Common Destructive Thoughts
The most common destructive thought is over money. You may even see your own income decrease while expenses increase. This can be very fearful.
What should you do?
-Try to ignore the thought and think of something else? No
-Take the view that God will take care of you, no matter what? No, there may be some action you need to take in your life
The only safe way to deal with this matter is to turn to God asking HIM if there is some action you should take or will it be alright.
After prayer we wait until we are persuaded by God and then "rest" in what we hear from HIM.
I caution you to be willing after prayer to wait patiently and not to try to force the issue which could end up with your imagining the solution rather than hearing from the Spirit of God.
Many times over the past 30+ years I have had fearful thoughts come over money. Each time we must pray and be willing to make changes if needed. But it must be God who shows us what to do.
Another troubling problem comes when something happens to your house and you have no idea what you should do about it. Usually we don't know who to get to fix the problem.
This happened to me this past year. My roof suffered hail damage and the insurance company was going to pay to replace the roof but who should I get to fix the roof. I didn't know what to do so I prayed. Shortly after committing this to God I heard one word (in form of thought) ... "contractor", the man who built my house. I called him and he sent two roofing companies to speak with me. I was troubled with one company but I liked the other company so I went with them though their price was higher. I feel the replacement roof is a better roof than the original roof.
Another example … something troublesome happened and I failed to pray ...
My water bill failed to arrive in mail. I knew if I didn't pay on time there would be a penalty. I tried to call the water company but to get through the switchboard I had to give my 14 digit customer number which I did not have because I did not have a bill showing that number.
Then I tried to reach water company by Internet but again I couldn't get through unless I presented my customer number which I did not have.
There was an emergency number and I called that and reached the mayor's office of the city of Lubbock. I was shocked. But I explained the problem and the woman listening seemed very kind.
Later I found a way to file a complaint with water company by Internet. I had no complaint but I did tell my problem by email. A reply said they would be in touch with me in 2 business days.
And I even wrote a letter to water company telling my problem and asking someone to call me and I sent it US mail.
That same afternoon I went to mail box and there was my water bill. I was so embarrassed.
The next day I received phone calls from mayor's office and water company. I apologized greatly to both. The lady at water company said they have changed their billing program and this caused delay in normal billing so she really understood my concern.
Looking back, I can't remember praying at all about this although at one point the thought did come that the bill would arrive in the mail (Holy Spirit trying to show me what would happen. Jn. 16:13)
We often frustrate ourselves needlessly by failing to pray.
(Now I have my 14 digit customer number in a notebook in case of future problem.)
Jesus said ... These things I have spoken unto you, that in ME ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Jn. 16:33
As we live on this earth we will have trouble. That Jesus said would happen. But HE has overcome and we overcome through HIM as we pray and pay attention to that spoken to us by God.
God has answers to everything!
Mt. 10:26 ... Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
A universal common problem concerns other people ... family members, neighbors, friends, acquaintances, employers, co- workers ...
There is a person who has caused me great grief over and over for 30+ years. I have prayed many times over her. I have counseled her to no avail. Nothing seemed to work. But I have kept turning to God about her. I had 4 dreams showing me she was getting worse and worse. I did keep praying. Then I received a dream where there was a pier where boats dock. We were standing together at the end of that pier. I felt that was showing me at the end she will be okay. I rejoiced. And since that time I have not been troubled at all about her. When we hear from the Spirit of God we anchor our thoughts on that which we heard from God and we just keep refocusing on that word. We now have the basis for faith in the matter at hand for we have heard from God.
I have two troublesome cousins. In both cases, I believe God has shown me just to leave them alone. (I have prayed often over them.) Fortunately for me they do not live near the city where I live. One called recently. I just did not answer the phone. She didn't ask me to return her call and I didn't return her call for I know I can't communicate with her at this time in a profitable way. There are times I want to send her writings but then God reminds me of things which show me that will not work so I do not send them to her. At this point, I just feel to stay still where both cousins are concerned.
The only thing we can do where anyone is concerned is to pray, continually casting our care on God ... and to wait, doing nothing until you are fully persuaded God has shown you to do something or having faith when you believe you have been shown something by God after prayer, resting in that which you believe to be from God. Nothing else will work.
Then there are medical concerns and the many thoughts that come to us as a result. Each of these must be dealt with through prayer Asking God if there is any change you can make to help the situation. Sometimes is it necessary to change doctors. Whatever issue we deal with requires prayer over each issue each time it surfaces and waiting until persuaded by God to do something.
I have an eye disease (glaucoma) and have been going to a specialist for several years. At an appointment he said, "The pressure is very good. What I am concerned about is your loss of vision. Make another appointment in 5 months." And with that he left the room. I was terrified.
I talked with God: What should I do. Can I go to another doctor who explains things to me? How could I even find another doctor?
Immediately I was reminded of the man who fills the lenses prescriptions.
I called and asked if there was a specialist on this side of town and found another doctor and he said my vision problem is cataracts and when they are "ripe" he can operate and I do not have any serious eye disease although I do have glaucoma which they control through daily eye drops.
In this world, as we go through this life, we will have trouble ... but Jesus said to be of good cheer. HE has overcome this world. And as we pray and turn to God with each issue, we have a mighty advocate.
Pam Padgett (Bible teacher) had the thought: "You're getting too preachy." So she acted on that thought and began watering down her teaching until it became powerless. I talked to her about the change. Then she told me of the thought that she was getting too "preachy". But she failed to take that thought to God to see if it was from Him.
Later that night I was reminded of the following scripture:
I Cor. 1:21 ... For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
After this, Pam had following experience: She awoke one morning with a terrible fear that she could not do the work of God. She cried out to God for help and the following was brought to her mind.
Isaiah 41:10 ... Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
The devil brought the negative thought to Pam and the devil brought the fear to Pam. This is what the devil does. Anti-Christ means opposite to Christ ... opposite to the will of God. And the devil especially wanted to stop Pam from doing the work of God.
God brought the truth to Pam when she turned to HIM.
But also note that when she opened the door on the first thought by failing to turn to God, the devil then brought the fear and quickly moved into Pam's "house" with more destructive thoughts.
We have to deal with these thoughts otherwise we open more doors for devils to attack us with thoughts that would take us opposite to the way of God.
Destructive thoughts can come directly to our minds or they can come through people.
Recently a man railed out at me over the writing I've done on the Lord's supper being the handling of the word of God rather than eating crackers and drinking grape juice as many churches do.
I turned to God after the rebuke from this man. I asked God, "What about this?"
Immediately, I felt I heard from God as follows: "Think of your life during the past 30 years."
God has given me many messages and put me on Internet to deliver these messages and had me write books and put me on radio for several years.
I haven't partaken of crackers and grape juice in a church gathering for more than 30 years. As soon as God taught me the message that the Lord's supper is not crackers/grape juice, I quit partaking of such.
The Lord’s supper is partaking properly of the Word of God. This is the power, not crackers/grape juice.
I deal constantly with scripture and the word from God and act upon it and am constantly supported by God and instructed by the Spirit of God in ways of God.
I continually judge myself and correct myself. And this is exactly what we read in I Cor. 11. When we correctly partake of the "Lord's supper", we will judge ourselves by the Word of God through the Spirit of God. We do not judge ourselves with crackers/grape juice. There is no power at all in crackers/grape juice. This is not the Lord's supper. The Lord's supper is the Word of God.
Also when I was praying about this message I had given and about the man railing out against me over the message, I had the following scripture brought to my mind.
I Peter 4:19 ... Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
And that is what I did in this.
Another example of a destructive thought and what God gave me when I prayed:
In mid-April I had written several writings on Internet the same day and the thought came that I was writing too much. I turned to God with this thought, asking Him for HIS view. Immediately I was reminded of the following instruction from the Bible.
Heb. 10:25 ... exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The closer we get to the return of Jesus the worse things of this world will get. Jesus said because iniquity would abound the love of many would wax cold. Mt. 24
So as the iniquity of the world increases we need even more exhortations, not less.
This answer from God is solid and gives an anchor for faith in the matter.
One of the most common fears concerns money.
I have had many financial concerns during the past years. Each time the fear comes, I turn to God. I ask God if there is anything I need to do. Do I need to cut back in my spending in any area? Most often God will give me a scripture after I pray and by that I know what to do. But each time the fear comes concerning money I pray again.
Recently I was writing an exhortation for the church and the thought came: "It won't do any good to write these things."
Immediately another thought came that was true: "By the foolishness of preaching it pleased God to save them that believe." 1 Cor. 1
The devil sent the first thought to stop the work of God.
The Holy spirit spoke the second thought to show the truth from God and the will of God.
Paul says we must bring every thought to the obedience of Christ (obedience of the Word).
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