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Mar 14, 2021

316 Two Are Better Than One, A Guided Christian Meditation on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 with the Recenter With Christ app

I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina:

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.

Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:

Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Bible verses for Meditation:

Ecclesiastes 4
NIV
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

NRSV
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.
11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
12 And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.


Meditation on Scripture:

The subheading of this scripture in the NRSV version of the bible calls this section the value of a true friend. I have been spending time thinking about this recently. There is such deep and profound value in real and deep friendship. We benefit so much from positive relationships as much as we stand to be hurt by these same relationships. The greatest example of this is in marriage. In the recent weeks I have been working with various couples and so this thought of deep and profound friendship has been on my mind.

True friends lift each other up. When they give of themselves they receive benefit for that because the friendship gains strength. The fire of the testimony remains strong together, the warmth of their affection stays warm. When their forces are united they can do amazing things together. We should seek to foster and grow these kind of relationships around us in wisdom. Loneliness are far too common. This can occur even for people living in close proximity to others. So what is it that makes us feel connected? We feel seen and understood. We feel that we know the dreams of the other and they know ours.

In intimate relationships this takes on a unifying purpose. The success in our relationships can be seen as the degree to which we can work toward our deeply held dreams while also working toward the dreams of those we care about. I want you to take a moment and ponder on what the deeply held goals are of those closest to you. Ponder on how you can support that.

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials.

Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast

Updates:

Final Question: How can you learn more about the dreams of others?

Final Thought: Foster fondness and build feelings of mutual service.

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