The Power of Negative Thinking

Preamble

Thinking changes things.  There is no doubt about it.  For Christians, prayer can be viewed as a type of thinking that changes things drastically.  An example from the book of Daniel chapter 10 is instructive.  Daniel begins to fast and pray for three weeks.  He is later told that as soon as he began his ascetical practices an angel was dispatched to help him gain understanding.  The angel of Persia interferes with this angel's mission to come to Daniel for three weeks, exactly the time Daniel fasted and prayed.  Now, given the assumption that as portrayed in Daniel the angels (Michael of Israel, angel of Persia, angel of Greece) affect events on earth, then is goes without saying that the prophet Daniel set in motion events in the angelic realm that had consequences on earth.  Daniel changed things.

Hypothesis

I want to suggest, that perhaps there is a counterpart to prayer that effects things for the worse.  I'll call it "the power of negative thinking".  Perhaps when we engage in negative thinking towards someone, we unleash demonic powers that negatively influence events on earth.  For example, let's say we are angry at someone who does us wrong and we pine for vengeance and are glad when evil befalls this particular person.  Could it be that we really do make this person vulnerable to the influences of evil that we have set in motion?  This "anti-prayer" could cause real damage in the world and it comes about because of our negative thoughts.

Food for Thought

It is well known that Jesus emphasized the inner thought world of the individual.  There are a string of passages in Matthew 5 that are famous in this regard.  For example, he associates anger with murder (5:21-22) and he associates lusting with actual adultery (5:27-28).  It is also well known that Jesus had a robust sense of the demonic.  Tying up the strong man through exorcisms was a staple of his ministry.  Could it be that Jesus had a keen sense of the union of these two themes?  Could it be that Jesus knew that our inner thoughts affect the demonic realm and are not just the starting point for 'actual' sins?

We Control our Thoughts

We are the policemen of our thoughts.  Even if a bitter, evil thought comes into our consciousness, that doesn't mean we can't subdue it and control it.  For example, if we harbor resentment and bitterness towards someone and an evil thought passes our minds we could choose to cover that person in prayer and bless them.  Even if we don't "feel" the sentiment, we can at least refrain from unleashing demonic powers that cause havoc.  True love is not just a sentiment.  It is an intentional stance to be taken.

Loving Our Enemies

What better way to begin to love our enemies than by practicing our thought control or renewing mind (Romans 12:2) on those who we do have love for in a sentimental way yet still get angry and bitter at.  Practice on the easy targets and the harder ones will be less hard.

Theological Upshot

Our thoughts matter.  We are co-actors in a large drama that includes angelic free agents who can affect events on earth.  It behooves us to start taking control of our thoughts.  Much depends upon it, regardless of the truth of the above hypothesis.