We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (TPT)  Do you feel like a slave to your thoughts? Maybe there are land mines you step on during conversations that seem to detonate your good mood or ruin an entire day. Everything could be going fine until a particular topic or trigger is touched, then, “Boom!”—your mood instantly changes. Wrestling internally with painful thoughts, you feel unable to move forward with the same joy or laughter. Those negative thoughts will continually disrupt positive conversations, wreak havoc on good days, and sabotage relationships if not challenged and addressed. If that controlling thought comes in and you haven’t figured out how to move past it …

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 (NLT) The world thinks peace means the absence of storms, like war, sickness, bad relationships or financial stress. The problem with this line of thinking is that peace becomes unattainable until we fix all of the issues in our lives. But who lives problem-free? When are we not dealing with money issues, relationship struggles or workplace challenges? When is stuff not pushing against us? When is life ever smooth sailing? Never! The good news is, God made His peace available to us as believers, and it’s unlike any version of peace the world has …

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalms 27:14 (ESV) If you want unshakeable peace, place your faith in an unshakeable God. I’ll often meet people are who stressed out or fearful. The first thing I’ll ask them is, “How much time are you spending in God’s Word?” I often hear, “I don’t have any time to spend in God’s Word! My life is crazy right now! I mean, I can’t even settle my mind down to read the Word!” f peace seems out of reach or it’s difficult to focus or calm down, I want to challenge you to start with just one verse from God’s Word. Just one verse. Use today’s scripture, for example. …

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (ESV) Do fearful thoughts seem to plague your mind continually? Let me ask you this: how many hours a day do you spend watching news coverage of current world events? How much time do you spend absorbing online narratives about social unrest, violence, death tolls and who’s predicting what? You see, it’s one thing to be informed; it’s another to be immersed. It’s one thing to be a cucumber and another to be a pickle. A cucumber has to sit immersed in sour brine day and night for pickling to take place. In the same way, many people’s hearts and minds become pickled in …

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22 (NLT) Does worry or fear weigh your heart down? I remember working on a pilot project years ago as a paramedic. As issues started popping up and staff members began stressing out, one person chastised me for my relaxed attitude about the situation. This person was upset because I refused to worry like everyone else. Yes, there are situations in life that require serious thought or hard decisions. However, as believers, we can choose to not live in fear. Perhaps you think, “I am not fearful!” Fear is not just an overwhelming feeling of terror or dread. Worry, anxiety, grumpiness and an inability to laugh are all rooted in …