26 Ways to Turn Failure Into Success in 2015 (Part 2)

By: Richard Mirpuri

 

N – Narrow your focus to what’s important spiritually. . .what’s important to your family. . .what’s important in you. By narrowing your focus on what you want, you can get more specific and remember our God is a God of specificity. Focus can be simply defined as ‘whatever has your attention.’ It’s clear that God wants us focused on His plan for our lives. Luke 9:41 in the Message Bible says: “Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this?” Anthony Robbins, the noted author and motivation speaker, said: “It’s not what’s happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it’s your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you’re going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny.”

O – Open your mind to the infinite possibilities God can use to give you the desires of your heart. Napoleon Hill, author of “Think And Grow Rich” as well as a speech writer for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, once said: “What the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve.” While I have great admiration for the writings and thoughts of Mr. Hill, it pales in comparison to the words found in Mark 9:23 in the God’s Word Translation: “Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.” The greatest limitations you will ever face in life are: self-imposed, self-maintaining and self-defeating. God wants you to believe in possibilities. . .not limitations. He wants you living in excellence not excuses.

P – Plan your future. . .your destiny. . .by planning what you’re going to do every day. A successful plan requires you to step outside your comfort zone. . .leaving behind the hindrances of the past while embracing the possibilities of the future. Your comfort zone is an enemy of your future. . .a hindrance to your success. . .a stumbling block to your destiny. If you stay in your comfort zone. . .you will never leave or surpass your current reality. Hebrews 6:1 in the Amplified Bible says: “Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God.”

Q – Quit second-guessing your decisions or whether or not. . .you’re destined to succeed. Second-guessing is a waste of time when you’ve already made spirit-led decision and created a plan for success. James 1:8 says:“For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].” There’s no question God wants us to succeed. . .He even gives us the prescription for success. It’s found in Joshua 1:8 in the Amplified Bible which says:“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”

R – Rest, relax, reflect, refresh, recreate, reinvigorate and rejoice at the progress you’re making. As you pause to rest and ponder your next step. . .always be ready to seize every opportunity which is good to you and the Holy Spirit. Stress will undermine your efforts. . .negate your progress and make you sick. That’s why the seven “r’s” I just mentioned are so important to your future success. Always trust God. . .practice the seven “r’s” and watch stress be eliminated from your life. Exodus 18:23 in the Contemporary English Version says: “This is the way God wants it done. You won’t be under nearly as much stress, and everyone else will return home feeling satisfied.”

S – Speak the pure, the powerful and the positive from the Word of God into your life. There are numerous scriptures which talk about the power of the tongue. However, there is only one. . .which speaks to the spoken lifestyle of every believer. Ephesians 4:29 in the Amplified Bible says: “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.” When you speak right things. . .you not only bless those around you. . .you are loosing powerful words in the spirit realm.

T – Thankfulness is critical to your future success.Over the past week. . .I have quoted Colossians 3:15 in the Message Bible at least three times. When I asked the Lord why He had me used this scripture so frequently this week. He simply said: “I want my children to get it.” As a reminder the verse says: “Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ— the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives— words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”

U – Unleash your potential. During your time with the Lord every morning ask Him to allow you to tap into previously unused potential. . .recognizing the opportunities God is sending your way. . .as He’s never done before. As our Lord stirs ideas in you. . please write them down. Ephesians 3:20 in the Amplified Bible is one of my favorite scriptures. It says: “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].” Your potential like God’s love, grace and mercy is without limits.

V -Visualize your success. If you can believe it. . .you can see it. . .which will empower you to achieve it. The power of God allows you to ignite your imagination and visualize God’s will for your life. Hebrews 11:1 says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This scripture confirms that everything will exist in the invisible realm before it can appear in the visible realm. The computer you’re using to watch this program or read this teaching later in the Rich Thoughts email was first visualized by someone before it was every created. The chair you’re sitting in. . .was visualized by someone before it was ever produced. Many things that were invisible before are now being visualized and coming into existence every day. For instance, every building that has ever existed or now exists in the whole world, existed in the invisible world of the imagination of the builder or architect long before it existed in the visible realm. Every process, every product, every invention, every movie or entertainment vehicle, every book, every organization, everything that is added to the earth by mankind exists in the invisible realm of the imagination before it can enter the visible, tangible realm. Allow your spirit to take hold of this truth. I encourage you to allow natural information to stimulate your revelatory understanding.

W -Worry less about failure as you increase your focus on successful thoughts and actions of your past. . .and today. Two scriptures speak to everything we need to know about the futility and spiritual damage of worry. Matthew 6:27 in The Living Bible says: “Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Philippians 4:6 in the New Living Translation says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

X – X-ray your motivation for wanting to be successful. If you’re driven by greed, revenge or retribution . . . you need to change your mindset. We’re able to hide things from a lot of people, sometimes even those close to us, but our true feelings and motivations are clearly visible to God. Our success will be limited and short-lived if our motivation is selfish instead of selfless. Superman may have had x-ray vision. . .but only God can see the heart and the thoughts and intentions of the mind. Zig Ziglar, an amazing author and Southern Baptist leader, said: “Every job is a selfportrait of the person who did it.”

Y -Yield not to hindrances of any kind. . .on your drive to success. It’s important to identify what condition or circumstance is hindering your progress. After watching this program tonight or reading the Rich Thoughts email later in the week. I want to encourage you to take a moment. . . write down what obstacles, roadblocks and hindrances you’re facing. Once the list is complete, lay your hands on it and pray the following prayer. “Heavenly Father, I’m headed where your word says I can go. . .toward success, prosperity and the good life. My journey has been hindered. I have listed what I believe to be the problems. In the name of Jesus, I’m asking for you to stir specific solutions in my spirit so the roadblocks can be removed and my journey completed. Thank you Lord for your direction and the unction of the Holy Spirit.” Proverbs 16:3 in the New Living Translation says: “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”

Z – Zealously pursue with passion. . .the things that are important to you. As I said earlier in the teaching. . .failure is an event … it not who you are and it’s definitely not final. We are the only ones who choose whether failure or success is our ultimate destination. 1 Corinthians 12:31 in the Amplified Bible says: “But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all–love].”##