Disciplining yourself by taking your thoughts captive is well worth the pain. It is learning to say no to the attacks and fiery darts of the enemy. It is learning to say yes to God’s way of victory, peace, and joy. Cultivating a life in God's Word and believing and praying his thoughts takes time and work, but it is well worth the effort. If we want to be successful in the end times, we must take our thoughts captive. We must have a holy resolve to believe God's truth rather than Satan's lies. The situations on earth in these last days are going to be extremely difficult. We must have a strong handle on God's truth in order to have victory. We must learn to say no to everything the devil throws at us. The enemy fights hard because he knows that his time is short. Who wants to believe a lie? Who wants to live a defeated life? The value of taking our thoughts captive is so worth the effort, and it becomes an increasing delight to live from the rich treasure of God's Word.

For an assignment this week, give God permission to show you the strongholds in your life. Continue thinking about what you are thinking about during the day. Write down your thoughts whenever you fall into a negative emotion. Ask yourself, "What am I thinking right now?" "What just happened that brought me into a negative emotion?" Write it down. Watch for patterns of negative thoughts. You will often come to the same negative thought such as "Nobody loves me," "I'm always alone," or "I can never do anything right." If you see the lie that you believe in your thoughts, confess it to the Lord as sin. You are believing a lie which is contrary to God’s truth. Confessing the lie is a big step towards breakthrough. For additional help, pray the following prayer every day for the next two weeks.

A Breakthrough Prayer for Taking Thoughts Captive

"Lord, I pray that you would help me understand the enemy's strongholds in my life. Please help me to close all open doors to the lies of the enemy. I want to see breakthrough prayer and have victory in my thought life. Show me any false beliefs that are contrary to your Word. Show me when I trust my own thoughts rather than your Word. Help me not to become captive to Satan's schemes. I want to develop a stronger lifestyle in meditating on your Word. Show me any area in my life where I have embraced a lie instead of your truth. Show me when I am listening to the enemy instead of you. Make me aware of what lies I am entertaining when I get into negative emotions. Help me to see patterns of false beliefs. Bring revelation of the enemy's strongholds in my life.
 
I choose to take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I choose to believe your Word. I choose to listen to you on a daily basis. Teach me to think about what I am thinking about. I don't have to let Satan outwit me because I am not unaware of his schemes in my life (2 Corinthians 2:11). I thank you that there is no falsehood in you. 'I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws… I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free’ (Psalm 119:15-16, 30-32). In Jesus name, amen."

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (Psalm 18:2).

Together in the Harvest,

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise
deb@intercessorsarise.org
http://www.intercessorsarise.org

Original publication date: May 23, 2009