CONQUERING THOUGHTS

God is far more interested in changing our minds rather than changing our circumstances. We should fix our minds first because our thoughts control our lives.

Rick Warren noted: “Every action begins with a thought. If you don't think it, you don't do it.”

Note: If you are always thinking about changing the world, helping others, and telling others what Jesus has done for you. What habit will you no longer have time for? Proverbs 4 says: Your life is shaped by your thoughts.

My notes from Rick's video continue: “Your thoughts have tremendous power to shape your life. Secondly, the mind is the battlefield for sin. Satan wants to control your mind just like he controlled Adam and Eve's minds. The world wants to control your mind. The Holy Spirit wants to guide our minds. There is a battle for the way you think. Whoever wins gets you. Thirdly, the mind is the key to peace and happiness.

Romans 8:6 “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” “Many people think their thoughts are uncontrollable. They are wrong.”

My note: Memorize that verse. If you want the Holy Spirit to lead you, quote the last half of this verse ten times per day.

Finally, if you study the verses for quitting, you are allowing the Holy Spirit to have full control of your thoughts for a period of time (which lasts for a while even after you are done – especially if you stay in prayer afterward). If you develop a systematic way to get those verses in your mind virtually all of the time, you will have enabled the Holy Spirit to power your thoughts and to change them into good thoughts. Just as importantly, you have severed satan's control of your thoughts for a large portion of time. Satan has been cut out by Scripture. The Sword of the all-powerful Bible has cut him out of your thoughts.

Pray: “Father, help me to think about Your will being done.”

It is a daily fight to win the battle of the mind. But if you put the Holy Spirit in charge and if you dig into Scripture... it is a battle you can win.

 

When Biblical David thought wrong, disaster plagued him. But when he thought right he was a hero and blessings followed him. When David was thinking right it was because he fed his mind with truth.

I will continue with my notes from Rick Warren's video: “David fed his mind with truth in the morning. Psalms 119:147 “I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.” The Word starts our day with an attitude of hope. Or, we can start with an attitude of hopelessness. Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long. Psalm 16:7 I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.”

In the early morning, all through the day and even at night, David was thinking about God's Word.”

My comment: If David focused on the Bible morning, noon, and night; to copy him in the battle against lust, we can read one of the verses for quitting every hour and have Bible study every day.

Rick continues: “Romans 7:23 “But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” Satan wants to control your mind. He constantly plants sinful thoughts in your mind. But you have the power to accept or reject any thought.”

My comment: When satan plants a sinful thought pray: “Father, I worship You and only You.”

Pray: “Father, You are high and lifted up. I will focus only on You.”

Pray: “Father, show me Your glory, and teach me about satan's mind tricks.”

When you pray these prayers and prayers like it, you are rejecting that thought and, you are punching satan in the face. He likes to play games with your mind. He hates being punched in the face. When you pray and praise God at all times you are punching satan as effectively as a heavy-weight boxer who is winning a world championship.

Lastly, focus on the Word, reject sinful thoughts, think right, live right, start finding joy.

 

My notes from Rick Warren's video continue:

“Behind every sinful thought is some lie that we are believing. Instead, take captive and conquer – making every thought obedient unto Christ.

When we allow temptation to “run,” it becomes more important than anything else. #2 When we consider temptation, we begin to doubt that God knows best.”

Insert: Pray: “Father, help me to remember that You know best.”

Rick continues: “Satan tries to get you to doubt that God loves you. #3 Deception is replacing God's truth with a lie. Satan said to Eve: If you eat the fruit you won't die. Satan uses the same bait on us over and over again.”

Insert - If I poll every person on this site who is free for 100 days and ask: Are you happier now? 99% would say yes. Memorize that fact. Believe them, believe God, tell satan that you won't be fooled again.

Rick continues: “Disobedience and defeat. What I flirt with I will fall for.” Pray, “Father, show me when I am flirting.” Always remember the consequences, what you sow you will reap.

Psalms 119:112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end.

Insert: David was blessed beyond belief when he lived the way he wrote in this passage. He was chased and beat beyond belief when he didn't.

Rick continues: Feed the truth, focus on right things. #2 Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” Think about others – it's not about you. If you want joy, help others. #3 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Think about eternity every day. Christians will be there for a long time. Let heaven fill your thoughts.”

Great tips from Rick.

Pray: “Father, help me to focus on treasures in heaven.”

Lastly, Always have note cards or printouts with quitting tips on them. You should be praying to “turn aggressively from sin” so often that you know exactly what TAFS means.

Always have something better to think about... or you will think wrong!

 

The Bible says blessed are those who mourn.

We don't know the history of Joseph who ran from sin. Earlier in life he certainly lusted a bit, but he also most certainly mourned over his sin. Because he mourned his sin he grew to understand the destruction of it. After he mourned his lust the Holy Spirit started to change him. Consider praying:

“Father, help me to fight lust, I am sorry for my sin.”

Later in life, David learned to mourn over his lust. If he had learned that lesson a lot sooner, he would have avoided a lot of trouble.

This week: mourn over every lustful thought, fantasy, or split-second slip-up. Recognize the sin, and repent with sadness. Learn to trust God by agreeing with Him about how bad it is to sin. Consider praying:

“Father, help me to understand how serious sin is.”

If we have deep grief over our sin, that leads to blessing.

 

The last week was hard for me. Today, I will print out verses on forgiveness, because I need to forgive so I will have Godly thoughts instead of wrong thoughts. Is there anything you need to print out? Or look up ie “verses anger,” or “verses ______?”

We learned from David's life that when he was thinking right (through digging into scripture, prayer, and praise) he was always a hero. When he was thinking wrong, and looking in a wrong way... he got in trouble and suffered to an unbelievable degree. Consider praying:

“Father, help me to turn from lust, and fill me with Your love.”

Consider spending 30 minutes per day on YouTube consuming Christian content. Put in their search a Christian trait you want to improve in. That kind of content helps your thoughts rise and increase in purity.

Second, conquer thoughts by fighting back with a prayer every time you have a lustful thought. Doing that is a key way to obey the Biblical command to take every thought captive.

Third, when does a lust thought become a sin? The Bible implies that satan planted and presented Jesus with sin thoughts and suggestions. But we know that Jesus did not sin. Jesus immediately rejected those sin thoughts that satan presented Him with. Then He knew a scripture verse to quote that would immediately reject that thought.

But we are not Jesus... What if we only know a few of the verses about lust, and what if we can't even remember more than one? In that case, quote that one. If you can only remember one prayer, pray that one.

The point is to fight back with prayer, and, or scripture every time a lustful thought is presented to us. If you make that your goal (I did) you will have started a technique that is huge in the battle against lust.