The subconscious mind is the most wonderful gift by God to you. It is the most powerful part of your mind because it controls your destiny. While the conscious mind is in charge of thoughts and actions that are under your full control, the subconscious mind takes charge of your feelings and emotions. How you direct your subconscious mind will greatly determine and affect the quality of your life.
Your Subconscious Mind Stores Information
You should be careful with what kind of information you put inside your mind because they go directly to your subconscious. If you fill your mind with negative thoughts then you tend to be more negative in life. Therefore, remove or limit the unnecessary harmful things that you see and hear which your subconscious mind might absorb. Negative information usually comes from the mass media such as the television, newspaper or radio. Try to fill your subconscious mind with more positive thoughts which will result to a more positive outlook.
Repetitive Affirmations Affect your Subconscious
Your subconscious mind stores knowledge through repetitions. When you constantly tell yourself about an idea or a belief, your subconscious mind will ultimately accept it. Positive affirmations can therefore be effective in achieving what you want in life because your thoughts control your actions. If you speak unkindly about yourself, then you tend to feel inferior and insecure. So try to appreciate your good qualities and compliment yourself for your positive traits. Do this positive self-talk as often as you can so that your subconscious mind will also see you in a positive way. Self-confidence that results from a positive outlook of your own self can lead to success, prosperity and happiness in life.
Use your Subconscious for a Healthier you
Your subconscious mind has a big role in getting rid of your vices and bad habits. Since it is in charge of your feelings and emotions, it can generate both enjoyment and fear. You probably enjoy engaging in your bad habits or vices but your subconscious mind can also produce the feeling of fear or anxiety due to their negative effects. This can serve as a powerful force for you to quit your vices and bad habits. The subconscious mind is also known for its power to heal. Doctors say that the mind and the body always go hand in hand in regaining a person’s health. A patient has a greater chance to recover from his illness if he believes that he would rather than if he believes that he wouldn’t.
People sometimes forget the important role of the subconscious mind in their life. You should remember that it is a very powerful tool which can help you reach your goals and achieve the kind of life you want. It is a gift from God that must be used correctly and wisely.
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Question: As you know, I have used and shared your meditations for the past couple of years with great success. This week a lady raised a question I could not answer, so I am turning to your for help with it.
She asked if visualization is involved with your meditations? I said yes, and mentioned about seeing troubles floating down the river or leaving with balloons. When I got home I researched visualization and saw a lot of material that I know you are opposed to.
Please help me know the difference between the visualization you include in your Christian meditations and the visualization involved other forms of meditation. What scriptures can guide Christians in selecting safe forms visualization? Or is there such? Thanks in advance for your helping me with my search.
Answer: Sometimes I think we really get caught up on semantics. We begin to want to banned any word that has been associated with another religion or movement. We forget that words have various practices and can be harmful or helpful depending upon how they are used and who is using them. Visualize is just a more focused form of daydreaming. In fact, visualization is much more powerful than daydreaming in that it is a conscious act of directing our attention on what we want to achieve.
The scriptures tell us to live a life of faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. Everything that we see in the physical world was first manifested in the spiritual world. In fact, Jesus said whatever we bind on heaven is bound in earth and whatever we loose in heaven is loosed in earth. There is a direct correlation between what happens in the earth and the spiritual realm.
As Christians, God wants us to speak those things that are not as though the were. An extension of that would be to “see” those things that are not as though they already existed. Renewing our mind also involves renewing our vision. Without a vision the people perish. God told us to write the vision on the all and make it plan. Visualization can be a positive tool in helping us to stay focused on our dreams or alter negative or debiliating mental movies or patterns.
Yes, some of my meditations are interactive and do contain visualizations. We all absorb information in different ways. In school, we learn that we learn things easier if we are involved in the process as opposed to watching someone else show us or tell us what to do. Visualization is like a trial run of the mind and is a powerful tool for change.
Don’t get hung up on the word because it is often associated with new age philosophy. Every concept in the new age movement isn’t bad. Let’s stop throwing out the baby with the bath water and learn to distinguish between good and evil. There are some practices that we can adopt that can transform our life and relationship with God. Meditation is one of them. I say, let’s begin to look at things at face value instead of putting a good or bad label on everything we don’t understand.
Question: How can I use Christian meditation as a part of a bodybuilding lifestyle?
Answer: Christian meditation will help you create more focus and discipline in reaching your bodybuilding goals. Although meditating on the Lord can help to deepen your relationship with Him, learning to take authority over your thoughts and quieting your mind can help you to eliminate limiting beliefs and faulty mindsets. This is important especially for preparing for competition. In addition to meditation, you may want to spend some time visualizing your success. The Bible tells us to speak those things as though they already were, meaning see your success before it materializes in the natural. Everything, even creation, began with a thought. By clearing out our mental clutter as well as chatter, we keep our minds laser focused on goals.
For bodybuilders, I would suggest scripture or mantra meditation or even centering prayer. Some good scriptures to meditate on would be:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Because God is for me, He is more than the whole world again me.
God is my refuge and my strength.
I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loves me.
Other specific titles are Quieting a Restless Mind, Peace Meditation, or Nurturing Your Vision Meditation. As I suggest for other, just incorporate 20-30 minutes of meditation into your day, first thing in the morning is best. You can also benefit from creating your own success affirmations. See the meditation and affirmation recordings at http://www.thechristianmeditator.com/christian_meditation.html
Do you begin your day in a rush? You rush to wake up, get yourself dressed, eat your meal, and then you’re off to work? Then after work, you have errands to run, dinner to cook, and housework to complete. Even if you are a stay-at-home mom or you work from home, your day can still be filled with an abundance of non-stop or unproductive activity. One of the best ways to make the most out of your day as well as your life is to incorporate a daily Hour of Power. An Hour of Power is time you cut our just to nurture you. It is a time of self-development and mental, spiritual, or physical growth. Each day, it’s important that we check in with ourselves. If we don’t, life just becomes like the wheel of a treadmill. We just do what we did today because we did it yesterday. We’re not living with passion or according to our highest values. In fact, without taking time to find out what we want, we may not even realize what is really important to us. Some good questions to ask are, “Why am I doing the things I do?” “Are my actions based on faith or fear?” “Am I living or just existing?” “Am I getting the most out of my life?” If you never stop to check in with yourself and God, how do you really know?
Incorporating a daily Hour of Power in your life can help you answers these questions and more. For years my Hour of Power included a time for meditation, reading the Bible, reading my confession of faith, and journaling. I also used this time to work through uncomfortable emotions, schedule my day, and get focused on my vision. When distractions presented themselves throughout the day, the time I spend getting centered with God and my purpose, kept me from being pulled in opposing directions. In addition, because I had a clearer vision for my life through taking time to understand my values and desires, I could say no to activities that didn’t line up with my goals. My Hour of Power helps me to set the course of my life instead of being swept away with every idle thought or new idea.
Now that I hoped I’ve convinced you of the power of an Hour of Power, I want to share with you some specific ways you can use this time effectively.
Meditation
The Bible tells us to “be still and know that I am God.” It is through stillness and quiet that our relationship with God expands. Through meditation, whether on scriptures, a sacred word, or just soaking in God’s presence, we learn to quiet our minds, renew our thoughts, and create a greater space for the Lord in our lives. Spending time everyday in meditation also breaks the cycle of unconscious living because we’re able to detach from mindless patterns and make choices that benefit our life and others. You can find a variety of Christian meditation techniques on the internet or even purchase Christ-centered meditation Cds.
Prayer
Prayer takes the burdens of life off ourselves and puts them on God. Jesus said Come to me all who are burdened and of a heavy heart and I will give you rest. He also tells his children to Cast your cares upon me and I will give you rest. You can find numerous scriptures that encourage Christians not to worry but to bring all of our needs unto him and then to stand in faith believing that God will never leave us or forsake us. Hardship and prayer gives God the opportunity to move in our lives in miraculous and unexpected ways. Establishing prayer in your Hour of Prayer will allow you to start your day lighter, freer, and putting your faith in the Lord.
Journaling
Journaling is an invaluable tool for transforming. Journaling can help you work through destructive emotions, record your spiritual growth, write down inspirations you receive from the spirit, and heal your life. Journaling helps you to dig deep within and uncover areas of denial, fear, and hurt. We can’t change what we don’t see or acknowledge and journaling acts as an excavation tool to dig up the junk we need to heal and eliminate. Spending some time each day writing your thoughts or whatever comes to mind, can also lead to a well spring of inspiration and creativity that you never knew existed.
Affirmations
We become what we meditate on? We become what we believe? By changing our thoughts and the words we use each day, we can our own consciousness and our changed consciousness changes our outcomes. If your limiting beliefs are causing you from doing or being the person you really want to be, then it’s time to change your telling yourself. If you are shy, begin to affirm you are outgoing. If you are fearful, affirm your courage. Make a list of who or what you want to be, and then spend time during your Hour of Power repeating them at least 3 times each. If you do it long enough and then begin to take baby steps to act upon uncomfortable situations, you can change your life tremendously.
Inspiration Reading
Many people don’t read. Christians don’t read their Bibles or other inspirational books. You won’t think to go without physical food. In fact, many of us eat when were not even hungry, but all too often we’re starving our spirits because we neglect to feed our spirits. Incorporating time within your Hour of Power to read the Bible or an inspirational or self-development book will keep you growing and expanding mentally and spiritually. Many times I will read a self-improvement book while exercising on the treadmill at the gym or I’ll listen to motivational CD or the Bible on tape while doing housework. Everyday I want to feed my spirit so I can continue to move forward and become the best me I can be.
Gratitude
Many people often look at what is wrong with their life instead of all the things that are actually right with there life. When we focus on the negative its like giving permission to a heavy, dark, cloud to follow us around and rain on our life. We begin to see every circumstance through an unhappy or pessimistic filter or dismal eye glasses. It doesn’t matter how much good is happening, shade it with negativity or don’t see it altogether. I thank God every day that I can live in peace, have a warm bed to sleep in, wonderful children, use of my legs and other facilities, have my health, and the list goes on. Of course, there are things I would like to change or aren’t going the way I want at the moment, but I turn those things over to God in prayer knowing he will take care of them in his time. Make it a point to list 5-10 things you are grateful for each day. It can be as simple as a warm cup of cocoa.
Visualizations
The Bible gives us a lot of advice concerning visions. We are told that without a vision my people perish. God tells us to write our vision on the wall and to make it plain and to share it with anybody who will listen. Paul told us to speak those things that be not as though they already were. Visualizing is simply seeing the outcome that we want. It’s like daydreaming with a purpose. Scientific studies declare that our mind can differentiate fantasy from reality. Just think about biting into a lemon and watch how your mouth salivates. In the same light, your brain doesn’t know you’re visualizations about your prospering business or slim figure is just wishful thinking. Use some time during your Hour of Power to visualize your success in the present moment, before it has actually happened. By doing so, you invite the universe to help you manifest your desires and open the door to unexpected encounters and miracles to make it happen.
Exercise
I decided to include exercise in the Hour of Power because exercise gets us moving and movement creates momentum. In actually, you will probably need to schedule exercise before or after your Hour of Power, but you do want to include it. When you exercise you release endorphins, the feel good hormones. These endorphins will help you to ward of depression and procrastination. Exercise will also enhance the other aspects of the Hour of Power listed. Almost daily, I will walk while I tell God what I’m grateful for, declare what I’m thankful for (visualizations), and say my affirmations aloud.
Schedule Your Day
Just think of how much more you can accomplish if you actually schedule your day before it begins? Setting aside 5 to 10 minutes to decide what you want to complete for each day and in specific time slots will help you to accomplish more and make constructive use of your time. It also helps you to be more practical about what you can actually complete in a day’s time. In addition it creates accountability. At the end of the day, you can look at your schedule and feel empowered using your time wisely.
You may not have time for all of these or you may even want to start with a few and alternate them on a rotating basis. The important thing is that you just get started and allow your momentum to catapult you to living with more purpose, fulfillment, and joy.
Need help getting your life in balance? Check out my Biblically-based program Detox Your Life Life and Awaken Your Inner Spirit. The program will help you incorporate the following activities and other spiritual disciplines to transform your mind, body, spirit, relationships, and more.
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.
Welcome to My New Blog for The Christian Meditator that focuses on Christian meditation and spiritual growth.
If God said that He seeks those that worship Him in spirit and truth, why do so many Christians try to embrace God only from a mental or psychological perspective?It is only through the spirit of God that we know or understand the things of God. Therefore, if we really want a deeper relationship with Christ, we must connect on a spiritual level. Nourishing Your Spirit Blog is dedicated to the simple yet important habits, rituals, and spiritual disciplines that keep us balanced, creative, healthy, whole, and that feed our spirit so we can know and experience God in a thriving and meaningful way.These are those practices that get pushed to the side for the urgent, but without them we eventually become barren and vanquished. Please subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed and join me frequently for lessons on keeping your spirit, body and soul nourished and alive.
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.
