Having The Right Heart & Mind

Do you remember the man on America’s Got Talent who spent 37 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit? When DNA testing finally proved his innocence, he was asked how he survived. His answer was simple yet profound: “Because I never let my mind go to prison. I stayed free in my mind.”

That story speaks to a larger truth. Often, we allow our bodies, our illnesses, and our financial struggles to imprison us. I’ve been there—letting pain and stress dictate my life. But when I chose to free my mind, I began to heal. Even if I have a sore knee or any other challenge, I now believe that healing starts with keeping my spirit free. I refuse to let any issue, however big or small, stop me from serving Jesus Christ.

It’s not that people can’t be healed or delivered; it’s that we must first get our hearts and our worship right. When our minds are cluttered with stress and blame—whether directed at others, at God, or even at ourselves—our bodies suffer. Instead, we must stay free, allowing our inner spirit to reflect the healing we believe in.

For the past two years, I’ve felt imprisoned by pain until I found a way to release the stress that was holding me back. I learned that getting my mind right prevents my physical struggles from controlling the spirit of God within me. You, too, have the ability to be a conqueror. We often hold ourselves back by imprisoning ourselves with regrets and mistakes from the past, but it’s time to let those details go so we can move forward in freedom.

Since September, I have been determined to become a better person—not because I thought I was bad, but because I know I can achieve more. I refuse to settle for mediocrity or a plateau in God’s glory. I want to go from glory to glory! Whether you were born again recently or, like me, have been on this journey for decades (I was born again on May 12, 1986), there is always room to grow.

I recently shared a message about discipleship that really resonated with me. While the word “Christian” appears only three times in the New Testament, “disciple” is mentioned 257 times (including one reference in Isaiah). This shows that Jesus was more interested in how we live out His nature than in what we call ourselves. To truly be a worshiper—to connect deeply with God and experience true transformation—you must become a disciple.

So, get your mind back in the right place. Free yourself from the mental prisons of the past, and allow your spirit to soar. When you do, nothing can stop you from fulfilling the call of Jesus Christ. Let’s move from glory to glory together. Amen!