Day Two Of 7th Annual Fast & Detox: Renovate Your Mind
Prayer Point:
Lord, thank you for this sacred time with you. Thank you for making me better. Father, renovate my mind. Transform my thoughts. Remove the lies of the enemy and replace them with the truths from you. Use me as proof of your mighty hand. Dwell in my mind and heart. Make me like Jesus, I want to be more like you. Whatever thing in me that is not aligned with you remove it. Remove the desires of this world. Thank you for your grace and mercy!
We’re 48 hours in. Happy Wednesday. How are you feeling? A few of you have reached out and shared that you’ve found it a struggle, that’s the point. This is a time to deny our flesh of earthly things to feast on him. Mathew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” I’m here to encourage you not to waste this sacred time. The purpose of this fast is not only to let go of things, it’s crucial that you’re spending time with him; praying, reading your bible, and meditating. Shame on you, if you simply let go of three things and replace it with three other things. This is a time to shift your focus to God, subject your flesh before God and to seek FERVENTLY after God. The purpose of fasting is to intensify our prayers to God, insight into the plan of God, inoculate with the power of God, and intercessory plea to God. This is a time for an encounter with him. Yesterday, we looked at our hearts posture and got clear on the reason why we were fasting. Today, we’re renovating our minds.
I hope you had a second to watch the sermon I shared yesterday from Sarah Jakes Roberts, if not
click here, she was talking about God’s Grace. When I was sitting with God and thinking what today’s focus should be, the
mind
popped up. The way you think ultimately dictates how you live. TD Jakes once said, “The voice you believe, determines what you birth.” He didn’t mean literally birth, he used the word in reference to what you produce; i.e a business, the thoughts you think, and even the way you go about life. We can’t ask God to change us and make us better, if we don’t ask him to TRANSFORM OUR MINDS. I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Dharius Daniels, and he said, “You do not change your life by trying to change your life. You change your life by changing your mind. Your transformation is tied to the renovation of your mind. We will always behave in a way that is consistent with the way we see ourself.” It was a really good sermon,
click here to watch. Your mind is so powerful. The Bible is filled with scriptures that share how important your mind is. Think back to the garden of Eden. Satan was able to persuade Eve, by attacking her mind. He made her question what God said. The devil is the father of lies, he plants seeds into our heads and let them unfold. I watched an interview with Israel Houghton, the famous gospel singer, and he said “What you believe is sometimes different than what you know.” That spoke to me because our minds have more power than you think. You can know something for sure, but the fears and anxieties from our minds or even outside influences can alter what you believe. What I mean is, what truth you stand on can vary. Our lives follow the direction of our thoughts. Solomon says, “7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:,” in Proverbs 23:7. I don’t know about you, but I chose to stand on the truth of what God has said. God tells us over and over the power of the mind. Scripture shows us many examples of people who have had downfalls, due to the power of the mind. Even modern psychologists talk about cognitive behavioral therapy. This teaching reveals that many problems from addiction, anxiety, relational challenges, depression, and more, are rooted in negative patterns of thinking. When the Bible and modern psychology say the same thing, you know it’s the truth.
So many times when we want to be better, we focus on the behavior we want to change, rather than the getting to the root of what causes the behavior. Let’s say you want to start exercising daily, or eating healthier, you’re focusing on the behavior. When we do that, we ignore the real problem of the lie we believe and the mental rut we fall into. That leads to us only attacking the symptoms and not the source. You can not change a habit simply by removing it. You will always drop the ball and fall back into it. That’s why I had us come up with reasons as to why we’re completing this fast yesterday. It’s time to rewire our brain and renew our minds. The words you speak and thoughts you think shape your world. You can’t believe this is true for positive things and not true for negative things. The mind ultimates shapes how you speak about yourself and even others. You can speak life or even death. There's so many scriptures on the power of the tongue. You have to learn how to hold your tongue because, you may be the person holding yourself back. Faith and fear can not coexist. Are you constantly down playing yourself and accomplishments? Stop that. Be kind to yourself. I want you to write down six scriptures about who God says you are. This way, when negative thinking comes in, you can combat that with his word. Write these scriptures in your notes digitally, index cards, white board or even on sticky notes. I want you to say these scriptures every morning and night. HABAKKUK 2:2 says, "And the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it." When you write something down, you affirm it. The only way to grow and change is to change your mind. Romans 12:2 says, “2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
For those of you who aren't religious and detoxing, I hope you understand the mind is extremely important. Psychology Today said, “When positive thoughts are generated, when you’re feeling happy, or optimistic, cortisol decreases and the brain produces serotonin, creating a feeling of well-being. When serotonin levels are normal, one feels happy, calmer, less anxious, more focused and more emotionally stable (Scaccia, 2017). Dopamine is also a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward system and pleasure center. The brain draws precious metabolic energy away from the prefrontal cortex. With these negative thoughts, the brain can’t perform at high or even normal capacity. When stressed or scared, it’s difficult to take in and process new material, yet alone think creatively. “Stress can alter plasticity in the nervous system, particularly in the limbic system” Today, I want you to write down ten affirmations. According to Mindtools, "Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts.'' Not only do I want you to write it down, I want you to speak them out loud twice or more a day. Make sure you write your positive affirmations in present tense and first person. Write them as if they have already been achieved. By doing it this way, you are training yourself to believe in them, by making them real and achievable. This is a great activity help you be more positive and overall happier. You need to let go of any and all negative thoughts and images and bombard your subconscious mind with new thoughts and images that are positive.
Two days down, four more to go! Let's get it!
Worship Song Below
