Christian Meditation is Like a Shower of the Mind

Each morning, usually before day-break, I tread to my
meditation spot, an overstuffed comfy green chair in the
corner of my bedroom. Some mornings it's cold and I just
want to hide under my covers, but regardless of the
conditions, eventually I make my way to my chair, light a
candle, wrap myself in a blanket, set my timer, and close
my eyes. For the next 30 minutes I become completely
absorbed by God's word and his presence.

For me, Christian meditation is like a daily shower of my
mind. It's where I can dissolve any fears, worries,
stresses, or the onset of negative or toxic emotions
lingering near by. During meditation, I cast all of my
cares upon the Lord and allow them to diminish in his
light, Spirit, and love. To forfeit my meditation practice
any one day means that my flesh has gotten the victory over
my spirit and now sits on the throne. It is said that how
we begin our day is how we often finish our day.

My meditation practice consists of slowly meditating on
passages of scripture or inspirational texts. I call this
Scripture Meditation. I meditate on the 23rd Psalms, The
Lord's Prayer, The Love Chapter, The Beatitudes and other
verses that I have memorized and God puts on my heart. I
begin each meditation session with the following prayer
that I slightly modified from Psalm 19 of Praying the
Psalms by Nan Merrill. It read it as:

"But who can discern their own weakness? Cleanse me, O
Lord, from all my hidden faults? Keep me from boldly acting
in error; let my fears and illusions not have dominion
over me! Then shall I become a beneficial presence, Freely
and fully surrendered to your Love. Let the words of my
mouth and the meditations of my heart find favor in your
Heart. O my Beloved, my strength and my joy!"

During meditation, I slowly graze over the scriptures in my
mind, and as I do I sink deeper and deeper into the peace,
calm, and presence of God. Each time my mind wanders off in
thought, fear, or anxiety, I turn my attention back to my
scripture passage, keeping my mind on the Lord. The Bible
says that "you will keep in perfect peace whose mind is
stayed on thee."

Jesus tells us in the Bible that we become what we think
about or meditate on. Through meditation, we hide God's
word in our heart and that planted word begins to take root
and grow a harvest of godly fruit. Each time we return our
wandering mind back to the scripture passage, it's the same
as plucking up the weeds that want to invade out mental
garden.

The benefits of meditation aren't generally realized during
the actual practice, though dwelling in God's presence is
definitely as added reward. The real benefits of Christian
Meditation are realized throughout our day when we find
that we are more loving, kind, patient, and compassionate
or when we squash thoughts of fear or worry that come to
steal our peace and joy. Just like we divert our attention
from them in meditation, we do the same as we go about our
daily tasks. Through meditation, we learn that we can
choose what we allow in our minds. We can choose what we
allow to rule over us. Meditation empowers us to "cast down
every thought and imagination that exalts itself against
the knowledge of God and to bring into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ.

Paul said that we are a slave to whatever we allow to rule
over us. Too many Christians are ruled by the whims of
their thoughts. Just like watching a television commercial
that tells us we want a Mrs. Smith's Cherry Pie and we run
out and buy one, our unregenerated mind rules most us of.
It says stay in bed and stay in bed. It says you're
depressed and we become depressed. It says sin and we sin.
It says don't forgive and we hold grudges. Christian
meditation gives us the opportunity to become slaves of
righteousness as we continue to hide God's in our heart and
crowd out the voices of illusion and deception. Through
Christ-centered meditation, we also experience a deeper
connection with God. As our meditation practice deepens we
gain a greater capacity to know God, hear his voice, and
experience him in a new and real way.

James 4:8 declares, "Come near to God and he will come near
to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your
hearts, you double-minded." Christian meditation allows us
to wash away the mental dirt and debris that we pick up
each day. It helps us to break the conditioning, patterns,
and falsehoods of the world and start each day clean,
purified, and centered in Christ.

Some people would never think to miss their morning shower
or bath. I know people that spend at least 30 minutes in
the shower or until the water turns cold. Then they spend
another two hours doing their make up and hair. They
wouldn't dare leave the house until their outsides our
fully together. But how much more important is it that we
clean our insides from worldly contaminates. To miss this
time in silence reverence to God means carrying around
these mental and emotional weights for another 24 hours or
until I decide to meditate again. I'd much rather wash them
away, just like the water takes the dirt from my bodies and
carries it down the drain. Starting my morning in
meditation frees me from any encumbrances lingering in my
unconscious mind. Through Christian meditation, my mind is
swept clean and polished with the light of God's word.

2 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Let us cleanse ourselves from
every defilement that contaminates either flesh or spirit."
Through meditation, we become the observer of our thoughts
and which gives us the power to eliminate those ideas that
are contrary to our faith. Mastery of the mind is the only
road to true freedom, for it is in the mind and thoughts
that all things are created, "for as a man thinks in his
heart, so is he," and "a good man out of the good treasure
in his heart creates that which is good."

Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and of a heavy
heart and I will give you rest. Spending time with God in
meditation, whether scripture, guided, or mantra, is that
place of rest for me, for it is where I lay my burdens at
the cross and then cloth myself with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Each time I enter meditation I am covering myself in his
Word, Presence, and Love. I am dwelling under the shadow of
the Almighty. Each time I leave my green comfy chair, I
leave cleansed, renewed, and restored and prepared to begin
my day.

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To learn more about Scripture Meditation, see Free
Scripture Meditation Online Course at
http://www.thechristianmeditator.com/what-is-scripture-medit
ation.html or get a copy of the Scripture Meditation
Tutorial CD that contains a 75-minutes of detailed
instructions and Scripture Meditation recording at
http://www.thechristianmeditator.com/scripture-meditation-in
structional-cd.html .

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