How many times does the mind go into overdrive when we pray? Perhaps the difficulty isn't the random thoughts of facing a busy day or plans for the future, but capturing memories before they captivate us (2 Corinthians 10:5)
It's those particular memories that trouble us the most that suddenly come out of nowhere. Memories we have long buried in the back of our minds suddenly come alive. We lose our focus in prayer. We find ourselves in a rip tide sweeping us back to a place we rather forget.
Some of these memories center around a sinful experience which tempts us when we are weak and vulnerable. Over time memories can become one sided or distorted over time. The Enemy will use the deceptiveness of sin to twist our memories so that we focus on the pleasure and so called freedom when we lived outside of Christ. How soon we forget the warning in James 1:15, "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (KJV).
God tells us we are new in Christ. Since we are new and being renewed, we have power in Christ not to give way to those seductive and selective memories of our old life. The Scripture says, "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." (Romans 8:12-13, KJV).
Beloved, God gives the power to refuse memories that do little to glorify Him or draw us close to Him. We are not under any obligation to heed to the siren call of sinful memories. We bring our memories into captivity when we recall His victories, blessings and remain in a spirit of gratitude (often bad memories will increase if we complain and grumble)
The Lord is re-creating new memories that are just and sweet as He walks with us through this journey. Those are the memories that matter the most and that is how we captivate memories: We remember a God who is ever mindful of us.
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