Laurette Willis' '40 Days to Fit and Fabulous with PraiseMoves'

176 Pages·2016·2.41 MB·English

Destiny Image Books by Laurette Willis
Truth Seekers (contributor)
© Copyright 2013– Laurette Willis
All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or
reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted
and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King
James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are
taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used
by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the
Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Readers are advised to consult with their physician or other medical practitioner before implementing the suggestions that follow. This
book is not intended to take the place of sound medical advice or to treat specific maladies. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes
any liability for possible adverse consequences as a result of the information contained herein.
DESTINY IMAGE® PUBLISHERS, INC.
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“Promoting Inspired Lives.”
This book and all other Destiny Image, Revival Press, MercyPlace, Fresh Bread, Destiny Image Fiction, and Treasure House books are
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ISBN 13 TP: 978-0-7684-4258-8
ISBN 13 Ebook: 978-0-7684-4259-5
For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 / 17 16 15 14 13
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to acknowledge our certified PraiseMoves instructors (CPIs) all over the world who
are blazing a trail by bringing PraiseMoves® and the message of faith and fitness to their churches,
fitness centers, YMCAs, schools, and communities.
These women and men of God are offering PraiseMoves® (“The Christian alternative to yoga”)
and MIRA!™ (“Christian Fitness with a Latin Beat”) as a way to strengthen believers in spirit, soul,
and body.
Our certified PraiseMoves instructors are on the forefront of the fitness ministry movement. They
present workout classes which offer participants marvelous physical benefits as well as the Word of
God, which is the foundation to every PraiseMoves posture. We like to say that the exercise is not the
foundation to PraiseMoves, but rather the Word of God which we meditate upon and speak aloud
while doing these stretching, strengthening postures. In this way, PraiseMoves is the “witty invention”
to get you more into the Word of God, and to get more of the Word of God into you!
To find a PraiseMoves or MIRA! class near you, please visit www.PraiseMoves.com.
Transform Your Workouts into Worship with PraiseMoves®!
“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20, PraiseMoves
Foundation Scripture).
CONTENTS
Introduction
Day 1 I Trust in the Lord: “Mount Zion” (Psalms 125:1)
Day 2 I Hear Beautiful Music from Bruised Reeds: “The Reed” (Isaiah 42:3)
Day 3 I Will Praise the Lord! “David’s Harp” (Psalms 108:2-3)
Day 4 I Will Mount Up with Wings Like an Eagle: “The Eagle” (Isaiah 40:31)
Day 5 The Breath of the Almighty Gives Me Life: “The Flapping Tent” (Job 33:4)
Day 6 The Lord Has Given Me Dominion: “The Tent” (Isaiah 54:2)
Day 7 I Present My Body to the Lord: “The Altar” (Romans 12:1)
Day 8 I Receive by Faith, Like a Little Child: “The Little Child” (Mark 10:15)
Day 9 I Will Rejoice—Right Now! “The Tallit” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Day 10 I Dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High: “The Angel” (Psalms 91:11)
Day 11 God’s Wisdom is Light in My Life: “The Star” (Daniel 12:3)
Day 12 God Has a Rainbow for Me in the Cloud! “The Rainbow” (Genesis 9:16)
Day 13 My Bible-based Prayers Are Full of Power! “The Prayer Warrior 1 and 2” (James 5:16)
Day 14 Whatever I Do Will Prosper: “The Tree” (Psalms 1:3)
Day 15 I Humble Myself, and God Lifts Me Up: “The Chair” (Luke 14:11)
Day 16 God’s Power Is at Work in Me: “Jars of Clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Day 17 I Am Abiding in the Vine and Bearing Fruit! “The Vine” (John 15:5)
Day 18 My Body Is the Temple of the Holy Spirit: “The Temple” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Day 19 Turn My Eyes from Worthless Things: “Turn Away Twist” (Psalms 119:37)
Day 20 I’m Getting Out of This Old Tent! “Pulling up the Flaps” (Genesis 15:5)
Day 21 My Battle Is Not with Flesh and Blood: “The Prayer Warrior 3” (Ephesians 6:12)
Day 22 I Will Bless the Lord! “The Prayer Warrior 4” (Psalms 134:2)
Day 23 He Gives Me Living Water: “The Fountain” (John 4:14)
Day 24 I Am Launching Out into the Deep! “Peter’s Boat” (Luke 5:4)
Day 25 I Will Not Let Go of What the Lord Has Given Me! “The Cross” (Mark 8:34)
Day 26 My Help Comes from the Lord: “The Guide” (Psalms 121:1-2)
Day 27 I Run with Endurance: “The Runner” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Day 28 Saying is Sowing: I Plant My Faith by Speaking: “The Mustard Seed” (Luke 17:6)
Day 29 I Find Rest for My Soul: “Rest and Stretch” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Day 30 I Am Willing to Be a Fool for Christ: “Threefold Cord” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
Day 31 God is Drawing Me Out: “Baby in a Basket” (Exodus 2:10)
Day 32 I Love the Name of Jesus! “The Angel Bow” (Philippians 2:10-11)
Day 33 I Press Toward the Goal: “The Prize” (Philippians 3:13-14)
Day 34 Jesus Has Made Me a Fisher of Men: “The Fisher” (Matthew 4:19)
Day 35 I’m Planting Seeds of Self-Discipline: “The Bell” (Psalm 126:3)
Day 36 I Am Known by My Fruit: “The Branch” (John 15:4)
Day 37 I’m Wise as a Serpent and Innocent as a Dove: “The Dove” (Matthew 3:16)
Day 38 The Spirit of the Lord Is Upon Me: “The Scroll” (Luke 4:16-19)
Day 39 The Lord Protects Me: “Chet: The Fence” (2 Samuel 22:2-4)
Day 40 I’m Walking Along the King’s Highway: “The King’s Highway” (Numbers 20:17)
A Special Invitation
In Closing
Bonus Chapters
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to 40 days that can change your life! I’m excited to be going on this journey with you.
You will not only be doing some revolutionary things to help your physical health; you will be taking
steps to super-charge your spiritual life and relationship with the Lord, too!
Faith and Fitness: Changing your Want-To
Combining faith and fitness just makes sense. If you want make lasting improvements in your
physical health and wellbeing, you need more than a great diet and exercise plan. Studies show that
positive, long-term change happens when we make consistent improvements over time and then stick
to them. This requires an inner change—changing your “want-to,” I call it.
There are few things as powerful as realizing an inner desire (your want-to) has been changed!
Since I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, I could do all the ugly things I used to do before I knew
Him, if I wanted to—but I don’t want to do so! My want-to has been changed! Things which used to
hold me in bondage no longer control me. Some of these freedoms from bondage I experienced
immediately; some have come during a process of growing in the Lord and His Word, and others I am
continuing to walk out by faith on a daily basis—while singing the chorus to “God’s still workin’ on
me!”
Like many of us, you may have a developing want-to in the area of weight management and
physical fitness. Perhaps the want-to is there, but taking action on it or finding the time has been
challenging for you. Here’s where the power of faith will work for you. The Bible tells us, “…faith
apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead” (James 2:26 AMP). But faith combined with good
works yields powerful results!
In 40 Days to Fit and Fabulous with PraiseMoves, I will show you how you can bring faith and
fitness together and revolutionize your health in spirit, soul, and body!
You Are Made in God’s Image
You are comprised of three parts—spirit, soul, and body. Likewise, there are three parts to godly
fitness, namely, body and soul in Christ. You are a spirit. You have a soul, and you live in a body or
“earth suit.”
Let’s look at the scriptural evidence. Paul made the division clear when he prayed for the church
in Thessalonica, “May your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus
Christ comes again” (1 Thess. 5:23 NLT).
First, you are a spirit:
And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the
Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God (Romans 8:10 NLT).
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”
(Genesis 1:26).
Second, you have a soul:
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
And third, you live in a body:
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and
was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a
high price. So you must honor God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT).
Perhaps most important for believers (those who have surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus
Christ), is the understanding that we are in Christ as perfectly as He is in us. “In Him we live and
move and have our being…” (Acts 17:28).
If you have not made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, or if it’s been a long time since you’ve
enjoyed a heart-to-heart relationship with the Lord who made you, I invite you to turn to “A Special
Invitation” at the back of this book. If you are unsure whether or not that means you, it does! Please
turn to “A Special Invitation.” I’ll be right here waiting for you when you get back.
A Plan You Can Follow
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (James
2:26).
Knowledge is vital, yet without action it’s meaningless. We can know everything there is to know
about health and still be out of shape and miserable. One can read books and listen to sermons by
some of the most gifted Bible teachers of all time and still miss out on God’s most precious gift—the
peace and wholeness salvation brings—if all they do is listen and read. To be successful in any area
of life requires action, and not disorganized, meaningless activity, but focused action coupled with
knowledge and faith.
Because “faith is the substance of things hoped for” (Heb. 11:1), we need to know what it is
we’re hoping for! Hope is the blueprint your faith builds upon. What are some of the things you’d like
to accomplish during these 40 days? Your faith needs a blueprint to follow. I invite you to write a
brief blueprint for our 40 days together.
Do You Have a Journal?
You will need to use a journal or notebook to record your goals, prayers, accomplishments, and
the changes you will notice over the next 40 days—and beyond!
1. What I would like to accomplish during the next 40 days using this book is: