How can I please God with my thoughts? - Thoughts - TouchPoints
Psalm 1:1-2Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers. But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again.
Deuteronomy 11:18So commit yourselves completely to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead.
Joshua 1:8Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.
Psalm 119:15, 23, 48, 78, 97, 99I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways . . . Even princes sit and speak against me, but I will meditate on your principles . . . I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your principles . . . Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me; meanwhile, I will concentrate on your commandments . . . Oh, how I love your law! I think about it all day long . . . Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your decrees.
Jeremiah 31:33“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
2 Peter 3:1-2This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you to remember and understand what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.
God is pleased when you think about his Word, because his Word reveals who he is and helps us to become like him.
1 Chronicles 16:12Think of the wonderful works he has done, the miracles, and the judgments he handed down . . .
Psalm 77:11-12I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them.
Psalm 145:4-5Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.
1 Samuel 12:24But be sure to fear the Lord and sincerely worship him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.
Psalm 119:27Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 143:5I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works. I think about what you have done.
Psalm 105:5Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
Think of the wonderful works he has done, the miracles and the judgments he handed down,
1 Samuel 12:24But be sure to fear the Lord and sincerely worship him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.
God is pleased when we think about all he has done for us – the beauty of his creation, his miracles, and his care for us.
Colossians 3:1-4Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
Matthew 13:44"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
Matthew 6:19-21"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. [21] Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
1 Timothy 6:10For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Matthew 13:22The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.
2 Corinthians 4:18So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Hebrews 12:1-3Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. [3] Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up.
Our thoughts reflect what we love and what we value. When we fix our thoughts on earthly pleasure, social standing, and wealth, we risk investing our lives into something that can be lost or destroyed in the blink of an eye. This leads to pride, worry, and in time, painful disappointment. God wants us to set our thoughts on things that last, so that when we enter eternity, we will do so with a treasure of godly relationships, godly character, and a love for him.
Philippians 4:8And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Titus 1:15Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are defiled.
Romans 11:33Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
Ephesians 5:17Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
1 Corinthians 2:10-16But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets . . . people who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. We who have the Spirit understand these things, but others can’t understand us at all. How could they? For, “Who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who can give him counsel?” But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
God is pleased when we think about his ways – the principles by which he set the world in motion, his promise of good prevailing over evil, the wonder of salvation, and the gift of eternal life.
1 Corinthians 10:24Don’t think only of your own good. Think of other Christians and what is best for them.
Hebrews 10:24Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.
1 Corinthians 1:10Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
Philippians 2:2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.
Philippians 2:3-4Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.
Zechariah 7:10Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And do not make evil plans to harm each other.
1 Corinthians 10:24Don’t think only of your own good. Think of other Christians and what is best for them.
1 Corinthians 12:24-26while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
1 Timothy 5:3The church should care for any widow who has no one else to care for her.
1 John 3:17But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person?
God is pleased when we think of ways to encourage and care for others.
Psalm 104:34May he be pleased by all these thoughts about him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
Psalm 48:9O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.
Psalm 63:6-7I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. I think how much you have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings.
Psalm 107:43Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.
Malachi 3:16-17Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. “They will be my people,” says the Lord Almighty. On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child.
God is pleased when we think about him. What we think about reveals what we’re really like on the inside. In other words, the quality of our thoughts is an important measure of the quality of our hearts. For example, if we are consistently grateful for what we have, those thoughts of gratitude come from a grateful heart. If we are constantly complaining about our circumstances, the negative thoughts in our minds come from an ungrateful heart. When we change our hearts to focus on thankfulness, praise, love, and joy, then our thoughts will soon follow.