Today is a lesson in meditating.
After last week’s ACTIVATED message of faith, I had a dreamer reach out and say, “Ok. I love the principle of faith… doing something with the dreams you have, acting on what Gods asking you to do, but how do I get clear on what I want? How do I hear God’s voice?”
Beautiful AND fair question… but are you sure you want to hear my answer?
Be careful what you wish for…
We say we want to hear God’s voice, but are we willing to do what it takes to actually hear him?
We want clarity on our dreams but are we willing to do what it takes to get clear?
The answer is meditation.
Getting quiet.
Being still.
Stop talking.
You know… that.
I admit, as of a few years ago, I never meditated. Like, ever.
And truth be told, it’s because I believed all the lies that far too many of us believe:
LIE #1: I never, ever, ever feel good at it.
Truth be told, I think it’s why most people don’t do it… there’s like this illusion that there is this “right way” to meditating and since I’m not doing it “the right way,” why do it at all?
Yea. I’ve been in your shoes.
But truth be told, the goal of meditating is not to be good at meditating… the goal of meditating is to be good at being YOU.
We meditate to quiet our minds so we can hear our hearts speak.
We meditate to become aligned and in tune with the world that is going on within us so we can impact the world that is around us.
So don’t worry my friend, this is not about being good at meditating.
LIE #2: I don’t know how…
There’s a million courses to buy, a few thousands pages on Google to learn how, apps, opinions, and all the things and yet, we’re still convinced we don’t know how…
Bill Johnson explained it this way in one of his recent sermons… He basically asks the crowd, “Who here has gone to bed as of late full of fear? Anxiety? Worry? You’re circling over issues at work, issues going on in the world, wondering about what others might think of you, if you did it right, on and on and on.”
“You’re meditating! You just need to change the subject matter.”
So. True.
All meditation is, by definition, is the ability to focus one’s thoughts, to reflect, to engage in contemplation. So friends, you’re already meditating, it’s just not a good subject matter.
The things you’re worried about… the anxiety and anxious thoughts that circle in your head… the doubt that you are choosing to focus on… all meditation.
So see, YOU CAN DO IT!
LIE #3: I don’t have time.
We absolutely do have time. It’s never that there isn’t enough time. It’s just that we aren’t using our time to get what we really want.
“I’m too busy.”
Bill Johnson says, “Busy is artificial significance.”
We all have the same amount of hours in our day so meditating is about creating space and making the time.
In a recent YOUTUBE VIDEO, Travis and I explain the power of priorities and how we as people make time for the things that are really important to you, so maybe… just maybe, it’s not that you don’t have time, it’s that it’s just not that important to you!
LIE #4: What if it doesn’t work? What if I don’t get an answer?
It’s not about the answer. In my book, DREAM – I Dare You, I explain this:
This quiet place is not about the answer. It’s to develop a closeness with God, the Father, the Creator of this universe. He wants to be in a relationship with you. He wants you to commune with Him. The goal is not about just receiving immediate answers but to create space to build and develop intimacy between you and Him. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings” (Proverbs 25:2). What does that mean? It means that God is not keeping anything from you. It also doesn’t mean He’s not answering your prayers. It simply means that He wants you to seek Him for more of Him, not for more answers.
So there you have it.
Now that those lies are out of the way, lets look at
HOW TO MEDITATE!
The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). This is a rather clear formula. Be still, and (then) know.
So, you say you want to know – the answer, your next step, how to clarify your dreams, how to fulfill your dreams, how to overcome a problem or obstacle, and on and on and on. We all want to know a lot about a lot.
Fair. But I wonder, are we willing to do what it takes?
Are you willing to do what it takes? Are you willing to be still?
As discussed, the art of being still is first about learning to actually create the space. It’s about creating an environment around you and within you that enables you to tune into yourself and the spirit of God that’s leading you, while tuning out the rest of the world. It’s about blocking out all the noise—the excuses, the reasons, the judgments, the opinions of others, your past, future, fear, doubt, worry, and justification, and just going quiet within yourself. Because, when was the last time you actually did that? Got quiet? Prayed? Meditated?
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, ESV).
In my weekly lesson, I share with you exactly how to “go in” and I give you my 3 steps to meditating that have not only made my life more peaceful but have given me the chance to find my keys to my own dreams.
In closing, it’s likely that as you begin to create this space, you are going to have to do something different than you’ve ever done before. Here are two things you can do to set yourself up for success so the likelihood it happens is higher.
- Pick a spot! You must learn to literally create the space because it won’t create itself. Find a spot – your favorite place in your home, outside in your yard, a beautiful view down the road, anywhere that provides the peace and serenity you need to clear your mind and be still. Where can your spot be?
- Pick a time! Intentionally block out time on your calendar to make it happen. You can do this early morning before the day’s hustle and bustle begins, at the end of your day before you go to sleep, during your lunch break, or even in your car between meetings. What time works best for you? A time that you can stick with each day or week?
And may I pray a closing prayer with you?
Dear God.
Your word says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). I commit to seeking you first. And as I do, I pray that I find you when I seek you with my whole heart. May you open my heart, my mind, and my soul to hear you in new ways. May you light up the desires of my heart that are in alignment with you and what Heaven is doing and may you make it ever so real to me. Familiarize your ways within me. Give me the courage and the boldness to respond to everything you’ve put within me to do. I commit to never relying on my own strength but together, with the help of other people and your mighty hand, I will dream. In Jesus name, amen.
