Who has your first thought in the morning when you wake up?
•Negativity – as the news/social media gets checked? •Anxiety as you wonder will I have a job, a business at the end of the week?
•Pain as you feel a physical twinge because of illness or injury?
•Grief, because you have lost your job, your normal life or loved one?
•Fear of not enough – I call it the ‘scarcity treadmill’ – not enough time, money, support, government intervention or God intervention.. Just not enough!
It doesn’t take long for something to ‘barter’ for our thoughts, especially at the moment.
And then what? What do we do with that thought?
Do we mercilessly pound it out on ourselves and whirl around in a shame storm? Do we become a voice of negativity to those around us? Do we grab at something to distract us and numb it? Do we reach out to others and message them?
If you’re like me, you’ve done it all. So let’s get curious…
Over the years as I began to notice what the first thought was that came to me. I began see rhythms and seasons and themes pop up external to me. Not everything you think, is from you! This gave me a heads up on what was in the atmosphere.
Our battle is “not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” Ephesians? ?6:12? ?AMP??
Atmosphere’s are full of thoughts and suggestions. This is the domain of the Prince of the Air. (Ephesians 2:2) This is what we are to take authority over and shift. This is part of what we do in prayer and intercession.
Then I noticed patterns about myself. This gave me a fabulous opportunity for upgrade. Our souls need maturing as we work the spiritual dimension and our gifts.
Romans 12:2 says “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans? ?12:2? ?
We need to continually let God renew our mind, our thinking. This is not a shameful thing this is a promotion thing!
As we get renewed by God’s thoughts, and learn His ways and His presence, we discover what He has gifted us with. These gifts He does not want to remain immature. Maturity is expensive and it’s hard work but so is immaturity!
So Intercessors, Discerners, Prophetic, Word of Knowledge, Mercy, Compassion, these gifts have a unique experience with what’s in an atmosphere. Being renewed in the mind is critical for these gifts.
There is a real battle going on for your first thought in the morning!
It is a battle over who is renewing your mind and who is owning your gifts. The call and gifts God gives us He never takes back (Romans 11:29). So either He gets our gifts first thing in the morning, or negativity, anxiety, pain, fear will.
God’s battling for your first thought! And he wants to overwhelm you with the very thing you are most wanting!!
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
??Lamentations? ?3:22-23?
Hack #1
So tomorrow morning when you wake up, grab your first thought and thank God for his love and mercy that is new for you that morning.
List off what your thankful for! It will focus you on what YOU HAVE not on what you don’t have right now.
Thankfulness attracts His presence. Psalm 100:4 says ‘We enter His gates with thankfulness’
Hack #2
Ask God what He is doing today? Receive what you first hear no matter how unexpected it may sound. He is more eager to speak than we are to hear! Instead of giving doubt and unbelief credit, give faith and God credit that He is well able to do more than you expect!
Vulnerability is risk and uncertainty, and that’s faith! This is what we do when we exercise our faith. Let’s stop exercising our unbelief and exercise our faith in God’s ability.
Who has your first thought in the morning when you wake up?
