Day 18- SELF TALK                                                                                       Truth

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PRAYER DEVOTIONAL

Lord, I'm just realizing I have a tape running in my mind. It's a seIf-subliminal advertisement. I have an ongoing thought comment on everyday life. This self-talk can hurt or help me. I tell myself, "I can't do anything right, or "I really am dumb," and my self-image goes down. I whisper, "I want it, and I cannot be happy till get it," and contentment packs its bags and walks out. I think "lf they don’t love me than I must not be lovable" and when someone doesn't love me, I am devastated. I conclude that I must be horrible, or they must be Satan's tools. When things don't go right and aren't perfect my mind informs me, "It's not fair," "Someone is to blame," "I have to do the best; if not, it’s a failure.” I say to myself, "I must always have feelings of happiness." “If the feelings aren't there, then something is wrong with my spiritual life." So I deny hurt, I ignore disappointment. I put on a smiling mask. I tell myself, “The things that are said to me make me angry," and I justify my temper tantrums.

Lord, help me to recognize what is happening when I accept Satan's lies in my self-talk. Let me replace them with truth. I can say, "God has made me unique, He has given me gifts to use for His glory. My gifts may not be the same as someone else's, but I’m just as important to God” (1 Corinthians 12). I can remind myself that "my contentment and happiness are not based on people, places, or things, but in the Lord" (Philippians 4:12-13). "People will not always like me. I am human and not always likeable. Even the perfect Jesus wasn't loved by everyone. Even though I would like to be liked, their rejection will not cause me to fall apart. I've been accepted by the Lord who knows all my good points and the bad" (John 1:11, 12). "I recognize sin causes pain, suffering, and death in this world. My hope is in a world to come." (Revelation 21:1-4) “My connection with God is the basis of my inner peace. My feelings come and go. Happiness is up and down. I place my emotions under Christ's control. I trust Him as I respond to them. But my relationship with God and my spirituality are not under the control of my emotions.

Lord, I seek truth! Help me to find the truths of the Word and not aid Satan in perpetuating his lies. Let me test my own impressions against Your Word.

Scripture Study

1.       What will the truth do? John 8:32

Free from what?

How does that work?

2.       What is truth? Psalm 119:160; John 14:.6

How are we connected with truth? John 15:26

Is truth defined by majority opinion?

Why did Jesus come into the world? John 18:37

3.       What was the effect of exchanging truth for a lie? Romans 1:25-26

Do our thoughts about ourselves effect who we are? Proverbs 23:7

4.       Today: For the next 24 hours list some of my self talk.

Am I telling myself a lie or the truth?

Prayer

Lord whisper Your words into my self talk.   Affirm me, with “well done my good and faithful servant,” assure me that I am “your beloved child in whom you are well pleased”.  Change how I look at people by reminding me, “she too is my blood bought child” and “Only He who is without sin can cast the first stone”. Caution me with, “this only brings pleasure for a short season and then it brings heart ache”.  Console me with “this world is neither your home of your final resting place”.   Assure me with, “ I will never leave you nor forsake you”, and “the one who comes to me I will in no ways cast out.” I take Your truth for life.

Amen