42. A Word for Christian Physicians – Physician Well Being: Guard Your Mind, Strengthen Discernment

Are you sensing the pressure in the atmosphere lately? 

Feeling worn out and exhausted? Physically, mentally, and emotionally?

In this powerful, Spirit-led episode, I share a timely word the Lord impressed on my heart specifically for Christian physicians.

This isn’t just encouragement, it’s an invitation to guard our minds. God is strengthening His healers for the season ahead, and it begins with fortifying your mind, guarding your gates (what you watch, listen to, and allow in), and learning to recognize the subtle battles happening in your thoughts.

We’ll unpack:
 ✨ How to discern what’s influencing your mind and emotions
 ✨ The importance of spiritual and mental resilience in medicine
 ✨ Practical steps to protect your peace and stay anchored in Christ
 ✨ Why God is calling physicians to deeper clarity, purity, and focus

If you’ve been feeling mentally weary, spiritually stretched, or hungry for greater discernment—this episode will meet you right where you are. Bring this to prayer, test it with the Lord, and let Him speak to you personally.

Want to go deeper?
Join the Heal the Healers Mentorship or connect inside our Facebook community for Christian physicians. Let’s strengthen your faith, mindset, and calling together.

Sign up here 👉 https://www.ingahofmann.com/heal-the-healers-mentorship-program

Have Questions? Send a text through your podcast app or email me at inga@ingahofmann.com

Are you a Christian physician longing for a deeper walk with God and a supportive community that truly gets it?

The Heal the Healers Mentorship is a Spirit-led program equipping Christian physicians to walk in wholeness, power, and purpose. You’ll grow in intimacy with God, walk boldly in your identity, and learn to integrate faith and medicine—without burnout or compromise.

👉 Enroll here to join the mentorship program.

💌 Want to stay encouraged in the meantime? Sign up for my Weekly Dose—a weekly email filled with encouragement, prayer, and prophetic words for physicians, by a physician.
👉 Join the Weekly Dose here — you’ll get both weekly encouragement and new podcast episode releases straight to your inbox.

Follow me on Facebook
Check out my YouTube Channel

Join our growing Facebook Community

https://www.ingahofmann.com/prayersupport – Visit my website where you can learn more about me, get free resources, request prayer, or schedule a prayer appo...

Transcript

0:00

And I hear the Lord say to physicians, it is not enough to prepare just your physical body to be well. You must also prepare your mind for in this season and in the days ahead, I need your mind to be strong, like a strong fortified tower so you can stand tall without wavering. So if you have ever wondered what the Lord is saying to physicians in this season, this next episode is really important for you to listen to because I will share what we have been unpacking inside the Heal the Healers community what the Lord is speaking Two physicians and to the medical community to say you must prepare well on the seasons ahead and what that means. So stay tuned for after the music. Well hello there healers. I am happy to be back with you and today let me just be straight up front with you. Today is quite a bit of a different episode compared to what I usually do. Typically I tend to teach quite a bit. I share prayers. Sometimes I sprinkle in some wisdom and maybe some prophetic unction. I do have, but I tend to usually teach along the lines of, all the things. Spiritual growth as a busy physician healing ministry and following the steps of Jesus and being a physician healer and what that means. We sometimes talk about leadership, and I will share more about that as well. What does servant leadership and biblical leadership look like and how you should be leading in your workplace? And all these things are great, but in my journey over the last couple years doing this podcast, even lot has transformed in my own life, in my journey with the Lord. And we'll probably share some of that on another podcast. But I wanna give you a little bit of a background story, why I am sharing a very different type of episode today. This is really gonna be, e prophetic word over the medical community over physicians that came about. Me preparing for one of the Heal the Healers mentorship classes where I teach and mentor and equip Christian physicians just like you to hear the voice of God, to integrate their faith more deeply. And I was asking the Lord actually, what do you want me to teach tonight? I tend to prepare relatively fresh meaning. I don't have lessons prepared well in advance On purpose. I do have a plan and I have an outline, and I have a structure and kind of know an overall direction where the Lord wants to lead us in a season and what they need to learn. Based on the unction I get from the Holy Spirit. But I wanna say that I don't prepare like sermons like weeks ahead of time with PowerPoint slides. No, no, no. We actually really are led by the spirit of God and so that keeps my preparation fresh. Also my preparation, very much dependent on the Holy Spirit, and that is a good thing. And I wanna keep it that way. But one of those a few weeks ago probably just about two weeks ago from the time of this recording, I really asked the Lord, Lord, what do you want me to teach? And how does it look like today? Because there were a few things I had on my mind. I already had interceded. This came up in my quiet prayer time. I mean, not pray for colleagues. I pray for all the people in the mentorship program all the time. But this was unique as I had specifically interceded for some very specific things for those individuals, and the Lord kind of had me pray into some very concrete things over them. And so I was like, okay, Lord, do, do you want me to share some of that or do you want me to go in a different direction? Because I had already felt in my heart, we need to do a series on physician wellbeing. And we had actually started it as I was teaching on the first part, which is basically be well in your body, be fortified in your body, and be strengthened in your body. And what does that mean in a biblical sense? So we were ready to move on to. What's the next part? We have a body. We have a mind or soul. And we have a spirit. So the next part to teach on was fortifying our mind and being well in our mind. So ask the Lord how he wanted me to proceed with that class that evening. And I heard him very clearly say prepare about prophesy. And I was like, oh, what does that mean? So he gave me a word and I have shared that word with some people who have asked shared that word. In an email. If you are on my email list, you would have gotten it in writing format for you to pray over and discern and pray into it. If you're not on my email list, by the way, what are you waiting for? Because I sent things there that you won't find anywhere else. So if you really want to be encouraged and you wanna stay in touch, please be on my email list. I will put a link in the show notes, but the easiest way is go to inga homan.com four bed slash weekly dose. That is basically my weekly newsletter, musings encouraging words. Teaching lessons, et cetera. So go get on my email list. So you will be blessed richly by doing that. And obviously it's free. It doesn't cost you a thing. It is just my way to extend a love and encouragement to where God has placed me to encourage you as physician colleagues in your work with Christ in the medical place. So, enough said. The, the Lord really gave me a word related to our mental wellbeing, and I thought what I will do today is to share that word with you. I might share the full thing, maybe I will share parts of it and then teach a little bit on it and give you instruction, but I think it will bless you, and I really want you to take this in, in prayer for consideration. Every time you hear a prophetic word, what you should be doing is to test it in various ways. Number one, you should test the spirit behind the word. You can read up on that in scripture. You should obviously test whether it aligns with the scripture. For that you need to know the word of God. I teach about that a lot, and that's why you need to be in the board and read your Bible meticulously. All the time. Like, I know you're busy. I know we all busy, but do the best you can and make your time a sacrifice to the Lord in a daily action to actually read his word. If you even start with a few minutes. I taught a lot on that, so I don't wanna fall into the trap and in teaching on that again. So, but I really wanna give you the word. So as you listen to this, I want to to really just tune in. Maybe even close your eyes, pray to the Lord. If you're driving, please don't close your eyes, but just listen to this intently and, and ask the Holy Spirit what resonates or, or what is maybe an area he's speaking to you about. So my prayer is really that this is encouraging to you, and this is helpful because I believe the Lord is speaking to physicians in the medical community. I have had this on my heart personally. For a number of years. That's why I am now in this type of ministry. But let me just tell you just over the last few months, probably over the last six months, I've started to see real movement. In the medical community, in the body of Christ, across the nation in little things, things that are for most people still hidden. But I'm seeing movement and I see that the Lord is preparing his physicians for a shift in the medical field. So don't miss it and lean into the Holy Spirit. This is not time for status growth, business as usual. And you don't have to be a prophet or to see in the spirit to understand that you can just see at your institution and see man, things are not getting better even. We have been challenged for many years, so. Without further ado, let me just pray and get us started. Father God, I just thank you for every person listening and I pray that the words that you have provided are, are really nurturing to our spirit and inform our actions and that you help us by the spirit of the Lord by the Holy Spirit to hear these words to. Marinate on them to meditate on the word, to check it with your word in the Bible, and and to ask you and enter conversation with you, Lord, what you, what do you want me to do with this? How does that apply to me? And Lord, I bless every person, every physician that is listening to the sound of my voice that you will be with them. And that you fortify their minds in this hour, that you calm their souls and that you draw them in so close like never before in Jesus' name. Amen. All right. So you ready? I know this is a little bit different. I'm excited. So let's get started. So what the Lord was saying to me is this to the physicians? It is not enough right now to prepare just for your physical body. You must also prepare your mind for in this season and in the days ahead, I need your mind to be strong, like a strong fortified tower, so that you can stand tall without wavering. The battles ahead and those you are facing now are to be won in the mind and in the spirit first, before you can master them in the natural. Because as a man thinked, so is he. That's Proverbs 23 7. So guard your mind and learn how to submit your thoughts under my thoughts to not let them run rampant. You can read in in two Corinthians 10, five. We demolish. Arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. And we take captive every thought to make it obedience in Christ. Proverbs tells us, above all else, guard your heart for everything you do, flows from it. Be aware of the third police. That will monitor and condemn you for your thoughts, emotions and lack of will. It is a deception that is keeping you trapped and leading you down the wrong rabbit trail into confusion and condemnation, shame and distraction. That's why it's so important that you hold every thought captive. But here's the thing, the Lord will set you free. He says, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts in Isaiah 55 8. So submit your thoughts then unto me, says the Lord, by transforming your mind, by the renewing of your mind, Romans 12, two, replace those patterns, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that you picked up through your years of training and your personal life's journey one by one and replace them with the truth for my word about you. Am I not the father who has good gifts and the very best intention for you, says the Lord, and am I not the Lord? And your father who knew you from the beginning of time, has good plans for you not to harm you, but to prosper you. So transform your mind then by guarding it and by renewing it through my truth. Guard your mind. Which are your thoughts, emotions, intellect, and will by shielding everything that is not from me, from your mind and from your soul. The Lord says, guard your external and your internal gates. Watch your external gates. Be careful what you let in and consume through the eyes and ears. Not everything you hear and see is my truth, and not everything is beneficial to you. I invite you to ask me, and I will surely guide you in the day to day. Be careful what you watch, what you hear, and the conversations you entertain. Is it glorifying to me? Does it bring you closer to my presence? Does it provide helpful intel, meaning, insights and strategies and how the enemy is working in medicine or lead to further confusion? Does it bring you peace or rob you? Of my peace? Not everything is beneficial cause the word of the Lord says all things are legitimate. Permissible and we are free to do anything we please. But not all things are helpful. Expedient, profitable and wholesome. All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive to character and edifying to spiritual life. First Corinthians 10 23. Be careful not to become legalistic about this either, which will be as harmful. Be okay to go on your journey with me. Come with me and explore what living from a guarded heart and mind looks like in this particular season for you. Watch your internal dates, those thoughts and emotions that keep you bubbling up, seemingly out of nowhere. Those are signposts to pay attention to. Ask me about them. Watch for thought patterns, strongholds and emotions that do not reflect my character and my thoughts and love for you. In those moments, come running to me. Do not fall into the trap of self condemnation, but run after me, says the Lord. Submit your mind into my hands and I will heal and restore you. Let your thoughts and emotions be governed. By my hand, submit them to my mind and my spirit and let me begin to rewire your thoughts, and heal, and to redeem your emotions. Do not be afraid, my child. There is no fear as perfect. Love cast out all fear my child. I dear. Love you. I'm welcoming you with open arms. So that it will be well with your soul in this season. Rest your mind in my presence, and I give you my perfect peace, says the Lord. So I wanna just take a few moments to highlight some of these thoughts and just then pray over you. So what does this mean, right? How do we interpret what this word means? And I believe what the Lord is really telling us, as I said, with this in prayer, I think the Lord is putting a very big emphasis right now on US physicians being, well, you know, we hear a lot about physician wellbeing and it's all good and well, but let's be real. All those programs out there typically. Do not make physicians better. And in fact, we see that people start to mumble and grumble about them because it seems to be another box to check for an institution, but really not helping because there are systematic changes that need to happen. And there's internal changes with every person that need to happen in order to work in a system that is maybe challenging. And a a lot can be done with personal growth and development and leadership, and I'm all for that, but I think what the Lord is really telling us, Christian physician, kingdom physician to really hone in on is he wants us to be well. And to prepare our bodies, our soul, and our spirit to be really fortified and specifically honing in here on our mind because that is something that we rarely address. So we all know how to take care of our bodies, although we are not particularly good at it sometimes, and that's another lesson maybe for another time. But the Lord is really emphasizing here. That we have to be strong in our mind, meaning our soul, our mental capacity, our thoughts, our pattern beliefs how we think about things in order to be well and strong in this season. Because he says very clearly in the beginning that if we are not strong in this area. And if we only focus on our physical strength, but not on our mental strength which is basically being strong in the soul, that the Bible has a very specific understanding on how we are built, right? We are physical body. We have a, we have a spirit bearing when the Lord created, Adam, read that in Genesis two, seven, I think when Adam was formed, right? There was the physical shell. The Lord breathed his spirit, his spirit, the spirit of God into the man, into the shell, in the, in the physical room, and the man became a living. Soul. There's three parts to us in our mental capacity, our mind, our mental health, all that sits within the soul as a whole separate teaching. But I want you to get this. The soul your mind. That means your thinking, your emotion, your intellect, your free will your belief systems. All of those are critically important to actually get in shape. The Lord is saying get in shape, not just your physical body. You need to get your mind strong. You need to get it strong because it will be a strong fortified tower and you will stand strong and tall. Without wavering, Proverbs 1810. We look that up. And you have to win the battles that are ahead of us and that you are facing maybe even in your personal life now, you cannot win by just doing it, the human way. You're fighting with logic, you're fighting with maybe even some leadership skills. You're, you're trying to do it in the way that we are taught to do this. How to maneuver medicine and leadership and situations in the hospital. Or maybe there's even personal battles that you are fighting and you're trying to find them in your own strength out of your soul and flesh. But that's never where the battle is won, especially if the soul is not submitted to the spirit. You must win the battle in the spirit and in a soul in your mind that is submitted to the Holy Spirit. And if we don't get there and. You, the battle will be lost. You have to win it there first before you see it in the natural. So it is critical, important that you really master your mental capacity, your strength, what you're thinking of, what you're meditating on, what you are putting in your mind. So that you can be strong and actually win the battles you might be currently facing, which many of you are probably that's speaking to you, but there is also more challenges to come at us, and if you are not strong in your mind, you're not gonna be able to face them. So this is so important. Then he makes us aware of the thought police. The thought police. I had to chuckle when I wrote that down. I said, Lord, really thought police. The Lord is really pointing our attention to the problem that we often have, self condemning thoughts and patterns and emotion and lack of will in our life. We have these things that condemn us basically, that constantly ruminate in our mind and condemn our thoughts, our emotions, our our actions. Maybe our, a lack of will, in other words, says, well, you, you, you're not really working hard enough, or you're procrastinating on this project, et cetera, and it is a deception to keep you in that ruminating thought of negativity and. Self-criticism to keep you track and leading you down a rabbit trail to condemnation and shame and distraction, so you're actually not putting your eyes on Jesus and fulfilling your assignment. I realize that that is a very number one self-harming thing that you have to probably, if you're struggling with us, and all of us do that to some degree, and, but there's greater freedom in Jesus. So if you need help with that, by the way, I offer prayer appointments. I do this just because I love doing it. So if you need prayer and if you need some freedom in this area, some inner healing, maybe. We reach out I will put a link in the comments and how you can get a prayer appointment. So I, I love to do that and pray with you or just go to your local church and pray with your pastor or, or somebody in your small group, but do not ruminate. In your thoughts and let the thought police get you and condemn you for what's going on in your mind. You have to bring it to the Lord to be set free and process these things with him because he wants to set you free from that. Because the Lord's thoughts are higher than ours. They're different, and you need to submit them to him and let your mind be renewed in this way, and one big way you can renew your mind is reading the scriptures over and over and over again. The next thing he's saying, some of these thought patterns that you have that we all struggle with. And I've worked now with a number of physicians and I have done this mentoring now for a couple of years and have gone through my own journey. So I have a little bit experience under my belt. By the grace of God and have gotten through some hardships with the Lord and still working through stuff. And I can tell you this, that our medical training has put a lot of non-healthy thoughts into our minds that I see secular of physicians struggling. I coach a lot of people in academia have done that for. Pretty much a decade. And I also see it in the Christian community. So there are things that happen during our years of training and of course in our personal journey that have created a false identity about ourselves because we are now very performance focused because we have our identity of being in a, a physician versus. Focus on the Lord and being an ident in an identity of I'm a son and daughter of my father God. So and he actually, the Lord in his word then emphasizes this, right? I'm your father. I have good thoughts. I have good plans for you. I am here to not harm you, but to prosper your Jeremiah 29 11. So all these things are important. So he keeps on reminding us to guard our mind. And there are two ways that he now points out to us how we need to guard our mind. So very important there's two gates he call. He says There's an external and an internal gate, and it's very interesting language here to use. But what the Lord is really saying, there is an external gate. A gate is basically something, a gatekeeper, right? Something that protects and shields us and sets a boundary around us. We talk about setting boundaries of medicine all the time. Well, here is your recipe for setting boundaries. It isn't saying no just for the sake of saying no. It is actually starting with guarding your mind, and the Lord says and speaks to us here and says, we need to watch our external gates. We have to be careful what we let in. And I did a whole teaching and discussion over the last two weeks two, three weeks actually. We have been sitting in this word in the practical applications and reading and studying tons of scripture in the mentorship program. But I really wanna release that to you as well. And obviously if you are interested, just there's a link in the show notes, just. Come and check the mentorship out and join us if you like. But so what the Lord is really is saying here, there's external gates. You must be watching very carefully. You have to be careful what you consume with your eyes and with your ears, because that will inform what is sinking into your soul and into your heart. And out of the heart is what comes them out into the mouth and what we speak out and what can defile us, right? If you think about Jesus in the parable where he argues with a Pharisees about what defiles a person. Is it, is it clean hands and washing your hands before you are eating right? Or is it actually what is in our body? So it is very important that you guard very much so and not be loosey goosey about what you hear and what you see. That means. What movies are you watching? What TV shows are you watching? What are you laying your eyes on on the internet? Sometimes you are scrolling and doom scrolling. We all do it. Everybody is guilty of it, and that's something we need to address, and you have to work with the Lord on that to get you off that addiction if that is something you're struggling with. But I would say there's much showing up in front of your face that number one is likely not real. Or a very skewed perspective at a minimum, and sometimes it is there are things coming up on your screen that you had never intended to see, wouldn't choose to go after, but that was presented to you. That can be harmful to your spirit. So be mindful of that. Your eyes are not for sale. Don't just give them out. And I also want you to watch, because the Lord clearly says, not everything that you see or hear will be true. There's a whole nother word, but just to say that. I have said that for years to my children. Be sharp as a sniper in this hour In the spirit, you have to be sharp. If you don't know how to hear the voice of God and listen to the Holy Spirit, you're gonna be in trouble because you're gonna be lost. And again, if that is something that's resonating with you I'm gonna teach more about that. I will have a retreat about that probably in the coming year, in the beginning of the year. But you must learn how to heal and then yield to the Holy Spirit and be obedient because much of what you will be seeing, think about ai, it's hard to discern what is true. It was already true for the news. It's even harder now. So the Lord is really warning you here because. We might be presented with information that looks like it's real, but it's not. I'm just putting it out there. So think about that. Pray over that. You might be like, that's a little far out there. But I'm just telling you, that's what I see in the spirit. So be careful what you take in. Also be careful of what you're hearing. Same way, what music, what, what things are you listening to, what news, what is feeding your mind every day? And it's no secret to US physicians that increasing mental health crisis has a lot to do with increasing anxiety in the environment, in, into the sort of atmospheres and in society. Because all we are bombarded with is constant negative news. So be careful again what you take in. And the Lord is very clearly giving us even some guidelines to say, well. Just watch basically what you're doing. Is it glorifying me? Is it bringing you closer to my presence? Sometimes I would say information can be helpful and if you are spiritually discerning, it can be a helpful piece of information. If it is true, or even if it's not true, then you know there is a leading of it. Different spirit and you maybe can get some intel, how the enemy is working if you're on that level of discernment. But otherwise it might just lead you to confusion. All that anxiety out there, right? And is it robbing you of God's peace? So these are some filter question to even ask you very practically ask yourself, is this actually helpful? Then he goes on to say, watch your internal gates. So what are the internal gates? These are our thought patterns. These are the negative thought police that I alluded to earlier. These are the things we keep on thinking about. And that are really just ruminating thoughts and emotions that say something different than the word of God that might, show you your shame and condemnation and pulling you down while putting doubt and fear in your heart when the Lord says something very differently in his word. So these are the moments. The Lord is encouraging you and me to come running to him. To not fall into this trap of self condemnation, but to come run to him because he will heal and restore your minds because he wants you to govern your mind under his authority under his Holy Spirit. So, and the last thing I will leave you with, that the Lord is really encouraging us to not be afraid. To not be afraid because. The word of God says so clearly over and over again. There is no fear as perfect. Love costs out all fear. The opposite of fear is not bravery, it's love. And that is something in this world where there's fear on every corner and in every person hiding somewhere, showing up in different ways. Come with the opposite spirit of love. Come with the spirit of love of Jesus and reach out to people that are afraid and your own fear bring to the Lord. Bring to the Lord. Don't medicate them on social media like we often tend to do, but bring them to the Lord. You can listen to this over and over again to meditate on this word, research some of the scriptures and pray over it. And really ask the Lord, what are you speaking to me? What are some applications for me? Where do you have to me maybe cut out some conversations that are not helpful? Maybe there are things that. You shouldn't be watching anymore or listening to. And, and the upside, not only will you guard your mind and heal and restore your mind with the help of Jesus, but you also gain more time. That's a whole other side. So let me just pray over you and bless you and, if this resonated, send me a message. Under the podcast, there should be usually a way to, to send a message directly through the podcast app, usually with Apple that works. Or you can send me an email at inga@ingarhofman.com. So I just pray over your Lord. Thank you for everyone listening, thank you for your word. Thank you for your encouragement that we will be well in our mind and soul, that you want to strengthen us and that you call us back to you so desperately. And thank you for giving us warning in a heads up to say, physicians get ready because I wanna fortify you in your body, mind, soul, and spirit in this hour. So, over everyone that is listening, Lord, will you just meet them where they're at? Will you gently take their hand and really literally grab them by the hand and, and show them the next baby step and give them just an encounter with you, Lord, that some of them. They're just hunger for more, that you give them, more of you. That you reveal more of the Holy Spirit because you said Jesus, that you send us the Holy Spirit as our advocate, as our helper and we just say more, Lord, we need more of you in our lives. We need guidance. This is a world desperately lost. And I just pray over those physicians that you raise them up in the mighty name of Jesus to be bright Lights. Not hidden to be bright lights and to be infused with the love of heaven from the heavenly throne womb of the Father, so they can be the hands and feet of you. Jesus. In your name we pray, amen. I hope this bless you, God bless you. And I might do more of this kind of episode and if you liked it and well, I will release the word as the Lord instructs me. Let's put it this way, not necessarily whether people like it, but I do wanna hear. Hey, this is Resonate, and is it helpful to you? It is a blessing to me to just know that you are encouraged and again, if you need prior appointments or need any help, I will put the links in the show notes, how to reach out via email how to join mentorship and and how to book prayer appointments. God bless you and talk to you soon.