0:01

Saint , have you been dealing

0:03

with unwanted thoughts ? Have

0:07

you been dwelling on the past

0:09

more than the present or

0:11

complaining about the future ? Has

0:14

your anxiety level increased

0:16

because you keep hearing thoughts

0:18

that make you feel uneasy and

0:21

you can't stop them ? Have

0:23

you been thinking about stuff you

0:25

know should not be passing through your

0:28

mind ? Stop , take

0:31

a breath . This

0:34

episode is about how to

0:36

manage intrusive

0:38

thoughts , because they are

0:40

clutter monsters

0:42

If you let them . Welcome

0:48

to Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast

0:50

, the podcast that teaches you

0:52

how to spend time with God

0:54

to declutter your

0:56

mind . Hi , I'm

0:58

Lyvita , author , bible teacher and

1:00

speaker on a mission with the

1:03

purpose to help the saints break

1:05

free from the things that distract

1:08

us from doing what God has

1:10

designed us to do , and

1:13

one of those things is

1:15

intrusive thoughts . Now

1:18

let's get started , saint

1:23

. Let's get some clarity about

1:26

intrusive thoughts before diving

1:28

into how to manage them

1:30

. Saint , they

1:33

have a way of cluttering up your mind

1:35

until you become so engrossed

1:38

in those thoughts until

1:40

you can't enjoy your day

1:42

or your God

1:44

. Unwanted Intrusive

1:46

thoughts are ideas and images

1:49

that come into your mind uninvited

1:52

and typically unwanted

1:54

. The

1:57

thoughts can range from making

1:59

you feel uneasy to

2:02

disturbing , and they usually

2:04

are the last thing you

2:07

want to think about . A

2:09

few examples might be hurting

2:12

yourself or

2:15

someone else , worrying

2:18

about catching a serious illness

2:20

or virus , thinking

2:23

about doing something

2:25

illegal , dwelling

2:27

on past experiences

2:29

, a lot unwanted

2:32

sexual thoughts , reliving

2:36

emotions from bad memories

2:38

, thoughts

2:40

that cause you to doubt the things

2:43

even written in the Bible

2:45

. Fyi

2:48

, your intrusive thoughts

2:51

does

2:53

not does not

2:55

mean that you're a bad person

2:58

or a person who's failing

3:00

in someone , or that it's

3:02

something you want to act out

3:04

or that you would

3:06

. Nor does your thoughts dictate

3:09

who you are . And , lastly , god's

3:12

not judging you . He

3:15

loves you , he knows what

3:17

you're going through . So

3:20

, saint , we gotta remember

3:22

that we're living in a world of sin

3:25

, and I know that's something that we

3:27

forget every once in a while

3:29

. But we have to remember that

3:31

Research suggests

3:33

that intrusive thoughts are

3:36

going to come , and

3:38

y'all , we live in a world of sin . So , yeah

3:41

, I'm gonna come . Research

3:45

is just agreeing with the Bible

3:47

on that because

3:49

, see , it's natural , it's

3:52

human nature . Research

3:55

also says that intrusive thoughts

3:57

go away more

4:00

quickly if you don't try

4:02

to push them away or give them

4:04

too much attention or

4:06

get fixated on them . That

4:09

brings me to this bit of information

4:11

I need to share with you . Intrusive

4:16

thoughts are called obsessions

4:19

. They are

4:21

repeated thoughts , images

4:23

, urges that are unwanted

4:25

and can make most

4:27

people anxious . They bring

4:29

up uneasiness and can

4:31

cause mood swings or

4:33

put you on an emotional

4:36

roller coaster , none

4:38

of which are good . They are clutter

4:40

monsters that have form

4:42

, and we're about to get that

4:44

vacuum of the word to

4:48

suck the dust out . So

4:50

keep listening , y'all . There

4:53

are things that can trigger unwanted

4:56

intrusive thoughts . I'm

4:58

only going to cover a few . One

5:01

trigger is stress , another

5:03

anxiety you have hormone

5:06

shifts . Biological

5:08

factors is another one . Trauma

5:12

, mental health condition , imbalances

5:16

in one's brain chemistry

5:18

, environmental stresses

5:21

like global warming

5:23

affecting our food supply , and

5:26

also learned

5:29

thought patterns All

5:33

are triggers to

5:35

unwanted intrusive thoughts

5:38

. And there's others , y'all , but

5:40

these are just a few . Now

5:43

, saints , once you realize

5:45

that you are having unwanted

5:47

intrusive thoughts , don't

5:50

get all excited

5:52

, don't get all flustered

5:55

. You see , they

5:58

can't be deleted or stopped

6:00

, but the frequency of

6:02

them can be decreased

6:04

, and how you handle

6:07

them is

6:09

what's going to be important

6:12

. This is why I titled

6:14

this episode Managing

6:16

Intrusive Thoughts , since

6:19

they're just going to happen , probably

6:23

just have one . So

6:25

how do we manage them and

6:28

what can we do to maintain a

6:30

healthier thought life ? Saints

6:34

, this is where self-talk is

6:37

going to be critical and managing

6:39

unwanted , intrusive thoughts

6:41

that are interfering with

6:44

your peace of mind . Saints

6:46

, we're going to get back to the episode

6:49

. If you believe that this podcast is beneficial

6:51

, please share it , rate

6:54

it and review it on whatever podcast

6:56

platform you're listening to right

6:58

now . When you do so

7:01

, it helps the podcast

7:03

reach more people with the message

7:05

of decluttering their

7:07

mind so that they can

7:09

be all that God's called them to

7:11

be . Now back to that episode

7:13

Talking about unwanted

7:16

thoughts . Saints , for the past

7:18

12 months , I've been reliving

7:20

the past . My awakening

7:22

consisted of reliving

7:25

the last 23 years of

7:27

my broken and now dissolved

7:29

marriage . I've tried to understand

7:32

it , analyze it repeatedly

7:34

, rethink what I rethought

7:36

, ponder it , and

7:38

it all boils down to the fact that

7:41

I can't change the past . So

7:43

why am I still trying to live

7:45

there in hopes that in

7:48

my mind there will be

7:50

some change ? Saints

7:53

, I had to get to the point where

7:55

I stopped dwelling on the what ifs , the

7:57

should it could , it would us , because , truth be

7:59

told , I can't change when our older

8:02

or the past is done

8:04

. I know you are

8:06

designed to keep reliving past

8:08

bad memories . They

8:11

happen Then

8:13

, not now . They are no longer

8:16

real . The present is real

8:18

because that is where we are

8:20

right now . We're living in

8:23

the present . Now

8:25

, for me , saints , this was unwanted

8:27

intrusive thoughts because they

8:29

kept coming . I didn't invite

8:31

it . I might see something or something , a

8:34

thought will pop up in my head . Well

8:36

, Saints , they were taking these

8:38

unwanted intrusive thoughts . They

8:40

were taking my peace

8:42

, they were taking my

8:45

joy . So what

8:47

did I do , besides talk

8:49

with my therapist about these lingering

8:52

, reoccurring thoughts that

8:54

I did not want because they were

8:56

training me ? I mean training

8:59

me , saints , just as much as

9:01

the marriage did , and my

9:03

health and my body was

9:05

just being impacted

9:08

. I was developing anxiety

9:10

in places I didn't even know I had anxiety

9:13

, saints , there's another way

9:15

. Now , saints , here are three

9:18

ways on how to deal with unwanted

9:20

intrusive thoughts and

9:22

five ways you

9:25

can manage it . First

9:27

, realize that it is

9:29

an unwanted intrusive

9:31

thought . Remember , some

9:33

of these thoughts are going to come

9:35

in your mind and fly away

9:38

because you didn't entertain

9:40

it . That's good , but

9:43

for those that keep coming around and

9:45

are bothering you , bring

9:48

it into captivity to

9:50

the obedience of Christ . Second

9:53

Corinthians , 10 , verse 4

9:55

to 5 , says for

9:57

the weapons of our warfare are

9:59

not of the flesh , but

10:01

have divine power to destroy

10:04

strongholds . We destroy

10:06

arguments in every lofty

10:08

opinion raised against the

10:10

knowledge of God and take

10:13

every thought captive

10:16

to obey Christ . Saints

10:19

, that's the key right there Take

10:21

every thought captive

10:23

to obey Christ . Second

10:27

pray Tell

10:29

a Lord that you are thinking

10:32

these thoughts , that you don't want them

10:34

, and you're bringing

10:36

it under the obedience

10:38

of Christ Jesus and to

10:40

Him . Because Philippians , chapter 4

10:42

, verse 6 , says don't be

10:44

anxious about anything , but in

10:47

everything , by prayer and supplication

10:49

, with thanksgiving , let your

10:51

request be made known to God . Don't

10:54

fret about it , just remind

10:57

yourself that you've given it to God

10:59

, but he's going to deal with it

11:01

. Remember , don't

11:04

dwell on it , just state

11:06

it and forget

11:08

it , because God's got

11:10

it . And then the third thing is

11:13

to pith it . Do

11:15

. Philippians , chapter 4 , 8 through

11:17

9 . Finally , brothers

11:19

, whatever is true , whatever

11:22

is honorable , whatever is just

11:24

, whatever is pure

11:26

, whatever is lovely , whatever

11:29

is commendable , if there

11:31

is any excellence , if

11:33

there is anything worthy of praise , think

11:36

about these things , what

11:39

you have learned and received and heard

11:41

and seen in me . Practice these things

11:43

, and the God of peace

11:45

will be with you . Saints

11:49

, think about something else

11:51

that you're grateful for or

11:54

what you've learned . Remember

11:57

you're going to do one or two things Prevent

12:00

or permit . Prevent

12:04

the bad things by

12:06

not dwelling on them , or permit

12:08

good thoughts by thinking

12:11

on things that help you . So

12:14

say that's how you

12:17

deal with intrusive thoughts by

12:19

recognizing , praying and pivoting

12:21

. Recognize

12:24

that it is one intrusive

12:27

thought , praying to God

12:30

about the thought , and

12:32

then pivot by thinking

12:34

about something else . Now , that

12:36

has helped me a lot . I pray

12:38

it does the same for you . Recognize

12:41

, pray and pivot . Now

12:44

here's five ways you can manage intrusive

12:47

thoughts . One consistent

12:50

spiritual practices . Y'all

12:53

you gotta have a habit . You gotta have

12:55

consistent habits , consistent

12:57

spiritual disciplines like reading

13:00

your Bible , studying your Bible , meditating

13:02

on your Bible , memorizing

13:04

scriptures . Saints , when I said

13:06

earlier to pivot , why

13:09

do you need something to pivot to ? When

13:12

you have scripture as a regular part

13:14

of your life ? The Holy Spirit has something

13:16

to burp up in your head that

13:19

will help you pivot accordingly . Remember

13:22

Isaiah 55 , 8 through 9?

13:24

. God's thoughts are

13:26

our thoughts . His

13:28

is greater , so put

13:31

enough of Him in you by

13:33

daily and intentionally following

13:36

Jesus steps , a spending time

13:39

with God in His Word , y'all

13:42

. That's what this podcast is about

13:44

hanging out with Jesus so

13:46

you can declutter your mind

13:48

. Number two it's prayer journaling

13:51

, and this

13:53

is one that I do . This

13:55

is where you release your intrusive

13:57

thoughts and how God

14:00

is helping you to do so . No

14:02

, it's not your time to complain

14:04

and

14:06

just get out all

14:09

that . You know what the

14:11

thought is and all

14:13

this mess is no

14:15

, no , no , no , no . This

14:17

is a time where you say , lord , you

14:21

know , I keep having the same thought . I

14:24

can't get rid of it . You

14:28

know I need your help . I'm

14:31

praying , lord , you hear my cry ? This

14:35

is a time where you praying

14:37

to the Lord about that situation

14:40

. Don't get stuck

14:42

on saying , well , lord , this

14:44

happened , that happened . I can't

14:47

believe it , oh , my goodness , thinking

14:49

about this again . No , no , no , no , no , no , no

14:51

, no , no , no . This

14:54

is where you just simply say , lord , I

14:57

can't handle this anymore . So

14:59

please help me get

15:02

rid of this thought . What is the trigger

15:05

? What is the root

15:07

cause of the problem ? You know

15:09

you start talking to the Lord about

15:12

things like this because

15:14

you're starting

15:16

it's like giving yourself permission

15:19

to forget about it and

15:21

begin pivoting to

15:24

trusting God . If thinking

15:26

about the future is

15:28

triggering unwanted , intrusive thoughts

15:30

, then

15:34

bring that before

15:36

the Lord , because the Lord is

15:38

the one who directs your path . Remember

15:41

Proverbs 3 , 5 , 6 , when

15:43

it says trust in the Lord with

15:45

all your heart and do not lean

15:47

on your own understanding . And

15:49

all your ways , acknowledge him and

15:51

he will make your path

15:53

straight . I

15:56

put a link in

15:58

the show notes for

16:00

those who participate

16:04

in the email newsletter on

16:06

how to prayer turn . So

16:09

if you're interested , click

16:11

on the link below and become a part

16:13

of email newsletter . That's just one

16:15

of the things that I put in the newsletter

16:17

. Third

16:19

is physical activity . Saint

16:22

, get to dancing , walking

16:24

, jogging , pick a ball . I'm

16:27

not trying to , but pick a ball . Take

16:31

a self-defense class or pottery

16:33

class . You may want to

16:35

check out the prior episode

16:37

that I had with Kelly Brinkman

16:40

about pottery and

16:42

how it helps you

16:44

to calm the

16:46

soul . Saints , just

16:48

do activities . That

16:51

involves more movement than

16:53

just coming in a hat . Again

16:56

, our goal isn't to eliminate

16:59

intrusive thoughts , but to manage

17:01

them , because they are a

17:03

normal part of being a human

17:05

being . The point is that you

17:08

don't want it to overtake your

17:10

peace of mind . So get

17:12

out and get some fresh air

17:14

. Hey , go hiking , immerse

17:17

yourself in nature . If you got

17:19

a backyard , just

17:22

go outside . Listen

17:28

to the sounds , smell

17:30

, the newness of the air

17:32

. All these things will

17:34

ground you back into the presence

17:37

. So get outside

17:39

, move , because

17:43

that helps you manage those intrusive

17:45

thoughts . And number four

17:48

deep breathing . This

17:51

will cause you to focus on your breathing

17:53

and switch from flight or

17:55

fight to

17:57

a state of relaxation . This

18:01

is one I try to do . Often it's

18:04

very hard for me , but

18:06

I try . It was difficult

18:08

while I was going through because you

18:11

know it would result in coughing

18:13

and for some reason you

18:15

know my anxiety level would get , will

18:17

start rising . It's , like

18:20

you

18:22

know , triggering more stress . But

18:24

the more I remember to do it , the

18:26

better it got . But

18:28

I'm still working on it to help

18:31

keep me calm . Number

18:33

five keep a

18:35

regular schedule . Thanks

18:37

, I can't tell you how important

18:39

that is . Keep a regular schedule . Even

18:42

when I get off schedule , I

18:44

can see it impacts my

18:46

day . Things just

18:48

seem all off . So

18:52

keep a regular schedule because

18:54

it reduces stress and anxiety

18:56

which can be triggered

18:58

. Say , routines

19:00

are , for example , like keeping

19:02

a regular wake up and bedtime

19:05

hour , eating meals around the same

19:07

time , even exercise around

19:09

the same time and spending time

19:11

with the Lord . And you're a routine

19:13

in your journal , you

19:15

know , before going to bed , you

19:18

know listening

19:20

to the Lord right

19:22

before you wake up and so just jumping

19:25

out of the bed . Now what I've noticed

19:27

is that in different seasons

19:29

of your life , your

19:32

morning and your evening routines

19:34

, even your midday

19:36

routines , are

19:39

sometimes refined and adjusted

19:41

. And

19:44

the more you become settled within

19:46

that new season , the

19:48

less refining and adjustment is needed

19:51

. But

19:54

I'm also learning that , even

19:56

though the time you do , certain

19:59

things can change

20:01

. But

20:04

there's one thing that remains to say

20:06

having that quiet

20:08

time with the Lord , uninterrupted

20:11

, that never changes . I

20:13

mean , the time may change , the

20:18

devotional may change , but

20:20

being the presence of the Lord , that

20:23

doesn't change . So

20:26

, saint , there's five

20:28

ways to manage on one intrusive

20:30

thought Consistent

20:33

spiritual practices , like reading

20:35

your Bible before going to bed . Prayer

20:38

journal like giving yourself

20:40

time to unpack the

20:42

mess in your head before God

20:44

. Physical activity

20:46

like walking , deep

20:49

breathing and keeping a

20:51

regular routine like AM

20:54

quiet time . I

20:57

need to stop here , listen

20:59

, saints . If the intrusive

21:01

thoughts are becoming persistent

21:04

and interfere with your day-to-day

21:07

life , then it's time

21:09

to seek professional help . I

21:12

did Sometimes

21:14

. A good therapist can help you get

21:16

the clutter out of the

21:18

way so you can think straight

21:21

, and a good Christian therapist

21:23

Y'all is priceless

21:26

, saints

21:28

. We all need

21:30

help from time to time . Unwanted

21:33

intrusive thoughts are

21:35

clutter monsters which

21:37

can stop you from being

21:40

all God's call to you to be . Don't

21:43

be afraid or embarrassed to seek help . God's

21:46

giving each and every one of us different

21:49

gifts and talents for a reason

21:51

, so seek out help when

21:53

you need it . Now I'm

21:56

giving you some ideas of

21:58

how to deal with and manage

22:00

unwanted intrusive thoughts , but

22:03

always , if it persists , get

22:06

help from a professional

22:08

. I heard Max

22:10

Locato , who's an author

22:13

and speaker , say you

22:15

are not a victim of your thoughts

22:17

, but , by

22:20

virtue of the Holy Spirit , you

22:23

are a victor over

22:25

your thoughts . Let's

22:29

pray , lord

22:31

. I

22:34

pray that if my brother or sister is

22:36

dealing with intrusive thoughts , that

22:39

you use this episode to help them recognize

22:41

it , practice how to deal with

22:43

it , learn how to manage it and

22:46

get help if need . I

22:48

pray this episode helps them come

22:50

out of the clutter of intrusive

22:53

thoughts into the clarity

22:55

of who you are to them and

22:57

they to you , and

22:59

they come out boldly

23:02

, courageously

23:04

and with confidence so

23:06

they can go and do what you

23:08

call them to do . In

23:10

Jesus' name , I pray . If

23:14

you are new to this podcast , welcome

23:17

. Thanks for joining us . If you believe

23:19

that this podcast is beneficial , please

23:21

share it , rate it and review

23:23

it on whatever podcast platform

23:25

you are listening to right now . This

23:28

will help the podcast reach more

23:30

people . So

23:33

until we meet again

23:35

on the airways intentional

23:38

and damn , hang

23:41

out with me , shalom

23:45

.