Seven Steps to Answered Prayer: Step Four

Seven Steps to Answered Prayer: Step Four

Author: Pastor Sandy Banks – 6/12/2014

Summary:

The fourth step to answered prayer is to guard your mind against every evil thought that causes you to doubt God's Word. You must cast down negative thoughts and suggestions by speaking the Word of God. Your thoughts are governed by your observations, associations and the teachings you receive.

God's thoughts are higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-11). Your thought life is responsible for the paths you take in life (Isaiah 55:8-11).
When you read and meditate on God's Word, your mind will begin to take on God's thoughts. As a result, you will know His ways and the path He has for your life.
God's Word will change your thinking, produce success and propel your life to a higher level.
Your weapon against the devil is the Word of God that you speak.
The Word of God will pull down any stronghold. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
A stronghold resides in the mind.
It is a fortified thought.
It is the root to any addictive behavior that exists in a person's life.
Strongholds develop as a result of an established thought pattern, which is protected by your personal belief system.
Ex: gossiping, fornication, pornography, overeating, etc.
The key to freedom from addiction is attacking the stronghold in your mind with the Word of God. Willpower alone will not free you.
Identify the strongholds in your life.
Cast down strongholds of self-defeating thoughts and eliminate images of failure.
Don't take wrong thoughts by speaking them. (Matthew 6:25-31)
When you speak the negative suggestions of the enemy, it is as if you sign for a package that is delivered to you.
You don't have to speak every thought that comes to your mind.
Your mouth sets your course in life. (James 3:4-8, KJV)
Cast down thoughts by speaking the Word of God. (2 Corinthians 10:5, KJV, AMP)
Many Christians blame God or the devil for the strongholds they have developed, but we all have the responsibility to not allow evil thoughts to remain in our minds.
Be mindful of the words you speak.
To guard your mind, you must first guard your heart. (Matthew 15:19)
There are three entrances to the heart:
Through your eye gate.
Through your ear gate.
Through your mouth gate.
We guard our hearts by being mindful of what we see, what we hear and what we say. (Proverbs 4:24-25)
What is it that you are watching?

1)Does it build you up? Does it strengthen you or is it an assault on your moral beliefs?

2)Can I watch this with other members of my Church?

3)Do I have to look at what I’m looking at privately, away from others because “no way do I want them to know I look at that”?

4)Will you listen to what you’ve been listening to in front of someone you highly respect?

5)Are you willing to say what you’ve been saying in front of someone that you’ve been trying to impress, or someone that you have great respect for?

a)David ask God to put a guard over his mouth. (Psalm 141:3, KJV)

We also guard our hearts by reading, meditating and confessing the Word daily.

1)Thy Word have I hid in my heart. (Psalm 119:11, KJV)

The Scripture says to “keep thy heart with all diligence.”
Diligence means “attentive and persistent effort.”
Your heart determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23, NLT)
As he thinks in his heartso is he. (Proverbs 23:7)
Your heart reveals who you really are. (Proverbs 27:19, KJV, NLT)

1)Whatever is in your heart in abundance will come out. (Matthew 12:33-35, KJV)

Your heart is the ground that will produce the "word seed" you plant, whether negative or positive. Words have the potential to produce a harvest in your life (Proverbs 4:20-27).
The law of receiving says that anything that enters your heart in abundance will eventually show up in your life.
The right seed will grow the right harvest.
The words you have allowed in your heart have produced the issues you are dealing with now.

To see answers to your prayers, you need to guard your mind. (Philippians 4:8)
Consider these questions:
In what type of environment do you live?

1)Your environment will have an impacton the way you think.

2)In order to use Abraham, God had to remove him from his family members who were framing his way of thinking. (Genesis 12:1, KJV, AMP)

What do you do in your free time?
Who are your closest friends?

1)The people you associate with the most will have a strong impact on your life.

Scripture References:

Isaiah 55:8-11
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Matthew 6:25-31
Matthew 15:19
Proverbs 4:20-27
Philippians 4:8

*Key:

KJV – King James Version

NIV – New International Version

AMP – Amplified Bible

MSG – Message Bible

TLB – The Living Bible

NKJV – New King James Version

NLT – New Living Translation

NASB – New American Standard Bible