Day 38: Reduce Your Debt

Scripture to Memorize:
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
Proverbs 31:20-21
Passage to Read:
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are?
Nehemiah 4:1-2
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, just as you helped Nehemiah rebuild the wall that surrounded Jerusalem, you have helped me restore my finances from rubble of my mismanagement. Continue to help me apply the lesson you taught me about Biblical money management. Lessons I learned while I cleared away the rubble of my financial mismanagement. Holy Spirit continue to remind me that pursuing the approval of others by having the clothes, the right material things will only create dissatisfaction because it is not what God wants me to do with the resorces he has entruste to me and my family. Instead help me to be like the Proverbs 31 woman who builds up her family and helps provide them with security. Help me maintain the wall instead of creating a new pile of rubble. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Personal:
Today Donna talks about getting rid of, or reducing debt. She suggests that people use Dave Ramsey's Debt Snowball, which she explains. She also warns readers that when our Spiritual Enemy finds that we are serious about reducing debt and that we have a viable plan to do so, just like Sanballat he pitchs a fit. Like Sanballat he will try to sow seeds of doubt, but remember that it took Nehemiah did not rebuild the wall in a day. It took him 52 days. We won't get out of debt overnight either but if we are committed and consistently follow Dave Ramsey's guidelines we will eventually get out of debt. We need to develop new ways of thinking about debt but more importantly we need to develop new ways to think about credit. Donna warns about all of the temptation out there and suggests that you contact www.optoutprescreen.com or call
1-888-5OptOut to stop unwanted temptations.
Next Donna tells us to stay focused on our task: clearing out the rubble. Then "you can rebuild the walls of your financial fortress and secure your family's future." Of course we do not do these things alone. Our family is also involved in this endeavor. We work together as a family unit to secure our family's secure financial future. Once we do this "like the Proverbs 31 woman, you willhave no fear for your household and you'll be able to laugh at the days to come."
Affirmation: I clear out the rubble of debt.
Practical:
Donna features a Debt Reduction Strategy worksheet in her book and ask you to copy it and put it in your Personal Notebook/Journal. Then begin paying down your debt. Her worksheet is similar to the one from Dave Ramsey's website and books.