Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Today's scriptures are about meditating on God, His ways, His words, and His wisdom. Meditation is necessary to get through daily life. This is a necessity for each of us, and it gives us a chance to just listen and process God’s commandments. It allows us to review the different lessons of the day, and gain instructions for the future. Prayer and meditation goes hand and hand, you shouldn't have one without the other. Prayer is said to be a "Conversation" with God, but what is a conversation? The word conversation is defined: informal interchange of thoughts, information, etc., by spoken words. If prayer is having a conversation with God, then through this “interchange of thoughts”, we must give Him time to speak. He cannot do that, unless He has our undivided attention, and that's what meditation provides. There are stories in the bible, where He's gotten peoples attention through loud boisterous acts, and He still works that way, when need be. However, meditation is needed to maintain a healthy relationship on a daily basis. I'm a talker, as you can tell by the amount that I write everyday. If you think I type a lot, you should hear me speak, especially when I'm passionate about something. If you're anything like me, meditation can be hard, because we're constantly in deep thought about something, and/or constantly sharing those thoughts and ideas with God. It's hard to take a moment and just listen. That's why it's something that we must train ourselves to do. You can start by reading a verse or passage of scriptures, and asking God to speak to you, and reveal His wisdom through it. The act of meditation shows God that you love Him, and that you're seeking His instructions about life, because you truly want to live righteously. You're seeking His Kingdom and His wisdom, and allowing Him time to share His thoughts and love with you. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who never allows you to speak? Do you have that friend who's always asking for favors, but can't be counted on to do a favor for anyone else? Do you have a person in your life that takes you for granted? Well each day we go without meditating on the Word of God, that's exactly what we do to Him. How does that make you feel when it's done to you? I have to be honest, my life is busy, and I don't get much "quiet" time, before I go to bed at night, or when I wake up in the morning. However, I can find time to get on Facebook and catch up with old friends, or watch those TV shows or movies I missed during the week, but meditation sometimes takes a back burner. On the other hand, I use the time when I'm on my way to or from work, to just sit and drive quietly and listen to God. No radio, no talking, just listening to God. That's a good way to start, but I'm still busy watching the road, fussing at negligent drivers, or complaining about traffic, so that isn't totally what God is asking for. He's asking for 100% of me. Some people have prayer closets or prayer rooms they can go to alone and meditate. That's a wonderful option, because it's important to rid ourselves of any distractions, and just listen to God. It’s great to take time out to focus on His love and mercy, thank Him for His blessings, and ask for guidance. I can guarantee you that this will strengthen your relationship with God, and take your faith to another level, because it deepens your understanding of who He is. You're not always listening for a voice, or for this "burning bush" type of interaction, but you're enjoying the presence of God, and He'll fill your Spirit with everything you're looking for and more. We should end each day with God, starting with a prayer, confessing our sins, and sharing our joys and concerns. Then ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to your bible study, and take some time to study God's word. Lastly, take some time to just be in God's presence, through meditation. Some people meditate for an hour, some for a few minutes, but you do what's on your heart. You take as much time as you need, your Holy Spirit will lead the way. You can start off by committing to 5-10 straight minutes of just sitting in the quiet, and listening for God's still quiet voice. Do these until you form a habit, and it will come naturally from there. It's written: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14) This is the attitude we should have in life, because God's love is all a part of His grace. He loves us without expecting anything but our love in return. His love never fades, and He'll never leave nor forsake us, so we should find meditation to be a privilege and not a chore. It's good to know that God wants our undivided attention, so He can bless us with the wisdom to claim the abundance that Jesus came to give. When I think of it that way, I can't wait to get home, and spend some quiet time alone with my Heavenly Father. I'm sure He has some wonderful News for me. If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you cannot have that connection with God. He’s the only way to establish that close bond, so what are you waiting for? Pray and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life, and from there you can work on your relationship with God. My favorite verses today are: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455286&dtype=Scripture
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I love you!