Habits and Mindsets
Have you ever stopped to work out how much of what you do every day
is habit? There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with this, but you’ll find it
to be a very large part of your daily routine. It’s not just how you fill your
time; it’s the way you do life – the same cup, the same coffee, the same
amount of milk or no milk, the same way of stirring, and with the same
hand. Then there’s the origin of the habit. Where did it come from? When
did it start? Where did you learn it? It’s an interesting thought that we are
quite possibly replicating some of the habits that our forefathers had, passed
down the generations.
So what? Well, our thinking can be habitual too, and that’s what we’re looking
at today. How much of your thinking is due to ungodly mindsets and habitual
ways of thinking about things that negatively determine your reaction to life?
It’s what Bill Johnson calls “stinking thinking.”
How does this apply to Sozo?
We know that we learn most of our thought patterns and self-beliefs in
our early formative years, largely from our parents and siblings, and that
these settle and become part of who we are. Our Sozo sessions help us to
recognise and identify the wounds we’ve unconsciously taken on and the
consequent lies we’ve believed about ourselves because of this” stinking
thinking”. It’s not just our parents and siblings. It can be as a result of
having no parents or the wrong sort of authority figures. A throw-away
playground catcall can be enough to allow a negative thought pattern to
take root by allowing a wrong self-belief to become a part of who we are.
And…they’re all lies that have wounded us, with each lie taking us one
step further away from our destiny and true identity in Christ.
In your Sozo, as each lie was revealed and replaced with God’s truth, the
right for those lies to remain with you was removed. That’s the deliverance
element of Sozo as it works to deliver us from the lies the enemy uses to
try and control us, and from the demonic influences attached to these lies.
The snag is believing and receiving it! It’s up to each of us whether we
leave our Sozo session in the same state and believing the same lies as
when we arrived, or whether we leave believing all the truths we heard.
It’s entirely our choice. It’s also our choice how we now handle the habits
and mindsets we had before our Sozo. The right for those lies to influence
us was removed during our Sozo. However, we still have to deal with any
habits and mindsets characterised by those lies. If we don’t get rid of these,
we’ll be giving life back to the lies and allowing them to become part of
us again. That’s why making declarations about the truth of who we are in
Father God’s eyes is so important.
Reading:
Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be
inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of
how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live
a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.
Romans 12:2 TPT
Also Read:
Ephesians 4:24
Prayer and Response:
Some habits and mindsets will have formed as a result of the lies that
you used to believe about yourself. Identify these and make the choice not
to partner any longer with the way those lies have surfaced as unhelpful
behaviour in your daily life. Start with a couple that have had a significant
effect. When you recognise them recurring, ask Jesus how He would
have you behave or react in that situation. Then do it! You’ll find that as
you start to deal with the “big” lies and habits, the lesser ones will just fade
away. You may also find that writing these down and seeing them in front of
you will help you clarify your response. You could also renounce those lies by
asking Jesus what the opposite is or how He sees things. Then use what you
hear as a declaration.