Nourishing Your Spirit

It was Christian meditation integrated with the scriptures that helped me overcome 4 years of a deep depression. I remember so clearly the day my healing began. I was waiting for my kids to get out of school.  I sat there in my green mini-van wrenched with emotional pain so thick you could cut it with a knife.  As I waited, I began to take deep breaths and with each exaltation I would mentally affirm, “I release pain.”

Within 10 minutes the pain was gone and I experience a peace that had alluded me for so long. As I dwelled in the quiet, the spirit of God spoke to my heart. In a still, small voice, he said, “Rhonda, the reason you are so depressed is because of the thoughts you are thinking.” Prior to this I wasn’t paying much attention to my thoughts, but now aware of them I listened. They came faster than a parading machine gun and they were destructive, debilitating, and down right mean. Every day, I was beating myself down. I was saying words to myself that I’d never let another person get away with. Yet they were able to sneak into my sub-conscious mind day after day. (more…)

          

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by Stratton Jennings

          

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Meditation isn’t just for monks and priest anymore, many Christians are also enjoying the benefits of spending time with God in quietness and solitude. Christian Guided Meditations take the guess work out of meditation by providing believers with a method of meditating on God that doesn’t contradict with their Christian faith. Most Christian Guided Meditation Cds or recordings include a progressive relaxation and scriptural narrative that includes biblical stories, relevant scriptures, positive affirmations and relaxing music.

It is important that the Christian Guided Meditation Cd, mp3, or recording you choose begins with brief relaxation exercises that prepares you to receive God’s word. Deep breathing exercises that engage your diaphragm are one of the best ways to relax not only your body but your mind. Many guided meditations will have you inhale deeply, hold the breath for several seconds and then exhale. Next, they guide you through relaxing each area of your body from your head down to your feet. Once you are relaxed, your subconscious mind is much more receptive to receive God’s words. (more…)

          

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By Rhonda Jones

Recently, I receive a letter from a subscriber who asked what was the best way to incorporate Christian meditation into their daily life. In this article I want to outline ways you can include Christian meditation into your daily schedule that has made my life so much more rewarding and fulfilling. There are numerous benefits to meditating on God and spending time in His presence. These include developing a more intimate relationship with Christ, eliminating worry and stress, creating a space for God to speak to our hearts, and becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit to name a few. However this article places more emphasize on the logistics than the benefits and gives some ideas of making Christian meditation a daily reality in your life as well.

In this  article I will also share with you some tools I use that are indispensable to me and have made my time with God so much richer. These are not requirements because in actuality to meditate or spend time with God, all you really need is a willing heart and a quiet space.  (more…)

          

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“Well, Lord, I was told today at church that if I would get on my face and worship You, I could find some answers . . . that I could connect with You . . . that You would change me. Is this what they meant?”

My nose was beginning to get a little rug burned so I turned my head and let my cheek rest on the floor. I continued to lay there for almost two hours. You see, I was desperate. My history was more than a little embarrassing. I was 40 years old and here’s what I had to show for it: a divorce, a bankruptcy, a lost business, $500,000 of debt, and the prestige of being a convicted felon. It’s true that I now was married to a wonderful woman and had some great friends. But the shame of my past still dominated my thoughts.

My list of atrocities did not happen overnight. I strung them out over a 22—year period. What’s interesting is that during those years I consistently read my Bible, went to church or Bible studies, prayed, and openly spoke about my love for and commitment to God. Yet I was a mess. A terrible disciple of Jesus Christ. So, in many ways, lying on my face that day was a “retreat.” I had retreated into God’s presence to lay down my old life—and, hopefully, emerge with something new. (more…)

          

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Lately I have been practicing one of my meditation sessions a little differently.  Generally I try to meditate twice a day, one guided meditation (usually one of my Cds) and then a Centering Prayer meditation (a silent meditation using a sacred word to anchor my mind).  There are many benefits to meditation and meditating on God and His word. I believe one of the most important reasons is to quiet our mind so we can hear and build relationship with God on a spiritual level. I enjoy both types because they provide me with different experiences and results.

Well I kind of stumbled on a new way to meditate on God that is empowering me spirituality, renewing my mind, and increasing my joy and well-being. I wanted to share it with you. (more…)

          

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One of the number one questions Christians ask today is, “How do we hear God voice?  How do we know when God is speaking to us or when it’s just our own thinking?” Christians desperately want to hear from God and know Him in an intimate and personal way.  They want to know His voice from amongst their own mental clanging and clutter.  Some believers get discouraged and believe that God has nothing to say to them which makes them feel unloved or inferior.

The good news is that God does speak to His children.  He did throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament, and He does today. How do we know this for sure?  Because the scriptures tell us that God is the same today, yesterday, and forever. However, as the years progressed it appears that God’s voice has become more subtle.  Rarely do you hear people saying that God spoke to them in an audible voice, like he did with Noah and Moses.  We don’t seem to have as many anointed prophets that impart God’s heart to use as with Samuel, Elisha, and Elijah.

For these days and times, God generally speaks to his children through the Holy Spirit deep inside the intricate parts of their heart. Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice.  If you have ever been to a sheep farm, you can see the sheep grazing quietly as they move from one spot to the next. (more…)

          

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On May 16, 2009- I was a guest on the GeoGee and Tasha BlogTalkRadio Show where I elaborated on the practice of Christian meditation and its benefits to the born-again believer. Many believers suffer from worry, stress, and mental clutter that interferes with a more fruitful walk with God. Listen to the show to learn more about Biblical meditation and show it can change your life! Listen Now!

          

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