Tag: Victory

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THE TWELVE STEPS TO VICTORY™ || Step Two || Victory Starts with Believing

In The Twelve Steps to Victory column, we’re reframing the traditional 12 Steps with a focus on victory vs continually looking back at our missteps and failures. Each Step aligns with the months on the yearly calendar. This series publishes on the first Friday of each month in 2025.

We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to victory. ~ Step Two to Victory

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. ~ Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

This Step emphasizes the importance of believing as the foundation of spiritual victory. Without faith in God’s power, we will miss the opportunity to experience His full restoration in our lives. We have to know deep in our heart that God is with us and for us. And because His Spirit lives in us, He will guide us if we let Him.

It’s vital that we remember the Holy Spirit is very sensitive and can be easily offended by our sinful behavior. If we want the benefits of God’s power working in our lives, it’s important that we guard our hearts and actions so that the Holy Spirit will stay with us. (See Ephesians 4 for a deeper study on this.)

A great quote from one of my favorite ministers says:

“The glory of God resting on an unsanctified life will crush it. The glory of the Lord resting on a sanctified life establishes it.” ~ Bill Johnson

In other words, if our life isn’t purposely set apart for God’s use with a deep belief in Him, His glory will crush us because our faith isn’t mature and strong enough to handle His power working in our lives. But on the other hand, if we give ourselves totally over to the Lord, in obedience to His Word, the Holy Spirit’s power will strengthen and mature us.

Think about a young child, maybe 10 years old. She wants to drive your car. She might have the ability to do it, but it could be harmful to her if you let her. She wouldn’t have the emotional and physical maturity to handle that responsibility.

God is always testing us to see if we are strong enough for His glory and power to be made real in our lives. He won’t ever give us more than we can handle.

Question: How does believing in God’s power to restore your life change the way you approach the challenges you currently face?

We may not know what the day will bring. But we know Who will bring the day! ~ We the Kingdom

Take a few minutes to watch/listen to this song by We the Kingdom. It’s so inspiring, and the lyrics are powerfully relevant. Be blessed! ~ Tamara

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THE TWELVE STEPS TO VICTORY™ || Step One || Recognizing Our Powerlessness

In The Twelve Steps to Victory column, we’re reframing the traditional 12 Steps with a focus on victory vs continually looking back at our missteps and failures. Each Step aligns with the months on the yearly calendar. This series is published on the first Friday of each month in 2025.

We admitted we are powerless over our dependencies and that victory cannot be achieved on our own. ~ Step One 

Any woman in addiction recovery will at some point find herself struggling with thoughts of relapsing. Perhaps it’s a sudden invitation to an old familiar place, or the scent of something that triggers a memory, bringing back temptations she thought were long gone.

Why?

We may have gotten lax or let our guard down. Perhaps we allowed ourselves to be in a situation that brought tempting ideas, or maybe we’re just going through a difficult season of life that’s weakening our resolve.

Whatever the case — We must stop and immediately revisit Step One.

It’s critical that we remember the pain and suffering our life of addiction caused before. We cannot allow ourselves for even a moment to be deceived by the enemy into thinking that now it will be different.

Returning to a life of our dependencies will never be different. The same cycles of pain, brokenness, and emptiness will repeat because dependency draws us away from God’s purpose and keeps us trapped in a false sense of comfort that ultimately leads to destruction.

Let’s not dwell on the past failures or future potentials.

Instead let’s look to where we will find our victory—a life of freedom, peace, and purpose found through dependence on God’s strength and guidance.

To do that we must turn to God.

Pray the Serenity Prayer.

Ask Holy Spirit for the strength to press on by seeking support from trusted mentors, diving into God’s Word, and spending intentional time in prayer and worship.

Look for The Way out.

He is always there!

Discussion Question:

What steps can you take this week to strengthen your dependence on God when facing temptations?

Application:

This week, commit to praying the Serenity Prayer daily and journaling any moments where you felt God showing you “The Way out.” Reflect on how turning to God brought you peace and renewed strength.

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” ~ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I pray you are blessed by the beautiful song attached below by Crowder: Still. It speaks so directly and sweetly to us as we walk through the 12 Steps of Victory with Christ. ~Tamara