Day Twenty Eight - As a woman thinks in her heart, so is she...

What do you really believe about yourself, your position in life, or your future? If you really stopped to listen to the thoughts going on in your head, what are they speaking over your mind right now?

What do you think about yourself when you wake in the morning? Do you ever stop and listen to your thinking ‘speak’ (the talk in your mind)? Unless we take a moment to identify it, we will never be able to change what needs to be corrected.

In the mornings I am studying the practice of contemplative prayer where you can literally bring all your thoughts and not assign them any judgement. Bring them surrendered into the presence of God. It is incredible what our brains have going on up there. When you still yourself you get to recognise some of these patterns.

But when you get out into your day to day again, it is more difficult to stay mindful of what is going on in your mind.

That is why I was trying to keep this journey in a rhythm that did not have the striving, but more the mindfulness and intention.

The daughters of Z had so much going on as they ‘came forward’ for what was rightfully theirs. I do not know if their steps were fast snd strong and determined, or weak, vulnerable and slow.

What I do know is that even in their walking they carried who they were with them. They had a status attached to who they were as women, they had pressure to stay small and restrained, they had inadequacies to overcome, and they had religious mindsets to break.

Romans 12:2 2Don'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 know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

Our thinking determines so much of our ability to come forward. Drawing back is the opposite of breaking rank and moving forward. Even just step by step. What are you thinking about yourself? What do you say to yourself as you walk out of that exam or that job interview or when someone gives you a compliment?

BREAK RANK – leave that assigned, habitual way of thinking behind and MOVE FORWARD.

Renew your mind – create new pathways – it’s a habit – it’s a choice.

Do not limit your thinking to how other people have done something or even your own experiences. Tap into the mind of Christ & get God’s thoughts on your life, your family, your career, your business and your world!

“Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods. Every time you do so you will be certain to find something that you have never seen before. Follow it up, explore all around it, and before you know it, you will have something worth thinking about to occupy your mind. All really big discoveries are the results of thought." Alexanda Graham Bell

There are two more ways to be intentional with your thinking beyond only taking it to Jesus in contemplative prayer...

1) Guard your mind – from small people with small thinking who will shrink you.

2) Expose your mind – to big people with big thinking who will stretch you.

Entrepreneurs – get God’s mind for your business

Mothers – get God’s mind for raising your children

Friend – get God’s thinking on how to respond to a crisis situation when you are needed.

When you think about ‘coming forth’ and breaking rank, does your spirit say ‘yes’ but your mind says ‘no’? Can you identify your limitations or capacity in your thinking?

Here is your take-home work today =

Draw out the thought process on a piece of paper as soon as the opportunity pops into your spirit .. ..what do you THINK? Mind map it ... Identify the pattern of thinking, notice any words or thinking you know you want to change. Once they are identified, replace the thought process with new words to shape your thinking. Put the promises of God into that process. Make your sentences present tense and positive. Speak those sentences out loud so you can hear yourself speak possibility and potential.

Be bold and stay audacious. Intentionally break rank in your thinking! It does not happen overnight but with mindfulness and intention.