Devotions - Prayer
Always be on the lookout for anything that takes your “peace” away, and then ask God to reveal what’s going on inside the hidden chambers of your soul.
* “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” Psalm 42:5
*You must have peace with God– to have peace of God.
The more sensitive we become to the Holy Spirit’s leading, the better we are able to walk in the world with peace and assurance as true sons of God.
JOHN 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
The dictionary states that to reconcile means to re-establish friendship between; to settle or resolve, as a dispute.
The key to reconciliation is to effectively deal with the enmity, ill will, hatred, or hostility that caused the dispute, etc.
2 Corinthians 5:18 -19
*May we be quick to forgive and reconcile with those we are at odds with.
The enmity between man and God was SIN.
*God took the initiative to remove this barrier through the means and agency of Jesus Christ, thus leaving man and God as friends once again.
We have received the ministry of reconciliation.
*That means we are in the ministry of reconciling people to God.
Imputing people’s sins unto them was not the way God used Jesus to reconcile the world unto Himself.
**We should not focus on the problem of sin, but on the answer of God’s grace (Rom. 5:20).
Our real job as ministers of reconciliation is to announce the good NEWS, which is an accomplished fact – that sin has already been dealt with through the person of Christ.
No matter how far you have wandered, as long as you still draw breathe, it is never too late to go back to God.
*Come, put down your pride and accept the gift of grace and love He has poured out for you and me.
Ephesians 2:16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
Lord, help me see each day that-Peace comes from the relationship I have with You! Lord, help me to stop worrying about others and start worrying about me and my relationship with You. Amen
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“Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself.”
Ephesians 5:33
To properly define the God‐ordained role of husbands, there’s no better place to turn than Scripture. The apostle Paul instructs: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy. . . . In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” (Ephesians 5:25–28).
Paul also tells us “the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23).
Here’s the bottom line of your responsibility as a husband:
- You are charged with the holy, loving leadership of your wife. There is nothing dictatorial or selfish in this prescription!
- Your love is to be so strong that it mirrors Christ’s love for the church, so committed that you would unquestioningly die to save her, and so powerful that it is indistinguishable from love of your self.
What a challenge! And what a privilege to join with God and your wife in this holy partnership! For as you fulfill your role as head of the house, you’ll encounter blessings you never imagined.
Ask yourselves . . .
• (husband) What has been my most “shining moment” as your husband?
• (husband) Do you feel my love for you meets this scriptural ideal?
• (wife) How do you feel about the responsibility God gives husbands?
• (wife) How can I encourage you in this role?
“Husbands, in the same way [be submissive] as you live together with your wives . . .” be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble”. 1 Peter 3:7-8
The NLT captures this meaning in their translation:. . . you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. 1 Peter 3:7
Heavenly Father, You have given me an awesome and holy responsibility to love my wife just as Christ loved the church. Help me to follow Christ’s perfect example as I learn to increase my love for my mate. Amen
Read MoreBy John Piper
Do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.(Matthew 6:31–32)
Jesus wants his followers to be free from worry. In Matthew 6:25–34, he gives at least seven arguments designed to take away our anxiety. One of them lists food and drink and clothing, and then says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:32).
Jesus must mean that God’s knowing is accompanied by his desiring to meet our need. He is emphasizing we have a Father. And this Father is better than an earthly father.
I (John Piper) have five children. I love to meet their needs. But my knowing falls short of God’s in at least three ways.
First, right now I don’t know where any of them is. I could guess. They’re in their homes or at work or school, healthy and safe. But they might be lying on a sidewalk with a heart attack.
Second, I don’t know what is in their heart at any given moment. I can guess from time to time. But they may be feeling some fear or hurt or anger or lust or greed or joy or hope. I can’t see their hearts.
Third, I don’t know their future. Right now they may seem well and steady. But tomorrow some great sorrow may befall them.
This means I can’t be for them a very strong reason for not worrying. There are things that may be happening to them now or may happen tomorrow that I do not even know about. But it is totally different with their Father in heaven. He knows everything about them now and tomorrow, inside and out. He sees every need.
Add to that, his huge eagerness to meet their needs (the “much more” of Matthew 6:30).
Add to that his complete ability to do what he is eager to do (he feeds billions of birds hourly, Matthew 6:26).
So join me in trusting the promise of Jesus to meet our needs. That’s what Jesus is calling for when he says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”
We can lack faith because we don’t understand what it is sometimes.
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
I read this someplace and it really hit home for me about Faith.
A drowning boy struggled desperately in the water. His mother, on shore, cried out for a strong young man swimming near her son to save him.
But the young man remained several feet away from the boy.
Strength failing, the boy’s struggles ceased and he began to sink.
With two deft strokes, the young man was at the boy’s side.
After both were on the shore, the mother asked the young man, “Why didn’t you save my boy sooner?”
The young man replied, “I could not save your boy until he gave up his own struggling. He would have pulled us both down.”
Just as the drowning boy found his best efforts of no avail, and just as the Lord’s disciples found their best efforts insufficient, we often come face-to-face with a problem only to find our best efforts not enough.
What a happy discovery this can be!
Now we call out to God for help.
*Nothing is impossible with God.
*His efforts are always sufficient to satisfy the need.
Instead of struggling along, let us seek the help of our heavenly Father Who is ever by our side to work on our behalf.
When we have ceased our struggling with the overwhelming problems facing us, we find God is there to help us.
We can have the resources through Christ to meet every challenge.
Jesus promises: I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20).
Thank You Lord for giving me Faith in You.
Forgive me for any unbelief in Jesus that I may have, which is a turning away from you in order to seek satisfaction in other things. Thank you Jesus for being the only way, truth and life. Amen
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 ESV).
The Bible tells us to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Have you noticed that the second part of that sentence is easy, but the first part can be really tough?
When somebody’s having a tough time, it’s easy to be sympathetic. It’s easy to encourage people when they’re down. But sometimes what we can’t stand is when they get a promotion. We’re not very good at handling the success of other people. Rather than rejoicing in it, we resent it. In fact, we wish bad things would happen to people, because somehow we think that if we can blow out somebody else’s candle, ours will shine brighter.
There’s plenty of God’s grace to go around. If God wants to pay other people the same amount, so what? I shouldn’t even worry about what he wants to give other people. I should worry about what I’m doing with what I’ve been given.
Let me explain something about envy to you. Envy happens close to you. It happens in your relationship to your peers. You don’t typically envy people who aren’t your peers. You can have some kind of idol worship that says, “I wish I were like that superstar.” But really it’s not as grating as the people closest to you. Those are the people you have the hardest time seeing success in — your family and friends.
Envy is insidious. It devalues others, it destroys relationships, and it makes you miserable. It’s hidden, but it’s destructive. And it causes you to miss out on so much joy.
You’ll enjoy life a whole lot more if you will learn to be happy over the successes of other people. Speak Blessings over them—Not Curses!
If you’re only happy when things go well for you, you’re going to be miserable most of your life, because things won’t always go well for you or anybody else. But if you learn to be happy at other people’s successes and enjoy other people’s celebrations, you can be happy all the time.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “Love does not envy.” Envy is the most unloving thing you can do to somebody else. Love is not envious.
Love celebrates God’s goodness to others. Read 1 Thess. 5:16-19 for God’s will for you. Amen
Read More“John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:35).
The moon is lovely on a clear night only because it reflects the light of the sun. It has no qualities by itself to reflect its beauty.
Without the sun shining onto its surface, you and I would never see the moon. It would simply be a dark object in the sky.
A diamond is designed to reflect the light to reveal its true value.
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance.
There is no single measurement of a diamond that defines its cut, but rather a collection of measurements and observations that determine the relationship between a diamond’s light performance, dimensions and finish.
Jesus came to bring the light of His love and grace to each of us.
However, we are born into a world dulled by the sin created by Adam and Eve that makes our lives dark until we meet Jesus.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom 3:23-24).
Jesus contrasted in many parables that those who allow His life to live in them will live in the light amidst darkness. When you invite Jesus Christ to live in your heart it is as though a light is shining upon your life in order to reflect the glory of God’s Son through you.
Jesus calls you to be a vessel to reflect the brilliant light of His love to others.
Our workplace is a great place to reflect His glory.
How are your reflective qualities? Ask Him to make your life a continual reflection of His light to others.
Only when we come to the “end of ourselves” will we be able to accept God’s unconditional gift of Love.
“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13
Lord, because of Your great love for me–help me to be a better brighter light for my family and the workplace. Let all my actions and words come from You and not me. Amen
...”Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah”… – 1 Samuel 22:5
David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam.
*David was fleeing Saul.
*Many of life’s down-and-out had come and joined David’s army.
*David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety.
Then, God’s prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah.
When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who prod us into moving forward in the right direction.
Let us not stay in the stronghold but praise our way out.
*God does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement.
*God wants us to move into the land of “praise.” Judah means “praise.
Eccl. 7:13 Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent? 14 In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.
Not only must we keep moving forward, we must move into a new realm.
*Our attitude/mind must move from discouragement to praise.
*It is when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems.
1 John 5:3 For our love for God means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not too hard for us, 4 because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith.
Revelation 21:7 Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children.
Revelation 12:11 They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.
Revelation 3:21 To those who win the victory I will give the right to sit beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and now sit by my Father on his throne.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Amen
Read MoreProverbs 4:20–22-My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
For many years I have known those three verses from the fourth chapter of Proverbs as “God’s medicine bottle.” God declares that if we will rightly receive His words and His sayings, they will be life to us and health to all our flesh. The marginal translation for the word that is translated “health” is “medicine.” That’s why I say it’s “God’s medicine bottle.”
And God says His medicine will provide us with health in all our flesh. In every area of our physical body it will provide health, but remember, the directions are on the bottle. The medicine only works if you take it according to the directions. There are four directions.
First, attend to God’s word.
Second, incline or bow down your ear and listen to His sayings.
Third, let them not depart from your eyes, keep them before your eyes continually.
And fourth, let them settle and abide in the midst of your heart.
If you take the Word of God according to those fourfold directions, you will find, as I did many years ago, that God’s medicine bottle produces just the results that He claims. It brings life and health to all our flesh.
Lord, thank you for your word and thank you for your 10 commandments which are the boundaries for our living here on earth. They point out our sin and show us how much we need You. Lord I pray that all churches and all Christians will bring back the teachings of the Commandments and come to know these 10 Commandments like the back of their hand. Amen
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When we seek to please “self“, we open ourselves up to uncontrolled emotions, soulish thoughts and selfish desires.
“…for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.” Ezekiel 33:31
Psalm 77 has tremendous value for anyone who has ever faced life’s serious questions:
*Is there a dependable God?
* Are there absolute values in life?
*Is there meaning to life?
*Is there any purpose to this existence?
Here in Psalm 77 is a man, David who finds his way from the despairing conclusion expressed in verse 10,
“And I say, ‘It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed”. (Psalm 77:10 ) to the triumphant declaration of verse 13:
“Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?”
David does it by meditating on the deeds of the Lord. He thinks long and hard about certain actions of God in history–certain concrete, stubborn facts that cannot be forgotten or explained away, which have been witnessed by thousands and even millions of people, and the results of which have permanently altered the course of history.
It’s interesting that David would remind himself of God’s history of grace and mercy. Before anybody else told him, he reminded himself that God has been Good over and over again.
- When you are discouraged remember what God has done for you in the past.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Jesus said He would never leave or forsake His children.
However, we can walk away from His fellowship by refusing to be with Him.
Do not let this happen to you. He longs to have daily fellowship with you because He loves you.
Psalm 77 directs us to remember God and mediate on all his wonderful works and his love and guidance for us.
* I will spend more time remembering God, what he has done(GRATITUDE) and his amazing works of leading and guiding me thru all of life.
God, help me to take time to mediate and remember who you are, how much you love me, and your grace and mercy.
Thank You that by Your work You give purpose and turn me from despair to victory. Amen
It doesn’t matter how many people you’ve led to the Lord, how many Scriptures you’ve memorized or how many Bible studies you’ve taught; if you’re not fully convinced God loves you…there’s something missing.
“…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ…”Ephesians 4:14-15
The apostle Paul challenges us in Romans 12:2 to not let our minds be conformed by the patterns of this world.
*This means we need to take our patterns of thought into consideration because they affect what we believe about ourselves and what we believe about God’s view of us and others.
The world’s patterns of thought tell us our worth is measured by our weight or bank account, our job or spouse, by the number of our friends, or if we are able to have children.
And if we do have children, the world tells us we’re only good parents if our children behave ‘just so.’
It takes time to replace our patterns of thought with God’s thoughts. The ways of the world—fear and worry—are powerful forces. But God’s Word trumps them, always.
Today, let’s be intentional to lay down self-doubts and replace them with truth, remembering “… he who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:16).
4 principles to understand to renew the mind
1. The weapons of the enemy.
2. The strategy of the enemy.
3. The weapons of God.
4. God’s battle plan for Holiness and purity.
Approach uncertainty with faith that Jesus is with you directing your steps. Nothing is uncertain to Jesus or in His kingdom. Jesus knows the beginning from the end, and we can trust Him to lead us in the way we should go. Jesus is for us and not against us. Maintain peace in all things—-we are God’s Masterpiece.
Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
Lord, I want to have a confident heart in Christ and persevere in Your truth so that when I have done Your will, I will receive what You have promised. When doubt tells me I can’t do something, I’ll remember all things are possible to those who believe In Jesus! Amen
Read MoreEphesians 4:22 So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor 5:17).
It’s a second chance to get a fresh start without penalty.
1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.
Christ represents the invitation to throw away our first life and begin anew with Him as a new creation. (see Eph. 2:1-10)
The new life in Christ has nothing to do with church attendance or even doing good things.
Christ said there will be many people who will claim Him as their Savior but they never really knew Him. (see JN 17:3 “to know Jesus is to have Eternal Life” “to know”)
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matt 7:22-23).
Jesus invites everyone to partake of the new life He offers.
*We only must believe, invite him to remove our sins and allow Him to live as Lord through our lives.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me?” (Rev 3:20).
If you want another chance in life, now is the time to let Jesus give you a brand new start. Ask Him for that new start today. (Read Ephesians 1-6 each day and find a new truth each day to walk in for the renewing of the mind)
In 2 Corinthians 5: 20-21 As a new creation we Are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God is pleading through us: on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become righteousness of God in Christ.
Dear Lord, I want to be that new creature, I want more of you Lord. Help me to be righteous. I thank You Jesus who has erased that which I’m not proud of and has given me new beginnings. Jesus now please give me the discipline that I now make time for Your Word each day and then put Your word into action. Amen
Bitterness causes even the most intelligent and rational person to lose control and drown in negativity.
Until we uproot our bitterness, we will never overcome any of our other flaws.
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15
When a root of bitterness is allowed to be planted and grown, it not only affects that person, but it also affects all others who are involved. It is like a cancer.
Breaking satan’s foothold requires at least one person to press into God’s grace.
It cannot happen when either party “feels” like it, for none of us will ever feel like forgiving.
None of us feel like talking when we have been hurt.
Our natural response is to withdraw or lash out at the offending party.
It is only obedience that allows God’s grace to cover the wrongs incurred.
This grace prevents the parties from becoming victims who will seek compensation for their pain.
The next time you are hurt by someone, realize the gravity of the crossroads where you find yourself.
Choose GRACE instead of bitterness. Then you will be free to move past the hurt, and a root of bitterness will not be given opportunity to grow.
Controlling Anger
1. Recognize the root of your anger (Heb. 12:15)
2. Confess it to God (Prov. 16:7)
3. Make an effort to make things right with the offended (Matt. 5:23-24)
4. Choose to forgive others (Mark 11:25-26)
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty (Proverbs 16:32)
*Forgiveness doesn’t make THEM right, but it makes YOU free!
*Harboring unforgiveness blocks out the goodness of God in our lives. We poisoned ourselves and finally choked on that poison.
5 reasons bitterness is called a root:
1) Bitterness is hidden. unseen.
2) Bitterness prefers darkness to SONlight.
3) Bitterness loves dirt.
4) Bitterness gets deeper and stronger the longer its allowed to live.
5) Bitterness produces its fruit and poisons many others as it continues to spread.
How do I forgive those who hurt me?
1) Pray for those who hurt you. Matthew 5:44.
2) Forgive as you have been forgiven. Colossians 3:13
Father, reveal to me where I may be harboring anything against anyone. Convict my heart and give me the strength to forgive. All things are possible through you. Amen
(Read Ephesians 4:21- 5:2( verse 32–Replace the Old with New–31″get rid of ALL Bitterness…be kind to each other tenderhearted, forgiving on another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you”
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Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;I have all that I need.
If you need a prescription for peace, I encourage you to let your thoughts dwell on God’s promises and rest in His presence as you pray.
Ask Him to help you release your worry. Praise Him for the good things He’s done, and talk to Him about the problems you’re struggling with.
Seek God’s will for every area of your life and commit to trust Him enough to make changes as He nudges you.
True peace comes when we trust God and seek rest in Him, not when life is conflict-free.
****A daily dose of God’s presence and promises is the best prescription for peace.
Philippians 4:6-7.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
As the words of these verses wash through my soul, I realize I’ve been depending on people to diagnose my problems instead of seeking a remedy from God.
I had overlooked the only One who had a prescription that could heal — Jesus Christ.
Galatians 6: 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
ENEMIES OF GODLINESS
Enemy #1 Selfishness:-Don’t only look to satisfy your own sinful nature, this harvests death. Live to please the spirit, this harvests life in the spirit.(See 1 Peter 3:18)
Enemy #2 Pride: Be Humble.
(SeeProverbs 16:18)
Enemy #3 Insecurity:-It prevents intimacy and promotes fear. -We are afraid that or weaknesses will be revealed. We are also afraid of rejection of being ourselves so we try to be something and someone we are not.
-The antidote of rejection is the acceptance of Almighty God.
Enemy #4 Resentment: -Hurt people hurt people.
(Philippians 2:4)
Dear Lord, I am stressed. I know I need a change in my life, and I am ready for the prescription for peace that only You can offer. Fill me today with a dose of serenity that I cannot find anywhere else but in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read MoreDo not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19 NIV).
- Who has a better arsenal to repay, you or God?
- Who can settle the score better, you or God?
- I think God! If I have to choose whether
- I’m going to get back at someone or let God be the God of justice, I’m going to let God be the God of justice.
- I’m going to choose to leave it to God.
Forgiveness does not mean the instant restoration of trust.
- Forgiveness is instant.
- Trust must be rebuilt over time.
- Forgiveness is based on grace.
- Trust is built on works.
- You earn trust. You don’t earn forgiveness.
A lot of people don’t want to forgive, because they think if they forgive people, then they’ve got to trust them again. No. That’s a whole different issue!
Let me say it again: Forgiving someone does not mean you have to trust that person. It means that person has to earn the trust.
If people are in a relationship and one person is dealing with drugs or alcohol or abuse or whatever, they may ask, “Will you forgive me?” Yes, you will forgive them. “Can we go back to the way it was?” No. That’s not at all what we do. If we did it would be called enabling.
Forgiveness and a restoration of a relationship are two different things.
- Forgiveness is only your part, whether they respond or not, whether they ask for it or not, whether they even recognize they need it or not. You forgive for your sake.
- Restoration of a relationship takes far more than forgiveness.
- It takes repentance.
- It takes restitution and a rebuilding of trust.
- And it often takes much more time.
Many people think they can’t forgive because that would mean going back to the same old way. Not at all. But you do have to leave it to God.
Lord, help us all in this area of relationships. Help us do what You would do. Help us search Scripture to find the answer. Amen
Read More“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8
We all struggle with negative thinking at times; it’s a common battle.
And that’s why it’s important to recognize negative thought patterns and learn how to re-route them.
** The good news is we can have control over what we think.
*When we’re down, sad or hopeless, let’s take inventory of our thoughts.
*When we find ourselves jumping to conclusions, doling out guilt trips on others or replaying arguments in our mind, let’s consciously change our thinking.
*When I get in a self-pity party, often it’s because I’ve focused too much on what’s bad.
The apostle Paul advises us in our key verse, Philippians 4:8, to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For ‘who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
The next time you’re fighting negative thoughts, “rattle your cage” by remembering you have the mind of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
*Take each negative thought captive and replace it with what Paul describes in our key verse.
Scripture promises that when we align our thoughts with God’s, His peace, which passes all understanding, will keep our hearts and mind through Christ Jesus.
Lord, give me Your ability to bring every thought captive. Help me to refute negative thoughts with Your truth from Your word. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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