17 Time to Practice

Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” And Isaiah 59:2 adds, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” What’s the point here? Sin short-circuits the meditation process.

Second, and just as important, is failing to fix any broken relationships. Jesus said in Matthew 5:23–24, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

It’s interesting to note here what Jesus is saying. If we remember that someone has something against us— even if we’re completely innocent—what are we supposed to do? Do we sit back and say, “Well, that’s their problem, so let them do something about it”? No. The Lord says we’re the ones who must take the initiative. Matthew 18:15 is another example: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you.”

Number three is failing to deal with mental distractions. Satan uses visible, audible, and mental distractions to try to keep us from hearing the voice of God. And number four is allowing an idle mind to be the devil’s workshop. We can be sure that if our mind is idle,

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Satan will not keep it that way. He will quickly send a couple of his cohorts (demons) to start dropping things into our mind that we begin to dwell on.

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Now let’s look at how to meditate. These are just some principles or guidelines to aid your learning in this area. First, begin by reading some portion of the Bible that deals with the person and attributes of God. Focus your thoughts from the lowly and mundane to the glorious and eternal. Have you ever really considered the attributes of God? He is omnipresent (always present), omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), immutable (unchanging). Have you considered the depths of His love, holiness, justice, and so on? Begin to meditate on these attributes. Also, reflect on what He has done in your life: your salvation, your growth in the faith, how far He has brought you, and His faithfulness to you. Meditate on His providence and provision for your life. Focus on what He’s teaching you, both the pleasant and the painful things. Worship and praise and adore Him. Express your love for Him.

Then, gradually start focusing on what the theme of your meditation time is going to be. Perhaps it’s one attribute of God, a truth, or a principle from a particular verse out of His Word. Maybe there is some problem

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that you don’t understand and you’re seeking enlightenment from Him.

If you use this process, what has been accomplished? You’ve lifted yourself above the mundane and begun to get into the presence of God. The worship, adoration, and love for Him gets you in tune with Him. You’ve begun to focus on a particular area where you need some enlightenment and understanding. Concentrate on this one area. Discipline your mind to focus and meditate on it with the mind of Christ.

As God gives you a deeper understanding about a particular truth, memorize some of the key verses that He used to bring this understanding. To be clear, though, meditation is deeper than memorization. Just because you can quote a hundred Bible verses doesn’t guarantee you know what they mean. You can know the letter of the law but not the spirit or truth of it.

Once you meditate on a verse, it becomes a part of your very being that can never be taken away. Truth that God has revealed to you through meditation can become as much a part of your being as you are!

The real truths of God are not going to be perceived from a cursory, halfhearted reading of His Word. If you’re really going to perceive the truth of God, you’re going to have to seek it as a prospector seeks gold.

Proverbs 2:1–5 brings a clear message: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your

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heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silverand search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Does this sound like a casual pursuit? We should go after it like a prospector looking for precious metal. Meditation is a reliable way to mine out of God’s Word.

And remember your journal or notebook? Write down the things that God has revealed to you. Have multiple journals around your house and car if needed, so that you can jot down some things on short notice. These moments of illumination can be temporary. You must capture them when the illumination comes, or they’re gone.

For example, maybe we’re listening to a sermon or reading our Bible or praying or even lying in bed when God brings insight. He begins to pour out truth and illumination and revelation to us. Remember to write it down because He’s giving it to you for a purpose.

The Voices in Your Head

When you’re meditating, don’t sit there and try to listen for audible voices. What are you listening for? If you hear audible voices, take an aspirin and go to bed! I certainly believe that Satan can move in this dimension. Therefore, you must be very careful.

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I wish there was a simple lesson for this, but it happens by trial and error. It’s like living with another person. I still misread my wife from time to time. But the longer I’ve lived with her, the more intimately I know her; the more intimately I can read her without a word ever being said. This is a reason why meditation is a real discipline. It’s the process of learning, of trial and error.

We have fantasized so much and heard so many other voices and distractions that it’s hard for us to know God’s voice well. If our meditation on God (His person, Word, and works) is the launching pad, then we’ve started properly. The more we know who He is, the more we understand His promises and the more we can perceive His voice speaking to us in our spirit.

It’s like a man who left his farm and went to New York City with a friend. He walked down 5th Avenue, with all the video billboards, lights, and traffic. The farmer stopped and asked his friend, “Can you hear that cricket?” His friend responded, “You’re crazy! I can’t hear anything but horns and noise.” The farmer was so attuned to the sound of a cricket that he could hear it anywhere.

Here is a personal example. When our children were much younger, our bedroom was down the hall from our kids’ bedrooms. They would have to let out a pretty good yell to wake me up. However, my wife is so sensitive, it seems like they would only have to miss a breath and she would be up and headed down the hall!

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The point is, whatever you get attuned to, you can perceive it better going forward. Therefore, it’s important to know what voices you’re listening to in your head and really develop the ability to recognize the input of God—and reject the input of Satan. Measure what you’re hearing with what the Bible says about the person of Jesus, the nature of God, and what His Word says. It’s a matter of testing the voices.

Post Meditation

Let’s now look at the actions needed to accompany meditation. What happens next? First, be immediately obedient to whatever God has revealed to you. Be ready for any reproof, correction, command, or impulse from the Lord that you received during your meditation time. Otherwise, you might become less and less sensitive over time. You will not be able to perceive as well, and your spiritual radar will not be nearly as fine-tuned.

Immediately confess any sin. Don’t tolerate, justify, or rationalize anything in your life, even though this is the natural inclination of the human heart. Deal with sin quickly and decisively. Say to God, “You’re right. I’m sorry. It was a sin. I was wrong. I confess it and I acknowledge it.” Deal with it decisively.

Next, write down any broken or estranged relationships. Apologize. Humble yourself and reach out to

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them. Also, correct any distorted or perverted priorities or values that God has revealed to you. Sometimes in meditation, the Lord will put His finger on a particular area of your life where you have been drifting along with the tide. God wants you to change your values and priorities from the temporal and worldly to the spiritual and eternal.

Next, commit yourself to any necessary change away from an excessive, extravagant, self-indulgent, self-seeking lifestyle. Maybe in your meditation God shows you something that you’re doing that’s not honoring Him. Be willing to change.

Be obedient to whatever God reveals to you in meditation. Remember this principle: Light not acted upon equals a cessation of further light. In other words, God is not going to spend time talking about other important things until you act on what He has already shown you.

Share your insights with someone else. We talked about this in the Process of Right Thinking, but it needs to be reiterated here. This doesn’t mean running out and immediately sharing something personal with someone who has no business knowing. As God gives you guidance, share your insights with a trusted individual.

Sharing will accomplish at least three things. First, doing this can keep you from misunderstanding God. Check the revelation you have received during meditation with a spiritual elder or someone who has a greater

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