Negative Thinking Part VII.
Breaking Free
Here we are; Part 7 of our Study on breaking the yokes of negative thinking. Thoughts that the Enemy has had us bound up in for years. Are you feeling liberated yet?! Come on ... you know you are!
* Again, we are not Fasting from food or drink during each 24 hour period but from having these thoughts. Whenever we do have any of these thoughts at any point from now until Kingdom Come we will have God's Word to speak against them!
1. If I only had this one thing, life would be so much .. (easier, better, etc.)
Today we're fasting from the thought: "If I only had this one thing, life would be so much easier, so much better, and so on"
We always seem to be ONE THING short of happiness or fulfillment (the right person, career, help, assistance, home, etc.) Today, we need to get rid of this type of thinking. The problem with it is— it is a lie! As soon as you get the one thing that you think you're missing, something else will come up.
1. Remember Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:1-6) GOD GAVE THEM ALL THE TREES to eat of, freely. THEY FOCUSED ON THE ONE THEY COULDN'T have. Had THEY EATEN FREELY from the other ones, they would have been satisfied. Eat of God's Word, love, grace---you will be satisfied!
2. You have the ultimate Helper—the Holy Spirit. (John 16:13) He will help you accomplish God's perfect will for your life.
3. Expect the Holy Spirit to help your weaknesses, and strengthen you. (Romans 8:26) He intercedes for us; prays for us; does our praying IN us.
4. Discover NOW the secret of contentment: Philippians 4:11-13 says, "No matter the circumstances around me," Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." You CAN make it through without the thing you are missing—you have the ANOINTED ONE living inside of you!
5. Shift your focus—God commanded not to covet---but it wasn't because He didn't want you to have everything good. It's that He didn't want you to focus on what you didn't have. YOU HAVE ALL THINGS, pertaining to life and godliness—2 Peter 1:3. SPEND YOUR TIME THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS ALREADY YOURS IN CHRIST JESUS!
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I eat freely of God's Word, His love and His grace and I am satisfied! The Holy Spirit will help whatever is weak or lacking in my life. I can make it through anything and live in any condition, because the Anointed One lives in me. He has supplied my every need, giving me all things pertaining to life and godliness.
2. Get Rid of Negativity
Today we're fasting from negativity. Negative thinking produces negative results, negative relationships, negative emotions and physical symptoms. Negative thoughts come when we see ourselves defeated, beaten down or lost; betrayed, unwanted or of no value. (Thoughts like: I will never be successful; I can't do anything right; people will never change, etc. They all come from a negative view of ourselves and life.)
Let's overcome it today.
1. Think of yourself as God thinks— you are the head, not the tail, above ONLY and not beneath. (Deut. 28:13) This is where negativity begins to FLEE!
2. Whenever a negative thought comes to mind, deliberately overcome it BY VOICING a positive one. Example: When you think, "things don't work out for me," DECLARE OUTLOUD--"God perfects all things that concern me."(Psalm 138:8)
3. Create FAITH ENERGY. Faith comes from HEARING the Word (Romans 10:17). You hear the Word every time you SPEAK the Word. 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, "having the same spirit of faith, we believed, therefore, we SPEAK..."
4. FIRE your negative attitudes, like it was a destructive employee. Admit negative attitudes NEVER produce good. When you stay aligned with these attitudes, you produce negative power. Jesus said in Matthew 18:19, "If two agree, it shall be done." When you think negatively, you are agreeing with the devil, the naysayers, and the doom and gloom prognosticators; producing power for those things to come to pass.
5. Agree with God. Whether you feel it or not, see it or not, demand of yourself to speak words of victory from the scripture that God has amply supplied us with. (Deut. 28:2-14, Romans 8:31-38, Philippians 4:4-8)
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I think of myself God's way...I am the head and not the tail, I am above, not beneath. I am blessed coming in and going out. I deliberately overcome negative thoughts by voicing positive ones from the Word of God.
I release the spirit of faith in my life, by believing and speaking God's Word. I fire negative attitudes and command them to leave my life. I agree with God that I am victorious in all things, and more than a conqueror, in Jesus' Name!
3. Get Rid of Small Thinking
Most people probably wouldn't even consider "small thinking" to be a sin. That's where we have to change our thinking FIRST. If we set up small and limited expectations of ourselves and our lives, that's what we'll get. The problem with that is God has so much more for us.
1. Think big! Renew your mind to God's language. For example: "Ask for the nations" (Psalm 2); "Speak to the mountain" (Mark 11); "your descendants shall be as numerous as the stars" (Genesis 15); "you shall possess the land" (Numbers 13), etc. God uses BIG language and gives us big dreams.
2. Ask for what you want or settle for what you get. Ephesians 3:20 says, "God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think." Start asking and thinking the way God says to.
3. Never stop dreaming and envisioning a better life.
In Acts 2:17 God says:
`In the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.'
4. Don't be afraid of failure and disappointment. If you shoot for the stars and end up on the moon, at least you've made progress. Let go of fear-based thoughts.
5. Take your seat! What do I mean? God has seated us with Jesus Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). We have been given a divine authority and divine point of view. That's how we need to look at life. We are already positioned ABOVE our wildest dreams and expectations, so let's go get them!
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I give up small thinking. I agree with God's way of looking at things, and God's language. I decide to think bigger and bigger every day; and to ask for the things God said I could ask for.
I accept the visions and dreams that the Holy Spirit wants to give me; and I let go of all fear-based thoughts.
I have been given power, love and a sound mind—to fulfill God's visions and dreams for my life.
4. I've reached my limit.
Today we're fasting from the thought that says: "I've reached my limit (my ceiling)."
How many times have we felt like we've reached our limit? "I can't make it any further." "I can't take it anymore." Perhaps you feel you can't advance any further based on your experience, education, or expectation. All of that is going to change beginning today!
1. ENLARGE your capacity to receive. Realize there is MORE that God has for you, and get ready to receive it. Isaiah 54:2 says, "Make wide the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your house be stretched out without limit: make your cords long, and your tent-pins strong."
2. Ask for more of whatever you need. James 4:1-2 says, "You have not, because you ask not." John 16:24 says, "Ask and you shall receive—that your joy may be made full."
3. Believe you have received it, the moment you ask. (Mark 11:24)
4. Take the limits off of what God can and WILL do in your life. Psalm 78:41 (King James) says, "they tempted God and they limited the Holy One of Israel." How did they limit Him? Verse 42 says, "They did not remember His power." REMEMBER what God has already done.
5. Magnify the Lord. Psalm 34:3 says, "Meditate on how big God is. The bigger you see Him, the bigger you'll see yourself, because you are made in His image!" (Genesis 1:26-28)
6. LET THE WEAK SAY, "I AM STRONG." (Joel 3:10) No matter how weak or limited you feel, DECLARE "I am strong!"
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I enlarge my capacity to receive. There's so much more God can give me, and do in my life. I can make it further; I can handle much more in life. I expect God's ability to strengthen me.
I will not limit God by my previous experiences; but I will remember all the miracles He has already done. I declare `I am strong' in the Lord and the power of His might. I can go to God and receive more of whatever I need—and I receive it, in Jesus' Name!