Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

victorious.

    Think about It
    How often do you say, “This is too hard for me” or “I just can’t do this”?
    Frequently________________

    Occasionally________________
    Almost never________________
    What will you now begin to say to reflect your confidence in God’s ability to help you do whatever you need to do?
     
     
    Miracles Come in Cans
    Perhaps you have heard the words “You can’t” repeatedly throughout your life. Many people are good at telling others what they cannot do. Even people you wouldn’t necessarily consider to be “against” you may have tried to discourage you from doing something you wanted to do by telling you that you couldn’t do it. Parents, teachers, coaches, friends, family members, and leaders of church groups or social activities often fail to realize the power of their words over young lives. So many children and teenagers grow up thinking “I can’t” when that isn’t true at all! No matter how many times you have heard someone say to you, “You can’t,” I want to say to you, “Oh, yes, you can!” I believe that miracles come in cans—our belief that we can do whatever we need to do through Christ Who is our strength.
    I believe in you; God believes in you; and it’s time for you to believe in yourself. Today is a new day! Put the past and all its negative, discouraging comments behind you. Negative words and words that speak of failure come from the enemy, not from God, so decide right now not to allow the power of “you can’t” to influence you anymore. In contrast, God’s Spirit encourages you and will do everything to urge you forward toward success in every area of life. God tells you to have courage, so always remember if you feel “dis-couraged,” that is from the enemy and if you feel “en-couraged,” that is from God. Choose to agree with God and say to yourself, “I can!” And let the power of your positive thoughts and words outweigh the power of the negative words anyone else has ever spoken to you.

    Think about It
    Complete this sentence: Yes, I can
     
     
    Rock Your Box
    A long time ago, before some of the medical advances available to us today, a little boy was crippled, and doctors said there was nothing they could do to help him. So the boy’s mother took an orange crate and made a box for him. She put him in the box, tied a rope to it, tied the rope around her waist, and pulled him around with her so she could keep a close watch over him. Everywhere she went, she pulled him along behind her.
    After a while, the boy developed a habit the mother didn’t like. He began to rock his box. This made taking him places more difficult because not only did she have to drag him, he was rocking his box. She pleaded with him to stop, but he kept rocking. Sometimes, he rocked his box to the point that it tipped over and he fell out of it. No matter how many times she put him back in the box, he kept rocking. Eventually, he rocked his box until he was finally able to get out of it. Then, to everyone’s amazement he learned how to walk and ended up with a great life.
    That little boy did something that the doctors and not even his loving mother believed could happen. He refused to settle for life inside a box someone had put him in. Has somebody or something put you in a box that you want to get out of? If so, keep rocking your box until you are free. The world and people in it are experts at telling us what we can and can’t do. They don’t always celebrate anything “out of the box,” which is something out of the ordinary. Time after time I have seen ordinary people do extraordinary things when they believed they could and refused to give up.

    Everyone faces challenges in life. Some people are completely overwhelmed by their challenges while others, like the little boy in the box, refuse to give up. My question to you is, “Do you want to be able to meet all challenges head-on and overcome them?” Then get mentally prepared for whatever