Four Easy Ways to Transform your Thoughts

“Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith...” 1 Peter 5:8-9

The 3 a.m. heebie-jeebies. That is what I call it. I don’t even have to look at the clock anymore; I know it will be 3 a.m. Perhaps you can relate?

Ever since I turned 40, I have started this thing where I wake up at 3 a.m. I am startled out of my dreams and wake feeling unsettled and disturbed. Not necessarily afraid, just not quite right. It is like I am hyper-aware of the presence of darkness, both figuratively and literally.

As a prayer warrior, I know I should use this time to do some prayer work, and often I do.

But, sometimes, I lie there and overthink. The negative thoughts crowd in and capture my mind with doubt and unbelief. I need to work on managing my thoughts. Perhaps you do too?

“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)

How to avoid the negative thoughts that prowl around your head looking to devour your peace of mind.

As I lie in bed, overthinking, giving the devil open access to mess with my thoughts, I can see the carnage of war sapping my peace. It’s time to take control and experience transformation.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Romans 12:2a (NLT)

Although it might seem difficult at first, it is possible to change the way we think if we commit to trying these four things:

Speak up!

As soon as you notice a negative thought coming your way, speak to it and tell it to stop. You can say it out loud or just in your head. If you are a more visual person, you can imagine a stop sign or a detour sign, telling it to move around you.

My good friend’s daughter shared a story I will never forget. She told her mom she heard the devil whispering in her ear to do something she was not supposed to do. So, she flicked the devil/thought off of her shoulder. I love it when I can catch the thoughts prowling around my head and flick them away!

Send in the Substitute!

If you are struggling with lies from the enemy, you have the authority to call him a liar and replace his lies with God’s truths. God’s Word is filled with verses about how valuable and worthwhile you are.

Sometimes, I find it difficult at the moment to find just the right Scripture to speak truths over myself. It is helpful to be prepared. You can have Bible verses posted or laying around your house, or even a list of helpful verses tucked away in your Bible where you can access them quickly.

Spell it out!

Grab a pen and paper and get ready to do a brain dump. One way to do this is to pick a subject or category of negative thoughts. You might do a brain dump on fear, or envy and jealousy. Perhaps your negative thoughts are most often triggered by anger. Now start writing. No editing, don’t overthink it, let the thoughts flow out onto the paper without censoring them.

Now that we have the ugly truth out in front of us let’s have some fun destroying the paper. You can burn it, tear it up, or turn it into paper balls and shoot them into the trash. We just want to have a symbolic way to banish these thoughts.

Stay focused!

The verse for today starts with the key to managing the negative thoughts prowling around, ready to devour our peace. We are going to stay focused on the practice of managing our thoughts by using self-control and remaining alert in the Spirit to the danger around us.

Scripture Writing Plan

Today I am going to leave you with a homework assignment.

We are going to do some Scripture writing. I am going to provide you with a list of helpful Scriptures that speak the truth about who you are in Christ, a substitute list, as discussed in #2.

You are then going to look up each verse and write them out on the journal pages I created just for you.

Scripture writing forces us to slow down and think about the Scriptures. It can also be a creative outlet for you. Grab your markers, stickers, and gel pens, and make each Scripture a piece of art. Or keep it simple and just write them out.

Print out the free Scripture writing plan HERE.

As you slow down and let God’s truths seep into your heart, you will be able to speak up against the enemy, stay focused and His Word will saturate your soul with peace leaving no room for the enemy to meddle in your mind.

Heavenly Father, quiet my mind in the pre-dawn hours of the morning when I tend to let worry and anxiety crash over me like a tidal wave. Bring to mind your truths about who you are and who I am in you. Help me to develop ways to push your thoughts and words to the forefront of my mind. Thank you for your protection over my body, soul, and mind. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you are interested in reading more about this subject, please check out this book!

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