Quarantine the Issue
“Protect your spirit from contamination. Limit your time with negative people.”- Thema Davis I’m reminded of a scene from the 1982 science fiction movie, E.T, directed by Steven Spielberg. In the scene, scientist enclosed the family’s home in an air-tight plastic tent. Now imagine placing your problem in a similar contained environment- a faith chamber. Inside is everything you need to treat your issue. Your goal is to isolate it from help:
- Protect you from unwanted spectators.
Evaluate the different aspects.
Avoid jumping to conclusions and acting too hastily.
Put you in a faith frame of mind.
1. Ask God for strength right then and there.
2. Don’t share it, post it, blog it or chat about it.
3. Avoid reading negative research on the internet.
4. Take the negative thoughts captive.
Now that your problem is in this quarantine bubble, imagine it is now surrounded by a shield of faith and the goal is not to let anything contrary to God’s will inside that bubble. Let’s take a look inside at the spiritual warfare weapons at your disposal:
• Prayer & Meditation
• Your Bible
• Positive Self Talk
• Faith Confessions
• Lovely Thoughts
• Seeds
• Testimonies of Past Victories
Any time you have a prayerful desire or a problem that you know requires God’s intervention to achieve, consider quarantining it until you get a handle on exactly what you are dealing with and who you should allow to be a part of the solution.
Don’t broadcast it. Take it to God in prayer first. Then people you trust who are solution oriented, not spectators who will reinforce a negative mentality.
We certainly want people who will tell us like it is, but only those who can do so in faith and love. Those people, we will discuss later, will become your Spiritual Tribe.
Prayer and Meditation
Carve out private time with the Father. Communication with God is going to be your lifeline during with process. If you aren’t talking to Him more than anyone else, you’re setting yourself up for failure. He has all the answers. Ask Him first. Then allow Him to answer however He chooses and that may be through another person or an inspired idea. Stay prayerfully focused on the solution.
Years ago when I was praying for my teenage son’s deliverance, I lay away al hours imagining all sorts of terrible things’ including planning his funeral. I felt helpless so I worried day and night about where he was; who he was with; and what he was doing.
All of that helplessness and worry was a form of negative meditation. Joshua 1:8 says meditating on the word day and night brings prosperity and success. So it stands to reason, in my mind, that worrying (negative meditation) on my problems day and night will bring lack and failure.
What you meditate on day and night will produce your reality. Every minute of the day you are performing faithful meditation or toxic meditation. That’s why it’s important not to spend so much time focused on what’s going wrong. Choose a peaceful disposition and meditate on a favorable outcome instead.
Keep Your Bible Close
Inspiration for peaceful encouragement comes from the word. Keep your bible near. I don’t mean to say you have to carry a five-pound bible with you everywhere. I have a downloaded Bible application on my smart phone. I’ve also signed up for a various daily scripture notification’s. I have a bible in my car and by my nightstand.
I’ve gotten lots of inspiration in the middle of the late hours of the night or early morning it’s a lot easier to turn over and open my bible than it is to get out of bed and find it. Inspirational music; videos; podcasts; and the like are also wonderful sources of spiritual food for your soul.
Many times, I’ve read daily scriptures from devotionals and found just the word that I needed to raise my spirits and maintain a faith mindset.
Positive Self Talk and Faith Confessions
Two books later on the subject of eliminating Negative Self Talk, I’m still learning and growing. The negative chatter doesn’t just stop. You have to stop it. You have to put up blocks to it that stop it in its tracks. You have to know the difference between the lies and the truth.
Even if the negative chatter has some elements of truth in it. For example, it was absolutely true that I was ten months behind on my mortgage. It was absolutely true that I didn’t have $15,000 to pay it. It was true that my credit was shot, and I couldn’t even borrow the money.
All those thoughts chimed in my head constantly to remind me what I was facing, but the faith mindset doesn’t practice these thoughts.
The faith mindset takes these thoughts captive and casts them down. The faith mindset says, “I know all of this is true for now, but my God is well able to deliver me. And even if He chooses not to, I will still serve Him. I know all things will work together for my good!”
This is how the work that you meditate on can become positive self-talk and faith confessions.
Lovely Thoughts
“He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord always, for in the Lord, Jehovah, is your ever-lasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)
Longtime readers know that I mention Philippians 4:8 in practically all of my books. Its such vital scripture for believers who want to grow in faith. You must win the battle in your mind, before you can manifest victory in the flesh.
“Finally, 5 brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, thing on these things.”
Positive Testimonies
The enemy is not coming up with new attack strategies because the old tried and true ones are working very well still to this day. The same things he did to Job, he’s using them on many of us. He attacks relationships, resources, and health again and again. He uses the emotion of fear to paralyze our minds and make us believe that we are destined for doom. He’s familiar with our BS and he will use it against us as long as we’ll allow. Renewing your mind is the only way to clear up your BS and take away the enemy’s power.
“So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (Philippians 1:12)
Read and meditate on Ephesians 6:10-18:
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation ad the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kings of prayers and request. With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
A FAITH MINDSET BELIEVES:
• I am resting in the promises of God. This will work out for my good.
• I don’t like this experience but I WILL learn and grow from it.
• This cannot last forever. Whatever the outcome, I will keep the faith.
• Even though I’m still a little afraid, I’m not hopeless, and I won’t give up.