Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Twelve Steps To Become Daily What You Think

God speaks to you at the speed of thought. Thought moves at the speed of light. As quickly as light illuminates a room, a single thought can illuminate your life. You are always only one thought away from living the life of your dreams – one decision away from destiny.

James Allen wrote in his timeless classic, As A Man Thinketh, "All that a man achieves or fails to achieve is a direct result of his own thoughts." Your life moves in the direction of your thoughts. Thoughts are the ever-present currents that move you either closer or further away from your best future. The Steps:

1. The Law of Attraction: Like a short-wave radio signal, your thoughts send messages out on a specific frequency and are transmitted back to you as an experience or occurrence in your life. Your thoughts create a magnetic field around you – attracting either positive or negative experiences. What you think has the power to literally transform your life.

Your life is what your thoughts make it. James Allen also observed that a person "will find that as he alters his thoughts toward things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him." This is the basic premise of the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction is based on the principle that we attract into our lives whatever we focus on as a result of the energy that is exchanged in the process. Because all matter – seen and unseen – is comprised of energy, the energy created by our unseen thoughts either attracts or repels the energy matter of what we ultimately see and experience as a result.

This phenomena is rooted in the findings of quantum physics – which found that nothing in the universe is static due to the fact that all matter is vibrating energy – raw energy that responds to the vibrations of our thoughts, so that consequently "what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen" (Hebrews 11:3 NLT). It is the essence of faith, "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV).

2. Law of Association: Everything you see began in the unseen realm. The first book of the Bible tells us that God spoke the earth into existence – "the worlds were framed by the word of God" (Hebrews 11:3). Yet before God's word ever was, there were His thoughts. The source of all energy and all matter is the mind of God. The Creator – the Great Imaginarian – in whose image you were created.

Your thoughts are powerful. If you want to change your life, you must change your thoughts. If you want to unstick or unclutter your life, you must first unstick and unclutter your thoughts.

"What You Invest Mental Energy in is What You Tie Your Soul to, Both Positively and Negatively."

3. Law of Creation: How are unhealthy soul toxins and debilitating soul ties created in the first place? How can you end up cluttering your soul simply by the thoughts that you think? It is due to this exchange of energy that takes place when you give something your attention, entertain it in your mind, meditate upon it, and speak about it. What you invest mental energy in is what you tie your soul to, both positively and negatively.

As currents of electricity create electromagnetic fields connecting positive or negative charges, your thoughts create similar fields. Your positive thoughts attract positive attachments; your negative thoughts attract negative attachments. Whatever your soul can conceive, there is potential for attachment. As a mother will form attachments to the life conceived within her, so your soul forms attachments to whatever it conceives.

4. Law of the Seed: Satan primarily attacks the seed as to forestall your Harvest. That is the only aim of the attacks you face. The seed of a thought, like the seed of a life, when planted will always result in an exchange of energy and therefore some kind of an attachment. Whether aborted or stillborn, an exchange of energy has taken place.

An exchange takes place through investments of time, energy, attention, and action in the form of thoughts, deeds, or words. Exchanges can be both intentional and unintentional. Sometimes we can be completely oblivious to what we've attached our souls – something may have taken hold in our mind because we inadvertently paid attention to it for too long. I believe this is why Isaiah stated, "(He) who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil... will dwell on high" (Isaiah 33:15-16).

5. The Law of Attention: You have to be careful about what you pay attention to – what you spend time and energy thinking about and dwelling upon. Your life will move in the direction of what you contemplate. As it says in Proverbs, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (Proverbs 4:23 NLT). What consumes your thoughts gives you a good indication of what ties your soul.

"Whatever You Harbor in the Innermost Corridors of Your Thought-Life Will, Sooner or Later, Reveal Itself in the Outer Arena of Your Life."

Our thoughts, intentions, motivations, and aspirations – whether they be secretly pondered in the heart, openly declared as a desire, or formally written as goals – mold and shape our personal universe into something either grand and beautiful or base and hideous. Whatever you harbor in the innermost corridors of your thought-life will, sooner or later, reveal itself in the outer arena of your life. Whatever is hidden will eventually be brought to light. First Corinthians 4:5 ESV states that God "will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart." Just as a seed is for a time hidden under ground, it will eventually break through the surface and it's true essence will ultimately be revealed.

6. The Law of Sight and Perception: You cannot possess what you cannot see first of all in your mind or what your thought cannot perceive. Everything you see in the natural began as a spiritual seed – a thought. The temporal realm has its roots in the spiritual. Grabbing a hold of this profound spiritual truth will enable you to make some critical connections that can transform your life. Once you understand that the spiritual realm is the "causal realm," you will begin to grasp the massive power of your thoughts, ideas, words, and prayers – spiritual things that engineer, mold, and craft the current and future state of your temporal existence.

Proverbs tells us, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he," (Proverbs 23:7 AMP). Your outer world is a direct result of your inner world. Every circumstance in life is a result of a choice – and every choice is the result of a thought. All those things that fill your mind hold the keys to your reality. Make it a habit to examine what your thoughts are chasing after.

7. The Law of the First Thing or Firstling: Able choose to give God the firstling (the first and the best of his thought manifested in his gift) and Cain gave to God the produce of his farm (the afterthought from the deliberate wicked produce of his heart to give God the ordinary and not the best and first - not a God centered and God motivated produce) which was rejected. It was rejected not because it had no blood but because his thoughts were evil. We must learn to harness our thoughts if we are to effectively reign as kings and priests in this earth. We must understand who we were created to be as children of God and the authority we have in Christ. We have inherited the Kingdom and been given dominion over all our adversaries.

"The First Thing We Must Do in Taking Possession of God's Promises is to Take Possession of Our Thoughts."

We are told in Ephesians 6:12 that our fight is not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities – a fight that can't be won with our hands, only with our minds. You must become as skilled in your thoughts as a swordsman is with his sword. Taking control of your thoughts will cause you to gain control over your life. That is what putting on the armor of God is all about. (See Ephesians 6:14-17.)

The first thing we must do in taking possession of God's promises is to take possession of our thoughts. This might not appear to require a great deal of skill or effort, let alone training or practice, but there is only one thing harder to master than your thoughts and that is your tongue! (See James 3:8.)

8. The Law of Diligence: Winning the battle in your thought-life requires meditating daily on the truths found in Scripture, studying diligently to show yourself approved, and becoming an earnest and life-long student of the art of spiritual warfare.

Throughout the New Testament we are told that our battles do not take place in the temporal realm but in the spiritual realm. We are told in nearly every epistle, "Fear not, only believe" (see Mark 5:36), "gird up the loins of your mind" (see 1 Peter 1:13), "renew your mind" (see Romans 12:2), and "put on the mind of Christ" (see 1 Corinthians 2:16). We are taught in Romans that to "set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6 ESV).

"Every Battle is Won or Lost in the Arena of Your Mind. If You Do Not Take Control of Your Inner Thoughts You Will Become a Slave to the Outer Circumstances Created by the Tempest Raging in Your Mind."

We are instructed to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" because "the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds... every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 ESV).

Every battle is won or lost in the arena of your mind. If you do not take control of your inner thoughts you will become a slave to the outer circumstances created by the tempest raging in your mind. The divine spirit within you won't be driving your life, the storms and changing weather of your thoughts will. You must command your thoughts as Jesus commanded the sea. (See Luke 8:24.)

9: The Law of Approximation or Permission: Don't Underestimate the Power of Your Thoughts. Whatever your predominant focus is, that is what you give permission to exist in your life. Jabez chose to focus on his future desires rather than his present circumstances. Many times people focus on the negative and they live in a cycle of negativity. You have to choose to focus on the positive. You have to train your mind to think on whatever is honest, virtuous, and praiseworthy. (See Philippians 4:8). Whatever is going wrong in your life is a result of your focus. If you don't like it, change your focus.

In Genesis 13:14-18, God taught Abraham something about focus. He told him to look at the territory he was giving him, to walk the land in every direction, and visualize the expanse of his legacy. He took him to the seashore, had him run sand through his fingers, and said, "For every grain of sand, you will have a descendant." What did God train him to do? He trained him to focus on bigger thoughts. He taught him how to visualize his destiny.

"The First Thing That You Need to Change is Your Thoughts About What God Wants for You. He Wants You to Live a Life of Abundance. It is His Desire to Give You Divine, Universal Secrets to Great Success and Prosperity."

If you plan to change your future, do not focus on things or people or circumstances that are smaller than what you are truly desiring. Your focus will either feed your faith or confirm your fears. Learn to think like Abraham. Think intentionally, generationally, and even globally. You can never think too big for God!

You must also train your mind to think in the present – to think positively in the present tense (in grammatical terms that would be "the present perfect") – see the thing that you want, the business you hope to accomplish, the person you plan to marry, and so on, as if you are already in possession of what you desire. Condition your mind to accept these thoughts and you will draw these opportunities and experiences to yourself.

Your success and prosperity hinge on what lies within your mind. The first thing that you need to change is your thoughts about what God wants for you. He wants you to live a life of abundance. It is His desire to give you divine, universal secrets to great success and prosperity. He holds the secret spiritual recipe for abundant living.

There are many people who may not be as spiritual as you are, but nevertheless they were able to tap into something great. Whether by accident or providence, they are living lives beyond their wildest dreams, and you can, too. You must say to yourself, until this one fact becomes your conviction, "God wants me to live in abundance!"

A world of possibilities is waiting to be released in your future. Jesus said in Mark 9:23, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

"Every Great Achievement Begins as a Thought in the Imagination of a Person. Every Thought is Birthed in the Spirit. Achievement, Therefore, is a Spiritual Process."

In Genesis 11, the people thought to themselves that they could build a tower to Heaven, and because they saw this tower in their minds they were able to build it. God stopped them by causing confusion and making it impossible for them to communicate, because the tower became an idol to them. However, this story still tells of the power of our thoughts: "Nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them" (Genesis 11:6 AMP).

10. The Law of Imagination: Man begins with a concept in his mind, something he believes he is able to accomplish; he joins his will and intellect to his imagination, and then the power of expectation sees it through. Every great achievement begins as a thought in the imagination of a person. Every thought is birthed in the spirit. Achievement, therefore, is a spiritual process.

Based on your ability to harness your imagination, life's opportunities either shrink or expand. Albert Einstein said, "I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." Imagination drives the engine of innovation, discovery, problem-solving, and peace-making.

Whatever can be imagined already exists; it simply exists in another dimension – in another form or substance – and that is the source of all inspiration. God conceived and by His Spirit spoke into existence all that is. He brought what already was in the spiritual into the temporal by the power of His Word. He breathes that creative force – His very Spirit – into a human being at the moment a person receives that Word into their heart. It is His Spirit – the creative power of His Word – within an individual that gives inspiration and understanding of what already exists in the spiritual realm. "But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand" (Job 32:8 ESV). That spirit in you has always existed – it is eternal – and it is the source of all revelation and inspiration.

"Inspirational Thoughts Can Be Thought of as God Finding Expression for His Will Through the Minds of Ordinary Men and Women."

Our lives are built by a series of thoughts, much like bricks are used to build a house. The bricks are what bring it forth from a piece of paper and make it three dimensional. As a man thinks in his heart – in the present active continuum – as he continues to think – he builds his life one brick at a time.

Your every present thought is a significant building block in determining the quality of your future. Many of us build lives like shanties while others build mansions. If your thoughts are inferior your life will be inferior, but if your thoughts are lofty and honorable you are laying the foundation to live accordingly.

Purpose to think inspired thoughts. Inspiration is a God-thing. Inspiration is God Himself speaking into the heart of a human being. Inspirational thoughts can be thought of as God finding expression for His will through the minds of ordinary men and women. According to Jeremiah 29:11, God's thoughts are always good and not evil. I want to remind you that God is up to something good, and He has you in mind.

11. The Law of Correlation: Enlarge Your Territory. There is a direct correlation between the quality of your thoughts and the quality of your life. What you think determines who you are, it determines what you are, where you go, what you acquire, where you live, who you love, where you work, what you accomplish, what you read, and so on.

You will never have more, or go further, or accomplish greater things than your thoughts will allow you. Therefore, you must create an opulent thinking environment in order to create an opulent life. When you alter your thoughts, you alter your life. Your life is a reflection of your most dominant thoughts and meditations. When you meditate on success, you live a successful life.

"Become the Architect of Your Future. Use Your Thoughts Like an Architect Uses a Blueprint. Think About Every Detail."

The trouble for most people is that they don't know exactly what success would look like for them as individuals, or more importantly, what it would feel like personally. It is not enough to just meditate on success generally, you need to be specific. Become the architect of your future. Use your thoughts like an architect uses a blueprint. Think about every detail. An architect not only thinks about the rooms in a house, but the types of windows, the size of closets, the location of outlets, and so on. Nothing is too insignificant. Think big! Think detailed!

12. The Law of Progressive Thinking: If you want to progress in life, you've got to think progressive thoughts. To do so, something new must replace the old. You've got to think beyond where you are. Alexander Graham Bell thought beyond the limitation of the dots and dashes of the Morse code, and went on to replace the telegraph when he invented the telephone. Become a visionary – be creative. Take the limits off your mind!

This is the challenge of creative thinking – you've got to open the spiritual channels of your mind so that God can download divine creative thoughts into your brain. When other people were unable to see what was going on in Heaven, Jesus could. Spend some quality time with God and ask him to enlarge your capacity for thinking and imagining – ask Him to help you take the limits off. That's what Jabez did.

In 1 Chronicles 4:10 NIV, Jabez prayed, "Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory!" Not only did Jabez ask God to expand the capacity of his mind, but he asked God to protect it as well. He asked of the Lord that "Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain." Jabez knew that every evil thought he conceived would ultimately bring forth pain.

Do yourself – and the world – a tremendous favor by getting the toxins out of your soul.