Mike,

I have a problem with very self- destructive thinking. It is like I want to hurt myself by my actions and thinking. For example, when you pray for me and there comes release from distress, I immediately search for some means to curse myself and hurt myself again, how to stop good from happening, how to stop any progress. I would be happy if you pray for my self- destructive thinking and mind which is trying to curse me and want only evil to happen to me. Is there something written in scriptures about negative and self- destructive thinking?

Thanks,
R____

Good morning, R____,

You ask: “Is there something written in scriptures about negative and self- destructive thinking?”
Yes, there certainly is. We have the story of Joseph’s brothers selling him into Egypt, and we are specifically told that it was all of God. Elsewhere, in the case of King Saul, we are informed that God Himself sends evil spirits to trouble us and to put hate- filled and murderous thoughts into our minds.

1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

This is, of course, in accord with what we learn about how Satan is directed by God in the book of Job. It was God who called to Satan and who sent Satan to test Job. Speaking to God, Satan makes this statement:

Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Satan unwittingly reveals to us that he is nothing more than God’s hand for doing evil, though as James declares, “God Himself tries no man”.

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man: (ASV)

“He Himself tempteth no man”, because we are shown in the story of King David numbering the people, that the Lord tempted David to number Israel via the agency of Satan, just as God used Satan in the case of Job and in the case of King Saul and in the case of King Ahab’s prophets. Just look at all of these examples of how God tempts us, and yet “He Himself tempteth no man”:

1Sa 18:10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.
1Sa 18:11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
1Sa 18:12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

King Saul did this despicable deed while “prophesying in the midst of the house” because “the evil spirit from God came upon Saul”. Satan caused Saul to do what he did, but God sent Satan to do so.
The same thing happened with Job, again in chapter two:

Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

Satan was told, “Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.” So Satan is told by God exactly how far he can go, and he goes just that far and cannot go one inch farther. This is demonstrated for us in both chapters one and two of Job.
The same is true of Joseph’s brothers, who wanted to kill him but were led by God to sell him as a slave into Egypt instead:

Gen 45:4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Gen 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Gen 45:6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
Gen 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

God has just informed us that all those evil thoughts which Joseph’s brothers were entertaining against him were, in reality, “not you… but God”, Just as with King Saul, when “an evil spirit from the Lord [ would] trouble him”.
Now let’s put line upon line and precept upon precept to see how the story of King David numbering the people reveals that God worked this also through the agency of Satan and the realm of evil spirits. Notice what we are told in 1Sa 24:1.

2Sa 24:1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

Here we are plainly told that “the Lord… moved David against [ Israel]”. But now let’s look at the same story in 1Ch 21:1.

1Ch 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

Here we have the exact same story but we are told that it was Satan who tempted King David. So which is it; was it the Lord who moved King David to number the people, or was it Satan? The answer, for those who are given to receive it is this:

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

So whatever happens, happens only because God is “working all things after the counsel of His own will.” It is most natural to come to see this truth and to turn the realization of God’s sovereignty into an excuse to do whatever our flesh wants to do. But even that is, just like Joseph’s brothers actions against their own brother, being orchestrated by God.
One more Old Testament example of how God uses evil spirits to work His will is to be found in the story of how God led King Ahab to go up to Ramothgilead to die.

1Ki 22:19 And he [ The prophet Micaiah] said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
1Ki 22:20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

Again, it is “the Lord” who sent the evil spirit to be a lying spirit in mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets. Ahab as a wicked king of Israel, typifies Babylon who is bearing rule of all the nations of this earth:

Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

All the prophets who teach against the doctrines of Christ are nothing more than “lying spirits in the mouth of all of [ Ahab’s] prophets”.

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

“Spirits of devils” in the mouth of Satan’s agents speak lies, and unless you and I are very familiar with the Word of God, Christ (Joh 1:1), we will believe the lies of those lying spirits, especially when they are given the power to “work miracles”. This is what we are told of how God goes about ensnaring those who believe the lies of those “spirits of devils”:

Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isa 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Isa 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Christ has told us that mankind will live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

We are also told that we are blessed to read, hear and keep the things which are written in the book of Revelation:

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

That is a principle that not one Christian in a thousand sees or understands. While mankind teaches the false doctrine of a rapture, the scriptures teach that “all things are [ ours]… things present, and things to come”.

1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

There is no room for a rapture doctrine in that verse of scripture. “All things are ours” and that includes the evil, self- destructive thoughts you are experiencing. They are nothing more or less than lying spirits which God has sent to trouble you as He does to all men who live by every word that proceeds out of His mouth and who “keep the things written in this book” we call the Bible.
In God’s own time, you will be brought to the point of wanting to repent of believing the lies you have been believing about “a hole in heaven” and you will change to knowing and believing that you “can do all things through Christ which strengthens [ you], and when that happens, that too, will be the work of the Lord.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

You are in my prayers that the day of the Lord’s judgment upon your old man will soon be accomplished, and you will be granted the peace of mind that is knowing God and His Son:

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

There is only one way to get to know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and that is to get into His Word and become as familiar with it as is humanly possible. When God’s Words are in your mind, the lies of the adversary will leave you, because Christ does not dwell where Satan’s lies rule.
I am praying that God will grant you to come to know Him and His Son He has sent.
Your brother in fervent prayer.

Mike