40-Day Corporate Praying and Fasting

Getting Rid of Unhealthy Influences from Our Lives - Part One: In this season you must be prepared to actively identify unhealthy influences and things, while being prepared also to distance ourselves from unhealthy and wicked people, situations, or habits that negatively impact your well-being, mental health, or personal growth, by setting boundaries, limiting interactions, and actively seeking out positive influences instead; essentially, removing toxic elements from your life to create a more supportive environment for yourself. When our minds are free to drift on between righteousness and unrighteousness, then we will begin to dwell on the negative and give our hearts over to pessimistic thoughts, now allowing our soul to be robbed of the joy God wants us to have in Christ Jesus. This is what Paul had to warn the Galatians about walking in their Christian liberty. “ Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” Galatians 5:1-4 (NKJV).

Getting Rid of Unhealthy Influences from Our Lives - Part Two: We must first, recognize what constitutes an unhealthy influence in our lives, which could include people who are overly critical, manipulative, encourage risky behaviors, drain our energy, or make us feel bad about ourselves. Second, once we have identified negative influences, establish clear boundaries with them, limiting our interactions or saying “ no" to activities that go against our values. Next, we must physically distance ourselves from certain individuals, reducing the amount of time we spend together and limit communication channels. Also, we must prioritize positive relationships while actively seeking out and nurturing kindred relationships with spiritually healthy people who support our purpose, and uplift our dreams while encouraging positive behaviors and reactions with others. Lastly, we must remain mindful of how we feel around certain people, and practice self-care activities to manage stress and maintain emotional stability when dealing with challenging and oppositional interactions. This will all keep us from walking in the spirit and not the flesh, so that we can rid all unhealthy influences from our lives, according to Galatians 5. “ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, [f]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” Galatians 5:16-26 (NKJV).