I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. (Psalm 143:5)
In the last psalm, we were encouraged to bring our cares and complaints to God when we are in the low points of our lives. In this psalm, we are instructed to fill our minds with God-thoughts. In yet another desperate psalm, David was faced with enemies who sought his life. On top of that, David was keenly aware that he does not deserve God to save him (v1-2, 11). So as David waited for the Lord to deliver him, he actively thought about the works of God.
Often in our prayers we bring our requests and hurts to God, but then we end up stewing on our circumstances which foster greater anxiety and fear. Instead by God’s Spirit, we are free to actively fill our minds with God-thoughts. For example, as we think deeply about how great God is in His creation and sustaining the world, we are reminded of how powerful He is. When we reflect on the Cross and His resurrection, we remember how loving and just He is.
So as you go to God with your cares, praise Him and fill your mind with the many acts He has done in the Scriptures and in your own life. The apostle Paul put it this way, “whatever is true whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”