How to Plead the Crown of Thorns Over Your Mind

Do you struggle with controlling your thought life? Do you struggle with taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ? If so, then today you will want to join me in prayer to plead the crown of thorns over your mind.

My friend, too often we look at the crucifixion of Jesus in general, but we fail to look at its magnitude.

We know Jesus died for us, but we often fail to truly appreciate AND appropriate everything Jesus did for us with His life, death, and resurrection. So today, I invite you to stare at Jesus with me for a few minutes: specifically at the crown of thorns He wore during His crucifixion.

John 19:1-3 tells us the story of the crown of thorns:

“So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they struck Him with their hands.”

Matthew 27:29 also describes the story:

“When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!'”

As does Mark 15:17-18:

“And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!'”

Why does this matter? Why is the crown of thorns important to you?

Well, it’s all about your mind.

The Bible teaches us that, without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. In other words, under God’s original Law, sins are not taken away and things are not purified in His sight without the shedding of blood.

Hebrews 9:22 says:

“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

This is why Jesus had to come and die for us in order to save us: He had to shed His blood. We deserved to die, and Jesus came to pay the price for our sins; He took what we deserved. And He had to shed His blood to do it.

But everything Jesus did bought something for you and me.

The story of Jesus isn’t only about His crucifixion; His complete story includes His LIFE, death, and resurrection! Think of it this way:

• Jesus had to live a perfect life here on earth–a life with zero sin, ever–in order to be a perfect sacrifice unto God at His crucifixion.
• He had to die in order to pay the price for our sins. He took the death that we deserved upon Himself.
• Then, He had to be resurrected in order to purchase LIFE for us.

When we think about Jesus, we have to think about His life, death, AND resurrection.

Furthermore, every part of Jesus’ death and torture bought some sort of victory for you and for me.

Remember what Hebrews 9:22 says: that “almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” That’s important, because Jesus bought all kinds of things with His blood for us:

• He bought forgiveness of sins for us (Isaiah 53:5);
• He bought us the ability to walk through our own lives without sinning, after we give our lives to Him;
• He bought righteousness for us (2 Corinthians 5:21); He MADE you the righteousness of God in Christ when you gave your life to Him. 
• He bought physical healing for us (Isaiah 53:5);
• He bought encouragement for us (Isaiah 53:4);
• He bought total heart change–a new heart and a new spirit–for us, by delivering us from our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5); 
• He bought us peace (Isaiah 53:5); and
• He bought a renewed mind for us.

A renewed mind, you say?

Oh yes! Look at what the apostle Paul wrote under the direction of Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 2:16:

“For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

“We have the mind of Christ.” How did we get that mind–the mind of Christ?

I’ll tell you how: by the blood of Jesus.

By the blood that He shed when that crown of thorns was pushed onto His head.

You see, the blood of Jesus is what purifies us.

The blood of Jesus bought for us every bit of victory, every bit of purity and holiness, and every intimacy with God that exists in the universe. The blood of Jesus is what paves the way for you and I to receive everything God wants us to have; that’s why Jesus had to become our Mediator. 

It’s all about the blood.

And my friend, let me tell you: the blood of Jesus was not shed randomly. Jesus was tortured to the nth degree exactly according to the prophecies that had been written and spoken about Him thousands and hundreds of years before. Jesus’ blood was not random.

Everything Jesus suffered on the cross bought something back for you:

• His feet were pierced and bled to redeem your walk.
• His hands were pierced and bled to redeem your actions.
• His heart was pierced to give you a new heart and a new spirit.
• He suffered griefs and sorrows to give YOU hope and comfort.
• And that crown of thorns made Him bleed from His head …

… Certainly on the outside of His head, and perhaps even bleeding internally from His brain as He was beaten …

… With long, strong thorns pushed down into His head to torture Him in excruciating ways, as only the Romans had ever invented methods to do …

He bled from His head to redeem your mind.

Thank You, Jesus. Thank You.

Words cannot express how much we owe You, Jesus.

Thank You.

You see, my friend, God knew that our minds needed to be renewed. He knew that we had given ourselves over to a debased mind in our sinful state. And He knew how important our minds are when it comes to knowing Him, loving Him, and walking in holiness.

So Jesus, precious Jesus, endured Roman torture (via that crown of thorns) that made His precious head bleed profusely …

… Because, scientifically speaking, wounds to the head bleed more than wounds to other parts of the body …

… Thorns sticking into His scalp and perhaps even experiencing internal bleeding in His brain as He was beaten and knocked about …

… Because the blood shed from HIS head sanctified YOUR head. 

Your mind.

Your thought life.

Your habits and mindsets and decisions.

The shedding of Jesus’ blood made it possible for YOU to have the mind of Christ.

You didn’t think the mind of Christ was free, did you? Yes, it’s free to you and me when we give our lives to Jesus Christ and make Him our Lord and Savior–but it cost Him everything. It cost Him His own blood.

Jesus. Sweet, precious Jesus.

Thank You, Lord.

So beloved, it is because JESUS shed His blood from His head that you and I can have a clear head, a renewed mind, and can operate fully and completely with the mind of Christ–because we got everything He purchased for us when we gave our hearts to Him.

This is why it’s possible for us to obey the commands of the Lord regarding our minds.

For example, we are called to set our minds and keep them set on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God:

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3).

We are called to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

We are also called:

• to rejoice at all times;
• to be gentle;
• to be peaceful at all times, and never anxious;
• to maintain a grateful and thankful attitude;
• and to think only about things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy!

Oh yes, it’s true! Check out those instructions in Philippians 4:5-8 below:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:5-8).

We are also to CHOOSE to stand in faith every day, which is a decision we make in our mind:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Beloved, do you ever wonder how you can do all these things? The answer is easy:

You can do all these things because you have the mind of Christ.

So how do you overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? By operating in the mind of Christ.

When you realize who you are–that you ARE the redeemed of the Lord–and when you realize what the blood of Jesus bought for you, then you no longer have to strive to obey God. You can just rest in Jesus and obey God supernaturally.

It’s called grace.

Grace empowers you to live a holy life. Grace empowers you to live without sinning, ever, if you want to–and that includes everything pertaining to your mind and thought life.

And because Jesus bled from His head, He bought and purified YOUR head. He purchased the reality for you that YOU HAVE HIS OWN MIND.

After all, it’s His life in you, right? You are crucified with Christ; therefore you no longer live. Jesus Christ now lives in you, and the life that you now live, you live by faith in the Son of God, who loves you and gave Himself for you.

Right? Right. 🙂

As it says in Galatians 2:20:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

So beloved, if you believe the Word of God that you have the mind of Christ, all that remains for you to do is to WALK IN IT.

If you haven’t walked in it before, there’s no time like the present to begin. Now is always the best time to begin appropriating everything Jesus purchased for you with His life, death, and resurrection. 🙂

Would you like to pray with me? Would you like to plead the blood of Jesus over your mind–the blood that He shed from bearing that crown of thorns?

Related: Read how you can give your life to Jesus and make Him your Lord and Savior here–and what’s in it for you if you do!

If so, pray this with me:

“Dear Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die in my place on Mount Calvary. Jesus, thank You for saving me. Thank You for taking the punishment I deserved; for paying the price for my sins.

Father God, I receive Your truth that I have the mind of Christ. I accept that Jesus’ blood paved the way for me to walk in purity, holiness, and victory–even in my mind.

I thank You, Father, that it pleased You to crush Him; thank You, Jesus, also, for being willing to be crushed–for being willing to be broken and bleed on my behalf.

Father God, today, I plead the blood of Jesus over my mind.

I thank You that the mind in my head IS the mind of Christ. I thank You that the only life I now live is the life of Christ in me. And I thank You that Your grace, given to me by the blood of Jesus, has made it possible for me to live a holy and pure life before You, and to walk before You in white.

Father God, in Jesus’ name, I plead the blood of Jesus over my thoughts, over my words, over my decisions, and over all my intentions and motivations today. I plead the blood of Jesus over every product and function of my mind.

I ask in Jesus’ name that every function and fruit of my mind would manifest the mind of Christ today. Specifically, I ask:

• That the purity and holiness of Christ would manifest in all my thoughts.
• That You would help me to set my mind and keep it set on things above, where Christ is.
• That You would help me to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
• That You would help me to put on the whole armor of God; and, having done all, to stand.
• That You would help me to choose the way of faith with every single decision I make.
• That I would make right choices in all things today.
• That my motivations, and the intentions of my heart, would all be manifestations only of the mind of Christ today.
• That the creativity of Christ would flow through me from my mind, which is the mind of Christ, and through my spirit, which is filled with Your Spirit.
• That the inspiration and ideas of Christ would flow through my mind by Your Spirit.
• That I would speak as the oracles of God today.
• That You would keep me from sinning against You; that I would walk before You in white in all things, simply abiding in Jesus and flowing out of the mind of Christ.

Father God, thank You for giving me the mind of Christ by the blood of Your Son Jesus.

Jesus, thank You for redeeming me to God by Your blood. Thank You for giving me Your mind, even though I didn’t deserve it; while I was still a sinner, You died for me. Thank You.

Father God, I know that You have heard my prayer, for I have asked all these things according to Your will. Thank You for this tremendous gift of new life, holiness, victory, and redemption in Jesus. It’s in Jesus’ mighty and precious name I pray. 

Amen.”

Beloved, did you pray that prayer with me? If so, it’s important to note this:

You already HAVE the mind of Christ. That prayer was only a prayer to act like it; a prayer to help you remember what was given to you for free when you gave your heart to Jesus.

It’s all Jesus. He has done the work. You don’t have to ask for His mind if you have already given your heart to Him; you simply HAVE His mind. So go forth and act like it today! Dwell in Jesus; abide in Jesus; rest in Jesus; and enjoy being who you are–a new creation in Christ Jesus, and a beloved child of God!

Does this teaching help you understand a little more about who you are in Christ today, and about what Jesus did for you on the cross? If so, please leave a comment below and let me know! I love to hear from you!