Complicated

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HopeTruth

New member
Mar 23, 2025
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#1
How do you occupy your mind with God when there are thoughts there that won't go away????
 

EternalFire

Well-known member
Jan 3, 2019
667
359
63
#2
I find Colossians 3:1-10 to be helpful in the situation that you are describing.

Phrases like “set your mind on things above” is a great way to drive out unwanted thoughts and to reduce the rate at which they return.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
21,611
7,382
113
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#3
How do you occupy your mind with God when there are thoughts there that won't go away????
Read alot of scripture, then meditate upon it.

The mind is complex and forms associations with the things we allow to be put into it. When you input scripture, you will form new associations, and establish new thought patterns.

Also, retrain your mind as per Philippians 4:8. Choose to think about good things. This will involve taking thoughts captive as per 2 Corinthians 10:5.

As you begin to practice these things, you will find both your heart and mind stayed more and more upon the Lord.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,833
2,889
113
#7
Read alot of scripture, then meditate upon it.

The mind is complex and forms associations with the things we allow to be put into it. When you input scripture, you will form new associations, and establish new thought patterns.

Also, retrain your mind as per Philippians 4:8. Choose to think about good things. This will involve taking thoughts captive as per 2 Corinthians 10:5.

As you begin to practice these things, you will find both your heart and mind stayed more and more upon the Lord.
Most of our "spiritual disciplines" are not hard to understand...
they're just hard to to.
: )
 

GRACE_ambassador

Well-known member
Feb 22, 2021
3,413
1,810
113
Midwest
#9
A LOT more Scripture, for me, equals a lot LESS sin, "presenting myself daily, as a living sacrifice"
(Romans 12:1-2 AV), especially when A LOT of Scripture is studied, Rightly Divided! *:

* Basic Distinctions (14 +) Of Prophecy vs Mystery!
+
[ Update/Additions #’s: (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) ]

Amen.

* Additional study info:

“Things That Differ!”

A LOT of time spent With God And thinking/studying/meditating prayerfully and Carefully on
His Word
leaves no time nor room For other thoughts, eh?
 

blueluna5

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2018
692
409
63
#10
How do you occupy your mind with God when there are thoughts there that won't go away????
I personally did meditation back when I was going through a hard time. It's not as complicated as people make it. You concentrate on your breathing and let the thoughts come (you can't control them) but don't attach to any. Similar to how you breathe in and out (let them come and go).

Then I could read the Bible and pray and be in the right mindset.

Nowadays I'm happy but busy. I don't meditate, but I do remove all screens (TV, phone, etc). Breathing is still helpful and writing lists. Being consistent.... do a little over a long period of time is better than a lot over in 1 day. You're more likely to do it.
 

Gideon300

Well-known member
Mar 18, 2021
5,887
3,595
113
Frankston, Victoria
christianlife.au
#11
How do you occupy your mind with God when there are thoughts there that won't go away????
The devil has access to our minds. That's why the "helmet of salvation" is part of our armour. We are also commanded to "take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ." The mind of man is his battlefield. We may have a good, clean heart and the best of desires. Yet we may find out thoughts argue with what is in our hearts. So how do we do this in practice?

Any thought that you did not choose to think is from an evil spirit. So the answer is to command the evil spirit to release your mind and tell it not to return. It is also good to meditate on God's word so you are thinking that which is acceptable to God. I go a little further. I command the evil spirit to go to the Lord Jesus to be sent to the place reserved by God for it, bound with everlasting chains. I learned this from a friend. He told the devil, "You will run out of evil spirits before I give up casting them off the face of the earth!" The devil soon left him alone.

As believers, our minds are given to us by God to express what is in our hearts. If our minds are flooded with the enemy's thoughts, that is near impossible. We can get a free mind. It may take time. We did not get bound up in an instant and we will need to fight through for a time. The time it takes will depend on the degree of bondage and how diligent we are.

Once the mind is free, we need to renew it so that we think according to God's word. We need also to remember that Satan quoted scripture to Jesus in order to tempt Him. Satan will seek to condemn us for a sin, for example. We need to answer that accusation with God's word. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. And, they overcame him (Satan the Accuser) by the blood of the Lamb, their testimony and not loving their lives to the point of death.

Ephesians 6:12 tells what the battle is about. It is literally wrestling in Greek. The thing about wrestling is that we will get stronger as we keep it up. It's God's spiritual workout program. If we give into the enemy's thoughts, we will be weak not strong.

One of Satan's sneakiest tricks is discouragement. He will tell us that it's not working or that we are wasting our time. He will tell us that we are too far gone or we are too sinful. Such thoughts are lies. Keep fixed on Jesus. Satan may well be saying the truth - about our old self. We need to remember that Satan is pointing to a dead man while we are alive in Christ.

There is more to say on this, but if you've got this far, you've done well!