Tag: devotional

Back in June, I submitted the following devotional for a writing challenge for Compel Training. They were going to pick around 40 some devotionals to include in a book that will be published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. However, I was recently informed that my devotional wasn’t one of the selected winners. The writing challenge was a lot of fun. I stepped out of my comfort zone a little & it was great practice for me. So, since it wasn’t chosen, I decided that I will publish it on my blog in hopes that whoever needs to read it, will perhaps see it one day.

“How could I be so stupid?” 

“I can’t believe I did this again.” 

“I’ll never change.”

“I can’t do anything right.”

One negative thought led to another and before I knew it, the enemy had turned my guilt over one mistake I made into a full-blown pity party. I felt hopeless & defeated. 

I grabbed my prayer journal and scribbled the following words, “You know that I feel unworthy, defeated and hopeless right now. I’ve been wandering the same desert and circling the same mountain for years and I’m tired. It’s wearing me out. I’ve let the enemy defeat me in this area too many times and I’m sick of it. I am your child and have been bought with a price. In your son there is victory to defeat the enemy.”

Seeing those words written down on paper lifted my burden. It didn’t help my current situation, but it did help to dig me out of the pit that I had somehow gotten myself into so that I could calm down, release my worries to God in prayer and get His perspective on the situation. 

The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV that “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.” That means that: 

We are never unworthy, because Jesus bought us with a price. (Romans 5:8)

We are never defeated, because we have the victory to defeat the enemy. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

We are never helpless, because we have the help of the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26)

And, we are never without hope, because our hope is in Jesus. (Romans 15:13) 

What are some ways that we can practically take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ? Here are things that have helped me. 

The first thing I like to do is I get honest with myself and God by making a list of the lies that I am currently believing. After I make the list, I go through them one by one and repent to God for agreeing with those lies. 

Once I’ve repented to God for accepting & agreeing with the lies, I search the scriptures for what His word says about my identity in Christ & the victory that we have in Him to defeat the enemy. 

Lastly, I love speaking scriptures out loud. Hearing the words of the Bible come out of my own mouth has really helped me to internalize the truth, especially when I can personalize them and put myself into the scripture. 

For example, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for you, Tiffany, who is in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the Law of the Spirit of life set you free…” Romans 8:1-2

So, the next time you find yourself spiraling into a pit of despair or hopelessness, I hope you will take the time to capture those thoughts & replace them with the truth of God’s word. 

Father, thank you for your word and the power of the holy spirit living inside of me to help defeat the lies of the enemy. When my thoughts start spiraling out of control and take me to places that I don’t want to go, please help me to take a pause and redirect them back to you. Remind me that anything that does not line up with your word is from the enemy and that I need to resist it and replace it with your truth, so that it won’t take root in my heart. In Jesus name, Amen.