3 ways to take back your thoughts and declare God’s truth over your life.
When you approach a task, a relationship, or an opportunity and you think about who you are and what you are capable of doing – what words come to mind? Are they words that display confidence, hope, trust and strength? Or fear, doubt, pride or insecurity?
What we tell ourselves every day matters. If we believe something about our identity that is not true, then we will struggle to believe what God says about us when he reveals it to us.
Truths are unchanging. They don’t depend on what you do, what you have done, or who you want to be. Truths are not self help mantras or cliché sayings. They are based entirely on God’s word and what He says about you. While there will always be areas of life where you will need to grow, how God views you and what he says about you doesn’t change because God affirms who you are, not just what you do.
That is why, when you root your identity in Him by declaring Bible base truths over yourself, you will begin to see yourself the way He sees you – and this will influence the way you treat, people, situations, opportunities and events around you.
Here are 3 steps that can help you take back your thoughts and declare truth over your life:
- Identify the lies you tell yourself
Take a moment and think about a difficult conversation you had recently. What did you say? What were you thinking about yourself and the other person?
Your words and actions reveal the narratives you tell yourself. To figure out if a narrative is false, ask yourself: Is this thought marked by fear, insecurity, pride, bitterness, or a lack of confidence? Is this thought leading me to cynical or self-serving behavior? If you can answer “yes” to either of those questions, then the narrative you’re telling yourself probably needs to be addressed and adjusted.
Right now, take a few minutes and identify any lies you might be believing. Once you have done this, write down those false narratives and reflect on them. Spend a few moments in silence and ask God to clearly show you where those lies stemmed from.
When you identify where and when you began believing a lie, it’ll be easier to change the way you think
2. Shift your perspective
For every lie, there is a truth that can replace it. Look over your list of false narratives again, and this time, ask God to show you what His truth is for each of the statements you wrote.
To do this, try spending a few minutes with God and then ask Him to Clearly show you how He sees you. Afterward search for Bible verses that contradict the lies you have been believing.
Here are some passages that can help you get started…
Identity: Galatians 5:22-23, John 3:16, Isaiah 43:5, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Money: Philippians 4:19, Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 8:18, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, 1 Timothy 5:8
Relationships: Romans 13:8, Ephesians 6:1 – 4, 1Peter 4:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Security: John 10:28 – 29, Galatians 5:1, Titus 3:5-7, Psalm 27:1-3
Confidence: Proverbs 3:26, Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:15-18, Hebrews 10:35-36
Daily living: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Isaiah 30;15, 1 Timothy 4:12, Romans 12
3. Declare what is true.
Once you have your list of verses, rewrite each one in your words. Turn the truths from scripture into specific, intentional statements you can daily declare over your life.
Here are what some potential declarations may look like:
- I am enough because am a child of God
- I rejoice in suffering because Christ suffered for me
- I am not ashamed of Jesus Christ because His sacrifice changes lives
- I am greatly loved, and so I love others like I have been loved
- Nothing can separate me from God’s love.
As you create your list, keep in mind that when God looks at you, He sees His child. And if God – who is truth – says something about you, then it must be true. That is why, when you create your list of statements, you can create them with confidence…