Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. | Proverbs 4:23

The Lord has been speaking to me on just how important our thoughts are. We often hear messages about the power of our tongues, or on the power of decreeing and declaring. While it is vital to speak life, I believe it is equally important to be intentional with what we meditate on and recognize the power of our thoughts.

It is written in the Proverbs that, “as a man thinks in his heart, so it he.” What a powerful truth! Our thoughts lead to behaviors. If we believe we are defeated, we will most likely walk in defeat. However, if we actively meditate on the Word of God—which says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13)—we are much more likely to walk in victory.

Psalm 19:14 says, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” This verse points out the importance of what we meditate on in our hearts. The enemy loves to create strife, and he works to get us coming into agreement with his lies. Even as it was with Eve in the Garden, when he coaxed her to doubt what God had told her (Genesis 3:1). Eve entertained that thought from the enemy, and then she fell into sin.

How often do we do the same?

I’ve fallen into that trap myself by not immediately taking control of a negative thought or emotion that comes to me. Before you know it, something so minor can turn into a full-blown misunderstanding or argument. That’s why it’s so important to put on the full armor of Christ each and every morning, so that we can withstand the fiery darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16).

When we take captive every thought into the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), the enemy has no entry point. For instance, there are mornings that I certainly don’t feel lovely, but I need to choose to be intentional about thinking and speaking what the Lord says about me in that moment. Because of His Word, I know that I am, “altogether lovely, My darling,” and no blemish is in me (Song of Songs 4:7). So no matter what I am feeling, the Lord’s Word—and what He says about me—is the final authority.

The Lord has been continuing to highlight to me the importance of the Bride of Christ walking in freedom, healing, and restoration. I sense that as we actively pursue proper alignment of our thoughts, we are going to walk in greater joy and freedom that we’ve ever known. We will be able to love the unlovely and bind up the broken hearted (Luke 6:35, Isaiah 61:1), for it was for freedom that we have been set free (Galatians 5:1). As freely as we have received, freely we must give (Matthew 10:8).