2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Hosea 8-11 GW; Romans 12 GW
Change the way you think.
Easier said than done. After writing this devotion, I intend to finish a book on prayer geared towards changing our thoughts. Connecting with God is how we change our thinking. Allowing His word to fill our minds aligns us with God, not the world. If we genuinely want to change our thinking, we have to take deliberate action.
“Short Prayers for Everyday Living,” the current working title of my book, is how I’ve changed my thinking. Using scripture, I developed three-word prayers that help me keep my eyes on the Son.
For instance, we live in an outraged world. I struggle with anger issues, so much so, my husband was hesitant to marry me. “Grace not Anger” is the three-word prayer I used to help me change my thinking. When the heat begins to rise within me, I cool it with those three words, “Grace not Anger.” Like water on a fire, I pray on repeat, breathing deeply until the rage subsides. After years of practicing this, God changed the way I think. Anger doesn’t have the control over me it once did. In Christ, I found freedom.
Control your thoughts.
What you put into your mind is what you will get out of it. When you get squeezed, the juice tells the story. Currently, our entire world is getting squeezed with the pressures we’re encountering. Hatred is the juice that seems most prevalent. But what if God’s love was overflowing from us instead? What if our hearts and minds were so full of Christ, in the heat of the battle, Christ’s love is our response?
You can change your thoughts with God’s word. Whether you use three-word prayers or favorite scriptures, meditating on God’s promises will help you find what is good, pleasing, and perfect.
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Lord, thank You for everything. Forgive us for thinking like the world. Help us today change our thoughts. As we read your Word, fill us with the Holy Spirit’s presence. When life gets tight, let Your love flow from us. Today is the beginning of capturing our thoughts, giving them to You, and allowing Your Spirit to cleanse our minds. Let us find what is good, pleasing, and perfect as we follow You, today and always. IJNIP. Amen
Question for reflection
What’s one thing you can do to change your thoughts today?
