It is a choice

Today, we received some less than ideal news.  This has caused the familiar cycle of depression and wavering in my faith to start all over again.  In response, I began reading my Bible verses that I have at the ready and I prayed.  One of the prayer is one that I received in an email from Joel Osteen Ministries (mailing list):

Father, thank You for Your hand of victory upon my life.  Thank You for making a way even when there seems to be no way.  I choose to stand in faith.  I choose to believe, knowing that You are ready, willing and able to cause me to overcome in this life in Jesus' name. Amen

As I was reading this prayer I thought -there it is my answer is right there  "I choose to stand in faith.  I choose to believe, ...".  It is a choice, a conscious decision to believe in the goodness of God even when life is not going the way we would like it to or have prayed for it to.  Instead of feeling like there is something wrong with me (why can't my faith be stronger?) and letting the enemy continue to try to crack my faith I say to the 3 alright maybe 4 readers of this blog:

I choose to stand in faith
I choose to believe in the goodness of God
I choose to trust that God is working behind the scenes on my behalf
I thank God for his favor which is making a way even if I cannot see a way
I choose to put an end to worry in my life
I choose to totally trust in God every day of my life
I believe and declare:
     That God is for us and not against us
     I am in the palm of God's hand
    This hasn't come to stay, it has come to pass
     I know who I am, I know whose I am
     God makes all things work together for my my good
     God goes before me to make my path straight and easy
     The blessings of God are chasing me down and overtaking me
     I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength
     Everyone who asks, receives
     Everyone who seeks, finds
     Everyone who knocks, the door will be opened

All these things are made possible with God and by believing in Him.  I choose to believe, I choose to stand in faith.

As for the other issues and feelings that I have been wrestling with these last 2 weeks-

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17: 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (NKJV)
     I believe and declare that when I was saved, when I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart as my Lord and Savior that everything that I have done, all the times that I fell short of being the man that God wants me to be was washed away by the blood of Jesus and I shall feel condemned no longer.