There are so many places to focus our mind and thoughts, especially when we are going through a troubling time. The world has its views, ideas, and problems which try to make their way into our thoughts if we are not careful. When we are facing a life problem, such as illness or a life-threatening disease, it is imperative that the Christian intentionally control their thoughts in the way that our Scriptures instruct us. This article will focus specifically on the power of one’s thoughts and the power of the Holy Spirit as physical sustenance.

Most of us have probably heard Proverb 23:7: “As a man thinks, so he is….” This verse is speaking of a ruler, who thinks evil in his heart while dining with those who are unaware of his true thoughts towards them, which were not good. In short, our innermost personal thoughts are defining us more than our actions.

Well, I am about to share an experience that I believe God has not only ministered to me for my benefit, but for all those who are dealing with trials or tribulations, sickness or a life-threatening disease that He has put on my ministry path.

During my journey with a cancer diagnosis, the Lord really got my attention during a medical procedure. I knew immediately that I was being shown how powerful the Holy Spirit is in the sustaining of our bodies, and the power of our own thoughts in keeping our bodies and minds under subjection to the Spirit of God.

I was in the middle of a biopsy procedure and things started to go very wrong. In my inner man, I was praying in the Spirit because I was not able to speak during this procedure. My blood pressure was dangerously high (what the nurses told me) and my heart rate dropped to the lowest it had ever been, somewhere around 40 bpm (normal is usually 70). From my previous experiences, I would have passed out. This would have hindered the remainder of the procedure. I was praying to God to please just keep me conscious.

Then, in a way that only God can move, I felt a strong surge of the Holy Spirit, literally keeping me conscious. This was a strong reminder of John 6:63:“The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

I truly felt like I was generating energy within my body, but this was the Holy Spirit surging, protecting and loving me. My friends, if you have the spirit of the living God inside of you, God’s spirit is totally supporting every part of you! Galatians 2:20 states: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Did you catch that? I no longer live! Hallelujah, this is good news! Christ is the engine that keeps us all going! Isn’t that a huge relief? What a picture of God’s unending grace and power. I remember telling so many people that I truly experienced both of these Bible verses in the doctor’s office last year!

This knowledge, if taken to heart, will eradicate all fear over physical health in particular, as Galatians 2:20 is specifically referring to the physical body of a believer. Combining the wisdom of John 6:63 and Galatians 2:20, we know that we are secure within the Spirit of God living in us.

Now if that wasn’t enough to get my attention that day, God was going to do one more thing that afternoon.

After the procedure, I was conscious but not able to get up from the chair. I was hooked up to all of the monitors, and still was not pleased to see that my blood pressure was still very elevated, yet my pulse rate was still very low and was not budging from 40 beats per minute. Every time I tried to get up from a lying position, I felt faint and had to lie back down. 

It was late in the afternoon, 3 hours from home and I had driven myself—not realizing the invasiveness of a tongue biopsy. I needed to be able to sit up and drive home, yet now I was feeling a bit tied down to this chair in the doctor’s office after waiting nearly 30 minutes. This was tempered with the fact that I had just had an awesome Holy Spirit experience, so I was still praising God inside and out. The nurse thought that my “thank you, thank you” was directed towards her, but I was really saying “Thank you, Jesus!” through a mouthful of gauze!

I was alone in the room, 30 minutes waiting, praying again in the spirit and the natural, that I would be able to get up and walk out of the office, drive home and rest. Then, as we hear the still, small of voice of God, He spoke to me. I heard in my spirit: “I am strong.”

Immediately I knew these were not my thoughts, because I was actually feeling quite the opposite. As I heard these words “I am strong” in my inner being, the heart monitor JUMPED from 40 to 50 bpm at the same time! As I was directly connected to the monitors, and I was focusing my attention on my heart rate, God decided to insert that thought for me, and then the body totally responded! He wanted me to see the correlation between our thoughts and the results—the physical manifestation. I will reiterate, this was not a gradual increase, but the monitor actually went from “40” to “50” at the exact moment the Holy Spirit dropped that thought into my mind!

I took this leading and I started to repeat that thought over and over again. I knew the verse I wanted to lean on at that moment, and God knew it had been my scripture over the last few months: Ephesians 6:10 – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

From the time God inserted that thought in my mind, it only took about 10 minutes before I was walking out of the office and drove home with no issues.

Why didn’t God just tell me: “You are strong” as a Father would tell a child? Why in first person as if it were me talking to myself? I believe it’s because He wants us to know that WE must be thinking these thoughts about ourselves because WE are in Christ! Never allow thoughts of doubt and unbelief, negative qualities or pessimism to enter your thoughts. If they find their way there, then rebuke those and think on the scripture that gives you strength at that moment.

After all, Jesus said His words are life to you! And in Christ, you ARE strong!