JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Psalm 127:2) “For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep”
Every Psalm contains its own special truth, and this song which is credited to Solomon, reminds us that it is the Lord, who blesses our daily lives, our domestic duties, our business opportunities and our various labours.
The Lord is the one who provides for our everyday needs, and it is upon Him that each one of us should depend.
The Lord pours out His favour on our labour, and establishes the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17)
But when our toil is divorced from His providence, or when we undertake to work in our own strength, we discover the futility of our actions.
When we seek to be independent of the Lord, we find it is vain to rise up early and retire late in order to eat the bread of painful labours for the Lord gives to His beloved… even in his sleep (Psalm 127:2)
What a comforting truth to realise that the Lord is not only the Author of that beloved sleep that refreshes us daily, but He gives gifts to His beloved children even when they are sleeping.
God in His grace provides us with sleep, with its rejuvenating, refreshing, revitalising and restorative qualities, which benefit our spirit, soul and body,
But also, when His children are asleep, His gifts and graces continue to flow from Him to us.
Sleep itself is a gift from the Lord, to His dearly beloved children, but through sleep, the Lord bestows many good and precious gifts, and pours grace upon more grace, on His beloved, blood-bought children.
It is as we “abide in Him” and rest in His love, that the Lord endows us with His perfect peace, which passes human understanding, and gives us the assurance that He is with us even to the end of the age.
Our bodies were designed by God to have a prolonged period of sleep each day, and research shows that sleep provides us with many benefits for both body and the soul.
The benefits of sleep are not confined to righteous men, for God is good and gracious long-suffering and of great kindness to all humanity.
However, those that are His children receive gifts and grace from the Lord, even when they are fast asleep, and unaware of His work within.
For those that are saved by grace through faith in His redemptive work, the Lord gives, and continues to give innumerable benefits… but without faith it is impossible for His children to please Him.
How futile, therefore, to stress about getting up early and striving to work late into the night, in order to supply what we need according to what we do, when God has promised to supply all our needs, according to His riches in glory and to bestow His grace on His beloved children, even when we are sleeping
Bedtime prayer can be a meaningful way to end your day spending time with God talking over your day, sharing your concerns with Him, and thanking Him for His love His care, His protection and His provision thru out the day.
But why should we take time to pray before bed each night?
Praying as you fall asleep gives you the chance to look back over the day and thank God for His help and His blessings.
Thru out the day, we often miss the hand of God in our lives as we run from one activity to another.
We tend to lose sight of the good gifts our heavenly Father is giving us and focus instead on our troubles and worries.
Scripture tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus” so that we do not “grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3)
Whether life feels overwhelming or dull, a time of prayer at the end of each day can help you refocus on God’s goodness and reflect on your priorities and purpose.
Relationships flourish when they are nurtured.
Spending time talking with God before bed is a way of loving Him and deepening your relationship with Him.
Choosing to pray before bed each night means that you can look forward to enjoying time with the One whose love for you is deep (Ephesians 3:18-19) and constant (Romans 8:37-39).
Redeem the time you lie in bed waiting for sleep to come.
If your mind is a blank, worries and temptations will creep in to fill it.
Pain that was background noise during your busy day can blare like a siren when you are lying in the quiet and the dark.
Reaching for your phone to distract you will only keep you awake.
Rehashing conversations and running the numbers will only feed your anxiety.
Instead, release your worries and the pressures of the day by taking them to the One who has the power to help you and give you peace.
Calm and relaxed, you will likely drift off to sleep long before you have prayed for each of your family members and friends, and that is perfectly okay.
As I’ve said many times in the past… prayer is not a recitation of a magic formula.
Prayer is communication with the One True God, who is majestic in power and full of love for you.
Following is a prayer you may feel free to copy out and use each evening as you retire.
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the benefits of a good night's sleep, thank you also for the day by day provision of the gifts and the grace that is ours in Christ and which are even poured out upon us during the night-time hours.
Thank you for the work events of this day and for the work that you have given me to do tomorrow and during my time on earth in days to come.
Lord, I know that without you, I can do nothing, and so I praise you that I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
Keep me from the worries of the day, the fears of the night, and from trying to sort out my personal problems, without bringing them to you, and relying on your strength and promised grace.
May I never forget that it is you who provides for my daily needs, my future, and the steps I take each day.
I pray that from tomorrow and going forward, I may do all for your greater glory and praise, as I follow the plans you have prepared for me according to (Jeremiah 29:11) “For I know the Plans I have for you sayeth the Lord; plans to prosper you and give you a future not plans for evil”
This I ask in Jesus name, Amen”
Good Day
(Luke 5:16) “He went away to be by Himself and prayed”.
As believers, as Christians, and as children of God, God wants us to spend time with Him in prayer.
There are no rules about when you should pray.
But, taking time every morning to pray is the best way to start your day.
It shows God that you are putting Him first and it reminds you to depend
on Him all day long.
The Bible says that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Every day is a fresh start.
Someone said that each new day is a gift that’s why it’s called the present!
Why not start it with your heavenly Dad?
Too often when we don’t start the day with prayer, we often get so busy with our day that we never get around to it.
But you don’t have to stop with a morning prayer!
You can continue to pray all day long.
You don’t have to pray with your eyes closed, you can pray with your eyes open!
You can pray on the transit going to work or when you are in the car.
You can talk to God while doing the dishes or cooking a meal.
You can pray in the middle of a conversation with your friend, when you don’t have the right words to tell your friend.
You can pray in your bed at night but don’t let this be your only prayer time, since it is so easy to fall asleep and miss conversation time with your heavenly Dad.
What I am trying to say is that prayer should be natural.
The more you do it, the more natural it becomes.
Like talking or breathing - before you know it, you’ll do it without giving
it any thought at all.
Don’t ever be afraid to talk to God.
God is crazy about you and He wants you to spend time with Him in
prayer.
You are the apple of His eye and He has great favor for you!
Good day!
(Luke 5:16) “He went away to be by Himself and pray”.
As believers, as Christians, and as children of God, God wants us to spend time with Him in prayer.
Jesus had come to earth to bring the kingdom of God to men.
He made it clear that things in the kingdom of God were very, very different than the things in this world.
That’s why John writes “love not the world nor the things that are in the world” (1st John 2:15)
Those who are meek and peace loving, and those who want what is right, can and will finally have what they long for because Jesus came to conquer sin and death.
(John 10:10) “I have come that they might have life and that more abundantly”
In the kingdom of heaven, even people who have nothing to offer God are accepted.
(Ephesians 2:8) “for by grace are ye saved thru faith, and that not of yourselves, not of works lest any man should boast”
As Jesus taught on the mountainside, many people gathered to hear Him.
Jesus taught that those who follow Him should never do good things just to call attention to themselves.
The good things that we do should be done in secret - just between us and God… “God sees what we do in secret, and He will reward those things (Matthew 6:4).
In (Matthew 6:5 -15) One of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1).
Here’s what Jesus said about it. “When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy.
They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners.
They want to be seen by others.
Listen to what I am telling you!
They have received their complete reward.
“When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen.
He will reward you. Your Father sees what is done secretly.” (Matthew 6:5-6)
Jesus said that prayer should not be a way to get attention and praise from people.
It should be done with a right heart toward God.
It is wrong to pray just to impress people.
That would be like a husband who only talked to his wife when other people were around.
In public, he would tell her how wonderful she was, so people would think he was a good husband.
But when they were alone, he would never say one word to her.
Is that how a good husband treats his wife? No.
Would she believe that he truly loved her? No.
His actions show his true feelings. If he really did love her, he couldn’t wait to talk to her.
He would make time to be alone with her so he could talk to her and listen to her.
So it is with God.
Many will go for days and all week long or for months before they talk to God in true heart felt prayer.
Jesus said that prayer should not be a way to get attention and praise from people.
It should be done with a right heart toward God.
It is wrong to pray just to impress people.
That would be like a husband who only talked to his wife when other people were around.
In public, he would tell her how wonderful she was, so people would think he was a good husband.
But when they were alone, he would never say one word to her.
Is that how a good husband treats his wife? No.
Would she believe that he truly loved her? No.
His actions show his true feelings. If he really did love her, he couldn’t wait to talk to her.
He would make time to be alone with her so he could talk to her and listen to her.
So it is with God.
Many will go for days and all week long or for months before they talk to God in true heart felt prayer.
Is that any way to treat the one whom you say you believe in and love?
Jesus continued teaching… “When you pray, do not keep talking on and on the way ungodly people do.
They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)
The original word that Jesus used in this text was a Greek word translated (battalogeo), which means don’t say same the same words over and over again.
That’s vain repetition.
Big, fancy words do not impress God, nor does repeating “a memorized prayer over and over”.
Prayer is the time you spend being real with God.
It is when you pour our your heart to Him.
You can tell God anything and everything.
You can tell Him when you are angry or hurt or disappointed.
You can talk to Him about the good stuff that happened in your day.
He is with you every minute, so it should be easier to talk to Him than to your best friend or your spouse.
Prayer is also when you stop “to listen to His voice”
(John 10:27) “My sheep listen to my voice… I know them, and they follow me”.
So in response to the request “Lord teach us to pray”, Jesus gave a perfect example of how to pray.
We call it “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Lots of people can say this from memory, but remember, Jesus has just said not to repeat the same words over and over.
Reciting this prayer does not take the place of heart-felt conversations with your heavenly Father.
In giving this example Jesus was simply telling His disciples what to ask for and include them in the prayers they pray, the type of things or requests that God will honor in your prayers.
He said “This is how you should pray...
Our Father in heaven, may Your name be honored and may Your kingdom come.
May what You want to happen be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins, just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.
Save us from the evil one”
Jesus also said “when you pray forgive people who have sinned against you.
If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:9-15)
Often when reciting the Lord’s Prayer, we stop short of verses 14 and 15.
But Jesus took the time to elaborate on forgiveness, and we must not overlook it.
Forgiveness must be a part of our prayer time!
Citizens of God’s kingdom understand the forgiving, saving grace of God, and should likewise extend grace to those who have wronged them.
So remember if you’re a believer in Christ, the world is different for us than it is for the rest of the world.
In order to be successful as a child of God… if you want your prayers to be effective… forgive!
Good Day!
Jesus continued teaching… “When you pray, do not keep talking on and on the way ungodly people do.
They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)
The original word that Jesus used in this text was a Greek word translated (battalogeo), which means don’t say same the same words over and over again.
That’s vain repetition.
Big, fancy words do not impress God, nor does repeating “a memorized prayer over and over”.
Prayer is the time you spend being real with God.
It is when you pour our your heart to Him.
You can tell God anything and everything.
You can tell Him when you are angry or hurt or disappointed.
You can talk to Him about the good stuff that happened in your day.
He is with you every minute, so it should be easier to talk to Him than to your best friend or your spouse.
Prayer is also when you stop “to listen to His voice”
(John 10:27) “My sheep listen to my voice… I know them, and they follow me”.
So in response to the request “Lord teach us to pray”, Jesus gave a perfect example of how to pray.
We call it “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Lots of people can say this from memory, but remember, Jesus has just said not to repeat the same words over and over.
Reciting this prayer does not take the place of heart-felt conversations with your heavenly Father.
In giving this example Jesus was simply telling His disciples what to ask for and include them in the prayers they pray, the type of things or requests that God will honor in your prayers.
He said “This is how you should pray...
Our Father in heaven, may Your name be honored and may Your kingdom come.
May what You want to happen be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins, just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.
Save us from the evil one”
Jesus also said “when you pray forgive people who have sinned against you.
If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:9-15)
Often when reciting the Lord’s Prayer, we stop short of verses 14 and 15.
But Jesus took the time to elaborate on forgiveness, and we must not overlook it.
Forgiveness must be a part of our prayer time!
Citizens of God’s kingdom understand the forgiving, saving grace of God, and should likewise extend grace to those who have wronged them.
So remember if you’re a believer in Christ, the world is different for us than it is for the rest of the world.
In order to be successful as a child of God… if you want your prayers to be effective… forgive!
Good Day!
(1st Chronicles 5:20) “because they cried out to Him during the battle He answered their prayers, because they trusted in Him”.
The Bible tells us that we are not just to pray, but rather “to pray believing.”
If, we are specifically told “to believe when we pray”, then it must be possible to “pray and not believe”.
Not all prayer brings results.
Only “believing prayer” moves the hand of God and receives from Him.
(James 1:6-7) “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord”.
Most all of the world’s religions exhort men to pray, but it is only the Bible “that requires men to believe” when they pray.
This is the radical concept of the Bible… the requirement of actually trusting God.
This was first exhibited in the Old Testament, and further developed in the New Testament… “the absolute necessity” for one to believe when one prays.
Other religious systems are content with the motions of prayer, but the true Living God requires that we “maintain a relationship with Him” and that we trust Him.
Some will pray hoping that there is a “mystical power in prayer” that will help them in the request they are praying for.
Jesus said in (Mark 11:24) “Therefore, I say unto you, whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them”.
Believing takes the emphasis off of prayer itself, and puts the emphasis entirely on God Himself.
It is all about Him and His faithfulness.
The Bible does not teach us to rely on prayer alone.
It teaches us to “rely” on Him, on God, on your Heavenly Father.
Only when we “fully rely on Him” can we fully pray in faith believing He hears us.
We are to “believe Him first”, and then express that belief in prayer.
If you really want God to answer your prayers, then faith (in Him) must live in the heart, before prayer comes out of the mouth.
(Romans 10:8-10) “But what does it say? The word is nigh thee even in your mouth and in your heart.
That is, “the word of faith” which we preach.
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
So maybe the question we all need to ask ourselves is, “do I really believe God”, do I really trust Him”?
Or am I trusting in some mystical power… in an activity called prayer?
Do I really believe in “Him”, “Do I really believe in God”?
“Do I really believe He loves me and gave Himself for me”?
Do I really believe He has a plan for me and cares about me as an individual?
When you can answer those questions with conviction in the affirmative, then look out, for a whole exciting new vibrancy is going to begin manifesting itself in your life and your relationship with God.
(Ephesians 3:20) “Now unto Him who is able to do “infinitely more” than we can ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within” us.
Good Day!
(Romans 12:2) “and be not conformed to this world... but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
In order to “renew your mind” and in order to become more “God conscious”, we must “capture” each thought that comes into our mind and compare it to God’s Word and His promises for your life.
We must continually ask ourselves “Does this thought that I’m having right now reflect what God’s Word says about this situation, or does it reflect a lie that I know doesn’t represent God’s heart for me?”
If the thoughts you’re having don’t agree with God’s Word, then we must replace them with promises from God’s Word.
It can literally be as simple as asking the Holy Spirit to bring to your remembrance a scripture that is opposite of the lie you may be faced with currently.
With todays technology it is rather simple to do a quick internet search to find scripture promises to replace the lie with scriptural truth.
Just open your web browser and type in the question “what does God word say about”… and then the topic.
In a moment you will have an abundance of scripture verses at your finger tips that you can apply to the situation.
Remember this!
Thoughts are like seeds and whatever you allow to be planted in your mind, will germinate in the garden of your heart.
Left to grow, those seeds… those thoughts will bring forth a harvest.
So we need to choose our seeds, or that which we allow to penetrate our thoughts wisely.
Every time your mind is flooded with thoughts that don’t agree with God’s best for your life, we need to reject them and replace them with God’s Word.
One way you can accelerate this process is to write down the promises of God from His word on note cards, laminate them and carry them with you for easy access.
You can also post them in places that you see often like on your office wall, your desk, your cars dash, the refrigerator, or even your bathroom mirror.
And you can use todays tech devices to instantly access the internet and search for the answers from Gods word as a I mentioned earlier.
This might feel tedious at first, but as you do so in the context of gratitude, faith, and expectancy, God’s presence and His Spirit will begin to infuse these nuggets of gold into your memory… so that they start to come to the for front of your thoughts as you face trials, temptation, or conflict that arises.
God created you with an incredible imagination to see, sense, feel and create new realities in your mind, before they ever come into the physical realm.
It’s one of the primary ways we “co-labor” with the Holy Spirit to release His Kingdom in and through our lives.
As you are replacing and reinforcing new thoughts based on God’s Word, imagine in your mind’s eye what it would look like, and feel like, to experience life within the context of His Word and His promises.
Begin to apply and visualize in your mind these promises from His Word to your situation, your trial, your temptation.
This further stimulates your brain and accelerates your ability to come into agreement with God’s best for your life.
Start affirming statements based on God’s Word that, (along with visualization exercises), that continue to reinforce the truth of God’s Word inside your heart.
Over time, your subconscious mind will become convinced of the new truth you’re aligning your heart with, rather than the old way you’ve been living.
It is possible to live the abundant life Jesus promised, if you master the process of renewing your mind.
By recognizing the lies of the enemy, and intentionally replacing them with the truth of God’s Word, (reinforcing that truth through visualization and affirmations)… you’ll be amazed at the "double doors of favour" that seems to instantaneously appear in your life... simply because you came into agreement with God’s plan, Gods design, and Gods will for your life… rather than trying to make it happen all on your own.
That’s why Jesus said “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Luke 4:4)
Paul also tells us in (Colossians 3:16) “let the Word of Christ dwell (or let it live, let it abide), in your heart richly in all wisdom… teaching and admonishing and encouraging one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
We must replace the “influence of the world”, the attractions of the world, and the temptations of the world with influence from Gods Kingdom.
The bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
(Hebrews 11:6) says “that without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone that comes to Him must believe that He exists and is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.
Listen folks, victory in Jesus does not just happen!
You need to apply His word to your life!
You need to renew or reprogram your thinking.
That happens by the entrance of His Word.
And when you start renewing your mind in His Word, you will begin to see the world, and this life we live from a whole new perspective.
It will be like looking at life through new glasses... and it will change the way you think, the way you act, and the way you live.
Paul put it this way to the Roman Church and to those that truly love the Word of God.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God... this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is... His good, pleasing and perfect will”. (Romans 12:1-2)
In (2nd Corinthians 5:17) Paul wrote “If any man be in Christ He is a new creature old things pass away and behold all things become new”
This will happen as you renew your mind in Christ.
But it’s something that you have to make the decision to do, and then do it!
Good Day!
And you can use todays tech devices to instantly access the internet and search for the answers from Gods word as a I mentioned earlier.
This might feel tedious at first, but as you do so in the context of gratitude, faith, and expectancy, God’s presence and His Spirit will begin to infuse these nuggets of gold into your memory… so that they start to come to the for front of your thoughts as you face trials, temptation, or conflict that arises.
God created you with an incredible imagination to see, sense, feel and create new realities in your mind, before they ever come into the physical realm.
It’s one of the primary ways we “co-labor” with the Holy Spirit to release His Kingdom in and through our lives.
As you are replacing and reinforcing new thoughts based on God’s Word, imagine in your mind’s eye what it would look like, and feel like, to experience life within the context of His Word and His promises.
Begin to apply and visualize in your mind these promises from His Word to your situation, your trial, your temptation.
This further stimulates your brain and accelerates your ability to come into agreement with God’s best for your life.
Start affirming statements based on God’s Word that, (along with visualization exercises), that continue to reinforce the truth of God’s Word inside your heart.
Over time, your subconscious mind will become convinced of the new truth you’re aligning your heart with, rather than the old way you’ve been living.
It is possible to live the abundant life Jesus promised, if you master the process of renewing your mind.
By recognizing the lies of the enemy, and intentionally replacing them with the truth of God’s Word, (reinforcing that truth through visualization and affirmations)… you’ll be amazed at the "double doors of favour" that seems to instantaneously appear in your life... simply because you came into agreement with God’s plan, Gods design, and Gods will for your life… rather than trying to make it happen all on your own.
That’s why Jesus said “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Luke 4:4)
Paul also tells us in (Colossians 3:16) “let the Word of Christ dwell (or let it live, let it abide), in your heart richly in all wisdom… teaching and admonishing and encouraging one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
We must replace the “influence of the world”, the attractions of the world, and the temptations of the world with influence from Gods Kingdom.
The bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
(Hebrews 11:6) says “that without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone that comes to Him must believe that He exists and is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.
Listen folks, victory in Jesus does not just happen!
You need to apply His word to your life!
You need to renew or reprogram your thinking.
That happens by the entrance of His Word.
And when you start renewing your mind in His Word, you will begin to see the world, and this life we live from a whole new perspective.
It will be like looking at life through new glasses... and it will change the way you think, the way you act, and the way you live.
Paul put it this way to the Roman Church and to those that truly love the Word of God.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God... this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is... His good, pleasing and perfect will”. (Romans 12:1-2)
In (2nd Corinthians 5:17) Paul wrote “If any man be in Christ He is a new creature old things pass away and behold all things become new”
This will happen as you renew your mind in Christ.
But it’s something that you have to make the decision to do, and then do it!
Good Day!
(Proverbs 23:7) “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.
I personally believe that the reason so many believers in Christ find it so difficult to maintain a close relationship with God, is because of our thinking or the way they think.
We live in a world where we are conditioned to think like the world 24 hours a day.
We are bombarded with humanistic philosophy, every time we turn around, from the media the advertisements, the music we listen to, the books we read.
Almost every pleasure we enjoy has an element of worldly influence contrary to the life style we should be living as children of God.
What once was considered immoral one generation ago, has now become accepted as normal life style experiences.
Even within the life of the church and God fearing Believers in Christ.
Why? How?
Because of the influence of the world we live in and because of sin that influences every aspect of our lives.
We are influenced more by the world and its system than we are by the kingdom of God and its beckoning call to holiness.
And because our minds are conditioned to the thoughts of this world and it’s thinking… by every thing around us… we are now acting like the world, following the worlds lead and the worlds attitudes.
Monkey see… Monkey do!
But if we truly want to be successful in our walk with God, we need to start renewing our mind with the thoughts and the intents of the Kingdom of God… and what the bible has to say about living a Spirit filled closer walk with God.
Paul talks about this in (Romans 12:2) He calls it “the renewing of our minds”.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is… His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
What does the "Renewing of the Mind" look like for Christians?
That’s the question most Christians struggle with and have had very little teaching on during their life as believers in Christ.
Consequently, they are left feeling un-fulfilled, frustrated, and confused when it comes to actually living “the abundant life” Jesus promised in (John 10:10) where he said... “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
When it comes to renewing our minds in Christ, most have the idea of legalism with all its rules.
You know, don’t do this and don’t do that!
To many don’ts and not enough do’s!
But the abundant life Jesus said He came to bring us is not accomplished by rule keeping.
No, it’s caused or brought about by an “attitude adjustment”.
The abundant rich and satisfying life manifests in the life of believers through one simple life-changing strategy… by being conformed to the image of Christ!
Simply stated, renewing your mind according to (Romans 12:2) means “interpreting life”, through the lens of God’s Word and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, rather than through the lens of your human experiences.
The Apostle John alluded to this when he wrote the words of (1st John 2:15-16)... "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world".
It’s a fundamental shift toward seeing the world, yourself, others, God, and especially “all things that are possible”, from a Kingdom perspective.
It’s making a daily, moment by moment choice to choose the mind of Christ which lives inside of us as new creations, rather than operating from our soulish carnal fleshly mind, the way we did before we were saved.
Why do Christians need to renew their minds?
Unless a Christian learns to renew their mind, they will continue to walk in defeat filled struggle, doubt and confusion, even though they desire to experience a Spirit-led life filled with the presence of God.
But because their minds are filled with the thoughts of the world, filled with the philosophies of the world, they have no understanding of how or what tools they can use to see the Spirit led, the Spirit filled life in Christ, begin to manifest its self in their lives.
This is the predicament of most believers who live lives of religious obedience and obligation, yet void of any real Spirit-led power.
Without renewing your mind, the only options are to wait, hope, and beg God to change you, or to work, sweat, and strive on your own, to achieve the results you so long to experience.
Neither is God’s best.
Renewing your mind aligns your mind with the truth of God’s Word by learning to recognize the lies of the enemy, replace them with the truth of God’s Word and then reinforce that truth every time the enemy comes at them with those same lies.
In (2nd Corinthians 10:5) God’s Word teaches us that “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…”
Taking a thought captive literally means to capture or conquer that thought as you identify it and compare it to God’s Word.
Does this thought agree with God’s promises over my life or not?
If not then I cast it away, rejecting its influence in my life… and I plant in its place one of God’s promises from His Word.
In (2nd Peter 1:3-4), the Bible says “His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
Did you get that?
It’s through God’s “precious promises” that we participate in the divine nature.
Renewed thoughts resulting in new beliefs, help you engage with God’s plan for your life… because thoughts fuel your beliefs!
Godly, Kingdom-focused thoughts are great fuel for your godly beliefs, while ungodly, fear-driven lies and half-truths fuel ungodly beliefs.
Renewing your mind is not just a spiritual process, but a physiological one as well.
When you intentionally change the way you think to align with God’s Word, it literally creates new connections and pathways in your brain to make that process easier and more preferred over time.
Through the process of neuroplasticity, your brain can literally be reconfigured to align with the truth of God’s Word and thus create the solutions, strategies, and opportunities that best align with God’s plan for your life.
Again in (Proverbs 23:7) “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Your thoughts (which ultimately create your beliefs resulting in your actions) literally create the boundaries of your life.
If you want to experience a different life… the abundant life Jesus promised… you must learn to intentionally renew your mind.
Good Day
(John 14:16) "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
The Holy Spirit is a real person who came to reside within the followers of Christ, after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven.
The Holy Spirit is not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor an impersonal force.
He is a person equal in every way with God the Father and God the Son. He is the third member of the Godhead or the "Trinity"
Jesus said to His apostles...(Matthew 28:18)
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit… and all the divine attributes ascribed to the Father and the Son are equally ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
When a person becomes born again by believing and receiving Jesus Christ, God resides in that person through the Holy Spirit.
God the Father and God the Son will send God the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus refers to here as, “another advocate.”
An advocate is someone who works on our behalf, especially as a go-between for a judge and a defendant.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is a crucial part of life in Christ, and the history of the Jews before Christ, shows us what it is like for a people to attempt to follow God without the empowerment of the Spirit.
Though He was present in certain rulers and prophets throughout history, only after Christ’s promise was fulfilled at Pentecost were the people of God empowered to obey and have any real power over their flesh.
The Gospel message is that Christ’s work on the cross saved us, but one look at the apostles before and after the empowerment of the Spirit, shows us the great necessity of His help and advocacy for the Christian…
Not only for the sake of Christian living in obedience to God, but also for empowerment for the continuation of Jesus’ ministry in and through the Church.
The Holy Spirit has intellect, emotion, and will.
A primary role of the Holy Spirit is that He bears "witness" of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit also acts as a Christian's teacher.
He reveals God's will and God's truth to a Christian.
In (John 16:13) Jesus told His disciples... "The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."
The Holy Spirit was given "to live inside those who believe in Jesus", in order to produce God's character in our lives as "a child of God".
In a way that we cannot do on our own, the Holy Spirit will build into our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Rather than "trying", to be loving, patient, and kind, God asks us to "rely" on Him to produce these qualities in our lives.
Thus Christians are told to "walk in the Spirit" and be "filled with the Spirit".
This Christian life we are living, can be an easy life to live when you trust, rely, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
He is not just your "moral compass", nor is He just your "moral conscience"!
He is the very strength and power we all need living inside each of us as we all need in us as we live out our faith!
Good Day!