To Think God's Thoughts
To think God's thoughts requires a deep commitment to prayer, meditation, and Bible study, and is essential for spiritual leadership and a right relationship with God.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the necessity of prayer and meditation in order to align our thoughts with God's. He encourages believers to immerse themselves in the Bible, suggesting a structured approach to reading various books, starting with the Gospel of John and progressing through the Psalms, Isaiah, Romans, and Hebrews. Tozer warns that our thoughts shape our minds into either a temple for God or a place of discontent, highlighting the responsibility we have for our premeditative thoughts. He concludes with a prayerful acknowledgment of the inadequacy of human wisdom compared to divine insight, urging spiritual leaders to seek God's thoughts for effective guidance.
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But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. --Psalm 1:2
To think God's thoughts requires much prayer. If you do not pray much, you are not thinking God's thoughts. If you do not read your Bible much and often and reverently, you are not thinking God's thoughts....
There also has to be a lot of meditation. We ought to learn to live in our Bibles. Get one with print big enough to read so it does not punish your eyes. Look around until you find a good one, and then learn to love it. Begin with the Gospel of John, then read the Psalms. Isaiah is another great book to help you and lift you. When you feel you want to do it, go on to Romans and Hebrews and some of the deeper theological books. But get into the Bible. Do not just read the little passages you like, but in the course of a year or two see that you read it through. Your thoughts will one day come up before God's judgment. We are responsible for our premeditative thoughts. They make our mind a temple where God can dwell with pleasure, or they make our mind a stable where Christ is angry, ties a rope and drives out the cattle. It is all up to us. Rut, Rot or Revival: The Condition of the Church, 42.
"My thoughts aren't adequate, Lord, to enable me to lead Your people through the quagmire of today's society. Nor are the thoughts of the writers, the teachers, the preachers, and the psychologists that bombard me from the pages and the airways. I'm only going to be effective as a spiritual leader as I learn to 'think God's thoughts.' Amen."
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Thinking God's Thoughts
- How to Think God's Thoughts
- The Consequences of Our Thoughts
- God's Judgment
- The Mind as a Temple or Stable
Key Quotes
“My thoughts aren't adequate, Lord, to enable me to lead Your people through the quagmire of today's society. Nor are the thoughts of the writers, the teachers, the preachers, and the psychologists that bombard me from the pages and the airways. I'm only going to be effective as a spiritual leader as I learn to 'think God's thoughts.' Amen.” — A.W. Tozer
“If you do not pray much, you are not thinking God's thoughts. If you do not read your Bible much and often and reverently, you are not thinking God's thoughts.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Regularly read the Bible to gain a deeper understanding of God's will and purposes.
- Make time for prayer and meditation to connect with God and think His thoughts.
- Be responsible for your premeditative thoughts, as they can either make your mind a temple for God or a stable where Christ is angry.