30 Inspiring Scriptures to Replace Negative Thoughts

This post is full of encouraging scriptures to replace negative thoughts when the lies of the enemy attempt to sneak in. Regardless of how close your relationship with the Lord may be, living in a fallen world can cause any and all Christians to be subject to negative thoughts from time to time (if not daily!)

So don’t beat yourself up if you are battling negative thoughts. The Bible says that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy… so battling negative thoughts is normal! Defeating them with the Truth of God’s Word is the important part!

This post is going to show you some very powerful scriptures to replace negative thoughts, some very practical ways to remove negative thoughts, and even a prayer to remove negative thoughts.

We pray this truly blesses you!

What Does the Bible Say About Negative Thoughts?

The Bible clearly commands us to think on thoughts that are positive and lovely… but sometimes (or often), because we are humans living in a fallen world, negative thoughts will try to creep their sneaky way in!

The Word says that when this happens, we are to be transformed by the renewal of our minds! – So we will get into just how to do that in this post. This is what happens when women say yes to God and exchange their negative thoughts with scripture.

But before we do that, let’s dig into some Bible verses about unwanted thoughts!

Bible Verses on Negative Thoughts

These Bible verses for negative thoughts are incredibly powerful! One of the most amazing things about the Word of God, to me, is that it is a literal weapon that can be used to demolish bad thoughts!

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is “alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword!” This means that when we speak His Word out, it has literal power in the spiritual realm! It has the power to destroy the negative thoughts that are attempting to bother you.

Here’s what to do with these scriptures about negative thoughts: Choose the ones that apply to the specific thoughts coming into your mind, and declare them over yourself! Replace any “yours” with “me” or “I” and speak them over yourself personally! Make sure to do this out loud where the enemy can hear you because the Word of God is an assured way to run him off!

• Hebrews 4:12
• Romans 13:14
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• Jeremiah 29:11
• Matthew 10:30-31
• 2 Corinthians 10:5 
• Isaiah 61:3
• Matthew 6:34
• Psalm 119:105
• Romans 8:37
• Philippians 4:19
• Philippians 4:13
• Ephesians 6:11
• James 4:7

RELATED: Bible Verses about Faith over Fear

Bible Verse About Controlling Your Thoughts

Wanna know something pretty amazing? Humans are the ONLY species that have the ability to think about what they’re thinking about… Isn’t that cool?

God literally gave us the ability in the neocortex of our brains to filter our own thoughts… He equipped us with the ABILITY to live out what His scriptures tell us to do when they say to control our thoughts! As you pray and ask God to help you see the beauty again, your life will change as your negative thoughts are replaced with God’s love for you.

Here is a list of those powerful scriptures to control negative thoughts.

• Philippians 4:8
• 2 Corinthians 10:5-7
• Philippians 4:6-7
• Proverbs 4:25
• 1 Peter 1:13
• Psalm 101:3
• Romans 12:2
• Colossians 3:2
• Romans 8:5-7

Prayers to Remove Negative Thoughts

Prayer is the most powerful weapon we own, in addition to the word of God! And guess what…. It’s one of the only things in life that is free and at our disposal at absolutely any given moment!

Say this prayer (or use it to come up with your own) any time you feel negative thoughts attempting to make their nasty little way into your brain!

Dear Heavenly Father,
It is no secret to you that negative thoughts are attempting to make their way into my mind…. Dear God, I am struggling. These thoughts seem stronger than me, but I thank You that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, they are not!
Greater is He who lives in me than he who is in this world!
I choose right now to submit to God, resist the devil, and I command him to flee from me! In the mighty, powerful, sovereign name of Jesus Christ!
I take authority over this unclean spirit of oppression and I command the enemy and all of his cohorts to flee right now in the name of Jesus!

By His stripes I have been healed! Thank You Jesus for saving me! Thank You Jesus that you are my rescuer! You are my rock, my fortress, my strength, my provider, and my peace giver! Thank You Jesus that you’ve not given me a spirit of fear or timidity… but you have given me power, love, and a SOUND MIND! I am clean! I command every fiber of my being, including every cell in my mind to align with the perfection of Heaven. In Jesus’ name, the name above every name! Amen!!

Bible Verses to Help you Replace Negative Thoughts

As I explained in a previous section, declaring Bible verses over yourself is an INCREDIBLY powerful way to make the enemy (the one who negative thoughts come from) leave!

The devil cannot hear our thoughts!! But he CAN hear our words! So use your words to run him off! Fill your mind with God’s words and promises.

Here are some scriptures to replace negative thoughts when they come:

• Philippians 4:7
• Matthew 10:30-31
• Psalm 94:19
• Psalm 19:14
• Isaiah 26:3
• Romans 10:17
• Psalm 119:11
  

RELATED: Lies of the Enemy

Practical Ways to Replace Negative Thoughts

Along with declaring Biblical truths over yourself (and meditating on them), there are some other very useful and super practical ways to replace negative thoughts when they come!

1. Don’t receive the thought as your own by owning it or talking about it. – Only speak the opposite of the negative thought (what you want to actually be true.)

**Disclaimer: There IS a time and place to speak the thoughts that are on your heart. Definitely share what you’re going through with a counselor, mentor, or trusted friend if the thought continues pressing on… but after you’ve shared the thought in order to receive wise counsel, don’t speak it again. Speaking it causes you to have faith in it… Which means it can have more power of you.

In the opposite light, speaking POSITIVE thoughts over yourself (including God’s Word) will help the thought to leave.

2. Don’t try to “fight” the thought. – One of the main types of negative thoughts humans battle are “intrusive” thoughts. These are thoughts that pop into our mind that are completely unwanted. This could be anything from thinking something inappropriate about someone sexually, to having a “crazy” thought like crashing your car while driving. Note that these thoughts are normal. You’re not the only person with these thoughts and having them doesn’t make you crazy. – Do not try to fight the thought or combat it. The more you do that, the more attention you are giving it and the more you will ponder on it.
3. Label the thought for what it is: an intrusive/negative thought. – Like I said above, intrusive and negative thoughts are normal. Because we live in a fallen world. When a thought comes, don’t start to worry about it, asking yourself what is wrong with you or trying to do things to make it go away… Simply say “oh, hey intrusive thought. I see you.” And then go on about doing whatever you were doing before. Disobey the thought if it’s telling you to do something resembling OCD behavior and it will eventually start to lose its’ power.
4. Hang out around people you want to think and be like! – You are a combination of the 5 people you spend the most time with. If there are women in your life you want to think like, spend lots of time with them!
5. Guard your heart and mind! – Not only is this Biblical, it’s also just plain smart. – It’s no secret that our world is full of negativity in our media, tv shows, movies, radio stations, and everything else… Make the choice to unfollow/not watch content that has anything worldly in it, such as sex, cussing, gossip, murdering, etc. – Those things get down in our souls faster than we think and they truly do have an impact on our thinking (even if you don’t realize it at the time!)

As you focus on changing the negativity in your mind, spend time using Scriptures to replace negative thoughts and dwell on Jesus and what He’s done for you! Write out the scriptures that mean the most to you and read them often to memorize them. Then move forward into the life of joy that God wants for you.

You may also like these Prayer Posts…

• Praying Moms – Using Scripture to Pray for Others
• Praying for Educational Success
• 31 Bible Verses to Pray for Your Children
• 50 Powerful Scriptures to Pray Over Your Children
• Waiting on God – Lessons From Elijah – 1 Kings 18
• Prayers for your Daughter
• 10 Mothers Who Prayed in the Bible
• The Best Prayer Journals for Women

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