FRIDAY MAY 6, 2022

YOUR THOUGHTS AND HEART DECISIONS

Scripture References: Proverbs 4:20-26; Proverbs 23:5-7, 12, 17; Matthew 15:17-20.

Exposition:

Your mind is the most powerful tool you have for the creation of good in your life but if not used correctly, it can also be the destructive force in your life. Your mind, more specifically your thoughts affect your perception and therefore, your interpretation of reality. I have heard that the average person thinks around 70,000 thoughts a day.

A man is a sum total of his/her thoughts which stems from his heart. The heart component can’t be compromised if a youth would like to sail through in the odds of life. Everything done has its roots from our hearts. Your heart is sort of a platform where God comes to makes his dwelling in the life of the believer. What is the state of your heart? What have you been hiding within? Your heart reveals your true self and not the displays on the outside. As youths our thoughts must be yielded to the Holy Spirit. Every word that comes out of your mouth comes from your thought- whether consciously or unconsciously. Youth, your thoughts determine the quality of your life.

In the Bible ‘heart’ denotes the inner man, his inclinations, will, thoughts and affections or the human soul with its faculties and operations. As young individuals we must understand that God is very much concerned about the hidden man of the heart, which is our inner life. The way we think as youths determines how we live and who we are. Sin always begins in the mind that’s why we must guard it. (Read Proverbs 23:7 again)

The youth must also come to understand that the source of every evil, the secret of all felicity, is not touched until the heart is reached and scrutinized. No one commits outward sin without first having committed them in their minds. If we want to grow in godliness, we must endeavour to win the battle of sin on the thought level. Be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts. In our closets we must strictly judge our hearts and be mindful of our thoughts. What do you feed your mind with?

Prayer Guide: Sing “Come and make My heart your home, Come and be everything I am and all I know, search me through and through, until my heart becomes your home.”

MEMORY VERSE FOR THIS WEEK:

Matthew 6:4 (AMP) – “So that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.”