The Secret Place—Renewing Your Mind

September 22, 2025

By Virginia Brandt Berg

Audio length: 8:30
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We go today into the inner chamber of prayer, which is the secret place where we meet God alone in fellowship and meditation. Let’s review Matthew 6:6: “But when you pray, go into your most private room, and closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.”

Let’s also think about Romans 12:1–2: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

So, we have here this little jewel, “the renewing of your mind.” There is no place where the mind can be so fully renewed as in the secret place of prayer alone with God. When we come aside from temporal things that distract us, and there in the presence of God we put our mind on the things of God, His majesty, His glory, His transforming power then begins to work in us and we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.

This is vital, because it’s in the mind that sin is first conceived and that doubts are first brought about. The Devil attacks us first in our thoughts. You have surely found, as I have, that in the hard places of trial, we are tempted to entertain discouraging thoughts, and the one that has not learned this secret of renewing the mind will, as God’s Word says, soon faint in his mind.

In Hebrews 12:3 we find these words: “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind.” That is the secret! Our mind is where we first faint and become discouraged. It’s no use to talk victory and use a lot of cheerful, bright words, but then think thoughts of defeat and discouragement.

We can, by an act of our will, take our mind off such thoughts and instead think on the Lord and His truth and His Word. It’s so vital that we have scriptures memorized so that we can quickly wield the sword of the Spirit when the enemy attacks us. And in doing so, soon you’ll be lifted out of the dark, discouraging thoughts, and you will feel the transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ renewing your mind. Try it! Keep your mind on Christ.

Uplifting and transforming scriptures and the power that God has promised can give you the victory over doubting thoughts. As you form the habit of thinking according to God’s Word, gradually 2 Corinthians 10:5 will be fulfilled: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

Now please note that it’s the word Christ that makes all the difference in this verse. Last year I visited the home of a woman who was deep in the study of science of the mind, and she was constantly struggling to think positive thoughts, but she was always being defeated.

This woman would put on a veneer of control, but inwardly sometimes she was so angry she was boiling. She wasn’t a Christian. And when she gave up her negative thinking, she had nothing to hold on to. She didn’t have Christ to help her, nor the wonderful truth of the Bible to think on.

What an advantage the Christian has over that. Yes, I do believe in positive thinking, but she was exalting her mind above the mind of God. Note this verse again, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

So, there is a science of the mind, but there is no salvation or eternal life in it. God’s Word says there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved, and in none other is there salvation (Acts 4:12). You’ve got to give people something to hold on to and something very positive to think about. What is more positive than the living Word of the living God?

You’ll never know God’s will for your life unless you are transformed—I might say by the controlling of your mind, but God’s Word says here the renewing of your mind. John Brown said, “We need someone to write a book about the lost art of thinking.” Many people go through life without ever getting alone and probing the resources of their minds, much less getting the mind of God, which can never be accomplished in the turmoil of the world.

Never can you find the mind of God on the streets or in your social life or in the hobby shop. Getting hold of God must be done where there are no distractions; that’s why He says to go into your most secret place—or your closet, as it says in some translations of the Bible. This must be deliberately planned; it cannot be done in leftover moments of time.

The great giants of faith all through the ages deliberately shut themselves off from everything for a while, alone with God, until faith came into a white-hot focus, and they got through to victory. David said, “Thy testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:99). And 2 Corinthians 11:3 tells us, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

In closing, let’s remember what the psalmist said: “I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love” (Psalm 119:113).

At first it isn’t easy to deliberately, by an act of the will, put your mind on God, His love, His truth. But gradually as you yield to Him, then by the Spirit—the principle of repetition—your thoughts will be brought into captivity to Christ. And remember, it’s Christ that counts, not just some system of thinking, and not some science of the mind, but Jesus Christ and His truth. God never asks us to do what we cannot do.

This is His Word, and His Word is true. He has never failed in one of all His good promises. God cannot lie. His Word stands unchanging, everlastingly steadfast—the blessed Word of God. It is so because God said so. Remember, He’s still on the throne, and prayer changes things.

From a transcript of a Meditation Moments broadcast, adapted. Published on Anchor September 2025. Read by Lenore Welsh.

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