Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV).
Supervisor: “Hey Sharique, we have a new case for you today; please make your way to the courthouse.
Sharique: (Throws hands up in the air) “Alright, I am on my way there.”
I sat in my car with a child from my other caseload and a court report due, wondering when I’d find time to explore this new case, let alone finish my tasks. As I made my way back from the courthouse, I began to cry. The more time I spent at that job, the more anxious I became. The more unclear my thoughts were. As a child of God, we have the safety net of the Lord’s promises as declaration and decrees over our lives. I knew that I wasn’t created with the spirit of fear, yet I allowed anxiety to overtake me, and it spilled into my physical health. The verse gives us the answer to anxiety, “in EVERY SITUATION by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present, your request to God.” Prayer works and breaks the chain of any mental health stronghold we can think of. Back then, I wish I knew what I know now.
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Have you ever felt like your mind was bombarded with everything at once? One of the most challenging battles we fight daily is simply with our minds. Luckily, we have direction and guidance through the word of God. There is a reason why we must be transformed by our minds instead of allowing our minds to transform us (Romans 12:2). As a woman of God, we have authority in heaven and on earth, and with this promise, we are unstoppable (Matthew 28:18). Today we will discuss 3 ways to actively walk in the grace the Lord set forth for you by gaining victory over your mind.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) “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”
Just like Paul explains that we need to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” this is how we need to treat our minds. We need to actively bring all our thoughts into our command. At times it’s easy to believe that we don’t have control over our thoughts, but when we feed into this understanding, we speak life in the idea that we don’t have control. Every thought should get filtered before we act on our thoughts or claim them as our own.
Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
What words come out of your mouth? Do you speak life? Do you speak death? What fruits are you consuming? We must talk intentionally. We will have to be accountable for every idle word that we say (Matthew 12:36). Not only will we be accountable, but we must use this authority to pave the way for clarity in our minds. We are alive, made brand new, transformed, and we shall speak as such.
Luke 10:19 (NKJV) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
When the enemy inserts thoughts and ideas into our minds, we must be reminded that we have the authority to rebuke him. We have the authority to tell him to leave our minds, and when this happens, we should tell the Holy Spirit to intervene. This is where prayer can help us to fully adhere to the authority that we are granted.
Prayer: Glory to Jesus, thank you for your peace that surpasses all understanding. Thank you for supplying us with all our needs. We thank you for our spiritual weapons of warfare to win the battle in our minds daily. We thank you for our sound mind, love, and authority. We thank you for the opportunity to put on our full armor of God. I pray that everyone who reads this post becomes encouraged that the battlefield of your mind is not lost. God is with you during the fight. We thank you for the victory that you won for us, in Jesus name. Amen.
Your turn: What words come out of your mouth that you wish you could take back? Do you speak life? Do you speak death? What are some ways you battle your destructive thoughts that work? Please share!