81 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Winning On the Battlefield of the Mind, September 15, 2010
This review is from: Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind (Hardcover)
*****
This latest book by Joyce Meyer is her follow-up to her best-selling "Battlefield of the Mind"--the "next step"--which gives you "specific insights and strategies to help you build powerful mind-sets to empower you to live in a place of strength, success, and victory every day". And it truly delivers. The author writes that the mind "can be a junkyard or a treasure chest" and in this book, she shows how. I would consider this not a book to be read over lightly, but a manual to be read once and then studied, digested, and most of all--practiced in daily life.
The book has two parts. The first part gives a general overview of why the mind is a battlefield, why we as Christians must take every thought captive, and how this is done. It has been years and years since "Battlefield of the Mind" came out (and thus years and years since I read it) but it seems to me that the first part would be an overview or refresher on what that book covered. Once you understand the basic principles involved, you are ready to go on to the second part. The second part is the meat of the book--a group of specific tools--12 beliefs that are vital in a Christian's life in order to live in victory. Each belief is one chapter and at the end of the chapter there is a "Power Pack" of Scriptures that the belief is based on for you to memorize. I found the structure of the book really helpful in being able to use it on an ongoing basis.
I read the book last night and today, but am going to be working with it for far longer. I'm going to write the Scriptures down for memorization and (as the book suggests) focus each week for the next 12 weeks on one of the beliefs. The first one is "I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ". Another is, "I am difficult to offend." The last is "I put God first in my life." Now these may seem elementary and obvious, but it is surprising when you read the book and answer the thought questions interspersed throughout each chapter, how many of them we might forget in daily life. These questions are called "Think About It' and help you apply each belief to your own life. For example, I identified that I don't believe the best of other people; instead, I believe the worst so that I'm prepared no matter what happens, and then am pleasantly surprised if something better happens. This might work for me on some levels, but it isn't Scriptural! (Or effective!)
The author is like a personal coach or "cheerleader in a book" who is endlessly upbeat, cheering you on as you read. If you are a newcomer to Christ, or to victorious Christian living, you will find much support in this book. On the other hand, if you are a mature Christian, long-time veteran of different Bible studies and programs, you won't find new or unusual information here, but fresh encouragement and/or (as I did) a kick and a jump-start to help you get unstuck from the rut you may be in in your Christian walk. In practical terms, this books walks you through, step by step, everything you need to do to take every thought captive and to begin thinking thoughts that are based on Biblical truth and that lead to a joyful and abundant life.
This book is definitely for any Christian reader; it is interdenominational and doesn't reflect a Pentecostal theology (as do some of the author's books). This is information we can all agree on!
Highly recommended.
*****
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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
We become what we think, September 26, 2010
This review is from: Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind (Hardcover)
Once again, Joyce Meyer has written a down-to-earth motivational self-help book for Christians in Power Thoughts. Meyers uses basic cognitive therapy ideas combined with a biblical approach to combat your thoughts to change your world. She teaches the importance of thoughts and how to control them in her book, Battlefield of the Mind, but this book goes one step beyond, encouraging readers to meditate on scriptures to keep their minds renewed daily. In Power Thoughts, Meyers illustrates a "Power Thoughts Program" which she has developed to assist in gaining and maintaining control over your thoughts in order to transform your life. This is a 12-week plan to maintain the life God desires for us.
This book is positive, realistic and easy to read and understand. Readers will enjoy her honesty and no-nonsense approach. This book is a great read for anyone who wants to improve their life and further develop their relationship with God. Her Power Thoughts Program is simple and doable. "We become what we think." Proverbs 23:7
Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group in exchange for my HONEST review. The opinions in this review are solely mine.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Meyers Charisma, October 3, 2010
This review is from: Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind (Hardcover)
Whether it is her charisma or just plain intellect, Joyce Meyers finds a way to express what others only grapple at. Very intuitive and deep. The book explains a lot. This is a best seller for sure.
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