Jan 7, 2018
I work as a Hospice Chaplain and having worked as an ICU chaplain in a busy hospital, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open to be changed by the Spirit of God by using a centuries old form of Christian Meditation called Lectio Divina. It consists of:
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation, Visualization
Intro:
We will begin with some deep breathing in order to remove distractions so that we can focus completely on God’s word. Get into a comfortable position and if you feel safe to do so, close your eyes
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
Allow this moment to be one of dedication to God. Regardless of how you feel whether tense or relaxed, in pain due to illness or comfortable. This moment is a perfect opportunity to allow the peace of God to enter your heart. His word has miraculous power. His spirit can enter you heart. Take a slow breathe. Feel your muscles relax. With each passing moment you become more aware of where you body can further unflex and relax and yo find that is automatically doing this in preparation of receiving the word of God from the Bible.
You notice your muscles have relaxed. Sometimes as they do this you become aware of pain in your muscles. That is OK. That will pass. Let it pass. Let each moment end as smoothly as it began. Your mind has slowed. The distracting thoughts that inundate us have slowed. You feel more at peace. Continue allowing your body unwind. Let anything tense in your body escape with each passing breathe. You aren’t forcing this, you are just allowing it. Now that your mind is relaxed, keep in this state as we read through these scriptures. Become aware of what message God has for you in these verses.
Bible verse for meditation:
Luke 5:36-38
KJV
36 ¶ And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
NIV
36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
What does this scripture mean?
What message materialized as you listened to this scripture?
How does this scripture make you feel?
Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation:
Many of us have a tradition of creating New Year’s resolutions. We identify areas in our lives that we want to improve. Sometimes these things are related to our physical well being. Sometimes they are related to sin. Consider for a moment that these areas you want to improve represent a tear in your clothes. You want to patch it. In order to do this we consider incremental steps we can take to improve. I want you to consider now another alternative. Instead of incremental change, instead of changing in one small area at a time, we shed our old mindset and completely submit ourselves to God. Unless we are willing to do this then it is as if we are tearing the new clothes he would give us to try and patch the old. We cannot remain equally committed to our preconceived notions of who we are and God. So in this moment as you consider all the things you would like to improve, perhaps we could place at the top of this list to recommit to give all that we are to God.
In this moment consider what it would be like if you completely submitted to God.
What changes would you expect?
What changes could you never expect?
God can make more of our lives that we could imagine.
See if you can harness this image of what your life would be like if you completely submitted to God.
Would it be worth it?
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Pray now in a spirit of submission to Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling the power of God over your life.
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?
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.
I would ask that you pray that this podcast can continue to find people who need it. The more feedback I get from you all, the more I realize that this is much bigger than me. God’s power is made manifest through his word. I also want to say, as you can probably tell, I am sick as a dog. My whole family has been sick for days. I would love to receive your prayers on our behalf.
Above all I want to tell you that when we commit to live in a way pleasing to God, He can help us. He can change us beyond what we can do alone.
FIND ME ON:
ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
