Morning Discipline – The Renewing Power of Meditation

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Good morning!

It is a new week and a new day and I’m so glad you could join me as we continue our journey toward renewing our minds and improving our self-discipline. If you’re just joining me, you can read my article, “Morning and Evening: A New Self Discipline Journey” to learn more about why I am doing this, and how this may benefit you as well.

This week we are going to focus each day on mindfulness. Each day this week I will provide affirmations, scriptures, and daily challenges regarding this topic. Next week will be a new one!

With that said, let’s start our morning together!

BREATHING EXERCISE

Before we begin let us take some deep breaths to calm our mind and prepare us for this mornings discipline.

MUSIC FOR A NEW DAY

I personally like to have some soft music in the background, so if that’s something you like as well below you will find a song you can play for the duration of our time together.

PRAYER For Meditation

Now that we’re calm, let us transition to a time of prayer. Over the next few minutes you can pray on your own or feel free to use the following prayer:

Father,

Give us the discipline to meditation in Your Word, “day and night.” Help us to take Your Word into our minds just as we take food into our bodies. Teach us to hide Your Word in our hearts that we might not sin against You. Help us to not succumb to the path of least resistance, but have the discipline we need to follow through with our good intentions. May we be motivated by our loving relationship with You.

Lord, our love for Your Word must be birthed in us by Your Spirit; we must be lovers of Your truth, so that like Joshua, we can meditate in Your Word with the same promise of success.

I pray in Jesus’ name,

Amen

A Prayer to Meditate in the Scriptures | Moody Church Media

AFFIRMATIONS for Meditation

Here are a few affirmations for this morning that you can put in your pocket and carry with you throughout your day.

As you read through them, repeat each one out loud at least three times before moving to the next. Take your time. Close your eyes and say them to yourself as well. Let these words sink into your heart and mind this morning:

  1. I feel closer to God when I meditate on His Word.
  2. I am committed and focused on meditating on God’s Word.
  3. I inhale His peace and presence; I exhale my anxiety and fear.
  4. My mind is renewed as I meditate on His Word.

SCRIPTURES For Meditation

As Christians, our affirmations should be rooted in the strength and power of God who empowers us and strengthens us to face every trial and every day (both good and bad).

Here are some scriptures that further support the affirmations we just spoke to ourselves. Again, repeat each one three times out loud before moving to the next one. Take your time. Maybe try to commit these to memory as well:

  1. Joshua 1:8, “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.”
  2. Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
  3. 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.”
  4. Psalm 119:15, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.”

TODAYS CHALLENGE

Our challenge today is this: listen to a guided Christian meditation podcast.

Back in April I did a morning discipline on meditation (you can find it here) where I dispel the thought that meditation is not a Christian practice (when it is). But today I came across an interesting post from http://www.justdisciple.com that gives an even better breakdown on how we can practice meditation as Christians. The article is titled, “An Evangelical Guide to Christian Meditation Practices.” I found it helpful and insightful and I highly encourage you to peruse this to learn a little more about the practice if you find the time.

That said, if you’re new to the concept and practice of meditation, then today’s challenge will be of benefit for you! Thankfully, there are a number of individuals who have crafted some quality apps and podcasts to help Christians learn more about meditation and make it a part of their daily routine.

If you’re not sure where to find some, then you’re in luck! http://www.justdisciple.com also has an article where they outline some podcasts that are great for this practice and they include reasons why they recommend them as well as some to avoid (and why). You can find that article here.

Today, find a moment of time and a quiet space to pull up one of these podcasts and spend a few moments in some quiet guided meditation.

Quote of the Day

Today’s quote comes from a pastor of the Free Chuch of Scotland (from the mid 1800’s) named James Stalker, and he once said:

It is not mere reading, but meditation — “meditation all the day,” as the Psalmist says — which extracts the sweetness and the power out of Scripture.

James Stalker

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