Nov 26, 2017
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Stop. Listen.
Notice your breath. Notice your body. Allow the rushing of thoughts to slow in your mind. Allow your focus to rest on your breathing. As you do this focus on allowing your breath to slow. Allow your focus to soften. There is no need for your to tense your focus. Allow it to rest gently on your slow and easy breath. One of the powerful aspects of meditation is how we can train our minds to slow. As we reinforce this trend it allows to think clearer at other times. As you continue to breathe deeply, you feel your muscles softening. You feel the tension leaving your body with no active will of your own. You feel your body and your mind prepare to receive the healing word of God. God’s message for you is unique and powerful. He can help you. Remain open to God’s word in the scripture I am about to read.
As you here these words focus on the rejoicing nature of these words. Search the rejoicing response in your own heart.
Bible verse for meditation:
This scripture is in 2 Corrinthians 9:9-15
NABRE
9 As it is written:
“He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
10 The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You are being enriched in every way for all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God,
12 for the administration of this public service is not only supplying the needs of the holy ones but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God.
13 Through the evidence of this service, you are glorifying God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution to them and to all others,
14 while in prayer on your behalf they long for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
What though, image, impression, or memory accompanied this story. Reflect on that.
As prepare to read another translation look for the similarities and differences.
NIV
9 As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
What does this scripture mean?
What message materialized as you listened to this scritpure?
Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation:
How do you bless others? What gifts have you been given that bless others? What are the seeds of this giving?
This scripture shows us how deeply our generosity is connected to God. Our generosity comes from being enriched by God. God is the one who provides the seeds of our giving. It is through the generosity that resides in our hearts, inspired by God, and in turn our generosity results in gratitude to God. This happens in our hearts and also in those who are blessed when our hearts yield to a generous nature.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Not only does this service cause thanksgiving to God but it also results from obedience that accompanies our confession of the Gospel of Christ.
As we live according to the commands of Jesus Christ our hearts will naturally be filled with a generous nature that leads other to thanksgiving to God.
As we prepare to enter the Christmas season, lets have this message guide us. May our expressions of gratitude before God result in an overwhelming generosity of heart that leads us to give the most valuable gift of all, love. God himself showed us this message. This is the true meaning of the Christmas season. The birth of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ represents the greatest generosity in the history of earth. The condescension of God is the reason for our rejoicing. We share with each other gifts and love in memory of this, the greatest gift.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
If you feel emotional or financial burdens of this season, may they melt in importance when compared to the eternal value of the Salvation that came through Jesus Christ. His birth was a requitsite step. He first must be born as the Son of God before he could save the world.
Remember the purpose of
Christmas is not only the veneration of the baby but the fact that
this baby represents the incarnation of God. This is what we
celebrate on Christmas.
What greater gift could God
bestow than this, the promise of grace which we could never attain
without his help. May we take the seeds with which God has given us
and use them to bring the hearts of others to glorify his name and
proclaim Hallelujah!
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Pray now in a Spirit of deep gratitude.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence as you feel His gift in your heart.
Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life:
What insights did you gain during these moments?
What thing will change in your life after this moment?
Use you imagination to fully visualize what that change will look at. Image one very concrete change you will make in your life. What new action will you take. Visualize yourself now doing this new action. Make it as vivid as possible with as much detail.
Visualize blessing someone else:
Share this message :
Now visualize someone or a group of people who need this message. Imagine what their face would look like as they receive this scripture in their hearts. Imagine how you can share it with them.
Conclusion:
Print and use this scripture.
I release a new episode of this every Sunday morning at 1AM Mountain time in the US.
You can get more information about my podcast by visiting my website ChristianMeditationPodcast.com.
As you accept this Christmas season into your heart, may you feel his generous nature inspire you. The most valuable gift that you can give is to risk showing genuine care, love, and concern for others. This gift is not without risk, but it has the benefit of being infinite and limitless. The strangest blessing of the gift of love is the more we give, the more we have to give. May God bless you with the insights you need to love so deeply that it changes who you are. Let this Christmas be a time that causes your heart to grow as your realize how God can change you to meet his purposes.
I pray that you will find the courage to follow Jesus and love, and in so doing discover the greatest joy of life. The more love you are able to feel and give, the fuller your life will become. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
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ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
