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I will meditate on your precepts<\/em>
<\/em>and fix my eyes on your ways. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalms 119:15<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Meditating For Beginners<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever meditated before? It\u2019s become more popular in recent decades as people are wanting to better their physical, emotional, and for some, spiritual health. I\u2019ve also done it in the past but haven\u2019t been consistent in practicing meditation now. Meditation is beneficial for clearing your thoughts, relaxing, and focusing one\u2019s mind. If you haven\u2019t tried it before, you can start now. Just follow these four easy steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Find a quiet space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
2. Sit still and close your eyes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
3. Focus on breathing in and out deeply and slowly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
4. Do this for short amounts of time (5-10 minutes each) and then gradually build up to longer periods (20+ minutes).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

   Meditation can really help you when you\u2019re feeling anxious, stressed, or angry. But when you\u2019re meditating, what are you thinking about? It\u2019s good to clear your mind and think about nothing at first. But after that, what\u2019s your next step? If you\u2019re a believer in God and Jesus, then we should think about God\u2019s Word and what it means for us today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

   Meditating on God\u2019s Word is More Than Just Sitting Still <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

   In the opening passage, Psalms 119:15, we should meditate on God\u2019s precepts and on His ways. The word, \u201cprecepts\u201d, is an older word that means \u201claws or teachings\u201d. Does that mean we just sit there and think about what God\u2019s Word says? Should we say it repeatedly like some mantra? Let\u2019s understand this better together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

   Meditating on God\u2019s Word is more than sitting quietly and breathing deeply. It\u2019s writing it on our hearts and minds – understanding what it means so we can obey it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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   I have stored up your word in my heart,<\/em>
   <\/em>that I might not sin against you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   Psalms 119:11<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cThat I might not sin against you,\u201d<\/em> this line reminds us that when we don\u2019t have God\u2019s word stored on our hearts, if we don\u2019t meditate on it daily, then we will sin against God. Because of Adam\u2019s sin, all of us have been born into that sin (see Romans 5:12), and if we are in sin can we be with God? God is perfect and holy. If God, who is holy, is with sinners, they will die (read Exodus 20:18-19). God told His people in the Old Testament to write His Law on their hearts and minds and teach it to their children each generation (see Deuteronomy 6:6-9). We are not the people of the Old Testament, but of the New Testament<\/em>, and even today we are told the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel<\/em>
   <\/em>after those days, declares the Lord:<\/em>
   <\/em>I will put my laws into their minds,<\/em>
   <\/em>and write them on their hearts,<\/em>
   <\/em>and I will be their God,<\/em>
   <\/em>and they shall be my people.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   Hebrews 8:10<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

   Have you read your Bible today? Have you taken time to meditate on what God\u2019s Word says and what it means? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

   If you haven\u2019t yet, I encourage you to take some time, even if it\u2019s just five minutes, to pray and read a few Bible verses. Try to understand them from God\u2019s perspective and how they apply to our lives of faith. We shouldn\u2019t live static lives of faith, but active ones<\/em> \u2013 meaning we need to put our faith into practice. James 2:17 says faith without works is dead. So, let\u2019s become active believers and read and study the Bible daily, and then put our knowledge into action.  How can we do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   Thoughts Lead to Actions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

   In whatever we do, our actions are preceded by a thought or an idea of some sort. We decide on what to cook before we make dinner, and even before that we decide on what to buy at the grocery store. We think about what we want to wear before getting dressed in the morning. Even if we don\u2019t consciously think about what we\u2019re doing, that action has to begin somewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

   When it comes to living our life of faith, we can\u2019t just think about obeying God. We can\u2019t just say we obey God. We must put our words and thoughts into action. So let\u2019s learn how with these steps: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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   • Step 1<\/strong>: Pray to God to give a heart mind of understanding. We cannot understand Scripture on our own, we must rely on God (Prov. 3:5).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
   • Step 2<\/strong>: Start reading the Bible. Now, that may seem like a daunting task – the Bible has 66 books in it – so it may be best to begin with books like Psalms or Proverbs, then perhaps the Gospels. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
   • Step 3<\/strong>: Begin to study the Bible and try to understand the Bible from God\u2019s perspective – He is<\/em> the author, after all. If you don\u2019t know where or how to begin a study, we\u2019d love to help you. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
   • Step 4<\/strong>: Change yourself – as you study and begin to understand what God and Jesus desire for us as believers today, we should begin to change how we think and live in accordance with God\u2019s Word. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
   • Step 5<\/strong>: You should repeat this process as often as you can until you are fully changed into one who can put your faith into action and obey what God and Jesus have said. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

     This is something we must do as believers and rely on God to help us with. So let\u2019s meditate on God\u2019s Word by reading it, understanding it, and obeying what it says. Let\u2019s ask ourselves these questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cHave I prayed and read my Bible today?\u201d,<\/em> and, \u201cDo I know the Bible well enough to understand and obey it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     If you can\u2019t answer \u201cYes\u201d to both questions, then what should you do? I hope and pray you can eventually answer \u201cYes\u201d to both questions in the future. Let\u2019s make sure we take time to daily read and reflect on God\u2019s Word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Written by Kenny<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Read More<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

     5 Great Bible Verses for Anxiety<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     The Battle Within – We Must Overcome Ourselves<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     People Are Leaving the Church – But Why?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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