Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
10 1 2025
Stop “Fortune-Telling” Yourself: Take Every Thought Captive
Have you ever sat across from a fortuneteller, a psychic, or a palm reader?
They claim to predict the future, to prophesy what’s ahead, to give insight into what you can’t yet see.
Most of us would never dare step foot in one of those places. We know the Bible condemns it. Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Galatians all call it sorcery, witchcraft, and an abomination before God. In Acts 16:16–18, Paul cast a demonic spirit out of a girl who was making accurate predictions.
Accurate or not, it wasn’t from God — it was a spirit of divination.
We read those passages and shake our heads at people who chase after such things.
But let me ask you this:
Pastor Mike, asked a penetrating question at our men’s leader huddle this week.
Have you ever told your own fortune?
Not with tarot cards or palm lines, but with your thoughts and words.
Have you ever said things like:
- “When my kids start driving, they’ll probably wreck.”
- “My marriage won’t last.”
- “With my family history, I’ll die young too.”
You may not call it “Fortune-Telling”, but that’s exactly what it is: prophesying over your own life in fear instead of faith. And here’s the danger — many times we end up living out those words as if they were prophecies fulfilled.
Even secular counselors warn against this and literally call it “Fortune-Telling”, when patients assume and speak the worst. Yet Christians do it too, often without realizing it.
A Modern Parable: The Two Gardeners
There were two neighbors, both gardeners. Each spring they planted seeds in their backyards.
The first gardener, worried about storms and pests, muttered as he worked:
“These plants will never grow right. The bugs will get them. The storms will destroy them. I’ll probably have nothing to harvest.”
The second gardener also faced storms and pests, but as he planted, he prayed:
“Lord, thank You for the rain and the sun. Thank You for making things grow. I trust You with this garden.”
Months passed. The first gardener grew anxious at every cloud, every beetle, every change in weather. He neglected his plants out of fear, and when harvest came, his garden was thin and weak.
The second gardener faced the same storms, the same pests — but he tended his plants with hope, watering and protecting them. When harvest came, his garden overflowed.
Both gardeners planted seeds — but one planted words of fear, the other planted words of faith.
The Truth Behind It
Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
What we speak, we plant. And what we plant, we will one day eat.
That’s why Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Our thoughts and words are not neutral. They are either building up faith or fueling fear.
The enemy knows this, which is why he whispers lies into our minds and waits for us to agree with them … in thought and in speech. You know that’s true. But the moment we resist, the moment we choose God’s truth instead of the enemy’s lies, the cycle is broken. Again today, in every minute of every day, of every month and all our years, we get to use our free will and choose.
Words of Fear, or Words of Faith
A Toolkit for Speaking Life
Here are some declarations you can speak when the enemy tempts you to fortune-tell your future in fear:
- “My children are taught by the Lord, and great is their peace.” (Isaiah 54:13)
- “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
- “The Lord will keep me from all harm — He will watch over my life.” (Psalm 121:7)
- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
- “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17)
Let your tongue be a tool for life, not death. Refuse to speak the enemy’s lies or entertain those thoughts. Speak God’s promises instead.
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casting crowns Only Jesus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eQd3K2Fxp4&list=PL3oW2tjiIxvTstLS9GlgaT_mqONT0WVDw&index=18
Fearlessly Courageous Testimonies
We’d love to hear how the Fearlessly Courageous ministry has touched your life or the life of someone close to you. Please take a moment to share your story with us at Dennis@fearlesslycourageous.com …whether it’s a moment of clarity, comfort, or unexpected blessing you’ve experienced through this ministry. Your testimony could inspire others and help me understand the impact we’re making in our Courageous community.
