Pain Was Changing My Thoughts, Beliefs and Emotions
Being in pain every minute of every day does something to you. The sharp, stabbing pain in my spine drained my energy and stole my joy, my peace, and my hope.
The pain had become this dark filter for all my thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. I woke up every morning under this dark cloud of pain. It filled my mind as well as my body. This went on for over four years, until I was desperate for hope, for peace and for joy.
I broke out of this pain cycle – with some help. You can too.
What is Hurting You?
Your pain may be physical or emotional – both can be equally crippling. Your thoughts may be keeping you in a continual state of worry, anger, fear or defeat. Your thoughts may be keeping you from loving yourself or depriving you of important relationships with others.
There is an answer. There are ways we can cooperate with God so he can replace our old destructive thought patterns (even life-long patterns) with his way of seeing and thinking that brings hope, love, peace, and joy.
You Don’t Have to Follow Your Thoughts
Like you, I knew my thoughts had a big impact on my life. I knew thinking negative thoughts was a downward spiral. I knew I needed to reverse that. Sometimes I did, but more often I didn’t. Most of the time, I let my thoughts go where they wanted and I followed them. I was tired. I hurt too much. But, most of all I didn’t realize how God would help me break free.
You Can Change How You Think. God Will Help.
God tells us to fix, to focus our thoughts only on good. Then He tells us that when we cooperate he will change the way we think, He will transform us into a new person. He makes the change. We let him in to do the work.
Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Romans 12: 2 (NLT)
5 Ways God Replaces Your Painful Thoughts, Beliefs, and Emotions
1. Praise and Worship
It’s Not Easy Some Days
As I was writing this, I got the news that someone very dear to me has cancer. It was like someone hit me in the stomach – hard! Fear and anxiety smothered me. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was sing.
But I’ve been here before. I already had playlists of anointed praise and worship songs on Youtube. I chose an anointed playlist. At first, I couldn’t sing along. I was too numb. I was hurting and I was crying. A few minutes later, the words of hope and faith ripped open the pain that enveloped me. I was riding the anointing of the worship leader and that anointing began to break the yokes of fear and hopelessness off of me. I mumbled a few words of a song. Then I began to worship God with all my heart. My study filled with God’s presence and fear, hopeless and anxiety were gone. The King was here.
We Release, God Replaces
As we begin to sing and praise we refocus our minds on the greatness and the goodness of God. We release our pain and our thoughts and declare His truths. He replaces what we were thinking and feeling with gratitude, praise, and worship. His anointing enables and empowers the whole process.
In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 16:11 (NASB)
Burdens, stress, and fear cannot enter into the presence of God. We enter the gates of the kingdom of God with thanksgiving. We boldly approach His courts, the throne room of God, with praise. (Psalm 100:4)
And there we are, with him. In fullness of joy. At his right hand is seated the Prince of peace. The peace of God fills our hearts as we are in his presence. As we open our arms we are embraced by his love.
True praise and worship change us.
We are never the same after we’ve experienced the presence of God and have tasted his goodness. God’s invitation is to taste and see that the Lord is good. He knows once we taste we will keep coming back for more.
Practical steps:
1. Find the most anointed praise and worship music you can. (I create playlists (on Youtube) of anointed praise and worship that I use to start my day. Some anointed worship leaders: Julie True, Kim Walker Smith, Jesus Culture, Brian and Jenn Johnson, Bethel Music, Jeremy Riddle, Hillsong, and Chris Tomlin.
2. Get alone with God. Close the door. Turn off your phone. And let yourself go. Go where you can sing and shout and no one will hear you.
3. God’s love will draw you into His presence. We love God because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). As you begin to praise and worship you will feel that drawing, that presence of God calling to you. When you feel it, love him back. Take a small step and begin to praise.
4. Circumstances, the pain, stress, fear, and defeat will begin to fall off of you. God’s lives in the presence of praise – your praise and mine.
5. In your mind, see what’s actually happening. You enter into the gates of the kingdom of God with Thanksgiving. Thank him. You draw closer. Go into the courts where his throne is with praise. Praise him for who he is, what he has done and what he is going to do for you. Praise him because he’s a good father. Praise him because he loves you.
6. When you are in severe emotional or physical pain, do this several times a day. It doesn’t have to be long, just enough to break through the deep dark ruts that your mind has gotten into. Break free and you’ll begin to see life differently. You are cooperating with God to let him transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
7. Your brain just changed. Studies about the brain show that the brain actually physically changes as we change thoughts and thought patterns. Neuroscientists call this plasticity. As you begin to change your thinking from negative to positive, your brain and the pathways in your brain are actually changing. Now that’s an encouraging thought. “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
See my next post for four more, powerful ways God replaces painful thoughts, beliefs, and emotions:
II. Be grateful
III. Renew your mind by declaring the truths of God
IV. Change your beliefs by having new experiences with God
V. Forgive
How did praise and worship replaced defeating thoughts for you?
About Dave Milford
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