Creflo A. Dollar - 8 Steps to Create the Life You Want: The Anatomy of a Successful Life

Copyright 2008 by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar, Jr.

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptures are taken from the King James Version (KJV).

Scriptures noted AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible.

Copyright 1954, 1962, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman

Foundation. Used by permission.

Scriptures noted NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scriptures noted NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scriptures noted The Message are taken from The Message.

Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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First eBook Edition: January 2008

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ISBN-13: 978-0-446-51102-5

With much prayer and seeking God as to the message and direction He wanted to take this project, I realized just how much of a support my wife, Taffi, has been in my life. It was she who walked these steps out with me as we grew in Christ.

Taffi, it is no light thing for me to realize the good thing that I have found in you, and the favor I have obtained from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). Because of your faith in and obedience to our heavenly Father, and because of your belief in me, I was able to achieve this. As I worked through this book, you demonstrated your confidence in me by submitting to me as I submit to Christ. For that I thank you.

You not only understand the anatomy of life, but you have helped me understand and move into each new level that God has taken us. You are the love of my life. It is with all these things in mind that I dedicate this entire work to you! I love you.

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Ephesians 1:1112

I would like to acknowledge my in-house editorial staff: To the Senior Editor of Books, Carmen Glover: the countless hours you spent working on and supervising this project will always be appreciated. Thank you for leading a dynamic team by example. You are an asset to the ministry, and your team is a reflection of all that you are.

To the editors: Yolanda Harris, Suzanne Mohr, Hope Christmas, Cheesette Stovall, Tawanda Mills, and Annette Davis: I appreciate your making this project a success by allowing the Holy Spirit to creatively funnel His anointing through you, into this project, every step of the way.

To the proofreaders: Cheesette Stovall, Hope Christmas, Annette Davis, Eric Strickland, and Tawanda Mills: Thank you for your skilled and sharp eyes.

To the entire publications team: I thank each of you for humbly submitting to God, working as unto Him to make this project a success. Each of you has meaningfully impacted this project. I appreciate your contributions in completing this project. Your support of the vision God has given me for this ministry proves your faithfulness to the Kingdom of God.

A great project is reflective of the efforts of great people, but a work of art is a great reflection of their hearts.

Words alone cannot express how grateful I am for you and your willing hearts!

We all want to enjoy a great life, and after years of studying Gods Word, I have uncovered a proven process that will lead to a life of success and total fulfillment. I believe that, when applied, the steps outlined in this book will revolutionize your life and change even the most difficult situations.

As we strive to better ourselves and achieve our goals, it can be frustrating at times to watch other people enjoying life as we and others around us struggle. Perhaps youre trying to launch a business, purchase a home, or recover from a financial setback, but it seems that every time you take one step forward, you fall two steps backward. Let me encourage you today: those days are over! Draw a line in the sand; youre about to cross over into new territory! Im about to introduce to you a brand new approach to life that will ultimately lead you to your divine destination.

No matter how things appear today, I want you to remember this: God wants you to live the good life! In fact, Jesus reveals this truth in Ephesians 2:10. It confirms that before you were born, God determined your purpose and created a path that would lead you to the good life which He prearranged and made ready for you to live (AMP).

This Scripture also affirms that through Christ, we are born anew, that we may do the good works the Father planned for us long before we were ever born. The good works He refers to in Ephesians specifically relate to your lifes purpose. They are those things you were called to do and enjoy even if no one paid you to do them. And there are specific paths that you must take to arrive at the place God has already prepared. Plain and simple; God has a prescribed plan for your life, an appointed purpose and destiny that He established from the beginning.

God has provided a wealth of wisdom, knowledge, and direction in His Word to assist us in arriving at our destination. When we dont subscribe to Gods plan, we postpone our progress and set ourselves up for disappointment and discouragement. As a result, we go through life constantly searching for answers to questions like, What am I here for? and Which path should I take? when God has already provided the answers.

Part of the process of reaching your destination and being successful is recognizing that you have a part to play. So many people wait on God to take them to their place of fulfillment in life, and then blame Him when they fail. Others consider the Bible to be some sort of magic book of promises. They want only to name it and claim it, believe it and receive it, then go, Poof... there it is! But theres so much more! People who think this way somehow convince themselves that God will magically fix their situation. Heres a news flash: God isnt into magic tricks! He has a master plan and your job is to operate within that plan.

There are also people on the opposite extreme. They dont see the need to get God involved in their decisions at all. Rather than seeking Him for guidance, they rely on their experience, education, and networking skills to lead them to the path of success.

I often hear people say, Whats meant to be, will be, but that just doesnt line up with Scripture. Your decisions are what create your reality; nothing just happens. The truth is, until you identify Gods plan for your life and understand the process that leads to your destination, you will either delay or forfeit the good life He has planned for you.

The goal of this book is to help you gain a greater awareness of that process and the factors that lead to your desired end. I will show you, step by step, how to achieve success, enrich your life, and discover your lifes purpose. As a result, you will improve your well-being and experience fulfillment in your career, relationships, and future endeavors.