by Pastor E.A. Deckard
Special to the NNPA from the Houston Forward-Times

“Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt or fear.” – Dan Millman

 “The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck.” – Channing Pollock

Forward Thinkers, many have made and have unfortunately already broken New Year resolutions because they made themselves a promise without having secured the will power to stand.

Forward Thinkers, today begins the first week of 2015. I prayed and sought the Lord for directions to kick off the New Year and “The Will Power to Stand” was birthed.

Forward Thinkers, if you’re able to stand while you’re reading this week’s Forward Thinking article, please stand. Thank you for standing, now please be seated again.

Forward Thinkers you just accomplished 2 major Kingdom Principles:

1. Obedience: you stood without doubt
2. Faith: you sat back down without fear

Forward Thinkers, the question is not “can you follow directions or operate in faith?” The question is, “can you stand when the winds of adversity and resistance show up”? Forward Thinkers, the real question is “can you still operate in faith when life gets so dark you can’t see the chair”?

Forward Thinkers, remember, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Forward Thinkers, I’ve declared 2015 as the year of the Lord’s favor over every man and woman of faith and on New Year Eve I heard my Pastor declare “Greater” as the buzz word for 2015. I’m now declaring Greater Favor over every believer and Forward Thinker in 2015 but, we must be able to stand to walk by faith and not by sight if we expect to walk in “Greater Favor”.

Are you ready to walk in Greater Favor in 2015?

Forward Thinkers, this season, quitting is not an option, because “greater favor” won’t allow your situation to end until you win.

Forward Thinkers, this season, being defeated is not accepted because “greater favor” has already announced you are more than a conqueror.

Forward Thinkers, this season, playing the blame game or wearing the victim hat is not allowed because “greater favor” will turn your enemy into your foot stool and every negative situation will become your testimony of God’s ability to turn lives around.

Forward Thinkers, today’s focus is the “will power to stand under attack”.

Job 1:18-22
18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.[a] The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Forward Thinkers, Job is a story about a man with the willpower to stand under attack and today I will empower you with the strength and willpower to stand under attack until you win.

Forward Thinkers, the enemy has three major strategies of attack and we see Job experiencing all three and still standing until he overcame. You must have willpower to stand while you’re waiting on the promises of God to be released in your life.

Forward Thinkers, today, I’m declaring you will overcome and obtain the willpower to stand under attack.

1) Attack On Your Finances

Forward Thinkers, the love of money is the root of all evil. Forward Thinkers, not money but the misplaced love of money is evil. Money is designed to be a tool but somewhere we allowed money to become a master. Forward Thinkers, The O’Jays said it best years ago, “money, money, money, money, money, some people got to have it for the love of money people will steal from their mother for the love of money people will rob their own brother.”

There has become a major increase in suicides in the United States, London, and Hong Kong of people working in the financial world of Wall Street because they allowed the pursuit of money to become greater than the pursuit of happiness.

Forward Thinkers, don’t let money kill you. Forward Thinkers, we see Job lost tons of money but he didn’t lose his faith that the same God who blessed him in the city and blessed him in the field the first time is still able to bless him all over again.

The reality is more marriages crash over money than over cheating. We cannot allow the enemy to defeat us through money.

Forward Thinkers, in God we must trust and obtain the willpower to stand under difficult financial times.

Forward Thinkers, remember in the bible the broke widow woman found out God was able to provide when her money ran out and today the same God will provide for us.

Forward Thinkers, remember there was a man in the bible with tax trouble and he found out God could make a way out of no way. Remember the lepers in the bible were dying and in great debt but God released wealth into their situation and He is still the same God today.

2) Attack Your Relationships

Forward Thinkers, Job’s wife allowed the devil to use her to attack him. When things got bad, Job’s wife got worse. She told Job to curse God and die.

Forward Thinkers, the enemy will have you believing love don’t love anybody.

The enemy understands if he can mess up your home life it will have a negative effect on every area of your life; it’s called cause and effect.

Forward Thinkers, every issue has a root cause. It is a proven theory, a person in a difficult relationship is more likely to experience a moral setback.

Forward Thinkers, there is heavenly power in touching and agreeing and relationships are designed to help you reach your full potential so the enemy keeps negative pressure on your relationships.

Forward Thinkers, Job’s friends were no better than his wife. Job thought his wife may be tripping but his boys would have his back; however, Job quickly discovered they didn’t have his back but they were talking about him behind his back.

Forward Thinkers, “what they do? They smile in your face; all the time they want to take your place. The back stabbers, back stabbers.” Forward Thinkers, the O’Jays was on it back in the day.

Forward Thinkers, for my younger generation who don’t know what an O’Jay is, let me put it like DJ Khaled, said “no new friends” because, I’m having a hard enough time trying to deal with my old friends.

Forward Thinkers, we must obtain will power to stand because, the Lord is a friend that sticks closer than a brother so put your trust in the Lord.

3) Attack Your Body

Forward Thinkers, Job got really sick and Satan attacked Job’s body. We must understand if Jeremiah knew the plans of the Lord then Satan surely knows the plans the Lord has for your abundant life.

The enemy is so afraid of you reaching your full potential that he attacks your body hoping he can steal your hope. The devil thinks if he can shut down your body, then he can shut you down. What the enemy failed to realize is when you’re weak God is strong,

Forward Thinkers, we have the will power to stand because we know God is a healer.

Job 42:12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. Forward Thinkers, keep standing because the same God that turned it around for Job will turn it around for you.

Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church located, 16711 Ella Blvd. Houston, Texas, 77090. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com or the church website www.ghic.net.