not our best time, but the worst. And it is faith that shows us that life and abundance can only be found in our new creature.

If you’re born again, do not let your heart reside in the old you anymore: let it be in the new you. Put your trust in God and obey his commands: do not look back, simply look forward to your destiny in Christ. Follow Him who loves you dearly rather than Satan who only wants to use you, to deceive you, to steal from you and to destroy you!

HOMEWORK

Write a list of all the bad things you have done in the past. Write another list of the wrongful things that someone else has done to you until today.

Now take the first list. For each item, do the following:

a) Confess the sin to Jesus

b) Repent and bring the sin to Jesus at the cross

c) Ask for and accept forgiveness, from Jesus and from yourself

d) Make restitution, if possible

e) When you are finished, tear the list apart and throw it away, declaring aloud that Jesus has forgiven you and that no one can accuse you anymore

Now, take the second list. For each item, do the following:

1) Acknowledge the hurt

2) Give the hurt to Jesus at the cross

3) Forgive aloud the person that has hurt you, mentioning their wrong doing, for example: “I forgive Mary for having lied about me”

4) Give the wrong reactions to Jesus at the cross (for example, if you have let yourself become bitter or there is a hatred in your heart) aloud

5) Ask for and accept forgiveness from Jesus and yourself for the wrong reactions

6) When you are finished, tear the list apart and throw it away, declaring aloud that you have forgiven everyone that has hurt you and commit to rejecting those thoughts every time they come to mind

(Source: "Ministering below the surface" by Albert and Elisabeth Taylor, Delhi, 2007)

DAY 9

An emotion? A feeling? A sexual attraction? No. It’s a decision: the decision to both receive and give love. As we cannot give what we do not have, we therefore first need to receive love before we can give it out.

Can we receive love from different sources? Yes. However, only three channels deliver true love: God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. They are one in love and Spirit. From all the other possible sources, we can only get a love that will never quench our thirst for true love. These substitute loves will appear to satisfy us for a while, but they will quickly leave us feeling worse and more miserable than before.

Today, commit to receiving a daily dose of God’s love and to love your spouse, children and brothers and sisters in the faith with the type of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Such a love does not rest on emotions, but on God’s love. That is why it never experiences highs and lows and remains totally unconditional and a source of blessing to those who are nourished by it.

What will happen if you follow this simple advice? Firstly, you will love yourself more. Secondly, your marriage will reach new levels of abundance, intimacy and oneness. Thirdly, your relationship with your children will become more meaningful and rewarding. And finally, your relationship with your siblings in Christ will be strengthened up.

And what if you do not follow the recommendation? You will hate yourself more as time passes by. Your marriage will either stagnate or fall apart. And your other relationships will quickly plateau and become less rewarding.

When all is said, the choice is yours. Just think well before YOU decide what you really want to do because you will reap what you sow!

HOMEWORK

In your pad, write a list of something that you can do TODAY for the people closest to you - this must be something that you know would be appreciated by them, not something that you will necessarily enjoy. For example, dressing up sexily for your husband tonight when you go to bed, cooking your son's favorite meal for dinner, spending 20 minutes of quality time with your daughter, buying a Starbucks coffee for your colleague, etc. Remember, as you express true love, you show for all to see the difference that Jesus makes in your life. So, you also do it for Him as a sign of gratitude for what He did for you on the cross.

DAY 10

Isaiah 55:2 is a wise scripture: “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” It basically tells us not to seek happiness where we cannot find it: i.e. in the pleasures of life or in ambition, power, honor and wealth. It also reveals to us that it’s utterly useless to put these things first in our lives, and urges us not to work hard to get them because they will never give us what we are really after: true happiness, peace, joy and love.

Isn’t this sound advice? After all, do you know one rich unbeliever who is satisfied with his wealth or who says that he has enough? Or another unbeliever who is sustainably satisfied with the pleasures of the world that he consumes? I do not know about you, but I don’t. These persons always have a void in their hearts that the things they possess or the activities they keep doing cannot fill. This is a good thing because it invites them to search for the eternal treasures, and therefore for God.

Now, do we have to be poor or not enjoy any (righteous) pleasures at all to follow Jesus Christ?  No. What the Bible tells us is to put God first and that if we do so the desires of our hearts will be… given to us! It is thus a question of priority. So, put God first in your life, and you will then be well on your way to finding true happiness and love. Do not go for the perishable things that the world can offer you: your immortal soul will never be satisfied with them. The book of Ecclesiastes written by the richest man who ever lived on the earth confirms this: no pleasures, no material things could quench his spiritual thirst!

HOMEWORK

Identify one goal or activity that you put first in your life. Do not be ashamed to admit that God does not occupy the first place in your heart in one area because we all have such areas. We are often willing to serve God as long as it doesn’t cost us much in some specific area, which will be different from one person to another.  Then commit to putting this activity or goal behind God in importance.

God never asks more of us than we can give. However, He does ask for the best we can give Him. Once you have successfully put God first in the area you chose, then move to another one, and repeat this process so that as time passes by, there are fewer and fewer areas for which God does not occupy the first place.

Does that mean that I am advocating that you become a fanatic? No, absolutely not. There is a big difference between being a religious fanatic and being a true Christian. A religious fanatic is a person who is so obsessed by his beliefs that he becomes intolerant of others and who neglects to meet the needs of those who are close to him. However, a true Christian puts God first in his heart and in his actions, loves others (including his enemies) as he loves himself and operates in a "give" mode rather than in a "take" mode.

DAY 11

This saddens me greatly, but not all those who call themselves Christians will join our Lord Jesus in Heaven. Why? Because their hearts were divided all along, and this was reflected in their attitude towards sin while they were alive.

They knew that some of the things they were doing were sinful, but they kept doing them anyway. This attitude revealed an unwillingness to do their best not to sin. Yes, God knows that we cannot not sin while we are on earth. However, this does not mean that He gives us a license to sin. No. We are supposed to work on our progressive sanctification with all our hearts and minds, and with passion, determination and perseverance. This is the attitude that pleases God and that shows that we earnestly seek to obey His commands.

Let us be totally clear here: the Christians who keep doubting, lying, gossiping, stealing, fornicating, behaving in a sexually immoral way, worshipping other gods, and so on, will NOT enter the gates of heaven without genuine repentance.

God is loving, slow to anger and forgiving. So, He gives us ample time to repent and take our sanctification seriously. However, if we keep ignoring His warnings over a long period of time (which can stretch from just a few weeks to several decades) then He can only conclude that we do not want to spend time with Him in heaven. Why? Because when we know that each sin we commit separates us a little bit more from God (but not from His love), we will do our best not to sin if we truly love Him so that we can already experience His presence in our lives while we are on earth.

What we must know is that with the help of the Holy Spirit, there is no sin that we cannot untangle ourselves from. This fact should encourage us to take our progressive sanctification very seriously, and to work on one sinful area after another. By following this step-by-step approach, we will automatically sin less and come to experience God more for our own benefit.

Do not sentence yourself to hell: take your progressive sanctification seriously - stop playing with fire and taking unnecessary risks for you never know when your last day will arrive.

HOMEWORK

I know that you came to Jesus for the right reason, because you wanted your heart to be filled with love, because you wanted to exchange a life filled with guilt, bitterness, unhappiness, loneliness, worry, sickness and the like, for one filled with an abundance of joy, peace, happiness and health. So, let the faith that brought you to Jesus manifest in your life with all its power by becoming one of His disciples. Commit to submitting to Jesus, to following Him and to doing whatever He commands you to do. Remember that a good standing in your church will not save you if your so-called faith does not produce Godly fruits in your life.

You cannot be in Christ and live in the old you at the same time. You cannot want to have the blessings that go with your salvation, yet not follow the prescriptions that God has enacted!  Why? Because if you do not take the medicine for your sickness, you will not be healed: your heart will still be infected with sin when God examines it on the Day of Judgment. And being sick, He will have no other choice than to quarantine you in hell forever. Is that what you really want? I am sure not. So, commit to becoming a great disciple of Jesus. Ready to make that commitment? Then write Him a letter right now in which you detail your commitment and what it entails for you. Then, keep it in a safe place and read it every week, for example on Sundays. As times passes by, check how you are doing, and if necessary take whatever corrective action is required to keep your part of the covenant.

DAY 12

Do you know that God has given to each one of us EVERYTHING that we need to succeed in life? Yes, all the resources that can bring us the victory are already within us. And the beauty of it is that all Christians possess them!

What are these resources? The Fruit of the Spirit, courage, confidence, optimism, perseverance, focus and the ability to let go of our past, to renew our minds and to forgive.

If we use these resources when needed – when under attack by Satan – then we cannot lose. We may fall, but we will find the strength to stand up again and continue the fight.

So, next time you’re under attack, access the inner resources God gave you and use them to defeat Satan. The victory will be yours!

HOMEWORK

In your pad, write a list of all the ways that God describes you in the Bible. Learn who you really are, so that next time a negative thought pops up in your mind, you can defeat it with the Word of God.  Read this list as often as you can.

DAY 13

Do you know how many times God instructs us not to fear in the Bible? Over 300 times! Why? Because He wants to send us a clear message: that nothing can defeat us if we remain in Christ.

God does not want us to be frightened, to tremble, worry, shake, panic, run away or dread. He wants us to flex our faith muscles and rest in His joy, which is our strength.

If Satan cannot buy us with things that appeal to the lust of the flesh, or to the lust of the eyes or to the pride of life, he will strive to generate fear in us so that we stop walking towards our Promised Land or taking greater possession of it. We need to know his basic tactics so that when a feeling of fear is invading us, we call upon Christ – the one who defeated Satan - to overcome it.

Do things while you are afraid if you have to, but do them.  The more of your fears you conquer, the more you will see how stupid you would have been to let them paralyze you, and the less fear will stop you from opening new taps of abundance in the future.

Note that if you acquiesce to fear, you are then bowing to Satan and positioning him as your master. However, if you exercise your faith, you are then putting yourself under the protection of God and will be able to count on Him to both defend you and help you be victorious.  Just remember that you cannot serve two masters, so choose the one who can lead you to the ultimate victory over death: Jesus.

HOMEWORK

Write down 15 verses of the Bible that deal with not being afraid such as Psalm 27:3; "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” Then, read all the verses aloud - and with all your strength - whenever you are experiencing fear. God says you don't need to fear! He has all the bases covered!

DAY 14

God loves His children. He only has plans to prosper them and to grant them favor and honor. As Psalm 84:11 confirms to us, He is our sustainer and helper. He withholds nothing good from those whose walk is blameless.

Who are the blameless? The born-again Christians who walk by faith, who repent each time they become conscious of the fact that they have sinned, who work on their progressive sanctification with zeal, and who love themselves as well as others. For those Christians, God withholds nothing good! Isn’t it great to know that our Father in heaven will not deny us anything good that we ask of Him? Oh yes! It gives us peace and joy. And it makes us love Him even more. Amen.

HOMEWORK

Find out one good thing God can give you when nothing seems to change in your life or when He seems endlessly silent. Let me give you a hint. What do you need to be able to go victoriously through a period of testing? Did you say patience? Then you guessed right! Patience is what God gives us when a tough situation remains unchanged for a long time. It is what enables us to make better choices, what helps us build strong faith muscles, what allows us to handle a mischievous child, a slow driver or an aging parent with love and respect, what reduces stress levels, and what helps us develop empathy and compassion. Patience is a great virtue and Fruit of the Spirit to develop in us, and God will not withhold it from us: on the contrary, He will ensure that we are exposed to situations that will help us develop patience.

Your assignment today therefore consists of choosing a weekend where you will make patience your goal for that entire period. As you go through that weekend, identify and note down the things that irritate you and test your patience. Determine what you can do to eliminate those triggers and write it down. Then pick up another period during which you will make patience your goal again. And repeat this process as often as you need in order to kill off as many of the triggers that push you towards impatience.

DAY 15

Empty yourself today! Give most of your burdens to Jesus and fill yourself with His love. You’ll then feel like a new person, with renewed energy, peace, joy and enthusiasm.

Do not keep the burdens that you can offload to Jesus for yourself. Otherwise, they will putrefy in your heart and give rise to roots of anger, bitterness, defeatism, sadness, unforgiveness, and the like. Your whole body will then suffer and even become acidic, setting the ground for sickness to appear.

Can we offload all our burdens to Jesus? Actually no. There are some burdens that we have to bear ourselves. Is that really true? Yes, the bible shows us clearly that the Apostle Paul, for example, had to bear many burdens while serving Jesus. However, they did not steal his joy or peace, or prevent him from accomplishing his ambassadorial responsibilities successfully. (Acts 20:22-24, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Now, the above being said, do not worry: Jesus will never ask you to bear a burden that you cannot handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13) If you are asked to bear a burden, then do it with the right attitude, for there is always something to be gained by doing so: e.g. your weaknesses will be turned into strengths or you will learn to depend more on God.

HOMEWORK

Okay. Time has now arrived for you to do yourself a favor: to cast away some of your off-loadable burdens today so that you can receive the blessings that God has in store for you! He truly cares about you and has promised to give rest and peace to those who labor and are heavy laden. (Matthew 11:28)

For each thought that is making you feel worried, do the following:

1) Say the thought aloud, for example: "Lord, I am worried about my finances. I am afraid that I will run out of money and won't be able to pay my bills."

2) Now, declare with a loud and forceful voice a promise from the Bible that contradicts this: For example, "But, Lord, you have promised me that you are my shepherd and I will not lack anything in my life and you have said that you will fill my barns to overflowing! So I don't need to be afraid, You will supply all my needs! The thoughts that are making me worry are therefore all lies from the devil because they contradict your Word! "

Do this now with every negative thought and repeat this exercise EVERY TIME a negative thought appears. If you do, you will be amazed at the results.

DAY 16

Are you plateauing and no longer growing as a Christian? Could it be then that you are limiting yourself? Remember that it is impossible for us to rise above our limitations, beliefs and doubts.

The question that we should be asking yourself is: why should we limit ourselves when the Bible tells us that we can do ALL things in Christ who strengthens us? Either we believe what this scripture says and implies and make it come a reality in our lives or we doubt its truth and limit our potential.

If you are among the doubters, then know that you are limiting the power of Christ and as such committing a major sin. Repent immediately so that you can open new windows of opportunity in your life. It is high time that you lifted your limitations and explored the world of possibilities with Christ. Like the Apostle Peter did, get off the boat, step out of your comfort zone and open new taps of abundance in your life. Do it before it is too late, before you lose the blessings that you currently enjoy. Why do I say that? Because unless we replenish our well by opening new taps of abundance, it will soon dry out.

With Christ, there is only one way, and that is to unlock more and more of His power in our lives. Otherwise, we will be releasing less and less of His power in our lives and come to a point where we will even doubt that He loves us. When we reach that stage, our salvation will be in great danger. So, wake up now and stop limiting yourself for no reason.

HOMEWORK

Close your eyes and think of an area of your life that would give you the most satisfaction if you could improve it, but that you have never dared to do it until now. Write the first step you need to do to achieve it, and do it today. Do not start to think that you are too old now to do that or not qualified enough or not sufficiently in good health, because Jesus will show you how you can overcome these roadblocks.

As you do your homework, spend time with the Holy Spirit to challenge some of your current limitations. Examine why you have them. Find out as well if you are not using them as an excuse not to strive for your dream. Then, take the lessons, get ready, set goals and enjoy the new life experiences that you will make. Success starts from within, from believing that we can accomplish great things with Christ who will help us overcome whatever obstacles we will be facing.

DAY 17

It makes all the difference. The first two states will leave you in defeat, while the last one will give you the victory and bring you to a land where love, joy and peace flow abundantly. In fact, it is religion that makes us religious, nothing else. By contrast, Christianity, as evidenced by the love of Jesus that powers our hearts, renders us righteous and victorious.

To find life and true abundance, fall in love with Jesus and grow each day closer in your relationship with God through Him! In this way, you will always be fed and never thirsty, and receive eternal life as John 4:14, 6:35 and 17:3 confirm.

So, if you have not already done so, fall in love with Jesus, swim in His love, believe in Him and gain access to a well of living water that will never die, that will give you the true desires of your heart and that will leave you satisfied in ALL circumstances.

Jesus loves you and has proven it times and again. But what about you, do you love Him with all your heart?

HOMEWORK

Imagine that you are single and that someone of the opposite sex falls in love with you. How would you know that he or she truly loves you? Take a few minutes to write down the things that he or she would do to demonstrate his or her love to you. Now, how do you think we fall in love with Jesus? Well, in the same way that a person falls in love with us. They show interest in us and do all the things you singled out before. And we show interest back by doing similar things. Well, with Jesus, the falling-in-love process is exactly the same. He has already fallen in love with you, written you a beautiful love letter (the Bible) and even shown you that He was prepared to die to save you from misery and destruction. So, what are you going to do to reciprocate that love?

DAY 18

Yes, your primary mission here on earth is to discover love, true love, and therefore "God", since He is love! (1 John 4:8) Why? Because love is what you need to heal your past wounds and hurts, to become at peace with yourself, to enjoy the present and look to the future with hope, to unlock your full potential, to find true meaning in life, and to become a light for others.

Unfortunately, Satan keeps coming up with new love substitutes that claim to meet our deepest needs. However, none of them can fill us completely. It may take a while for us to discover this truth, but if we keep searching for true love, we will find it. And this is the good news!

So, never stop searching because you are entitled to discover the one well that can forever satisfy your soul. How will you know when you have found it? Very simply: you will feel at peace with yourself, joyful no matter the trials you have to go through, loved and accepted for who you are, and hopeful for you will know that God has great plans for you.

HOMEWORK

Today, I want you to examine whether you are unhealthily attached to a person because of your need to feel loved. Then figure out how this co-dependent relationship seems to satisfy you. For instance, does it make you feel important? Do you enjoy being a counselor to that person? Next, I want you to analyze whether this relationship is based on true love or on needs.

You see, many times - out of love - we have to stop protecting a person from the consequences of their actions so that they can fall down and decide to fight against the addictions or habits that are slowly destroying them. However, if we have become dependent on them for our love needs, then we are unable to display the tough love that they need in order to change. Make no mistake: when we allow people to become overly dependent on us, we prevent them from becoming dependent on Jesus and they never learn to mature as Christians.

Examine now your relationships to see if you are not involved in such a co-dependent relationship with some people. If you are, then immediately repent and ask God for forgiveness. Thereafter, commit to always turn to Jesus for your love needs and to work together with the Holy Spirit on helping the other persons become dependent on Jesus, instead of on you.

DAY 19

Why should we edify others? Because it is a command that emanates from God. Indeed, James 4:11 tells us: “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” If necessary, chase this wrong idea from your mind: God’s commands do not exist to punish us, but to show us how to open tap after tap of abundance in our lives.

What this scripture is revealing to us is that love does not judge or criticize, but seeks to edify. Let us therefore be persons who encourage and inspire others, who help them give the best of themselves, who value more a relationship than being right, who give more than we take.

Now, this raises a question: can we follow this command if our hearts are not full of God’s love?  No. This is why it is so important that we refill ourselves daily with God’s love. If you have not done so today, why don’t you take a moment right now to do so? Open your heart to love and let it heal you, bring you peace and joy, and give you strength.

HOMEWORK

Commit yourself to speaking - and thinking - only edifying, beautiful, uplifting, positive words about yourself and everyone else today. At bedtime, record in your journal the impact you had on others and on your mood. Then repeat this action over the next 6 days. You will then be amazed at what you achieved and how you helped others feel appreciated, approved of and loved. As you contemplate your fruits, commit to making this attitude a life-long habit.

DAY 20

Do you have a half-full or half-empty view of life? If the latter, then know that it reveals a lack of faith. Do not beat yourself up; just change your outlook.

There are seasons when we enjoy less abundance than in others. However, in every season, we have ALL we need. Even in the wilderness, the Israelites lacked nothing. Yes, they did not have luxury items, but they had all the necessities. Furthermore, they would have entered a lot sooner in the Promised Land if they had had a half-full glass view of their situation.

As the Bible confirms to us, the Lord is our shepherd, we shall never be in want. Do you believe this to be true? Then do not worry about your situation: God is leading you towards your Promised Land where abundance will never cease flowing. Do not look at what you do not have, focus on what you already have, and keep moving forward, renewing your mind and filling your heart with God’s love. This will minimize your time in the “desert.”

Whenever you catch yourself having a half-empty view of life, immediately reframe the picture in your mind. Do not listen to your inner voice that tells you that you will be in lack, for this is a lie. God is your shepherd and loves you; you shall not want!

HOMEWORK

In your journal, write a list of all the things you are grateful for, it doesn't matter how small they are. Use as many pages as you want, let yourself be inspired, go with the flow, don't forget anything you should be grateful for, for the more grateful you are, the more God will give you. Add items to this list as each day passes by and read it whenever you are feeling down.

DAY 21

Once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, our best life is in front of us, not behind.  Anything is possible for us. Why can I affirm this? Because Jesus told us that we could do greater things than He did while He was on earth. Even better still: on our new birth, the Holy Spirit got activated in us, and this increases our potential manifold, to a level that we cannot even imagine.

To release all our potential, we need each day to renew our minds in order to remove our self-imposed limitations and enlarge our vision of what is possible when we are in Christ and Christ is in us. We then need to step forward in faith, let go of our past, seize the opportunities that God puts in our paths and love ourselves more. We will then have an abundant life.

Yes, life may not be fun and easy everyday, but we will enjoy the ride, climbing mountaintops and unleashing our potential in Christ.

Above all, remember that you were born (again) to be a hero of faith and an example for millions of people. Do great things with the years you have left. Take your future in your own hands and become the victor that God created you to be.

HOMEWORK

Choose an area in which you have not yet stepped out in faith lately.  Then commit, like the Apostle Peter, to step out in faith in that area when an occasion presents itself and to leave the protection of the “boat” you are now in. You will know when your opportunity to step out in faith has arrived because Jesus will be standing where you must go and waiting for you to come closer to Him. Wait for His voice and follow His lead. You will not regret it.

DAY 22

Spiritual truths are truths even if no one believes them. And lies are lies even if everybody falls for them.  How can we distinguish between truths and lies? Very easily: by the fruits they generate in our lives!

Satan is the king of deception: he masters the art of making a lie look like a truth. However, his lies will ultimately produce only bad fruits in our lives. Worse, they will fill us with guilt, disappointment, worry, depression, sickness, anxiety and despair, to name just a few. On the other hand, God’s truths will fill us with abundance of love, joy, peace, faith and hope and transform us from selfish to selfless, from takers to givers, and from lovers of sin to lovers of righteousness.

What “tool” has God given us to identify lies before we even start to believe in them? The Bible. It is like a light. It powerfully reveals all the lies that Satan can use against us to try and make us fall. The more we meditate on it, the less we will uphold Satan’s lies, and the more we will produce good fruits in our lives.

So, read the Bible often with the clear intent of understanding the truths that it contains. Your life will then radically change for the better.

HOMEWORK

Many people tell a white lie on occasion with the excuse that this will help save a relationship from troubles, ease a frenetic situation, stretch the truth just a little bit in order to appear more important than they are, etc. Could you be one of them? If so, spend some time analyzing why you resort to telling white lies. Then, ask Jesus that He gives you the strength to say the truth (in a gentle and loving manner) even if it appears to hurt people or to worsen a situation at first because only the truth can set them (and you) free and lead to more intimate edifying and rewarding relationships.

DAY 23

We as Christians are in a marathon race. To cross the finishing line, we must constantly throw off everything that hinders us AND let go of our past. Otherwise, we will increasingly load our backs with extra luggage as time goes by. What will then happen? We will become more and more exhausted and tired. In the end, we will lose our joy and peace. We may even start to feel that God does not love us anymore or that He has punished us, which will only complicate our recovery

So, if you want to do yourself a favor, then throw off some (or even better all) of the extra luggage that you are carrying with you, such as: a bad attitude, an excuse mentality, regrets, self-imposed limitations, or feelings of guilt or fears.

HOMEWORK

Identify the extra loads you are carrying. Whatever they are, THROW THEM OFF now by mentioning each one aloud and giving them to Jesus at the cross. Then repeat this exercise at the end of each new day for we easily accumulate extra luggage without realizing it. You will then feel much lighter and energized as a person.

DAY 24

Then focus on fulfilling God’s plan for your life. Make it your goal to discover it. Think of it, dream about it, live on it and above all, implement it.

Leave aside any other plans for they will only bring you misery and death in the end.

Persevere in the implementation of God’s plan until you can see for yourself how your life is changing for the better, how your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health improve, how your joy and peace increase and how happy you are regardless of the circumstances you face.

Then your faith will shoot up and you will be moving bigger and bigger mountains. This is how spiritual giants are created. Have faith in you: you can be one too. It is within your reach, so go for it!

HOMEWORK

Part of the plan that God has for each one of us includes having a relationship with Him through His son Jesus Christ and becoming disciples of His son. However, His plan goes well beyond this. He wants us to look for ways in which we can help Him enlarge His kingdom and spread His Word. And in order for us to do that, we need to leverage our strengths and the specific gifts and abilities that He has given us. Do you know what your God-given gifts and abilities are? If not, then find them out. Ask three to seven people you respect and who know you well to tell you what they think your talents, strengths and main character traits are.

Then meditate with the Holy Spirit on what you could do for God. To help you here, you may want to find out what your desires are, for they have most likely been planted in your hearts by Jesus. Indeed, your righteous desires are like signposts that indicate to you the direction to follow. Thereafter, develop a plan that lists the experiences that you would need to acquire to strengthen your gifts and abilities, and become more mature.

Finally, implement your personal development plan. As you do so, be prepared to flex your faith muscles as required and to follow Jesus no matter where He is taking you. The journey will not always be easy, but it will always be rewarding if you keep the right attitude.

DAY 25

A cheerful heart, full of God’s love, joy and peace positively influences our bodies and contributes to a vibrant health. (Proverbs 17:22) So, do not let ANYONE or ANYTHING break up your spirit or steal your joy. Otherwise, your health will be negatively impacted and your immune system weakened.

Make no mistake: a cheerful heart is critical to our physical, emotional and mental health. As already mentioned to you, give your burdens to Jesus and offload to Him daily all your guilt, bad feelings, doubts, frustrations and worries.  You will then be able to be grateful and thankful to God for ALL the things that happen to you. This attitude will do wonders in your life and help you appreciate life better.

We all have grounds for grumbling, but guard your heart and do whatever is necessary to maintain its cheerfulness: you will then be traveling on the road that leads to joy and contentment.

HOMEWORK

Cheerfulness does not come naturally for the vast majority of us. Hence, it is important to practice it as often and as early in the day as possible. It will set the tone for the rest of the day. Cheerfulness starts by being grateful and thankful to God for all the things that He has done for us and continues to do. So, take time now to thank God for your salvation, the wisdom He gave you so far, your wife or husband, children, health, job, the trials you are going through, the challenges you face, etc. Add your own elements to this list. Then, repeat this process every single day, and CHOOSE to be cheerful no matter the problems or difficulties you face each day. Once you have followed this routine for a while, I can assure you that your perspective on life will change (for the better) and that you will feel lighter and more restful and peaceful.

DAY 26

What are the best presents we can give to those we love? Money or material things? No. Sincere gifts from the heart, genuine acts of kindness, seeds of respect, big loving hugs, undivided attention and time, trucks of encouragement, spoons of wisdom, glasses of hope and helping hands. The beauty of these gifts is that we can ALL give them since they do not cost a penny!

Every single day we should be giving priceless presents to others, not just once or twice a year. As Jesus told us, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

HOMEWORK

Now, think well: when was the last time you gave a priceless present to those you love? Yesterday, a week ago, a month ago, a year ago or, worse, a decade ago? Then repent and commit today to forming a new habit: that of not letting one day pass by without distributing inestimable presents to those who mean a lot to you. Do it without expecting anything in return, and you will be surprised at how much love flows back to you.

DAY 27

Mature Christians are REAL Christians. They know that life is not always fair and that it is full of disappointments, frustrations, temptations, problems, afflictions, storms, suffering, uncertainty, sickness and sorrows.

However, they do not take this reality as an excuse to launch self-pity parties, to grumble, to complain, to protest, or to give up on themselves. They know that this is the result of sin, and that they can be lights in this dark world and help the hurting, sick and lost find the path to Jesus, and thus to freedom.

Mature Christians are aware of the fact that there is joy in suffering, in humility, in temptation, and even in death. They also know that they can count on the Holy Spirit to help them become strong when they are weak and avoid the traps of Satan. So, they make full use of Him in order to go through life successfully and without losing their joy, peace, kindness, goodness, patience and faithfulness.

Once saved, our challenge is to become a real Christian so that our lives can be full of victories for the glory and honor of our Lord Jesus. What about you, are you becoming a real Christian?

HOMEWORK

Close your eyes and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you an area in which you need to mature, i.e. an area in which you are still behaving like a child. Then ask Jesus to show you what mature persons would do if they were in your shoes, and then do accordingly.

DAY 28

Do you know that if you do not put a plant in a bigger pot, it will quickly stop growing? Well, amazingly, it is the same for us.  If we do not change some elements of our environment from time to time, i.e. if we do not "repot" ourselves, we will rapidly stop growing too!

So, if you want to continue to grow and enrich yourself through new experiences, plant yourself in a new pot. “How can I do that?”, you ask. Very easily. By making new friends, vacationing in new places, changing some of your habits, overcoming some of your fears, forgiving those who have hurt you, taking on new challenges, and so on. The possibilities are almost limitless. Just do not stay in your current pot if you have outgrown it. Otherwise, you will become bitter instead of better.

HOMEWORK

To move from one pot to another one, we always have to pass some tests. Which ones? It depends on our personal situation and the area(s) that God wants us to work on. However, during the course of our lives, we will have to take three major tests repeatedly: a perseverance test, a humility test and a temptation test. Which one these three tests do you think you have failed lately? Once you have the answer to this question, ask God that He makes you take a new test in this area. Then, get ready to get out of your comfort zone, to exercise your faith muscles and to withstand some pain for you will never know when the test will come: right away, in one day, in a week or in a few months. As you wait for your test, study the Bible and find out how some of the heroes of the faith overcame their trials. It will give you clues as to what you can do to put all the chances on your side!

DAY 29

The only security that we can have in this world is Jesus Christ, not our possessions, riches, profession, fame or future retirement benefits. Jesus is our genuine security because He is our only hope, our only passport to heaven, our only guarantee of victory over sin and death, the only provider of inner peace and joy, our only healer, our best friend, and our invincible shield.

Without Him, we are slaves to sin and spiritually sick and dying, yet with Him we are free from the power of sin and alive spiritually. His help and protection is guaranteed to us no matter what we do or do not do because He loves us unconditionally. He accepts us the way we are and then help us release more abundance in our lives. He is ALL we need.

HOMEWORK

Putting our trust in money - be it in the form of a job, a savings account, an investment portfolio, or a retirement fund – rather than God leads to worry, headaches, stress, restlessness, greed or hoarding and perhaps even sickness.  Countless Christians put their trust in riches without realizing it for the simple reason that money is a tangible thing and God an invisible being. Then Satan has a hold on them and can easily render their lives miserable. Could you have unconsciously fallen into this trap? Then repent, and trust Jesus from now on: He promised to meet all your needs (but not necessarily all your desires). Jesus gives and gives abundantly. If you show Him that you can handle money God’s way, then He will ensure that your bank accounts are always full. Why? Because He knows that you will then share your abundance with organizations that follow Godly goals and use it to enlarge His kingdom on Earth.

DAY 30

Salvation is a free gift: Jesus paid the full price to redeem us. However, to enjoy an abundant life, we must conquer our Promised Land as the Israelites had to do.

What steps are involved in this conquest? Primarily two. Firstly, we must change the way we think by learning the Word of God. Secondly, we must fight each day the good fight of faith by letting our hearts be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Satan wants to steal our abundance. (John 10:10) However, we do not have to let him do that. We can defeat his plans for we can do ALL things in Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) Make use of the spiritual weapons God gave us: His Word, the Sword of His Spirit, and prayers. You will then see your situation change radically and positively.

Are you leading a miserable life right now, full of defeats, losses and sickness? Then know that God has not given up on you. So, do not give up on yourself either. Satan has deceived you and, through his deception, stolen the abundance that God willed for you. The good news is that it is in YOUR power to change your situation. God has already equipped you with the same weapons that gave Jesus the victory over Satan. So, deploy them. Do not fear for you will overpower Satan too. Our Lord will be with you and ensure that you win the fight. Just do not give up in the middle of the fight. If you fall, stand up before you are counted to 10.

HOMEWORK

Have you entered into your Promised Land and are fully possessing it, or are you just happy to wander about aimlessly? Many Christians are saved but never take possession of the land God wanted to give them – a land blessed with abundance of many things - because of their disbelief (not fully trusting God’s Word), disobedience (not obeying all God’s love commands), and repeated complaints (about God’s character, their current level of abundance, etc.).

If you have not entered yet in YOUR Promised Land, then search your heart to see if it is not infected with a discontent spirit. Why? Because a spirit of discontentment automatically leads us to commit the three sins that the Israelites did while they wandered in the desert for 40 years. The truth is that they could have penetrated into their Promised Land after 11 days only. However, their sins and lack of faith considerably prolonged their time in the desert, so much so, that the entire generation that left Egypt - with the exception of two men - died in the wilderness.

Have you just found out that you are indeed infected with a spirit of discontentment? Then, repent right away and ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit to show you how to get rid of it. Thereafter, follow their prescriptions to the letter so that you develop a spirit of contentment, walk in victory and penetrate deeper into your Promised Land.

DAY 31

Has anyone told you today that you are terrific? No, then know that you are terrific. And not only that, but also special, beautiful, smart, creative, talented, resilient, valuable and precious for God.

Jesus sees your vast upside potential and uniqueness. What about you? If you don't identify with the adjectives above, then you need to change the way you see yourself. Rather than be your worst enemy, become your best friend and agree with what God says about you.

Why do you insist so much in believing Satan who takes pleasure in downgrading you rather than God who values you so much that He sent His only son to die for you?

HOMEWORK

For the next 7 days, repeat each day the following script three times: I am talented, gifted, loved, appreciated, made in the image of God, unique, resourceful, a great problem solver, an amazing communicator, a loving husband/wife and father/mother, patient, joyful, peaceful and able to control my emotions.

You do not believe that you possess of these qualities? Then fake them until they become a reality in you. Believe that you have these qualities that you currently lack, for in Christ you have them. In other words, they are already in you: you have simply not developed them to their full potential yet!

Additionally, starting today and for the next 40 days, you will also make a conscious effort to catch yourself being right and to speak only positively about yourself. Why? For the simple reason that if we focus solely or mostly on our failures or missteps, we quickly become harsh with ourselves and our worst critic, which will only serve to lower our self-esteem.

Yes, it is not good and even a sin to love ourselves over and above God, but the problem is often not that we love ourselves too much, but that we do not love ourselves enough! So, in order to increase your self-love:

1) Proactively catch yourself being right and doing right as often as possible

2) Only speak positively about yourself

3) Always take great care of yourself, of your body, mind and spirit. Eat better, sleep sufficiently, drink more water, cut down on fatty foods or sugar, work out more, listen to uplifting music, etc.

Above all, treat yourself as someone of value, for you may not be perfect (we all have strengths and weaknesses), but Christ thought that you were worth dying for. Remember also that you have been created in the image of God. So, you have many of the same attributes that God has. Therefore, never undervalue yourself or think that you are a nobody or a good-for-nothing, because there is unlimited upside potential within you.

Finally, think of something good (not a sin) that you have wanted to do for a long time, but haven't done it, like getting a back massage, buying a piece of clothing, going to the theater, anything that would be a treat to yourself. Then go ahead and pamper yourself today! Why? Because YOU ARE TERRIFIC!

DAY 32

Make it today your overarching goal to deepen your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Why? Because this is what gives us eternal life as John 17:3 reveals to us.

If you have experienced Jesus, if you have had a one-to-one encounter with Him, then you have seen the Father because Jesus is the perfect image of God. (John 14:9). Knowing who God is through Jesus is a source of indescribable joy, peace and blessings. In fact, the closer we are to God, the closer we discover the truths that can set us free and walk in love, peace, obedience, reverence, humility and gratitude.

So, get to know Jesus in real and personal ways, and do not just get to know about him. Contrary to what Maslow said, our ultimate goal should not be self-actualization, but to get to know Jesus better and better and to become more like Him over time. As our image resembles more and more that of Jesus, our life is enriched and comes to be more exciting, thrilling, rewarding and self-realizing.

To know Jesus is to love Jesus. To love Jesus is to obey his commandments. To obey his commands is to make our lives worth living. Get to know Jesus and become His best friend. Your life will then take a completely new meaning!

HOMEWORK

Commit to reading the Bible every single day, at the same time, whether it is early in the morning, before going to bed, or during your lunch break. This will allow you to get to know Jesus better each day even if you only read half-a-page each time. If you do not understand a passage, simply ask the Holy Spirit to explain it to you. He will be more than happy to help you connect the dots through some revelations, revelations that may be disclosed to you by Him directly or by a preacher, a pastor or a mature Christian that He will send to you.

DAY 33

Wouldn’t you like your relationships to move to a new level, to bear great fruits, and to be more enriching and rewarding? I do, and I am sure you do too. So nourish them with loving, encouraging and uplifting words.

Use words that give life, edify people and heal hearts, instead of slapping people in the face, punching them in the stomach, discouraging them and destroying their self-worth. Then follow your words with loving actions. You will then become a person who walks the talk and through whom God’s love never ceases flowing.

What will happen if you do not nourish your relationships with loving words? First, they will wither and then die.  Do not wait that they reach this last stage, spring them back to life through the power of words!

HOMEWORK

Take a pen, a nice piece of paper and write a letter of encouragement to one of your friends who is going through a tough time right now. Tell her what you appreciate in her and let her know that she can always count on you if she needs help. Encourage her to contact you if she feels overwhelmed by the situation she is facing or when she is discouraged. Finally, do something that she would not expect you to do, but that will be of tremendous value to her. Examples here would be: offering to pay some of her bills, taking her children for the week-end, or lending her your summer house for a month.

DAY 34

Do what Jesus is asking you to do with passion and commitment, and not because you feel you have to.

The vast majority of the persons who obey just to comply are energy-suckers and pain in the neck for their leaders. They are not enthusiastic about what they do and inevitably do things with the wrong attitude. As a result, they miss the blessings that would have given them the energy to go on.

Analyze yourself and find out why you are not excited about being an Ambassador of Christ. Then, deliberately choose to change your perspective and to see everything that happened to you in the past as a blessing. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, thinking that God cannot use you because of the sins you made, or believing the lies that Satan has told you. Get out of your “poor me” mentality and stop going around draining yourself and others. Change your thoughts - learn who you are in Christ and of the great life you can have with Him. Then consciously elect to see the good side of every situation and to become the best ambassador of Christ that you can be.

Your life matters. Yes, it does. You can make a difference in this world. Jesus loves you. He died to set you free from the hands of Satan. Claim your freedom and your abundance. Become a source of life for others, in short a light!

HOMEWORK

Close your eyes and think about the situation that often makes you feel sorry for yourself. What is it? Does it have to do with your body, your mind, a relationship, your work? Then write down how you can turn that situation, from "poor me" to a position of empowerment and victory. Finally, commit yourself to achieving that goal.

DAY 35

If we believe recent surveys, many marriages, if not the majority of them, are experiencing hell. Why? Because people have forgotten a key secret and truth: that having an abundant marriage is, first and foremost, a decision!

Like for our sanctification, if we daily work on our marriage, it will progressively come to enjoy more abundance, oneness, intimacy, mutual understanding, joy and so on.

When we marry, it should genuinely be until death does us apart: divorce should not be an option and neither should having sexual affairs.

Problems and temptations are not what end marriages. In fact, if a marriage does not navigate, once in a while, in a rough sea, then it is not a real marriage. Problems are part of life. What couples have to realize is that behind each problem, there is a blessing in disguise: an opportunity to open a new tap of abundance for each spouse. To find this blessing, both spouses must be willing to go through their problems until they have crossed the finishing line. If one or both of them run away from the problem, then the marriage will forgo of a key blessing. Needless to say, if this “run-away” attitude is the norm within a marriage, then it will inevitably pass through hellish periods rather than heavenly periods if nothing changes.

Make no mistake: having an abundant marriage is first a decision, and then a life-long commitment. If we work on our marriage, it will not only not fall apart, but also unlock multiple facets of heaven and blessing after blessing.

Do not listen to Satan and his lies: a marriage is the most fruitful and rewarding relationship that we can enjoy. So claim your marital blessings by refusing to be selfish and being willing to go through problems with the help of the Holy Spirit.

HOMEWORK

Select one problem that your marriage is routinely encountering. Now, determine how you may be putting oil on the fire concerning this problem. Find out what prevents you from controlling yourself and not responding to the deliberate or unintentional attacks of your spouse. Examine whether a “time out” period would not help you regain control of your emotions and feelings; i.e. a time during which you isolate yourself from your spouse for a while. If you think that it would help, then commit to implementing this strategy the next time you find yourself confronted with the problem you singled out before. If this tactic helped, then use it for the other problems that your couple is facing and share your testimonies with me so that other people can be encouraged by your victories.

DAY 36

Being saved is a great thing. However, if we want to cross the finishing line as a winner of the faith, we will have to become disciplined. Why? Because we need to discipline our thoughts, emotions, feelings, moods, appetites, tongue and actions in order to be victorious and avoid the deadly traps of Satan.

There is good news: the more disciplined we become, the easier it is to be disciplined and the more we will develop the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives and be blessed as well as be a blessing to others.

How can you build self-discipline? More easily than you think. Simply act as you know you should, rather than based on how you feel. In the process, you will learn to become conscious of your behaviors and to sacrifice short-term pleasures for long-term gains.  Tell yourself as often as needed that in Christ you can overcome your lack of self-discipline. Start with small weights or challenges, and then keep increasing the weights until you are no longer a slave of your emotions, feelings and moods. You will then appreciate the new freedom that you enjoy and all that goes with it.

HOMEWORK

Choose one task that is important to your daily success and that can be done within a maximum of 30 minutes. It does not matter what it is as long as it is critical to your success. Then schedule to do this task at a specific time each day. Now wait for the schedule time to arrive. Once it has, complete the task to the best of your abilities. Do not let any circumstances or persons prevent you from doing your task. Stick to the schedule you fixed for 40 days. Keep a daily log of your successes. This simple tool will show you your progress and keep you motivated.

At the end of the 40-day period, choose a second task that you will incorporate in your daily routine. Then repeat the process for both tasks for another 40 days. If you fail to complete your task(s) on a given day, then forgive yourself and immediately resume the process the next day. Once you have reached the end of the second 40-day period, then add a weekly task this time and repeat the whole process again. At the end of this third 40-day period, take time to celebrate your victory and buy yourself a present for you have formed new habits and become a lot more disciplined and able to control yourself and your immediate environment. Treat yourself at a good restaurant, to a night out at the movie theatre, to a romantic weekend with your spouse, to salon beauty treatments, or to whatever the desire of your heart is, but spoil yourself for you deserve it.

DAY 37

It is good to have desires and to want to have more, but ONLY if we appreciate what we already have. The Bible makes it very clear that we should not covet or be envious. Hence, we should not compare, for instance, our spouse to other spouses, but rather celebrate his or her unique talents and strengths and help him or her unlock his or her true potential

We get into big trouble if we think that the grass if greener on the other side of the fence. What we need to do is to water our own grass. Why? Because it is God who gave it to us. He knows best what we need at each point in time. Now, do not fool yourself: not appreciating and nurturing what we have is a sin. Indeed, it shows that we question the wisdom of God and what is good for us, we, who are nothing compare to Him.

If you want to live in abundance, then you should not make what you do not have the focus of your life, but learn to be content with what you have. Once you start appreciating what you currently possess, then God will open His stores for you, and enable you to enjoy more abundance. In short, if you are faithful and appreciative in the little, God will entrust you with more!

HOMEWORK

Choose one item you strongly wish you had, but don’t. Then pray the following prayer:

“Dear God, you know of my deep desire to have … (indicate here the item you selected before). Not having it tend to make me unhappy and frustrated. I have realized that I may even have put it before you and I ask you to forgive me for my impatience and unhealthy obsession. Please change my desire if it is not your desire too. I trust in you and know that you do not withhold anything good from me. I love you with all my heart and shall wait for the right time to receive my desire or to renounce it as per your will. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.”

DAY 38

Do not spend even one minute worrying. Firstly, it serves no purpose. (Matthew 6:27-29) Secondly, it can impact negatively your health in the long run. (Proverbs 12:25) Thirdly, it shows that you do not trust God with ALL your heart. (Matthew 6:30) Finally, it keeps you walking in the wrong direction. (Matthew 6:25; 6:31-33)

Nowadays, worrying is a disease by itself and it literally kills millions of people every year. We like to know how things will unfold and whether we will come out as victors or not. However, Jesus told us that in Him we would overcome sin and be victorious. So, we have nothing to fear, and thus nothing to worry about. Yes, we will have to get off our comfort zone at times, but we should enjoy the ride trusting that God will not let us be defeated.

So, give your worry to Jesus as instructed by 1 Peter 5:7 and pray about everything that worries you as commanded by Philippians 4:6. You will then rest in God’s peace and be able to enjoy the moment as well as the abundance that He has already given you.

HOMEWORK

Pick up a worry that you cannot solve by yourself and that is not based on an imaginary “what if” type of problem. Then put your problem before God in a prayer. While you pray, cast ALL your anxiety and concerns on Him. Do not worry, He truly cares about you and no worry is too big (or too small) for His attention. Thereafter, ask God for wisdom, patience, understanding and mental strength. Next, tell Him that you will trust Him no matter the steps He asks you to take to resolve the underlying problem and that you know that He will always ensure that you have everything you need. Finally, promise yourself not to worry anymore about this problem and to cast again your worry to God if you feel that anxiety is taking hold of you again.

DAY 39

Do not fall into self-pity or regret in front of a closed door: that will prevent you from seeing the other door(s) that God opened for you. Instead, joyfully express your gratitude for the lost opportunities and the doors that He closed.

What you have to tell yourself and to believe in is that if God closed a door, it’s because He has something better in store for you. By closing the door, He rendered you a big favor: he helped you not fall into trouble or waste your time on dead-end roads.

Now, to grab your intended blessing, you will have to enter through the new door that God has opened. Do not fear going through the new door for you will be positively surprised at what’s waiting for you on the other side.

HOMEWORK

Has God closed a door lately in your life? Do you feel like giving up? Are your energy level and motivation down? Then, it is time for you to recharge your batteries and renew your thoughts by meditating on God’s Word. So, open your Bible and read as many Psalms as you can. Let the Holy Spirit minister to your soul and heart. He will show you the door that God has opened for you and how to reach it. Once you have received this revelation, thank Him with all your heart and mind and soul, and commit to always go to Him first whenever He closes a door for direction and strength. Then, follow on your commitment.

DAY 40

During our lives, we will go through many different seasons as Ecclesiastes 3:1 shows us: e.g. seasons of growth, of happiness, of success, of trials, of sorrows and of difficulties. However, regardless of the season we are in, God is speaking to us and using it to teach us something and to help us mature.

A good thing about seasons is that they often change when least expected. Today, we can be in a season of scarcity, and suddenly something occurs and we find ourselves in a season of abundance.

God controls the seasons as Daniel 2:21 reveals to us. While we wait for a better season to come, our job is not to complain, but to continue to put our trust in God and to treasure the good things of our present season: there is always something good, even in the toughest season of life.

HOMEWORK

Firstly, study the life of Abraham Lincoln. He is often remembered as the President of the USA who saved the union. However, few remember the long time that he spent in a “desert” marked by countless failures and losses. Secondly, do the same for Winston Churchill. Finally, study the life of Joseph, the son of Jacob.  What do these personages have in common? What lessons do their lives teach us about the seasons of life?  If you are in a desert right now, what will you do to prepare for the new season of abundance and victories that God has in store for you?

PRAYER

Congratulations! You have now reached the end of the program. Your final assignment is to pray this prayer fervently and in faith.

“Dear Father in Heaven,

I humbly come into your presence with thanksgiving, honor and praise. You are the only one we can turn to for help in moments of weakness and times of need. So, I ask you today to turn my weaknesses into strengths, my suffering into perseverance, my sorrow into joy, and my pain into victory.

Lord, I know that there is a time and a season for everything, and that at the appointed time you will deliver me, for you have always delivered your people in the past. I do not want to complain or get frustrated, so please help me be filled with patience, self-control and joy as I wait expectantly for your healing hand.

Lord Jesus, you healed the sick and raised the dead while you were on earth, and I know that you are the same today as you were 2000 years ago. You are the best doctor we can consult, for you heal, you care about us, you love us, you are patient with us and treat us with mercy and grace. You are the true giver of life and the father of all miracles. By the power of the blood that you shed on the cross, I ask you to heal my spirit, my heart, my body, my soul, my past wounds, and my finances.

1 John 3:8 reveals to us that you came Jesus on earth to destroy the work of Satan. In faith, I believe in this scripture and in your name, I call Satan and his demons out of my life and I order them to give me back everything that they have stolen from me: my health, my wealth, my children, my husband or wife, my job, in short everything. And as you told us, Jesus, in Matthew 16:19, I bind all the power of the demonic forces that are in my life and in those of my loved ones. By faith, I receive your power in my life and powerfully drive away all those demons for I am the head and not the tail anymore thanks to your victory on the cross.

I love you Jesus with all my heart and I renew today my commitment to obey all your commandments and to let your love transform my life and to flow through me to others.

Forgive me for all the times that I have not obeyed your commandments, for all the times that I have not trusted you, for all the times that I have worshipped other Gods, and for all the times when I succumbed to fear.

Thank you Jesus for your unconditional love and mercy.

Amen!”

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YOUR TESTIMONY MATTERS

Has this eBook helped you draw closer to God, tear down strongholds, remove self-imposed limitations, successfully use the power of God’s Word to your advantage, rekindle your marriage, heal past wounds or key relationships, focus on what matters, enjoy life more, or increase the flows of God’s love that reach others through you?

Then, please share your testimony with us. It is important and powerful. It can touch people in ways that we cannot. It also helps build faith in others, and it gives all the glory to our Lord Jesus. Do not be shy and share what God and the Holy Spirit have done in your life through this eBook. To submit your testimony, send me an email at Serge@SRLMinistries.org.

Please let me know if we may publish your testimony (in an anonymous way) on our website and other media.

May goodness and love follow you everywhere you go,

Serge

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

By many world criteria, Serge Roux-Levrat had a very successful start in life. He was born in Bourgoin-Jallieu, France, to a middle-class family, where he received love and sound principles. He had a privileged education, including an Actuarial Degree from the “Institut de Science Financière et d’Assurances” of the University of Lyons, and an MBA from the University of Edinburgh Business School. He also completed the General Manager Program of the Harvard Business School. In 1995, he married his wife, Barbara, and they procreated two children.

Throughout his career, he was able to work for some of the world's most admired companies, and at the age of 37 he realized a life-long ambition: to become CEO of a publicly quoted company. In this capacity, he had the privilege of joining the world elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2001.

By all appearances, his life was great. Internally, however, he was restless and unhappy, and was searching for the true meaning of life. He sought success by climbing the corporate ladder, but slowly realized that success did not equal joy or peace or purpose; and he felt guilty not to be happy when life had dealt him such a good hand of cards compared to millions of other people.

In 2001, all this was to change: in one day his world was turned upside down when he lost his coveted job as CEO. What followed was a seven-year period of soul-searching in what he calls "God's detoxification clinic." Here, he found Jesus - not a religion, not a set of rules to follow, not an ideology, not a philosophy, but a real person, alive, loving, and all-powerful. Here, he learned to put his trust and sense of security only in God - not in money, not in social standing, and not in professional success. Here, the unconditional, unfaltering love of God changed his whole life, mindset, and priorities.

As a result, he has responded to God’s calling to serve as Ambassador of Jesus Christ and to work, together with the body of Christ, towards a Christian revival in Europe. He operates through SRL Ministries.

He can be reached at Serge@SRLMinistries.org.

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SRL MINISTRIES

SRL Ministries is an international, interdenominational, not-for-profit Christian organization planted in the heart of Europe, in Switzerland. Our mission is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, with the clear intention of helping people lead the abundant lives that Jesus died to give them, and to contribute to the unification of the body of Christ.

Through our various ministries (e.g. Conferences, Facebook and Media Ministries), we are touching on an average week between 30’000 and 500’000 plus persons worldwide. Our Facebook ministry is successful and supported by over 25’000 fans (and counting)!

In order to execute our strategy, we need your help, whether it is in the form of prayers, volunteer work, and/or financial back donations. The need is great. We are thankful for anything you can do to enable us to continue to do the work that Jesus Christ has assigned to us. To activate your support, visit us at www.SRLMinistries.org.

By partnering with us, you are enabling the lost, the sick, the imprisoned, and the deceived the opportunity to reach their true potential in Christ. Ultimately, your gifts give hope, restore relationships and save lives. On behalf of SRL Ministries, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generous and freewill support.

With love and gratitude,

Serge

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OTHER BOOKS BY SERGE

Books / booklets^1

Make your life worth living, September 2010, Heavens Press GmbH

How to enjoy an abundant health, September 2010, Heavens Press GmbH

eBooks^1

Cómo gozar de una salud abundante, Kindle edition, 02/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

El amor transforma todo, Kindle edition, 09/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

Venciendo mi pasado, Yendo a mi victoria, Kindle edition, 11/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

Wegweisser für ein gesundes Leben, Kindle edition, 01/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

Fight temptations successfully, Kindle edition, 08/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

Growing successfully in the new you, Kindle edition, 08/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

How to enjoy an abundant health, Kindle edition, 01/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

Love transforms everything, Kindle edition, 08/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

Make your life worth living, Kindle edition, 08/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

Overcoming my past, Claiming my victory, Kindle edition, 10/2011, Heavens PressGmbH

1. Can be purchased at www.Amazon.com or at www.SRLMinistries.org

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Table of Contents

Copyright

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

INTRODUCTION

THE FORTY-DAY PLAN: INSTRUCTIONS

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

DAY 6

DAY 7

DAY 8

DAY 9

DAY 10

DAY 11

DAY 12

DAY 13

DAY 14

DAY 15

DAY 16

DAY 17

DAY 18

DAY 19

DAY 20

DAY 21

DAY 22

DAY 23

DAY 24

DAY 25

DAY 26

DAY 27

DAY 28

DAY 29

DAY 30

DAY 31

DAY 32

DAY 33

DAY 34

DAY 35

DAY 36

DAY 37

DAY 38

DAY 39

DAY 40

PRAYER

YOUR TESTIMONY MATTERS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SRL MINISTRIES

OTHER BOOKS