he had stolen from, Jacob met the Lord. He grabbed hold of the Lord and for hours tried to wrestle a blessing from Him. What did the Lord do? He touched Jacob's hip socket and put it out of joint, so that Jacob wound up helpless before the Lord.
The Lord changed Jacob that night. He showed Jacob how it was only when Jacob's grabbing and wrestling finally stopped that His grace was able to flow. That night, God changed Jacob's name from "deceiver" to "prince" (Israel) and added to him blessings that were beyond his own efforts.
You see, we cannot try to wrestle blessings from God. It is when we give up on our scheming, deceiving and manipulating to get ahead in life and completely trust His grace alone that His provision flows unabated.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
—Romans 8:1, NASB
Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
—Romans 2:4, NLT
Awake to righteousness, and sin not...
—1 Corinthians 15:34, KJV
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law b ut under grace.
—Romans 6:14
DELIVERED THROUGH A REVELATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
I give thanks to the Lord for all the testimonies I've received from precious lives touched by Jesus. Here's one from a brother in Australia, who wrote to me to share how he had been delivered from multiple addictions as he started to hear and receive the revelation of his righteousness in Christ.
I have just given up smoking by doing what you've taught in your books and DVDs—becoming conscious of and confessing my righteousness in Christ—whenever I was tempted to smoke. I have also been set free from 20 years of drug and alcohol abuse, and am free of paranoid thoughts. J couldn't give them up through my own efforts, but through Christ I have. Praise Jesus for His overcoming grace!
My friend, God's provision covers all aspects of life, including deliverance from long-term addictions. When you continually receive God's gifts of abundant grace, righteousness and no condemnation in Christ, you will walk in His power to reign over every addiction or condition holding you captive today!
Blessings crown the head of the righteous...
—Proverbs 10 :6, NIV
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness...
—Isaiah 61:10
"In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you...No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, "says the Lord.
—Isaiah 54:14,17
A ROBUST REVELATION OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
I really want you to reign in all areas of life by receiving a robust revelation of your righteousness in Christ. You grow in this revelation the more you hear about what Jesus has accomplished for you at the cross.
The Bible tells us that blessings crown the head of the righteous. So the larger the revelation of your righteousness in Christ and the more you are established in it, the more you will see God's blessings manifest in your life.
Let me put it another way: See the robe of righteousness that God has already clothed you with having pockets labeled "favor," "healing," "deliverance," "provision," "wisdom," "family blessings" and so on. The more conscious you are of this robe on you, the more you will experience the good gifts that come with it and live a purposeful and fulfilling life—a life where you have more than enough to bless others as well!
The more you believe that you are righteous in Christ...
...the more you will experience the blessings of the