I have been studying the Bible for years.
When I first became a Christian, I was eager to learn about Jesus and His incredible story. He always seemed to do the right thing, and remain level-headed no matter how dangerous or chaotic a situation He was in.
Naturally, I wanted to know his secret. How did he do it? Well, after careful consideration and study, here it is: He went off by Himself and prayed!
If it’s good enough for Jesus, you can bet it’s good enough for me. And (you’ve probably already figured this out) it’s good enough for you too! Today, I’d like to talk to you about prayer and meditation, and how you can use these tools to uplift your life and keep your connected to God in powerful and profound ways.
Emerging science has been coming out about the fantastic benefits of prayer and meditation.
Science of Prayer and Meditation
According to an article on NBC, the deepest parts of your brain are active during meditation.
The cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex are active during prayer. This is like our self-soothing mechanism. It is also likely the reason prayer and meditation help people with addictive urges. The brain feels relaxed during times of focused prayer.
We are in control. Prayer times remind us that we have the power to shift our emotional state by entering into a state of prayer and appreciating all that life has to offer.
But, more than that, connecting with Holy Spirit reminds us that, ultimately, God is in control. As we focus on His greatness and His power and remind ourselves of His goodness, we can go back into the world feeling whole, loved, accepted and protected.
Christian Meditation
When I first became a Christian, my pastor taught me a simple method to meditate on the Word of God. He called it the 4 M’s:
MUTTER – Read the passage out loud
MEMORIZE – To hide God’s Word in your heart,
memorizing large portions of Scripture is key.
MINCE – “Chew” it over: think about what the
words are saying and how you can apply the
principles to your life.
MOVE – Let the Word of God move you to
action or change your behaviour. We can’t just
listen to the Word, we need to do what it says!
I personally love this. Meditating on God’s Word this way helps to calm my Spirit and to move me into the world in a way that leaves my Soul feeling strong.
God has given us tools to overcome in this world. Prayer and meditation are two of them. Some people don’t understand how powerful these tools can be, often because they don’t understand how to use them correctly.
One common misconception regarding prayer, for example, is that it is a time when we talk to God. To be sure, it is! However, it is also a time when we stop to listen intently for what God is saying to us. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 How can we follow the Shepherd’s voice if we don’t take time to listen for it?
Recommended Reading
One of the best books on this subject is 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice by Mark Virkler. Purchase it here.
“When I learned to hear God’s voice after 11 years as a believer without it, every part of me was radically transformed. Thousands have told me they have had this same metamorphosis, and I believe that this will become your testimony also,” writes author Mark Virkler.
I highly recommend it if you are looking for a practice to get still and commune with God. It has transformed the lives of many and may be exactly what you need to help you on your spiritual journey.
When I was just getting started on my listening prayer journey, the resource that helped guide me was Leanne Payne’s book, Listening Prayer. You can purchase it here.
And if you’re looking for another book, Graham Cooke’s Crafted Prayer is another great option. It’s available for purchase here.
Journey Through The Bible
Meditation and prayer are skills that will last you a lifetime. It is a worthwhile investment to make space in your day so you can sit in silence and receive the guidance that you need. I have a morning routine where I get up and read scripture as well as pray, taking time to listen for His voice. It fills my heart and soul with joy; it is what keeps me going, especially when life gets dark. May you be blessed with joy and love in your heart too!
If you are looking to go deeper in the Word of God, I invite you to take my 26-week Journey Through the Bible course. Several years ago, I wrote this Bible study to help people get a “big picture” overview of the Bible – to see the unified theme through every page of the 66 books of the Bible. In 2020, I felt called to teach the study again. This time, I recorded the teaching so I could make it available to everyone at any time.
Journey Through The Bible is a 26-week study taking you from the book of Genesis all the way through to Revelation. Whether you are wanting to learn the Bible for the first time or whether you are wanting to go deeper in your understanding of Scripture, I’m sure you’ll find that the Journey Through The Bible series will be a blessing to you.
I am charging $20US for the course (that’s less than $1/lesson), but that’s only so YOU take it seriously. King David had a great principle in his heart when he said “I will not present [offerings] to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” 2 Samuel 24:24
And, just so you know I am functioning from the same place, I didn’t charge anything for the course when I offered it the first time and anything I receive for this course now will go directly to Operation Underground RailRoad to help end human trafficking. Go to this link to have access to the course: Journey Through The Bible.
Want to learn more?
As great as learning about abundance is, it only works if you apply it – and that can be hard! If you’d like support and structure as you cultivate abundance in your life, check out my abundance resources.
Abundance can start with small, simple habits. All you have to do is learn and apply them!
If you’re serious about cultivating a life of abundance, work through this course.
If you’ve got an abundance goal you’d like some advice on, let me share my experience!
