Pastor Taurai Emmanuel MaforoWarren Park UMYF Week19 November 2013

Meditating on the Lord can be one ofthe easiest yet at the same time mostdifficult activities we can do to drawcloser to God and growspiritually. (James 4:8 Draw nigh toGod, and he will draw nigh to you.)

The simplicity is in the act of just beingstill in silence and solitude. (Ps. 46:10 Bestill, and know that I am God: I will beexalted among the heathen, I will beexalted in the earth.)

The difficulty is that sitting still and beingquiet for more than a few minutes cancause a minor anxiety attack.

Many of us are not very comfortable withour thoughts and being alone with God.

For some it’s like watching grassgrow. Others may be afraid of what’slurking underneath the surface of ourhearts.

Yet, spending time with Godthrough meditation canliterally change your life for thebetter.

Meditation is a practice inwhich an individual trains themind or induces a mode ofconsciousness, either to realizesome benefit or as an end initself.

Biblical meditation is FOCUSEDTHINKING about a Bible verse thatspeaks to you, so that you can moreeffectively apply its truth to yourlife. In fact, true application of theBible in your life requires biblicalmediation.

Meditation is parallel tocontemplation

Contemplation only engages themental faculty while meditation goesbeyond the mental but involves thewhole being

Contemplation may cause stress whilemeditation brings a new lease of life.

"… they delight in the law of theLord, meditating on it day andnight. They are like trees planted alongthe riverbank, bearing fruit eachseason. Their leaves never wither, andthey prosper in all they do." Psalm 1:2-3

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As thebranch cannot bear fruit of itself, except itabide in the vine; no more can ye, except yeabide in me.

Since scripture and revelation are keysources of theology abiding in Christ maythus be achieved through meditation –connecting with God’s revelation throughscripture

Josh 1:8 This book of the law shall notdepart out of thy mouth; but thoushalt meditate therein day and night,that thou mayest observe to doaccording to all that is written therein:for then thou shalt make thy wayprosperous, and then thou shalt havegood success.

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thouprayest, enter into thy closet, andwhen thou hast shut thy door,pray to thy Father which is insecret; and thy Father which seethin secret shall reward thee openly.

Initially, meditating on the Lord by abiding may bedifficult because our mind tends to be restless andwanders profusely; but with consistency you’ll gain moreand more control over your thoughts.

Select a mantra (scriptural passage or word) to focus onand anchor your attention. “the Lord is my Shepherd,” “Iwalk by faith,” “the joy of the Lord is my strength”, “I castmy cares upon the Lord,” or “Peace be Still.”

The late John Main, one of the most influential spiritualteachers in the Christian meditation tradition encouragesbelievers to use the mantra or sacred word, “Maranatha”that means, “Come Lord Jesus.”

(See Hebrews 4:12. 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, andsharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividingasunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is adiscerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.)

They contain eternal wisdom held in the shell of humanwords. God wants us to “break open” these human wordsand begin to discover the rich wealth of personal applicationand understanding that they hold. This goal can beaccomplished as youmemorize andmeditate on Scripture.

The Apostle Paul said, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you[live in you] richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16).Meditation on Scripture will cause Scripture to “dwell inyou” and become a source of wisdom in your mind, will,and emotions.

Remember, meditation cannot be done in ahurry. It takes time. Doing studies on themeaning of a passage and committing it tomemory prepare you to meditate on it. As youmeditate, the Holy Spirit will teach you the waysof God through HisWord.

John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth,is come, he will guide you into all truth: for heshall not speak of himself; but whatsoever heshall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shewyou things to come.”

Picture it - Visualize the scene in your mind. Pronounce it - Say the verse aloud, each time

emphasizing a different word. Paraphrase it - Rewrite the verse in your own words. Personalize it - Replace pronouns or people in the verse

with your own name. Pray it - Turn the verse into a prayer and say it back to

God. Pick one of those and apply it to this verse: "Truly

my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes fromhim. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is myfortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2

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BibleDaily devotionalsDevotional CD/DVDChristian Literature

Just respond, or yield to what thespirit is saying

Resist the devil’s accusation Allow God to surprise you Don’t set limits to the spirit of

God(when people go to music showsthey don’t limit how much theentertainer performs)

As you meditate, don’t be discouraged ifyou have to go over the passage severaltimes before insights begin to come tomind.

As God reveals an insight to you, pray itback to Him and ask Him for the grace toapply that truth in your life.

If the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin in yourlife, confess it to the Lord and be forgiven.

You can go to a retreat as a group, andexperienced what it means to soak in God’s spiritor his presence.

The terminology for soaking in the spirit remindsme of soaking up all of God’s attributes like asponge or wading in his glory. It is a time that weare just “being” with God in the same way thatAdam and Eve walked with God in the cool of theday. The scriptures tell us that in God’s presence isfullness of joy.

You metaphorically walk in valley of dry bonesdeclaring life to dead situations

1 ¶ Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and,behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the houseeastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, andthe waters came down from under from the right side of the house, atthe south side of the altar.

2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led meabout the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketheastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward,he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through thewaters; the waters were to the ankles.

4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters;the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, andbrought me through; the waters were to the loins.

5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could notpass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river thatcould not be passed over.