Not long ago, the Lord moved on my heart to go on a “negative thoughts fast.” You may be thinking, "What in the world is a negative thoughts fast?" Well, fasting means to go without, so fasting negative thoughts means to go without thinking negatively!
It's been pretty well documented, both in secular and spiritual circles, that we humans move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts. Good thoughts lead us to good places, and negative thoughts do not help us at all!
When you're bogged down with negative thoughts, do you feel like rising up and taking authority over your situation (Luke 10:19), or do you feel like climbing into bed and pulling up the covers? We all know the answer to that question.
Proverbs 23:7 says that as we think in our hearts, so are we. I recently heard someone say, "You don't act like you are; you act like you think you are." That's powerful.
Now, when the idea first occured to me to fast negative thoughts, I really didn’t think I was having that many. I mean, I'm a fairly positive person. But with help from the Holy Spirit, that day He revealed to me every time my thoughts were headed down a negative track, and arrested me...and it happened more often than I would have expected!
Of course. identifying negative thoughts is one thing, but then when you know you're having them, what do you do to stop and get over onto the positive thinking side of life?
Well, Philippians 4:8 helps us. It says, 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, think on these things.
One thing we know that is guaranteed to be true and honest and just and pure (etc.) is God's Word. To me. that meant two things: (1) I have to have it in my heart in abundance and (2) I could stop thinking wrong and just think on what the Word says!
So here's what I did. When a negative thought came to my mind and was identified, I just stopped and thought about specific things from the Word instead:
- the exploits of David
- the fortitude of Joseph
- stories of Jesus from the Gospels
- Paul & Silas in the jail at midnight (or any Paul adventures!)
- specific scriptures that applied or encouraged me
It almost sounds too simple...but it worked. I can't tell you how free I began to feel! Among other things, I began to feel a fog lifting, and things looked clearer to me, both in the natural and spiritual realm.
You know, we live on an earth with a curse, and the curse can begin to feel awfully "normal" to us. Negative thoughts can begin to feel normal, because that's what's poured into us night and day! Sometimes we don't even know how much we're operating under that curse until we get lifted out of it by some new ways of thinking.
Small Adjustments
Some of the negatives thoughts are major: you may have been having them for awhile (we call these strongholds). Second Corinthians 10:4,5 says, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
How do we get rid of strongholds, or patterns of wrong thinking that have been holding us back? By taking control of our thoughts. Replacing wrong ones with right ones, one thought at a time, all day long.
Some of our negative thoughts are just little ones, but they aren’t positive and needed to be changed! When I began my "negative thoughts fast," it just took small adjustments all day long to keep myself thinking on the right track – switching my thoughts over to something from God’s Word instead of what I was feeling or hearing.
I want to encourage you to go on a “negative thoughts fast.” You can’t do it without the Word of God…let IT rise up in your heart and mind every time the Holy Spirit arrests you from thinking negatively. Ask for His help. Then spend the day just thinking on the things God says! You’ll begin to see things in a whole new light…
