I found this today in my weekly devotion from “Sparkling Gems From The Greek” by Rick Renner
It's Time for You To Start Confessing ‘Good Things' About Yourself!
That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon 1:6
What kind of things do you say about yourself? Do you speak well of yourself, or are you hyper-critical of your appearance, your weight, your intelligence, your talents, your skills, and every other aspect of who you are as a person?
I used to be so hyper-critical of myself that one day the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "How dare you continually talk so badly about yourself after the good work I've done inside you. Don't you know how marvelously I created you to be in Jesus Christ? Quit speaking so negatively of yourself, and start acknowledging every good thing that is in you."
I didn't realize how badly I was speaking of myself until the Holy Spirit brought it to my attention. But after He spoke to me, I started noticing every time something evil slipped out of my mouth about myself. I was stunned to see how many times I did it! I became painfully aware that my own mouth had become one of my greatest enemies. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I made a decision to quit speaking such foul things and to start aligning my mouth with what God's Word declared me to be.
Paul said we need to speak good things about ourselves! In Philemon 1:6, he said, "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Today I want to especially draw your attention to the part of the verse that says, "…May become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus."
Even though God has done great things in you and has planned a powerful future for you, it is up to you to activate His blessings in your life! This is why Paul says, "That the communication of your faith may become effectual.…"
The word "effectual" is the Greek word energeo. It is where we get the word energy. However, in this verse, the word energeo carries the idea of something that has suddenly become energized or activated. Paul's words could actually be rendered, "That the communication of your faith may become energized and activated.…"
Let me give you an example to help you understand what this word energeo means in the context of this verse. An automobile may be filled with enough fuel to drive a long distance, but it won't go anywhere until someone puts the key into the ignition and then turns the key. The moment that key is turned, the spark plugs are sparked, which fires up the engine. Once the engine has been activated, the potential in that car is ready to be unleashed.
The car always has the capability of moving, but if it is never activated, it sits silent in the driveway. No matter how much fuel is in the tank or how much horsepower that car possesses, its power and potential will never be realized until someone turns the key in the ignition.
Now let's apply this to you. In Philemon 1:6, the apostle Paul writes that "every good thing" has been placed in you by Jesus Christ. Think of it - He saved you, healed you, redeemed you, and protected you. He has given you a sound mind; He has given you the mind of Christ; He has imparted gifts and talents to you; and He has planned a future for your life that is simply glorious. You are loaded with phenomenal potential that is just waiting to be activated!
You may say, "Yes, well, I know that the Bible says I've been given all those good things, but I don't feel like any of that is true about me! I feel like such a defeat. Even though the Word says I'm healed, the reality is that I feel sick. Even though God's Word says I have a sound mind, I continually feel like I don't have control of my thought life. And in spite of the fact the Bible says God has blessed me with gifts and talents, I feel like a dope who has nothing to offer to this world. There is a big gap between what the Bible says about me and what I feel about me!"
My friend, you are like a car that is loaded with enough fuel and horsepower to get anywhere you need to go. But for that potential in you to be released, you have to hold the right key in your hand.
Furthermore, it isn't enough for you to just possess the key. You have to put that key into the "ignition" and turn it so the latent potential that resides inside you will be ignited. When you turn the key in the ignition, suddenly the potential you possess in Jesus Christ is supernaturally ignited, activated, energized, and released inside you!
So what is the key that sparks all the good things God has placed inside you into becoming an outward reality? What is the key that causes all that God declares about you to become manifested in your life?
How do you "turn the key in the ignition" so that the great work God has done inside you is activated and released?
Paul says, "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." The word "acknowledging" in this verse holds the answer to the questions above. This word is from the Greek word epignosis, which describes a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts.