Some thoughts are friends that we invite into our mind. Those may be thoughts of love, joy and peace. Other thoughts come in as intruders when we are not looking. If an intruder came into your house and wanted to stay there, what would they do? Would they announce their presence, or would they try to hide somewhere and hope they would not be put out the door? They certainly would find a place to hide! Thoughts also come into our mind as intruders and hide away. Those unnoticed thoughts can connect with other thoughts to form a pattern of unwelcome and disruptive thoughts within the mind. Those thoughts have been there far too long, causing hurts, hates and emotional angst.
Thoughts are often connected to thought patterns. For instance, we may suddenly feel a certain way about someone or something, not even recognizing where those feelings came from. Those feelings may have come into the forefront of the mind by way of another thought or thought pattern that we were not even aware of! With spiritual work and understanding, we can start to become aware of those hidden thought patterns.
1 Chronicles 28:9…the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts…
God is aware of those thoughts and can help us search them.
We can begin to look within to recognize troubling “buried” thoughts that activate a train of other thoughts that cause us sorrow. We can ask God for discernment to help us recognize the thoughts within our minds that provoke bad emotions.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
My Prayer
Dear God, Please search within my mind and help me to know the thoughts that are wrong. Please disrupt the chains of thoughts that work together in my mind to make me feel sadness, hurt, or anger at others. Help me to discern and recognize those thoughts are not a part of me and that they can be cast out of my mind. Please give me your grace power to cast out those thoughts. I don’t want them anymore! Please help me overcome. Thank you God! Amen