Hello and Welcome!
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, 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 meditation. I didn’t get to finish this out last week, so I wanted to continue exploring this subject. 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 Meditating on Scripture
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 meditate 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 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
Adapted from “A Prayer to Meditate in the Scriptures” | Moody Church Media
AFFIRMATIONS for Meditating on Scripture
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:
- God has given me everything I need to live in the way He wants me to live.
- I hear the voice of Jesus, my Good Shepherd, who leads and guides me with love.
- God hears me and answers me when I call to Him.
- I am valuable to my Father. He knows what I need and gives it to me.
SCRIPTURES For Meditating on Scripture
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:
- 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 good success.”
- Psalm 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
- Psalm 119:15, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.”
- Psalm 119:97, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
TODAYS CHALLENGE
Our challenge today is this: meditate on scripture.
What does it mean to meditate on scripture?
Great question, I’m so glad you asked!
As we discussed before, meditation is to think deeply or focus one’s mind on something. Meditating on scripture is thinking deeply and focusing our minds on a specific passage we read. I would also add that meditating on scripture is allowing our imagination to paint pictures of what we’re reading. For example, if we read a scripture about the throne room of God, we can allow our imagination to paint a picture of ourselves standing in the throne room and what that might look and feel like.
This is also one great way to commit scripture to memory!
I found the following list on www.barbraveling.com for how to meditate on scripture and I think it worth sharing.
- Find a quiet comfortable place.
- Choose small portions of scripture.
- Diagram the bible verse.
- Think about the imagery of the verse.
- Ask what the verse means on a practical level.
- Ask God to give you insight.
- Check out a good commentary.
So today’s challenge is to carve out some time throughout your day to meditate on God’s word.
Quote of the Day
Today’s quote comes from puritan pastor and author, Thomas Watson:
Meditation without reading is wrong and bound to err; reading without meditation is barren and fruitless.
Thomas Watson
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