1 Chronicles 28:9a And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. (KJV)

Are you controlling your emotions?

There are many things you battle with. But the root of all of your battles is in your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. If emotions rule your mind, you are self-centered and have little regard for anyone else. Living an ego-centric life makes it almost impossible to minister to anyone else. You base the struggles you have on your assessment of your life. When things don’t go the way you want them to, you think something or someone is against you, has hurt you, has caused you some offense, etc. You rarely look at the situation and find that you may be at the root of your discomfort. However, you can and just might be. 

• As the Lord to help you see what is in your heart.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? 10 I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. (AMPC)

• Be aware of what causes you to behave other than how God would want.

Romans 7:17-20 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. (MSG)

• Take responsibility for what you feel.

Galatians 6:5 For every person will have to bear [with patience] his own burden [of faults and shortcomings for which he alone is responsible]. (AMP)

Then go to the Lord in prayer.

Psalms 26:2 Put me on trial and examine me, O Eternal One! Search me through and through—from my deepest longings to every thought that crosses my mind. (TVT)

As you are being taught to war, the Lord will identify what is in your heart and help you control your emotions if you allow Him to. 

Please agree with me as I pray. Then ask the Lord what your prayer should be and wait for His response:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I will submit my heart and my mind to You. I know You understand all my imaginations and my thoughts. I repent for allowing my feelings to run away with me. I need You to teach me how to guard my heart and help keep my mind on You, then I will have perfect peace. Help me minimize the judgments that cause me to falter…

Ask the lord what he wants to say to you about today’s devotional and journal it here: