21 Days of Prayer Day 13 - Friday - January 19 - God’s Work in Us - Our Minds and Emotions
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
Sometimes my mind goes the wrong direction. My imagination can run the opposite direction from where I want it to go. So I need to cast it down, stop it, block it and control it.
Martin Luther “You cannot keep the birds from flying over our heads, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair.”
You can choose not to dwell or act upon the thoughts the devil brings us.
1. Take my thoughts captive.
We need to learn how to do this. I’m not going to think about the thing I should not for another second.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 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.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Phil. 4:6-8 (NIV)
He gives us peace that transcends all understanding. Goes beyond our understanding.
2. Think of Godly things.
Take captive the thoughts. Then think of Godly things.
3. Depend on the Holy Spirit.
10 But] it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:10-16 (NIV)
You will never control the thoughts and emotions without the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit - when I need Him most, He’s right there for me.
So let us pray “Holy Spirit help me to take my thoughts captive. Help me, Holy Spirit, to think about Godly things. I need you Holy Spirit to have the mind of Christ. In Jesus’ name.”
