April 7, 2026
Sometimes we don’t even realize the influence our thoughts have on us, nor do we realize how much our thoughts matter. The truth is our thoughts hold great power over us emotionally, spiritually, and behaviorally. The things we dwell on and ruminate on are like the rudder of a ship; they steer and guide our emotions and affections. …
As believers, what we think matters. Because Jesus bought and redeemed us from sin, we are new creations. We have died to our former selves (Romans 6:6). This includes our thought life. …
Because we are new creations in Christ, Scripture charges us to be on guard in our thinking. The Apostle Paul wrote that he took every thought captive and made it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is strong military language. We need to be aggressive and forceful, intentionally searching out disobedient thoughts. That’s because we are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and in wartime, we cannot be passive (see Ephesians 6:10–18).
This also means we need to be intentional in the kinds of thoughts we think. We must conform our thoughts so that they obey and glorify Christ. As Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Thoughts like these are ones that we want to foster, take root, and grow. …
The true and right thoughts we are to think are found in God’s Word. There He tells us who He is and what He has done for us in Christ. We need to dwell on such truths, on God’s love for us in the gospel and what Christ accomplished for us through His life, death, and resurrection. We need to meditate on who we are in the sight of God because of Christ and what it means to be a child of the living God. We need to think these thoughts, not as part of some spiritual to-do list, or as an exercise to greater self-fulfillment, but because of who we are in Christ (Colossians 3:1–2).
Though we are prone to wander, especially in our thinking, Jesus has not left us alone. He has given us His Spirit, who convicts us of sin, reminds us of truth, and even prays on our behalf when we can’t do so for ourselves. If you struggle with wayward thoughts as I do, pray for the Spirit to prompt you when your thoughts go astray. Ask for discernment to know what is true and what is untrue. Assess your thoughts and compare them with God’s Word. Be alert, watchful, and on guard. And above all, set your mind on Christ.—Christina Fox1
God’s Word tells us that we have been given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Having the mind of Christ is a guide to all we do, and it needs to impact our thinking. It doesn’t mean our thinking will be exactly like God’s, but it does mean we can think and act more and more like Christ as our minds are renewed (Romans 12:2). …
As God’s peace guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7), we will find ourselves thinking on the Lord’s promises and His provision for us. It is going to change our thought life to no longer dwell on fleshly thoughts but on ones that are spiritual and Christ-focused. We have been given whole new minds. What we choose to think on matters.
God’s Word doesn’t leave us wondering how to take every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5); we have a detailed list of what we are to think about as Christians laid out for us in Philippians 4:8. Scripture is our source for knowing what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable.…
Our minds are a gift from the Lord to be protected. In Christ, we are now able to choose thoughts that please the Lord and honor Him. Paul ends Philippians 4:8 with “if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things,” because we need this reminder to protect our thinking continually. We need to be proactive in the thoughts that enter our minds. Our minds are renewed thought by thought. …
When we see Jesus as the perfect picture of all that is true and lovely and pure, we will find our thought life is filtered through the lens of the gospel. As we meditate on what is true and lovely and honorable in the gospel, and as we practice these things as Paul said, the peace of God will be with us (Philippians 4:9).—Marci Ferrell2
The Bible has a lot to say about our thoughts, and it makes an interesting study. For example, it says we can hardly count the Lord’s thoughts toward us (Psalm 40:5), and He knows our every thought before we even think them (Psalm 139:1–2).
Think of all the things each of us thinks about in a day and all the thoughts that tend to run through our minds. It is helpful to weigh our thoughts from time to time and size them up, take stock, and analyze them. Are we directing our thoughts to where they can do some good and have a positive effect? Are we transforming our thoughts into prayers that will bring about some good in the lives of others?
The Bible teaches us to “set our minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). As we make a conscious effort to focus our thoughts on the things of God’s kingdom, His Spirit can speak to our hearts and guide us (John 16:13). He can also help us to filter unfruitful thoughts or thoughts that cause anxiety, despair, depression or unhappiness as we focus on the things that are good, true, lovely, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).
God wants us to learn to convert our thoughts into prayer, as we grow into praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Thoughts turned into prayers will result in a closer walk with God, His blessings, solutions, and intervention according to His will, and His comfort and peace for us and for those who are in need. He can help us to see situations with fresh eyes and to see the good and possibilities that we were not even aware of as we bring everything to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6).
Thoughts turned into prayers will draw us closer to Jesus and strengthen us spiritually. On the other hand, thoughts left idle often slip away into the gray mass of nowhere-land or into the cracks and crevices of complacency. All day long, no matter what else we’re doing, we’re thinking thoughts, but it’s how we filter and direct them that can make a difference.
What we decide to do with our thought life and where we direct our thoughts matters. As we learn to direct our thoughts, filtering them through the sieve of His Word, we will be able to set our minds on Christ and fulfill this mission of prayer.—Maria Fontaine
Through prayer we come face-to-face with God and do a work of self-examination. In God’s presence, we look at our thoughts, look at God, and consider how God looks back at us. God transforms our thoughts as we process what we’re thinking while consciously aware of his presence.
When you pray your thoughts, how do you imagine God looks back at you? Psalm 139:23 offers us a picture. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” As we approach God, He searches and knows our hearts, tests and knows our anxious thoughts. He sees the offensive ways that are in us, yet still he chooses to lead us in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:24). In other words, God sees our true selves and loves us anyway.
As you pray your thoughts to God, he looks at you with love, mercy, and compassion. His love does not materialize because you just had a true, honorable, praiseworthy, or pure thought. It does not disappear because you … can’t seem to escape thoughts filled with suffering. God’s love for you is present amid your unwanted thoughts. It’s not a reward for changing them.
Look at your unwanted thoughts, and you’ll likely see your suffering and sin. Look at God with faith, and you’ll see his love and acceptance. Look at how God looks at you in Christ, and you’ll see in yourself the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). It’s when we see God accurately and see ourselves as God sees us that we find the power we need to change.
Our thoughts are transformed not through force and willpower but through relationship and connection. God’s presence is powerful because in it we encounter His character. We see who He is and what that means for our lives. ...
The stillness we find in His faithful presence calms our racing thoughts and worry. His compassion and love help us to believe the truth when it doesn’t seem to match our present reality. We leave behind thoughts of regret as we receive his forgiveness. We find help for thoughts of hopelessness as we meditate on his goodness. ... Encountering God and experiencing who He is in our lives has the power to change everything.—Esther Smith3
Published on Anchor April 2026. Read by Jon Marc. Music by Michael Fogarty.
1 Christina Fox, “Our Thoughts Really Do Matter,” ibelieve.com, September 21, 2021, https://www.ibelieve.com/christian-living/our-thoughts-really-do-matter.html
2 Marci Ferrell, “Six Thought Patterns of a Christian Mind (Philippians 4:8),” thankfulhomemaker.com, https://thankfulhomemaker.com/six-thought-patterns-of-a-christian-mind-philippians-48/
3 Esther Smith, “Pray Your Uncensored Thoughts,” The Gospel Coalition, August 7, 2022, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/pray-uncensored-thoughts
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