Bobby Conner 'Cultivating The Spiritual Mind'

Embrace the Holy Fire of God's Presence!

There is an old gospel hymn that says, "Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart, does the Spirit control? You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul."

It is time for us to lay everything on the altar and embrace the holy fire of God's presence! We must present a mind that is clean and wholly consecrated to Him. Like David, our cry must be "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10 NKJV). When we do, we will discover that the Lord transforms our worldly mind into a spiritual mind—His mind, the spiritual mind.

The Natural Mind vs. the Spiritual Mind

The apostle Paul contrasts the natural mind with the spiritual mind.

The natural mind, corrupted by sin, is dulled and darkened to spiritual things, however brilliant it may be in its own natural sphere. There are many intellectually brilliant people who haven't a clue regarding spiritual realities. They are "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7 NKJV).

It takes a spiritual mind to comprehend spiritual truths. Paul goes so far as to say that it is impossible for the natural mind to comprehend the things of the Spirit:

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)

As contradictory as it may seem, many true children of God remain dominated, for the most part, by the laws of their natural or carnal minds. One reason the Church struggles so much today is because many Christians still think like the world, and thoughts give birth to actions.

For example, some say, "I won't believe it until I see it." This is the exact opposite of a spiritual mindset. When Martha warned Jesus of the stench that would result if Lazarus' tomb were opened, Jesus declared, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40). Martha was looking and thinking from a carnal perspective. Jesus changed her viewpoint by raising her brother from the dead.

The natural mind says, "If I see, I will believe." The spiritual mind says, "If I believe, I will see." Paul clearly recognized our desperate need for a Spirit-enlightened mind, praying, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power" (Ephesians 1:17–19 NKJV).

Only in His light can we see light.

"For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light." (Psalm 36:9 ESV)

How to Cultivate a Spiritual Mind

We should cry out to God for spiritual eyes to see what we believe even as we seek each day to walk in the light of His revealed Word.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105 NKJV)

No matter how intellectually brilliant we may be, we cannot understand even the simplest concepts of God without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

"A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26 AMPC)

The knowledge of spiritual things does not come by intellectual effort; rather, it comes only by divine revelation. This is why, when Peter declared to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven" (Matthew 16:16–17 NKJV).

God's desire is for all His children to possess a spiritual mind, and He has given us the capacity through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

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"You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst." (Nehemiah 9:20 NKJV)

What Jesus said to His disciples applies also to us: "[B]lessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matthew 13:16 NKJV).

Do you want to cultivate your spiritual mind? Then immerse yourself in God's Word.

"How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed and keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to it]. (Photo via Unsplash)

"With my whole heart have I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; oh, let me not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully] from Your commandments.

"Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You." (Psalm 119:9–11 AMPC)

Pray for revelation and ask the Spirit of God to open your eyes to behold awesome things from heavenly realms.

"And Elisha prayed, and said, 'LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." (2 Kings 6:17 KJV)

There is nothing wrong with intellectual knowledge and pursuit. God gave us our mind and expects us to use it. However, we should never depend upon mere human intellectual wisdom to advance us in the realm of the Holy Spirit.

"But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]." (John 16:13 AMPC)

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength." (Isaiah 26:3–4 NKJV)

Bobby ConnerEagles View Ministries

Email: manager@bobbyconner.org

Editor's note: From The Elijah List and We Agree! This repost is an excerpt adapted from a word originally published by the Elijah List in 2012, which Bobby Conner felt was a word for now.

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