March 28^th, 1987                               "Attaining God’s Thoughts"                                                  Mrs. N. D. Daniel

2 Corinthians 10:5

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" This is what a converted servant of God said. St. Paul writes this that we too may follow in his footsteps and bring every thought under the control and obedience of Christ.

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" Even after conversion we will be getting so many thoughts springing out of our own minds. First St. Paul talks of our imaginations. When people see this prayer hall, their imagination build up in many directions. How much money would have been spent building this big prayer hall! Many rich persons must be helping. Perhaps money has poured in. The imaginations fly out of hand. How then are we to know the mind of God? First of all we must stop our imaginations and take our questions to God in prayer. I once went into the presence of God and asked the Lord, "What shall I say to those who ask me how this work is provided for?" The Lord said I should say, "Our help cometh from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." King David was a converted man. One day he had a thought. We read it in Psalm 73:1-13. He looked at rich people and those who were ungodly. They seemed to be prospering and were enjoying their lives. He went into the presence of God in prayer and said, "I have cleansed my heart, I always humble myself before You but what is the use? All the time I seem to have only trouble. God told him, "These ungodly people, though they are rich, they are in slippery places, slip and disappear for ever." He got an answer for his thought. So here we get direction as to how to take our thoughts into the presence of God and get answers from Him. Taking our thoughts in prayer to Christ is one way of bringing our thoughts under the control of Christ.

Samuel had a thought when he had to choose a king from the family of Jesse. The eldest son of Jesse, Eliab stood before him. He immediately thought, "This man looks so handsome. He must be the person I have to anoint." Then and there God spoke to him. God’s speaking he was able to understand. God said, "Men look at the outward appearance. They consider the height, the figure and the face but I look at the heart. I have rejected Eliab. He is not my choice." Then Samuel corrected his thoughts and was able to anoint the correct man God has chosen, even David, as king of Israel. Children of God have to be hearing God speaking. Moses always received guidances from God. Getting God’s guidances always was a habit with Moses. He did not use his own thoughts. There was always a small prayer in his heart and in his mouth. "Lord, what shall I reply these people, and what shall I do under these circumstances?" He was in the habit of getting the higher thoughts of God to help Israel to follow God and to lead others unto God. So he did not commit mistakes at all. In his thoughts, he did not sin against God. He continually received the thoughts of God. He spent time in prayer and received God’s thoughts.

Let us consider Elijah who received God’s thoughts. He had always the still small voice of God speaking to him in his heart guiding him. God says, "Your thoughts are small thoughts", Isaiah 55:8,9. It is easy to understand that we are small people with small thoughts and very little understandings. We tend to be satisfied with our small thoughts. God wants to put all His great thoughts into our minds, because God wants all of us to become prophets and Christ-like. I am hearing the prayers of some of you, "Lord, raise up prophets and prophetesses from this Fellowship." In the word of God we read that the prophets and prophetesses always said, "Thus saith the Lord," because they were always able to hear God speaking to them. The servant of God, my husband, used to say that God had put in his heart a still small voice that enabled him to hear and to obey God and follow Him. He used to get God’s thoughts.

Now, I want to share with you what the Lord has given to me at this age. By His grace, He has given me the fear of God and love for prayer. In prayer God puts His thoughts into me that I may know His mind. This is my experience. I notice the first thought I get is usually my thought which is a small thought. That is not very useful. Then comes the Lord’s thought which is very correct, beautiful and wise. Sometimes I get His thought in prayer. But sometimes I get His thoughts in the midst of my work. For example, if I want to give instruction or get a work done, I feel like calling someone. Then immediately comes the second thought, "After finishing this work, you can call and get the work done." That is usually the right thought. I will give another example. We were helping a broken family to be united in Germany. The court had fixed a time and it was now over. So I said to their son, "Why are you not going ahead with this re-union?" Then and there I received God’s thoughts, that the man should be first led into conversion. I went to Joe and said, "Please help this man to get right with God." So Joe helped him. Then they were united in marriage also. But my thought was a very small thought. But God’s thought was that the man should be converted and then get married. I am careful to discern between my thoughts and God’s thoughts. God’s thoughts were precious to us. King David says the same thing. God’s thoughts were precious to him. God wants us to bring all our thoughts into His presence and get His thoughts instead. Then only we can be useful to others. We can give good counsels to others. We can pray for others. We can lead people to Christ. St. Paul did not have to depend or dwell upon his own thoughts and his experiences. He said that he brought all his thoughts into subjection to Jesus Christ. This teaches us not to act upon every thought of ours. Every thought should be brought into obedience and subjection to Christ. If we make this our practice we will not commit mistakes. The servant of God St. Paul did not commit any mistakes in his preaching or during his trials of faith. In everything he expressed only God’s thoughts. God wants us to advance into His perfection.