The other day was a normal day. I got up, prayed, got dressed, and came to work. I didn’t realize until after lunch that my left big toe was feeling something that almost felt like little jolts of electricity. It happened a few times throughout the afternoon, and I kept wondering what was going on.
I met a friend for dinner, and by then my toe was really bothering me. When I got home and took my shoe off, I noticed something tiny on my big toe, an itty-bitty seed, so small I could barely see it, sitting right where the pain had been.
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t felt it at the beginning of the day when I first put my shoe on. But it amazed me how something so small could go unnoticed for hours… and then lead to pain that lasted days.
It reminded me of how thoughts can work in our lives. We hear a thought about ourselves. At first we may question it, but the more we hear it, the more familiar it becomes, and eventually we can come into agreement with it and believe it. It starts small, then before we know it, it has become a deep belief within us.
Is there a thought you’ve been hearing on repeat that needs to be challenged with God’s truth?
I was able to remove the seed from my toe, but I still felt the long-term effects afterward. And that’s what happens to us too: even when we recognize a lie and remove it, healing can take time. But the good news is we can identify what’s causing the pain, remove it, and let God restore what was irritated and wounded.
“We… bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5
Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to You and invite Your Holy Spirit to search my heart and show me any “small seeds” I’ve allowed to remain, any lie, label, accusation, or agreement that doesn’t align with Your Word. Shine Your light on what has been hidden, and expose every thought that is not from You. Lord, I repent for coming into agreement with negative thoughts about myself and for letting them take root. I renounce every lie and cancel every word I have spoken over myself that contradicts what You say. I choose to believe Your truth above my feelings, my past, or what others have said. Jesus, wash me with Your Word and renew my mind. Help me bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Guard my heart, and set a watch over my mind and mouth. Replace every false belief with Your truth, and plant Your promises deep within me. Father, heal what has been irritated and wounded, what still feels tender even after the seed has been removed. Restore my peace, strengthen my faith, and teach me to recognize the enemy’s “small beginnings” so I can address them quickly with Your truth. I declare that I belong to You, I am loved, I am chosen, and I have the mind of Christ. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord (Psalm 19:14). In Jesus’ name, amen.
