Anticipating This Year's Beautiful Garden

“The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Isaiah 58:11 NIV

Every year God gives me another chance to improve my gardens. I get out there and roll up my sleeves, put on my gardening hat, grab my gloves, shovel, and kneeling pad. I tote a wheelbarrow full of plants, pull out the garden hose and begin the process. All the while as I work I hum to myself, I pray, and I visualize and anticipate that this year’s garden will be the best one yet! Oh the heart of a gardener! I am reminded that even though I do the physical work it is God who brings the success. It is God’s rain and his sunshine that produce results.

This year I have decided that I am going to add something new to my heart’s garden. I am adding a darling gazebo that will be surrounded by brilliant blue hydrangeas and covered with climbing hot pink mandevilla vines. This will be the focal point in this year’s garden. I am going to use the gazebo as a focal point for spiritual growth. This will be the place where I will set my mind on things above. It will be the place where I will surrender my will to God. This will be the place where I will unload my emotions. This will be the place where I will cry out for God’s help. This will be the place where I will tell God I love him and he will whisper that he loves me too!

As I am dreaming of the gazebo, God taps me on the shoulder and says, “come walk with me.” After a little while I begin to wander off of the flagstone pathway. I bend down and remove my shoes so that I can feel the cool, thick carpet of fescue as we walk. This new spring growth reminds me that my spiritual growth is all about having the mind of Christ. As we walk the Master Gardener simply says, “Paula, don’t forget to read my Word. It will be your strength and it will guide your steps and light your pathway.”

The Master Gardner brings to my attention the stately ferns and the lush hosta. He tells me that even though they seem fragile, they are foundational in providing that lush green background for all the other beautiful flowers. He says, “Paula, I love these plants because they are established plants that come back every year.” He reminds me that I must not take for granted the previous perennial growth that is in my garden, that even though these plants are intended to come back every year, they could be uprooted at any time! Therefore, I must continue to gird up my mind and be ready for action and obedience when negative thoughts come into my mind. It is important not to damage any of the foundational plants of my faith that are showing signs of established spiritual growth.

Today I am also thinking about my emotions. I confess Lord that they are huge! My emotions trip me up and they jump out of the bushes when I least suspect. Jesus reminds me that he too had emotions. Then I begin to remember that Jesus wept at the death Lazarus. He showed compassion and mercy to those he healed. Jesus loved the little children. I imagine Jesus even laughed and shook his head at the disciples, wondering if they would ever get it! Jesus loved his mother and entrusted her to John as he was dying on the cross. He became angry with the merchants for desecrating the temple. Jesus felt the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, the anguish of Gethsemane, and the rejection of mankind. I believe that when a person is mocked, spit upon, scourged and nailed to a cross their emotions have the potential to flair up and explode! Yet Jesus kept his emotions under control at all times. Jesus was able to control his emotions out of his love for the Father and by keeping his focus on his reason for coming to this earth. “Now my heart is troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to his hour. Father, glorify your name!” John 12: 27-28 NIV

So today I must take stock of all that is growing in my garden. I must protect the good perennials because they are foundational to my faith. I must work to uproot the weeds that will choke out my joy. I must allow God to plant new truth and water it well. I must fertilize my garden by reading God’s Word. I must be on the lookout for the pestilence of negative thoughts and emotions. Yes, this year I am anticipating a beautiful garden! The Master Gardner and I will work to improve my heart’s garden every day. I must care for my heart’s garden because I love the Gardner. "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11 NIV


Questions:

How important is it to focus on God’s will for your day?

What are you currently doing to keep growing in your love of Jesus?

How do you keep your mind ready for any attacks that may come from your emotions and trigger sinful, damaging thoughts?

Do you believe it is possible for God to help you in your time of need?

What are you currently doing to take care of your heart’s garden?


Prayer:

Dear Father,

I pray that this year my spiritual garden will be the most beautiful garden that I have every allowed you to plant. I am seeing that the things that offend me, tick me off, aggravate me, irritate me, and hurt me need to be filtered through your love for me and your love for others. Teach me your thoughts of mercy and compassion and your thoughts about forgiveness. Fill me with your thoughts that remind me that I am loved by you. Help me to replace my thoughts with your thoughts. Lord I am in need of thoughts that will allow me to trust and obey you. I pray Father that I will not be driven by my emotions but rather by my love for you. Oh Father, how I desire that I might love you enough to give my emotions to you. Help me to know that you are all I need and that you will always be more than enough. I pray that my responses and my attitudes would be the same as yours and that my actions would glorify your name. Father, help me to remember that just like Jesus, my purpose for living is also to bring glory to you.

In Your Son’s Name I Pray. Amen.

What is Growing In My Garden?

"It is for freedom

that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves

be burdened again

by the yoke of slavery."

Galatians 5:1 NIV

As I am walking into the garden this morning there is a lilt in my step. The birds are praising God and so am I. My first thoughts are pure and full of praise for my Savior who has set me free from the bondage of sin and death. My Savior, the one who has conquered death and the grave! Heavenly thoughts stir up nothing but pleasure because I know that heaven will be my eternal home because I have been set free to live with Jesus forever.

As I enter the garden the Master Gardner greets me with a smile, a hug, and hands me a freshly clipped red rose that is still bathed in the morning dew. I accept his overtures of love, and respond back with “I love you too.” I think…hmmmm… the mind of Christ. I wonder what he is thinking today.

I don’t have to wait long before the Master’s voice comes to me in a gentle whisper. Paula, I want to set you free from the bondage that still enslaves you here on this earth. I want you to stand firm and not allow yourself to be burdened by the yoke of slavery. My response is, “Lord, what do you mean?” He tells me that once I was enslaved to sin but he set me free. He further explains that even thought I have that freedom; I still remain in bondage to the results of sin while I am here on this earth.

Jesus lovingly explains that Satan wants to keep me in that place of bondage so that I will be an ineffective Christian and in addition to that he wants to steal my joy. The Master Gardener reminds me that this is serious business because Satan wants me to live in bondage to my fears, my weaknesses, my hurts and my resentments. He wants me to feel that I am worth nothing. Now my Savior adds, “I on the other hand want to set you free from those very things that are growing in your garden of your heart. I want to uproot all of those deep rooted, poisonous plants and I have the power to do so if you will trust me.”

Jesus then brings to my memory something that happened last summer. I was visiting a beautiful formal garden. In the middle of this garden set a gorgeous marble sculpture of an angel. As I admired that work of art I couldn’t help but wonder how the sculptor was able to take that huge block of marble and have this beautiful angel be the end result. I remembered hearing my art teacher say that the sculptor must first see in his mind the object that he wants to carve, and in this case, an angel. He then begins his work, cutting away anything that is NOT angel. It may take him many years but the end result is a gorgeous angel.

How interesting that God would bring this to my mind. Could it be that this is exactly what God is trying to do with my life? It is in my mind that the Master begins to work on his masterpiece. The goal is to remove anything that isn’t Jesus from my life! This work of art began the day I invited Jesus Christ to come into my life and it will not be finished in my lifetime. However, it will all come together and be unveiled in heaven when I behold him and then I shall be like him. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” Romans 8:29 NIV Today and every day many thoughts will enter my mind that does not represent Jesus’ thinking. I cannot control those thoughts but I can control what I do with those thoughts. All Jesus asks of me is to choose to take that thought captive; it is my responsibility to give that negative, sinful thought to him. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV Jesus in return will set me free one thought at a time. One day at a time. This is how I will begin to have the mind of Jesus Christ.

This is God’s plan for you as well. Whatever is growing in your heart’s garden that is not lovely, God wants to uproot. He wants to take the heart of every believer and sculpt it into his likeness. He does this by cutting away all that does not look like him. He plants beautiful flowers of grace that surround your life’s sculpture and when Satan comes around trying to destroy all that is beautiful and good the Master Gardner is on hand to uproot any weeds that threaten to choke out his grace. God is faithful to keep a watchful eye on all that is growing in my heart’s garden and in yours. Only in heaven will the finished work of our life lived here on earth find its place in eternity.


Questions:

What negative, sinful thought does God want to set you free from?

Do you believe God has the power to do so?

Why are you hanging on and cherishing this thought?

Is this thought stealing your joy?

Do you want to take this thought captive and entrust it to Jesus?


Prayer:

Dear God,

Today I see that Satan is stealing my joy. The nerve of him to try to rob me of something so precious! God, I am feeling very weak here and I am not sure that I can take that thought captive. You see Father, I like that thought. It protects me and it brings comfort to me in my pain. It keeps me in a safe place where I do not have to take a leap of faith or forgive the unforgivable. I need your Holy Spirit to empower me so that I can take that sinful thought captive. I am just lying to myself when I say that this thought is protecting and comforting me. I realize that I am not in a safe place. Please God, I need your help. I now take this thought captive and in the name of Jesus Christ, ask you to free me from this bondage. Replace that sinful thought with your heavenly thought of grace. Restore in me the joy of your salvation. God, please cut away, one day at a time, all that does not look like you. I ask you to uproot all of the things that are growing in my garden that are holding me in bondage. I thank you God, for the work that you are doing in my life.

In Your Son’s Name I Pray. Amen.

The Mind of the Master

Soaring the heights in search of the unclouded mind of the Master.

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure;

then peace loving, considerate, submissive,

full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

James 3: 17 NIV

I am sad to say that many times my attitudes and responses do not reflect the way that Jesus thinks. I must admit that I often lust for the things of life that have no spiritual value at all. They may not be wrong but they can often put me in a state of discontentment that allows Satan to have a foot hold in my life and that hinders my fellowship with Jesus. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. Jesus modeled this pure wisdom while he walked on this earth.

Jesus was peace loving. Knowing the way Jesus thinks allows me to think peace loving thoughts as well. I can learn to choose to set aside unhealthy thoughts that lead me far away from peace. The Bible teaches that it is possible for believers to reject the thoughts that cause us to become fearful and the thoughts that add stress to our lives. We are commanded to reject sinful thinking and be holy. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy,” I Peter 1:15-16 NIV If this was an unachievable task we would not be commanded to do so by our Lord. The Holy Spirit will endow us with the strength that we are lacking. We only need to ask.

Gentleness is pretty easy to grasp until I start multi tasking, running out of time, or feeling stress from having too much to do. Harsh words come out when I am not at peace. Jesus was considerate and acted in gentleness. I don’t recall Jesus being rushed, hurried, out of time, or stressed. Hmmmmm, where is the message in this?

There are some days that those around me “walk on eggs” trying not to stir up a storm! Not so with Jesus. Jesus was available and approachable. In fact Jesus calmed the storm.

I have experienced people speaking hard words to me. I have felt them push me away and falsely accuse me. I have suffered the pain of relationships changing and some ending. I have longed to be vindicated to no avail. I have hardened my heart and built walls of protection around myself so that no one could ever hurt me again. My thoughts and attitudes have been anything but merciful. But Jesus was merciful!

I have had times in my life that I shut down. I have deliberately shut out love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self control. Circumstances in life have made me angry and darkness has settled in. But Jesus never caved in to that type of behavior. Because Jesus possesses all of the fruits of the spirit, his thoughts are always full of love, joy and peace. He is patient, gentle, good, faithful, and meek and when he walked on this earth he had all his emotions under control at all times.


Many times I have been wishy-washy! I was trying to live a lukewarm lifestyle and live in the gray areas of life. I approached sin by placing my big toe on the line but not crossing the line. I have in the past tried to live a Christian life with one foot in the world and one foot in heaven. I might ask myself, Paula, how did that work out for you? The answer is not well! Jesus set the example of being steadfast, faithful, never wavering. It is in those attributes that he modeled that we will find our spiritual strength.

I have experienced dishonesty and lying. I have been insincere. I have picked favorites and sided with what was popular. Jesus on the other hand was always truthful, impartial, and always sincere.

I have experienced, and at times I still do experience hate, pain, fear, impatience, hardness, bad attitudes, faithlessness, unbelief, arrogance. I imagine that if you my readers are honest, you have all been exactly where I have been and at times revisit those same haunts. That is why we all need the mind of the Master! All of the things that he was when he walked this earth he still is today! He is our model for this life. He is the wisdom that is straight from heaven. His thoughts are holy. He calls us to be holy because he is holy. All of his virtues are worthy of our pursuit. I may never get it perfect in this life but I pray that I will die trying to walk in the shadow of his love and grace. With the help of God all things are possible. Maybe not all at once or forever and always, but most certainly inch by inch, trial by trial, and temptation by temptation. God’s heart is moved toward us when he sees us walking toward him.


Questions:

Do you see yourself in need of different thinking?

Do you believe that it is possible to take your negative thoughts captive and allow Jesus to change your thoughts to be like his thoughts?

Choose one negative thought and begin to talk to Jesus about it today.


Prayer:

Dear Lord,

I am in desperate need of your help. There are so many thoughts that I need to give to you. Help me to allow you to guide me in this process. Give me understanding as to how you think. Free me from the bondage of sinful, self-centered thinking. I need the power of your Holy Spirit to help me successfully surrender my will to your will. I desire that my mind will be ordered by you. You have promised that you would keep me in perfect peace if I will keep my mind on you.

In Your Name I Pray. Amen

My Thoughts Shape Who I Am

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Who, being in very nature God,
Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death
– even death on a cross!”

Philippians 2:5-8 NIV

The command to “let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus” is intriguing. This morning I am faced with having to dig deeper and learn more of what this means. I am acutely aware that this kind of understanding will not come to me on the fly. It will not come as I scurry around the house doing my chores, while I am talking on the phone, or while I am running family errands. Deep truth will not come to me while I am on the computer or watching TV. No. This is the type of learning that requires me to be still and set myself apart from my activities. So it is off to the garden I go. Spring is just around the corner and I am anxious to see evidence of spring among the sweet little crocus, sun yellow tulips and deep purple hyacinths. After I enter the garden I hear the faint footsteps of the Master Gardner. As he approaches his steps become louder and my heart beats faster. I am now wild with excitement as I anticipate learning more about the importance of knowing how he thinks. In my mind his voice is clear and soft and he begins to teach.

Paula your attitude should be the same as mine. Yes, even though I am God I did not consider that fact as something to be grasped. Instead, even though I was both human and divine, I set aside my divinity and took on the nature of a servant. You too will need to follow my example and serve others. You must learn to think humble thoughts. You will also need to be obedient to all that God asks of you because I was. Remember, I was obedient not only to death, but to death on a cross! My thoughts always centered around doing the will of my Father and on love for all of humanity. So there my sweet daughter is where you begin. Lay aside your selfish interests, aspire to do the will of your Father in heaven, and be a servant to others. If you really love me, all of these things will begin to flow naturally out of your heart because you will begin to love me more than you love yourself. My Holy Spirit will fill you up and pour you out to others even when you are not aware that it is happening. When this happens I will be glorified.

As I leave the garden I am keenly aware that my mind is whirling! I am beginning to sense that my mind is very much in a state of disorder. I am realizing that most of my thoughts have shaped me into a selfish and self centered person. There are many things that I want; there are circumstances that I want to go away. Many of my thoughts, such as fear and anger are holding me hostage. I am in a state of bondage that I cannot shake. I see thoughts that spring from pride, greed, and control. The stress that I am experiencing in my life is the outward sign that I need to trade in my thoughts for God’s thoughts. My mind needs order, freedom from bondage, and peace. I am realizing that my wants, desires, dreams, and hopes need to be aligned to God’s wants, desires, dreams and hopes for my life.

Matthew 6:33 NIV says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” It is becoming so clear to me. All of these years I have been seeking “things” first and then seeking God. But this verse tells me I clearly have it backwards! I get it! I must seek God first and then he will give me what I need. Not necessarily what I want but what he knows I need. Wow! Now this is a really huge paradigm shift in my thinking.

I must first set my mind on things above. I must then be teachable regarding changes in the way I have been thinking. I must then brace up and prepare to be obedient. I must never forget to be completely honest before God concerning these things and to call upon the Holy Spirit for the grace that I will need in order to change. I know that God wants to reshape my character. I want my character to reflect who he is!

Questions:

What predominate thoughts have been in you mind this past week?

Do you feel that those thoughts are godly or selfish?

What one thought do you think God would like you to replace with his way of thinking?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

You have left me a very clear pattern as to how my thoughts should be ordered. I pray that I will start becoming more aware of my thoughts and that I would choose to align my thoughts, desires hopes and dreams to yours. Help me to be less selfish, more loving, and more willing to serve others. Lord I really do believe that if I loved you as I should these things would become more natural because of my love for you. My prayer today is more of you Lord and less of me.

In Your Name I Pray. Amen

How Does Jesus Think?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

There are two questions that need answering. How do I think and how does Jesus think? The WWJD wrist bands that many were sporting a few years ago were on the right track yet I feel they were lacking in real life examples. Of course I know that you can’t put all that on a wrist band!

Today I am going to share some examples of how my thoughts contrast with how Jesus thinks. This comparison is a very revealing exercise. I think that right now would be a very good place to say that changing the way I think to the way Jesus thinks is a life long learning experience and a process. Some of my thoughts are Christ like and others not so much! Falling deeply in love with Jesus and desiring his thoughts to be mine requires spending much time in the garden of my heart.

Some of us have good thoughts that come to us naturally because we have a caring personality that wants to please, serve and care for others. Other people are more aggressive in setting goals and making things happen for themselves. Some people are more laid back and others more out going. As for me, I am the type of person that most of the time everyone around me knows exactly what I think and where I stand. Many times my mouth gets ahead of my mind. That is never a pretty sight! As a result, God is in the process of changing a lot of my thoughts. I would also like to point out to those of you who do know how to keep your mouth shut, that doesn’t necessarily mean you always have right thinking. Some of you quiet people have some really mean, nasty, selfish, thoughts and may be standing up screaming on the inside! The only difference is I look foolish and you don’t and there is something to be said for that! Regardless of who we are, it does my heart good to know that God is not finished with any of us. He has a wonderful plan for or lives and that includes changing our thoughts to his thoughts and our ways to his ways.

Some of the many thoughts that pop into our heads may be thoughts of jealousy and envy, but Jesus teaches us to be happy for the success of others. We often have angry thoughts toward God, when in fact we need to accept his will. We can also have bitter thoughts towards others who have offended and hurt us, but Jesus wants us to show compassion and mercy which can then evolve into forgiveness and love. We may also take pride in our position in life, our looks, our abilities, or our “perfect” children, and our perfect parenting skills. It is even possible to be prideful regarding our own spirituality! But Jesus teaches that we are not to be proud and self-centered. Jesus teaches us to be repentant and humble. The world teaches that we need to “look out for number one,” Jesus teaches us that he will provide for us even when we can’t provide for ourselves. The world compromises and we are to think in terms of faithfulness.

I will admit that this reversal way of thinking is hard to accept and implement. However, I assure you that it has been my experience, that when I do allow God to change the way I think regarding any situation, I am a happier, more positive, contented person as I allow God’s peaceful behavior to settle in my heart. The more deliberately we practice this habit of changing our thoughts the more natural it will become. When we choose to adapt our thoughts to Christ’s thoughts we will become a person of influence for Jesus and his kingdom. The deeper we fall in love with Jesus the easier surrendering our thoughts to his thoughts will become.


Questions:

What do you think is the number one thought in your mind that God would like you to change to his way of thinking?

Can you pinpoint why changing the way you currently think and respond would be upsetting to you?

If you were to accept God’s way of thinking regarding that matter, how would you be benefited? How would others benefit?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

I confess to you that many of my thoughts are not your thoughts and many of my ways are not your ways. Please show me today what one thought you would like to change in my mind and heart. I invite your Holy Spirit to come to my aid and give me your divine discernment, strength and courage to be able to trust that your ways are higher than my ways and that your thoughts are higher than mine. I love you Lord, and do want to learn to think more and more like you every day.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

My Thoughts

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he:”
Proverbs 23:7a KJV

Everyday my mind is filled with so many thoughts. I can’t even attempt to count them all. On some days I may have a predominate thought that keeps surfacing over and over again. If it is a troublesome thought I am prone to shift my emotions to fear or worry. If it is a thought from the Holy Spirit I can either find myself convicted of a wrong, called to obey, or delightfully loved. If convicted of sin I tend to struggle with God. If called to obedience I tend to argue with God. If the thought reveals to me that I am extravagantly loved by God my emotions shift this time to peace, joy and thanksgiving.

I have come to realize that I have no control over what thought pops into my head, but I must take personal responsibility for what I do with that thought. As believers, we must choose to take captive all of our negative thoughts. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV We must seek to know how Jesus would respond to all of our negative thoughts. “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5 KJV

There are many ways that we can come to know how the Master thinks. We hear God’s truth spoken through ministers, teachers, and Christian mentors. We also learn how Jesus thinks by reading the Bible. It is through all of these avenues that we learn how Jesus Christ thinks. How Jesus thought had everything to do with how he behaved. His thoughts and attitudes are the thoughts and attitudes that we must aspire to imitate in our life.

It seems to me that there is a huge connection between the spiritual heart and the mind. I would like to suggest that if they are not one and the same, they are strongly connected. I am absolutely sure that what I do with my thoughts is very important. Because how I think is how I will behave. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Proverbs 23:7 KJV.

I am reminded that I live in a world that thinks differently than God and whose values are not the same as God’s values. Because I am surrounded by such a constant flow of negative influence I must work to learn how the Master thinks so that I can counter that worldly view. As a mother, I learned early on that every negative, selfish, greedy thought that was tossed out to my children had to be countered at home with a double measure of positive godly influence.

Every moment of my life I must choose to give up all of my selfish, greedy, get even, unforgiving, angry, fearful thoughts to the Spirit of God. The power of the Holy Spirit is what gives me the power to purposely choose the Master’s thoughts over my thoughts. When I replace my thoughts with Jesus’ thoughts my life will reflect Jesus to others.

Jesus’ thoughts are always loving, trusting, giving, selfless, compassionate, merciful, forgiving and peaceful thoughts. His way of thinking is developed within us moment by moment day by day as we go about our life. It is always good to remember that our first thought does not have to be our last thought on the matter. Somewhere between our first thought and our last thought flows God’s amazing, thought changing grace. I will be the first one to say that some thoughts are easier to let go of than others. The thoughts that cause us the most pain seem to want to stick like Satan’s super glue. Take heart, there is a higher power! It is found in the solvent of God’s mercy and grace. When this solvent of mercy and grace is applied to our heart by the Holy Spirit our pain, our anger, our fear, our unforgiveness, and our hatred all melt away. The healing balm of Jesus’ mercy and grace is massaged into our heart by the hand of our loving God. This balm is only available to us when we choose to think like Jesus and ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to help us willingly relinquish each sinful thought.

Questions:

Are you this day experiencing thoughts of God’s peace and love for you?

Is there a negative predominate thought that keeps plaguing you?

What would the opposite godly thought be?

What do you think about the possibility of choosing to give up that negative thought?


Prayer:

Dear Master,

I am so thankful that you do not hold me accountable for every thought that pops into my head. However, I am beginning to understand that I am accountable for what I choose to do with that thought. I admit that I am human and I cannot control the thoughts that enter my mind. I also admit that sometimes changing my thoughts to your thoughts is a struggle. My sinful nature does not want to allow my flesh to give in to your Spirit. I am grateful that through the power of your Holy Spirit I can choose to overcome the struggle and reject the thought that is bringing me down. Help me Lord, to stay alert and quickly recognize those ungodly thoughts. Help me to cast them out of my mind before they take root in my heart. Lord, teach me every day how you think. I do desire that my negative thoughts will become your thoughts, thoughts that reflect your love.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.