Failure is not falling down — failure is staying down.

Mary Lou Retton, America’s Golden Girl gymnast at the Summer Olympics in 1984, said that, to succeed, one has to set her goal and be willing to pay the price to achieve it. “Achieving that goal is a good feeling, but to get there you have to also get through the failures. You’ve got to be able to pick yourself up and continue.”

Everyone falls, but not everyone fails. It depends on whether you fail backward or you fail forward.
We fail backward when:
Failure keeps us from trying again…
We become negative about life…
We make excuses and blame others…

We fail forward when:
We learn from our failure…
We discover our own true self…
We turn everything over to God…

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.”

Look up & read the following Scripture passages:
Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 23:14; Lamentations 3:22-23;
Matthew 6:20; 1 Peter 1:9; John 10:28; 1 Corinthians 13:8, 13

My Time With God

1.) Preparation Time
List the failure issues you are “wrestling with” in your…
Personal Life:
Family Life:
Church Life:
Married Life:
Other:

2.) Waiting Time
Remember the incredible love the father showed his prodigal son when he returned home after a time of failure?

During your waiting time, let God…
Love You
“God, I feel your love today, especially in the area of…”

Search You
“God, You have permission to reveal any wrong motive in my life.”

Show You
“God, is there anything I need to know as I enter this day?”

3.) Confession Time
“The thief (Satan, the author of failure) comes only in order that he may steal and may kill and may destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance — to the full, till it overflows.” (John 10:10 Amplified)

The devil’s mission is to hurt. Jesus’ mission is to heal. Confess areas in your life that have failed because your focus was on the evil one. Confess your desire today to change your focus to the One who promises a full life.

4.) Bible Time
We can never pray out of God’s will when we pray God’s Word.

…Read Luke 15:12-32 slowly a couple of times.
…Close your eyes & allow a main truth to surface in your heart.
…Pray the Scripture & allow God to minister to you.

5.) Meditation Time
After praying the Scriptures, write down the thoughts that God has impressed upon your mind…

6.) Intercession Time – Praying for Others
Begin this time with a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving for the people for whom you will now intercede. Pray especially for people who have failed or feel like a failure…

7.) Petition Time – Praying for Yourself
How To Petition God Properly

Talk to Him about the “little things”
Be honest with God
Pray “Thy will be done”

Prayer Requests

8.) Application Time
The smallest obedient act is better than the greatest intention.

Q: What is the main thing God has impressed on me today?

Q: What am I going to do about it?

Steps to take in my obedience to God:

9.) Faith Time
Faith is our positive response to what God has said. Spend a few moments praying through your eyes of faith. Tell God the positive things you see happening because of His goodness!

10.) Praise & Thanksgiving Time

Praise God by recognizing WHO HE IS!
Thank God by recognizing WHAT HE HAS DONE!

This Week’s Memory Verse: John 10:10

This Week’s Time Alone With God

Monday – This Lesson

Tuesday – The beginning of this lesson focused on things that will not fail. Read them. Can you think of others?

Wednesday – Read again the story of the prodigal son. Put yourself in the place of the 3 characters. Which one of the 3 was a failure in the end? Could it be that an attitude of failure is worse than a failure in action?

Thursday – Failure Formula: People fail in direct proportion to their willingness to make excuses for their failures. In what areas are you making excuses?

Friday – Satan’s strategy: “Get Christians preoccupied with their failures. From there the battle is won.” (C.S. Lewis in “The Screwtape Letters”)

Read Philippians 3:13