I had this conversation with my online mentee. She wrote, “My brain is the most disorganized part of me. I haven’t figured out how to fix it yet.” She is not a believer yet, so I used her skill and love of organization to craft my answer.

Our inner dialogue determines the pathway of our thought patterns. Caroline Leaf is a Christian neuroscientist. She says that our thoughts control our brain. Proverbs 23:7 says that we become what we are thinking about. 

1 Chronicles 28:9 in the Amplified says, “…For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts…” As we hide Scripture in our hearts, it will be there for the Holy Spirit to recall to us when He brings course correction to our thoughts.

Dwelling in the past through our thoughts is deceptive. 2 Corinthians clearly states that the old is gone. We are new creations. It says, “…old things have passed away…” Five minutes ago is our past. What fruit is there in holding onto something negative from our past? Nothing worth sharing.

When wild horses are driven into a corral, they are hemmed in and no longer free. The free roamers are stopped in their own pursuits of lawlessness. We do the same thing by bringing our thoughts captive. 

Have you ever allowed your mind to wander? Where does it lead? It is futile thinking that is worthless. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” The Lord disciplines us as His children. Hebrews 12:11 says, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” In your mind underline ‘have been trained.’

Bringing our thoughts captive requires training. It is not a once done endeavor. Our thoughts are controlled by choice. When a rogue thought comes, the Holy Spirit will check us. If we heed Him, we will immediately switch the undisciplined rogue thought to one that would glorify the Lord. Another way is recorded in Psalm 15:2. It says, “He who…speaks the truth in his heart.” 

Romans 5:1-2 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…”

Our standing in Christ is eternal. We are on a journey that is progressively conforming us to His image. Romans 8:29 says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”

Our standing never changes, but our state is in constant change. Think in these terms. Our state of mind is not stagnant. It changes with our circumstances. In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul used the words a sound mind. It means disciplined thought patterns. 

2 Corinthians 10:5 helps us understand how we are to discipline our thoughts. It says, “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

We discipline our thoughts by not allowing them to continue. We radically intercept their pathway with another type of thought ~ gratitude or thankfulness. It derails and overthrows the intentions.

In Psalm 103:2 David commanded his mind, will, and emotions to unite in praising the Lord for all His benefits. It says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” Paul encouraged his readers to focus their thoughts.

As I thought of one of His benefits, my mind became like a kaleidoscope. One benefit brought up another and another. Psalm 106:1 says, “Praise the Lord! Oh, given thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Ephesians 2:4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” Just two verses list three benefits: His goodness, His mercy, and His love. Where would we be without them? Verse 1-3 recounts how we were before salvation.

We often fall prey to negative suggestions. They are fiery dart lies! The second one comes, we can instantly change the projection to gratitude for His benefits. Focusing on them pulls us away from the devil’s trap ~ waiting to engulf our minds! Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above.”

Psalm 63:8 in the Amplified is one of my anchor verses. It says, “My whole being follows hard after you and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.” Let’s look at a few verses regarding the name of Jesus.

Acts 4:12 says, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

New songs bubble up as we focus on the Lord with our whole being. In Psalm 40, David reflected on how the Lord rescued him from the horrible pit, bringing him up from the miry clay. Verse 3 says, “He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.”

David’s psalms were expressions from his entire being. His words reflected his raw emotions back to the Lord. I flee to the Psalms when I need emotional support ~ they anchor my mind, will, and emotions.

Psalm 103:1 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” The Hebrew word for bless means to praise. David was commanding his entire being to align in praise. 

Our soul speaks of our mind, will, and emotions. I like to think of it as a braid. Three strands: our mind leads off and our will and emotions follow. A braid intertwines. Hebrews 4:12 says that His word pierces, “…even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Lord knows our heart. Matthew 15:8 says, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” David knew this. Jesus quoted it from Isaiah 29:13.

Matt Redman wrote The Heart Of Worship. He brought his congregation back into focusing only on the Lord. In part: You’re looking into my heart. I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You. It’s all about You, Jesus.

Happy Thanksgiving 

Today we celebrate the first Thanksgiving in 1621 of those who arrived on the Mayflower. It was declared a National Holiday by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. What are you thankful for?

I have a mentee who has declared the month of November as a time of mourning. She and her whole family mourn the loss of her baby she was forced to abort. She was 12 ~ a victim of incest. Are there unresolved skeletons in your family’s relationships?

2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that our past is passed. Whatever negatives we hold onto from our pasts are classified as unresolved issues. They remain unresolved because of our negative dialogues.

It is time to let them go and embrace God’s will. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

The amygdala part of our brain turns on fight or flight creating stress. Through brain scans they tracked how gratitude transferred from the amygdala to the frontal lobes which turned on relational circuits. Gratitude also releases oxytocin ~ social hormone. Embrace Psalm 100 today.

The moment we have feelings of despair, we need to make our next thought one of gratitude. It will take our eyes off ourselves, others, or circumstances onto the Lord. Here is the last verse of the new song Rejoicing Bones. 

“In You I can rejoice. For You are my strength. I look away from sin to the spotless Lamb. All my sins are cleansed in Your precious blood. My heart sings through a rush of love. Yes my heart is filled with joy in You that nothing can destroy. I rejoice in You my eternal strength. My joy is full when I look to You.”

Dismayed is despair’s cousin. It is anxiety from feeling desolate ~ dismal emptiness. Isaiah 41:10 helps us recognize afresh that the Lord is with us ~ always. Hebrews 13:5 says, “…I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Amy Carmichael, former missionary in India, said, “You are closer to me than air.” He dwells within us!

Ephesians 6:11 says that His armor will enable us to stand against ~ resist the wily deceptive, defeating, and undermining schemes of the devil!

Here is a verse from a new song called Rejoicing Bones. “When I thought about my circumstances I became gloomy inside.  My heart was getting heavy and my peace destroyed. Then in Your Word You revealed the secret of health. My bones are affected when my heart is in despair.”

Remember the words the house of Israel spoke? Ezekiel 37:11 says, “…Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!” What are you speaking over your own health? Are your words drying up your bones because you have lost hope?

Despair is an effective demonic weapon. It comes from fiery dart lies that we allowed to penetrate. We take them as our own and dialogue with them. Elijah despaired because Jezebel spoke death words over him. 1 Kings 19:4 says that he asked the Lord to take his life.

Then he laid down and slept. The Lord provided miraculously for him. In the strength of that food he went forty days and nights to the mountain of God. In verse 9 the Lord asked him what he was doing there.

James 3:2 reinforces what affects our health, sense of wellbeing, and that of those around us ~ death or grace imparting words. All words come from our thoughts. When we live with the awareness that Jesus bore our iniquities, we must conclude that we are the responsible party of what comes out of our mouths.

The devil uses fiery darts to undermine and destroy our faith. Ephesians 6:16. When we walk in the Spirit, our shield of faith will be consistently up. The Holy Spirit will check our spirit when a fiery dart is lobbed. He will bring to our remembrance implanted truths that are hidden in our hearts.

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” What do you have in place as a governor or restraint over your thoughts? We become what we think. Proverbs 3:7-8 says to depart from iniquity, “It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

Job 21:23 in the Amplified says, “…(his veins are filled with nourishment), and the morrow of his bones is fresh and moist.”