Meditative Journaling

On January 11, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 77:6

I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, and my spirit ponders.

There are many good verses which encourage meditation, but this one is interesting because it combines singing and a revelation about one’s spirit pondering God’s miracles.

I wrote to you yesterday about using prayer and meditation to overcome weariness. Part of weariness is stress. I was reading a newsletter from my health care system when I ran across this advice for dealing with the anxiety and depression of the season. The author wrote, “Controlled breathing and journaling about your stressors are other good options.”

I didn’t write to you about journaling yesterday because I was saving it for today. Journaling, singing, prayer, and meditation are all methods you can use, daily, to alleviate stress so that it never collects to the level that you become weary and worn out as yesterday’s author was. Today’s verse isn’t specifically about journaling, but I chose it because it reveals a process of meditative communion that is fundamental in journaling with Jesus.

Journaling with Jesus is different than the type of journaling most of us learned initially. This type of journaling is actually a meditative process. You begin by slowing down your mind and body and then turning inward to hear the voice of God within you. As I intimated yesterday, beginning with your Bible is a fabulous way to start. As you immerse yourself in the Word, the world automatically begins to drift away. Your heart rate might even slow as you calmly breathe.

I often begin with the Bible. The next thing I know, I am speaking aloud to the Father. Soon I find myself led to another verse and before you know it, I am immersed in Bible, pens and my journal. I also make notes in my Bible. If something big went off in me, something personal for my edification, I might write the date in my Bible next to the verse.

In the 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice, Dr. Mark Virkler teaches two-way journaling. It is a method for helping a person to hear the voice of God. I recommend this book and the class as well.

The point is, I want you to invest time in meditating before God. This is time of communion between your spirit and His, a time to share thoughts and for Him to speak mysteries to you. The beginning is to slow yourself down and turn your attention to your own spirit and your Father. Then, perhaps, you engage with the Word. Inevitably, if you spend time in the Word you find something to talk with God about. And when you have spent time hearing God speak, then you are gonna want to write it down. Don’t forget singing, praising and prayer as ways to connect your heart to God’s.

I hope this helps you and that 2022 will be a year of greater intertwining of your heart and God’s. I pray that when you look back on 2022 you will remember it as a year when you drew closer to Yahweh. Be blessed!

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In Stillness

On December 15, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Psalm 46: 10             KJV

Be still, and know that I am God.

This is one of those verses which I like and often quote from the King James Bible. It is also probably the one scripture that did more for my ability to converse with God than any other. To come to know God, I had to be still. The NASB version is very instructive on this verse. It reads, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” This rendering of the verse spoke loudly to me. I was very frustrated with my inability to hear God speak to me. It turned out that I needed to not try so hard. I just needed to be still physically and mentally, then I could and did hear him.

You have heard me mention Dr. Mark Virkler’s Four Keys to Hearing God’s Voice and Dr. Jim Richard’s Heart Physics. Each of these are good tools for helping you calm yourself down so that you can hear God speaking  inside of you. My favorite tool of all is breathing. Yep, I said breathing. I have learned how to take a deep breath and clear the stress and anxiety from my mind so I can hear Him speak. Sometimes my mind is so active that it is like a pinball game inside my head. That is when I just need to take a deep breath and relax. In the beginning it might take me a while to settle but now I can usually notice a difference with one big breath. I also turn my mind to a picture of Jesus. Usually in times of busyness and chaos, there are lots of pictures and words running through my mind. So, I take a deep breath and perhaps picture Jesus seated next to a mountain stream. In a moment I join him there and the rest of the world slips away for a few minutes.

You will learn about journaling in the Four Keys. Check out, also, some examples of my journaling at http://www.bornofthespirit.today/learning-to-hear-directly-from-god/. Journaling is another good way to calm your mind. When you give your mind and hands something focused to do the chaos calms.

Once I could hear Father speak to me, our relationship began to change quickly. I began to recognize Him as a Dad every bit as much as God. From there I soon recognized His presence with me. More and more He became an integrated part of my life and more and more I yearned to have Him in every moment of my day. He and Jesus have become my friends. They are who I like to talk with. I point out my observations to them and they share their perspective with me.

As, I said, I have not arrived at the end of the journey by any means, but, becoming more intertwined with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has changed my life, as you would expect it would. I find I long for them even more because life with them is good. Life has stress but when you have best friends like Yahweh and Jesus, it sure helps. They fill me with their peace and take my stress. They take my judgment, replacing it with compassion. Living in them and with them is just better than life without them.

I have shared some of my journey to getting to know the Holy Trinity and how I am intertwining my life with theirs. I invite you to share your experiences and successes so others may find a closer walk with Jesus. Simply click the link below to share your thoughts. Thanks.

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Forget Me Not

On September 15, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 17: 10 – 11             NIV

You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants . . . yet the harvest will be as nothing.

This is a very good commentary on how to run our business, how to operate in our lives, and indeed how to function in every area of life. The seeds of failure are sown when we ignore the God of the Harvest. Let’s look at how we avoid this ruin.

You may have been taught to dedicate things to the Lord. That is a good first step. What should be dedicated? Everything; your home, car, business, job, recreation, family, relationships, etc. Literally everything should be placed on the altar as you dedicate its function and purpose to the Lord. Putting these things in the Lord’s hands, giving them to Him, gives Him permission to function therein. Let us not stop there.

As you see from today’s verse dedicating your job or your business to the Lord is not the end. Many have done so but promptly forgotten Him. He has a role in your business. He has a function. If you cut Him out, it will be to your detriment. Think about it. What is the incentive in cutting Him out of the operation. Does He require a paycheck? Does He ask for a raise every year? You should be tithing on all business income already. The raise He gets is when He causes your business to prosper and His 10% gets larger.

Christians fail because after they dedicate themselves and their businesses to the Lord, they subsequently forget about Him or they just have not figured out how to incorporate the Lord and His wisdom into every day operations. So, we need practical advice on how to keep God in the middle of your business life.

One of the clearest ways to do that is to communicate with Him about your business. This necessarily means that you will need to have developed the skill of hearing His voice. If you lack confidence in this area, you can search the Word of the Day on our website (www.iveyministries.org) for “voice” or “hearing.” You will find a number of articles which will help you in this regard. Also, check out Four Keys to Hearing God’s Voice by Dr. Mark Virkler (www.cwgministries.org). He teaches a simple way to develop your inner ear such that you can hear God’s voice anytime you choose to.

Then, make it your daily habit to spend some time with the Lord before you begin your day. You don’t have to spend two hours travailing over what to do. Just have a cup of coffee with the Lord as you would any business partner. Discuss ideas, plans and necessary tasks. Check in during the day with Him for any further wisdom He may share. It is that easy. Just don’t forget Him. Don’t forget that He is your partner and is willing to be with you all day long. Keep God in your thoughts and in your business and your harvest will be plentiful; more than you can contain.

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Taking Notes

On July 12, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Habakkuk 2: 2

Record the vision  and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run.

Some of you are familiar with journaling or have at least heard me discuss it.  Because I am a student, I think of it as taking notes.  That is perhaps the most accurate description available for this process.  One simply writes down what they hear God say, or even what they think they hear.  Just write it all down.  Then, like any good student, review your notes after class.  When you review what you have written down, you will likely be able to tell if it was God speaking or if it was you.  If you are not sure, send it to someone proficient who can help.

Today I would like to feature the Born of the Spirit website and  share with you some of my scripture journaling.  Scripture journaling is where I choose a scripture and ask Father to speak to me about it.  This sample has been chosen from the Born of the Spirit website where I post a journaled verse each week.  I also pose a couple of questions which you may want to ask the Father.  Click Here to visit the Born of the Spirit site.

If you need a counselor to whom you can send your journaling, go to Communion with God Ministries.  There are trained counselors waiting to assist you through this free but limited time program.  Both the Communion with God and the Born of the Spirit websites are from our friends Mark and  Patty Virkler and Charity Virkler Kayembe.

I hope you enjoy the journal entry below.

Proverb 16: 7

When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Father, what would you like to show me about this verse?

My child, haven’t you noticed that when you are living in me and through me, life seems to flow more smoothly. The life you live, the life you choose to live is what gives energy and power to every situation you experience. When you live in and through me, there is an empowerment of peace because I am peace, I am the Lord of peace and my peace I left with you. Though this is an Old Testament verse, can’t you see the New Testament implications of it? It is not solely that your ways are pleasing to my Father but more that your ways are increasingly becoming my ways. You are adopting my ways and that brings peace into your environment. The more of me you absorb, the more your world will mirror mine. I have overcome the trouble of the world. Rest, therefore, in my peace and allow it to overflow onto all you do.

 

 

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Eternal Life Secret

On July 15, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 3: 36

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

I’ve said it before – Christianity is more than the one time utterance of a salvation prayer. When Jesus went to the cross he had in mind the building of a family. He delivered himself up so that every person could be restored to the family of the Father. What Jesus did for us was very personal and as such, it was meant to bring us individually and collectively into a that very personal experience.

Yahweh is very proud of his son and all that he accomplished. He has raised him to the highest of all pinnacles. He is the first of all children and our lord and high priest. It is important, therefore, that we obey his word, not only to honor him but also because he is leading us into the light and to victory.

We call Jesus Lord and that should imply that we do what he says. First, though, we must know what his words, teachings and commands are. We can know this through our Bible and Bible teaching ministries. To say that we are under his lordship and yet we do not do what he says is to lie to ourselves. He who does not obey the Son will not inherit eternal life because Jesus is the way and he is showing us the way.

Second, we’ve got to learn to listen to his voice speaking in our spirits. How do we do that? How, if you’ve never heard God speak before, do you begin to hear and recognize his voice. Fortunately, there is an easy way and my friends at www.cwgministries.org will show you. 

Eternal life is in the Son. We must hearken to him and to his words. It is not enough to say that we are Christians. That isn’t the secret password to get through the gates. The secret is no secret at all – it is adherence, yes, obedience, to the Lord Jesus. Hear what he has to say, read his word and follow.

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Peaceful Mediations

On November 11, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Joshua 1: 8

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Let us talk about meditation a little today. Yesterday we looked at Psalm 62:5 and Psalm 46: 10 which teach us to be still and quiet in the presence of God so that we may know Him as God. In the still, quiet peace of our souls is where we most easily connect with God. However, it is quite one thing to agree that you need to be still or that you need to meditate and another to actually do it. At least that was my experience. 

I decided one year that I was going to pray for an hour a day and I actually did it for quite a while. Now, you would expect my life to have exhibited a dynamic metamorphosis after praying for an hour a day. There is, however, an element of prayer that is necessary for it to have any power at all. That would be God. My prayer was an endless stream of syllables but I believe it lacked substance. It probably was noise in the ears of our Lord. I never bothered to connect with Him or the Holy Spirit so it was a soliloquy rather than a dialogue and prayer is not meant to be one-sided. Prayer is communication with God through the three persons of the trinity. My spirit, soul and mind were rarely quiet, still or silent. So, I would try with all my strength to be still and quiet. I would try to meditate. How many of you know that when you try that hard and apply power that you just create more noise. There is no effort in stillness. Remember, Psalm 46: 10 says to cease striving. So striving to hear the voice of God or striving to meditate is just not going to work. I was in violation of the principles of prayer and the kingdom of God. God teaches us that we connect and have deep fellowship through peace and ease. David commanded his soul to silence so that he could hear what the Father would say. David knew in whom his hope rested because he had many times experienced that saving grace of the Lord. 

It is exceedingly unfair for teachers to constantly intone about meditation and never teach us how to meditate. For some of you I understand this comes easily. I cannot even fathom. Others of you may have struggled with me. How then do we enter that rest that we often hear about? 

My revelation was not my own. A dear friend and mentor led me, this year, to two ministries which in conjunction have opened the prison doors and set me free. The first of those ministries is Communion with God Ministries whose founder is Dr. Mark Virkler. How appropriate. Now, do you think a ministry with that name may be able to help you find God and assist you in communing with him? Absolutely! And it was certainly true for me. Dr. Virkler’s foundational program is 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice. If you want to hear God’s voice speaking directly to you, then this program will make it happen for you. Dr. Virkler very subtlety teaches us left brained people to stimulate the right side of our brains bringing us into greater balance and causing us to experience the other half of the world (maybe more than ½). His website is a great beginning place and it is loaded with tons of free content. Free is good. I learned how to use the 4 keys just from his website and had an immediate breakthrough. The website is www.cwgministries.org. 

The other ministry that has radically altered my life this year is Impact Ministries with Dr. James Richards. Dr. Richards has many areas of expertise which can impact your life but the Heart Physics program is what has taught me how to be still. It was amazingly easy too. I was absolutely astounded at how quickly I began having significant breakthroughs. In fact, during the first week I had several major ideas just “come to me.” That which Dr. Richards teaches can alter every area of life. And while it takes a few minutes to go through the heart exercises, that time and more is added back in productivity and creativity. He also teaches you how to have more energy. You will be amazed at the peace you gain through heart physics and I guarantee you will learn how to calm yourself down and to meditate. It is a very fruitful program. Find all of Dr. Richards’ resources at www.impactministries.com or www.heartphysics.com.

We can all have peace. We can all find God in the stillness of our hearts. These two ministries can help you find that place of calm serenity where Jesus is waiting for you. Be still and know your God and savior. Find peace and truth in meditation.

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Hearing the Voice of God

On October 2, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 30: 21

And your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

Who doesn’t want to hear the voice of God speaking in their ears?  And how much better and easier would life be if we could all daily hear the voice of God?  Jesus walked in the earth constantly receiving instruction from the Father.  In John 5: 19 and John 8: 28 Jesus tells us that everything he did and everything he said he got from the Father.  What if we too could walk through our day constantly receiving guidance from the Father?  Well, it is more plausible than you might think. 

Recently I attended a seminar conducted by Dr. Mark Virkler.  Dr. Virkler has taught thousands of people how to hear the voice of God.  In his own desperate search to hear God’s voice he was led to an almost foolproof way to hear God speak to you.  As a matter of fact, he guarantees that if you apply his four keys, you will hear the voice of God.  Dr. Virkler is also the president of Christian Leadership University where you can take classes that will help you develop a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Jesus.  Dr. Virkler’s website is www.cwgministries.org.  Here you will find his materials on Communing with God and Hearing the Voice of God.  There is a large amount of free material on his site and I strongly encourage you to poke around the website and see what is available.

God wants to talk with you daily.  If you are not hearing the voice of God speaking into your life then I would say you should pursue God and insist that He guide you into learning to hear His voice.  That singular pursuit has added an incredible amount of value to my life.  I am sure that it will impact your life in the same way.

Jesus is speaking to you right now.  He wants to guide your daily steps.  He wants to help you make decisions and even help you in some of the smallest matters of life.  However, you need to be able to hear him.  He speaks to your heart rather than your brain so open your heart to him.  Hear what the Lord is saying to you today.  And be blessed.

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