God’s Word is Alive
[Jesus said,] “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
John 6:63 NRSV
The Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of … (soul) and … spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 AMP
God’s Word has the Power to Transform Us
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2 NLT
Strong’s Concordance states that transform means to “change, transfigure, transform.”
Comes from Greek word which is the same word used to describe a caterpillar transforming to a butterfly or furniture being refinished.
Same word was used when Jesus was transfigured in Matthew 17:2.
Our Thoughts Must Line up with the Truth of God’s Word
We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5 MSG
We must act on God’s Word
The person who continues to study God’s perfect teachings that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don’t merely listen and forget; they actually do what God’s teachings say.
James 1:25 GW
It is not enough to merely hear or read the Word; it must be applied in order for it to transform us and our circumstances. According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, the word apply means “to fix the mind; to engage and employ with attention.”
Ways to Apply the Word in our Life
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what God wants to say to you.
Pray the prayer in Ephesians 1:17–18. Revelation knowledge is the key. Head knowledge will not sustain you, but heart revelation and faith will enable you to overcome.
Read a Bible translation that you understand.
Use a concordance to look up key words.
Using Bible software, search several translations of key words.
Follow references in the margin of your Bible.
Look up key words in regular dictionaries and Bible dictionaries.
Current version of a dictionary
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
Meditate on it. Ponder it.
“Don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed” (Joshua 1:8 ).
See yourself in the verse. Example: Psalm 23.
Find images i.e., shepherd with sheep, fortress, high tower, laughing Jesus, armor of God, etc.
“I’m asking for one thing, only one thing: to live with him in his house my whole life long. I’ll study at his feet. That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, the perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic” (Psalm 27:4–5 The Message).
It is important to the verses/affirmations as well as to read and meditate on them. All of these things help to get the Word into your spirit and not just your head. The heart is where faith resides.
Strong’s Concordance states that the word meditate means to “utter, murmur, ponder, imagine, meditate, mutter, roar, speak, study, talk.”
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary states that study means “To fix the mind closely upon a subject; to muse; to dwell upon in thought.”
Personalize verses that speak to you.
Write verses on index cards or sticky notes and post them where you’ll see them.
Journal your thoughts regarding the verses that are meaningful to you.