Hello and welcome to Every Day Incredible.
Today I want to guide you through some Christian meditation.
In Joshua chapter 1 verse 8 we read,
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Psalm 19:14
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 104:34
May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.
Psalm 119:97-99
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
As we begin today, I want to encourage you to find a place that is comfortable and as free of distractions as possible. While you are sitting, or even laying down (whatever is most comfortable for you at this time), settle in, close your eyes, and pay attention to your breathing.
Take a very controlled, slow breath, in through your nose. Hold it for a few seconds and then breathe out slowly through your mouth. Continue doing this as you imagine that you are blowing up a balloon in your chest.
Breathe in slowly through your nose, hold it for a moment, then breathe slowly out of your mouth. Breathe in through your nose, hold it for a moment, breathe out through your mouth. Notice how your body feels as the air is coming in and out as you continue the controlled breathing. Do a mental scan of your body. Pay attention to any areas where you are holding tension and make a conscious effort to release the tension in those areas
Heavenly Father as we begin this meditation may these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
Once you are relaxed, imagine that you are in a room. The floors, the wall, and ceiling are all white. In this room, you are completely safe. You are protected from any outside influences. You’re protected from your spiritual enemy. You are dwelling in the presence of the Most High God, and you are focusing on His promises and His peace and love. While you are in this room, you see in front of you a suit of armor.
“be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:10 through 13
As you look at your armor, the first piece you decide to pick up is your belt of truth. You wrap this truth around your waist, making a conscious choice to believe God’s truth over any lies of the enemy, and recognizing that what feels true does not always match up with what you believe. You take a moment to acknowledge that the belt of truth is the foundation of your spiritual armor. This belt will hold your scabbard and your sword of the Spirit and keep them close at hand. As you wrap yourself in God’s truth, you make a commitment to yourself and to God to allow His truth to permeate all of your beliefs about yourself, about the world around you, and about your future.
Next you pick up your breastplate of righteousness and strap it in place.
Ephesians 4:17-32
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:17-32
While you secure your breastplate of righteousness, or right-living, firmly in place, keep this passage in mind as you allow the Holy Spirit to examine your heart for any of these traits or attitudes that may be preventing your armor from fitting properly. As the Holy Spirit reveals anything to you that may cause your armor to be ineffective, verbally pronounce your new stance on the matter, repenting of the thinking or attitude that has been a contradiction of God’s truth. If it is a matter of forgiveness, speak the words out loud claiming your forgiveness of the person who has harmed you. Remember that forgiveness requires a willing heart and a choice to turn that hurt over to God, but does not require an apology from that person. Remember that a lack of forgiveness can give the enemy a legal right to torment you.
If the unforgiveness that is causing you to struggle is toward yourself, remember that the price has already been paid for your sin when Jesus died on the cross for you. Allow yourself to humbly accept the freedom, power, and authority you have been given in the name of Jesus Christ as a child of the King
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a]free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh.
Romans 8:1-3
With your belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness fitted firmly in place, you will now cover your feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Dwell for a moment on the concept of the gospel of peace, acknowledging that the Word of God is not about condemnation or guilt or shame, but rather it is about protection from sin and the consequences of sin, that you may have peace and joy in Him.
As you protect and prepare your feet with that readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, you are preparing to walk out into the world and share your testimony with others who desperately need to find peace of their own.
Next, pick up your shield of faith. As you pick up your shield, pull out any arrows that have been extinguished by it. Those arrows that were once flaming as they were shot at you are now burned and covered in ash. Acknowledge each arrow and the source of those arrows. Any thoughts promoting shame, guilt, low self-worth, anger, bitterness, resentment, thoughts about not being loved or lovable, not being enough or doing enough- all of these flaming arrows have been extinguished by your shield of faith. As you pull out each one, snap them in two. As you drop them, visualize them turning to dust and blowing away with a wind. Take a moment to once again, give your belt of truth a tug and remind yourself who you are in Christ Jesus.
You are loved. You are enough. You are an incredible creation of the Most High God. You are a child of the King and a joint heir with Christ. You have victory over the enemy by association.
The peace of God guards my heart and mind. Philippians 4:7
Next you pick up the helmet of salvation and place it on your head. This helmet of salvation-this knowledge that you are saved- protects your mind from the whispers of the enemy. While you are wearing this helmet of salvation, you are not susceptible to the attacks of the enemy suggesting that you are on your own or have no one to protect you.
Lastly, pick up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. This sword, the spoken word of God, is your defensive weapon against the enemy. Just as Jesus defended Himself from Satan in the desert, you too can wield your sword against spiritual forces as well. From this point forward, any time you read scripture, treat it as if you are sharpening your sword to prepare to defend yourself in battle. Remember that the spoken word is powerful. God spoke the world into existence. Speak God’s Word and God’s truth into your daily experiences. Claim the promises He has already given you.
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:14-18
As you prepare to face your day or face whatever is next, remember that you are not a slave. You are a child of the King and you have been given authority over your enemy in the name of Jesus Christ as His adopted child. Your savior has already paid the price for your sin on the cross, therefore the attempts of the accuser to distract, defeat, or discourage you will not prosper.
Heavenly Father we come boldly and humbly before your throne to ask that you secure each of these pieces in place for anyone listening to the sound of this recording. On behalf of those listening, I claim your promises and thank you for those many promises and for your wonderful and loving plans for us. We thank you for your protection, we thank you for your presence we ask for your intervention in each day. Help us to stand firm. help us to be continually taking every thought captive and bringing it into obedience to you that we may have peace and joy and protection from the enemy. We praise your Holy Name, for you are worthy of all praise. I ask that you bless those listening to this recording and give them a deep desire to continue to seek a closer relationship with you each day. I ask these things in the precious, Holy Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
