May 30, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

Matthew 10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

Some think that a preacher simply walks up to the pulpit, opens the Bible, reads the first passage he sees, and preaches a full-length message from that passage. I wish it were that easy. However, there are those who think this, and they use this verse from the Bible as their proof text. Notice the verse, it clearly starts with a statement that clarifies the fact that this is not a routine church service. Jesus is speaking to the twelve apostles as He sent them forth to preach. Also notice something that is unwritten in this verse but is very provable. When Jesus sent out the Apostles there was no New Testament in existence. For example, they could not study the doctrines found in the book of Romans because Romans had not yet been written. There was no way for them to prepare beforehand to defend the teachings of the New Testament, for they had not written it yet.

Today, we prepare to preach. Preachers have outlines, they invest prayer in the message, they make sure the message agrees with every part of the Bible, there is much work that goes into each message. If, on occasion, New Testament preachers must immediately answer for their preaching, they can surely depend on the Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance the things they need to recall, the things they have learned from their study in the Scriptures.

This not only applies to the Apostles, or to preachers. You too can put the Word of God in your mind, and when needed, the Holy Ghost will bring to your remembrance the thoughts you need. Spend time in your Bible daily, hear as much preaching as you can, memorize verses and passages, then when you need the truth of God’s Word to defend your belief system, they will be there, the Holy Spirit will bring them to mind. Yes, preachers may on occasion speak extemporaneously but believe me, what they speak they have already studied somewhere along the way, and they simply trust the Holy Spirit to remind them of what they once knew and perhaps thought they forgot.

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today.

Dr. William T. Howe