Written By: Kari Dickson

I love this quote:

“If you fix your thoughts on God, God will fix your thoughts.”

I definitely need my thoughts fixed daily!

I’ve become so aware of the daily mental battles we all face, and I am learning what it takes to continue to stay in the good fight amidst the battlefield of my mind! So much comes at me and tries to grab my attention away from what brings peace and protection, which is easy if I haven’t put tactics and strategies in place for this war. How are you staying centered on Christ in your mind? As we focus ourselves on Him, He truly molds and shapes our thoughts to right thinking. This keeps our mental armor at full strength and keeps us able to rise up against any enemy!

Some things I do to keep my mind focused are:

  • Beginning the Day With Prayer– The moment I wake up, I start talking to God. I thank Him for another day and begin to speak life over any circumstance that will come at me that day. 
  • Quiet Time– Mornings are the best time for me to get in my quiet time with God. Every day doesn’t look the same. Some days I’m diving into a small group study. Some days I’m opening my Bible and choosing one word out of the concordance to discover throughout the Bible. Other days, I’m picking up books like The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel or God’s at War by Kyle Idleman. My best mornings are ones just spent talking to God (praying, asking Him questions, reminding myself who He is and who that makes me). 
  • Music– I play Christian music at home, in the car, and at night to go to bed. It keeps my mind aware of the truth and His presence. 
  • Friends– I reach out to friends to encourage them in their faith journey, and in return, I get encouraged!
  • Involved– It’s so important to be involved in a church body and a small group. Without both, you’ll be lost on a Sunday morning and disconnected. So much happens through worship at church and sermons, but in a small group, the connections you make with others and with God will be on a much deeper level, and they will help make you battlefield-ready!
  • Continual Prayer– God gave us this amazingly complex brain, and I love to keep part of it continuously talking to God. Whether it’s asking Him about or for something or simply thanking Him for things that bless me every day, keeping the prayer line open with Him truly brings abundant life!
  • The Word– There is no substitute for God’s Word. It is life. Keeping truth flowing into our minds each day renews us like nothing else can. Start with at least 5 minutes a day and ask God where you can rearrange your schedule to fit a lengthier spot in to spend time with Him. Begin to ask Him to make the desire for His truths revealed in scripture to satisfy you like nothing else. He will do it. 

What are some of the habits you have formed to stay connected with the true vine and prepared in the mental battle? We would love to hear them, and we encourage you to share them with not only us but others God has placed on your battlefield. (John 15:1-17)

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

Written By: Kari Dickson