Mere reading of the Bible will not make you strong, but meditating upon it allows the Word to penetrate into your Spirit, soul and body.
Introduction
There are incredible blessings from the Lord for those who spend quality time meditating on His word regularly. First, His word is Spirit and life and as you meditate on it, life enters into you, wisdom, knowledge and power enter into your Spirit. You are renewed in your spirit and your understanding enlightened.
The word of God comes to you with the power to produce in you the message it bears, for His word never comes empty. This is why when you are studying and meditating on the word, and the Word of God comes to you, you must receive it with faith and act on it.
Meditating on the word of God is one of the most powerful tools you could use to understand deep things of the Spirit. It is a visit to God the Father through the Holy Ghost, the author of the bible. The word of God is Spirit and life and the only way to gain deep understanding of God and His word is through regular meditation. The more you meditate on the Word, the more you know the Lord and the more your faith in Him is lifted.
Meditating on the word of God is one of the most powerful tools you could use to understand deep things of the Spirit. It is a visit to God the Father through the Holy Ghost, the author of the bible. The word of God is Spirit and life and the only way to gain deep understanding of God and His word is through regular meditation. The more you meditate on the Word, the more you know the Lord and the more your faith in Him is lifted.
Faith cometh by hearing the word of God, while understanding and transformation comes through meditating on the Word and obeying it. Meditation brings insights and divine revelation about the meaning of scripture and its intended purpose. During meditation, if you ask for revelation of secret in any area, the Lord will oblige you. I personally receive a lot of revelation during my early morning study of the word.
It is the will of God that we should meditate on His word daily to gain a deep understanding of His ways. In Joshua 1:8, the scriptures says "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success".
Meditation serves many purposes, it could be to discover, to know more about a particular scripture or to seek interpretation and godly application of the scriptures. So, when you find a promise from the Word of God, is you do not understand, or that is hard to believe, take it to the Lord through meditation. Meditate on it day and night and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the scripture to you.
Meditating on the Word:
It is the will of God that we should meditate on His word daily to gain a deep understanding of His ways. In Joshua 1:8, the scriptures says "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success".
Meditation serves many purposes, it could be to discover, to know more about a particular scripture or to seek interpretation and godly application of the scriptures. So, when you find a promise from the Word of God, is you do not understand, or that is hard to believe, take it to the Lord through meditation. Meditate on it day and night and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the scripture to you.
Mere reading of the Bible will not make you strong, but meditating upon it allows the Word to penetrate into your Spirit, soul and body. The more the word in your Spirit, the more you begin to apply them in your life and make it your standard of living. Many lovers of righteousness have found out that they have grown to hate anything canal, immoral, and all kind of perversion. They have also become bold against the works of darkness.
How meditation begins
Meditation starts in our heart. It was King David that prayed to God, saying: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer - Psalm 19:14
He was asking the Lord to consider his meditations, and help him. He wanted to think and do the right things and figured-out he needed the help of God. He also wanted the Lord to be pleased with his thoughts. What a man of the spirit King David was!
The way to righteous and holy living - Taking hold of your thought process and what you should and should not think about. This is important because what you see and hear, whether good or bad registers in your mental memory. King David understood this and prayed to God asking that his thought and thinking should be guided by faith, so they would be pleasing in His sight.
It is the hunger for revelation, thirst for righteousness and desire to please God that fuels divine visitation. When our heart is set to know more and to obey and please God, you will receive the help of the Holy Spirit and your specific revelations needs will be downloaded to your Spirit.
Meditation helps develop your faith
If a child of God will not be conformed to this world, then he would have to meditate on the Word and grow his faith in God. Faith is developed by what you know about God. That knowledge helps you to put your trust in Him and that also builds your confidence in Him. Many times, the Lord will give you a word during your meditation that will address your fears and bring joy to your heart.
Spending quality time on the word brings awesome benefits of His presence to us. The Lord gives you a word and if you receive that word and run with it, you will surely receive the promises of God.
Isaac was wise in his days and he walked in faith. He planted in a place where there was famine, no rain and complete dryness. A place where you cannot humanly expect any meaningful success, but God had spoken to him. God had given him a word... Go not into Egypt, stay in this city and I will be with you. Isaac believed God and sowed in Gerar and he was blessed abundantly. Through the study and meditation on God's word, your faith is raised-up and established.
Make your meditation effective
Meditation is best done in a quiet place, in a room, behind closed doors or far away from human distraction. Then invite the Holy Spirit to come and open your understanding of the scriptures and give you revelation.
Before you start studying the bible and meditating, free your Spirit man from every unforgiveness, strife, bitterness and anger that could hinder you from receiving divine revelation and other blessings from the Lord. To meditate on the Word and to receive from it, you must first forgive. Then ponder on the particular scripture, applying it to your circumstances again and again until its interpretation and meaning registers in your heart.
Don’t just read a verse - No, study and jot down your points and then camp there for a while. Dissect it. Let the Holy Spirit give you revelation about that verse. Let it convict you, sharpen you, refine you and encourage you. Don’t just read it and walk away. Let it change you. That's the kind of meditation that can affect your life in a way that almost nothing else can. It is capable of literally, alter your mind and renew it to the truth of God’s Word.
The Word comes alive in you - This is what meditation is all about, taking time to envision the promise of God until it becomes a reality inside you. It’s tremendously powerful, and by focusing on the scriptural promises God has given you, you can put it to work in your life. As you meditate, you will renew your mind to the truth in His Word. It will change you and refine you and the way you respond to situations. This is my prayer for you today.
Real faith is built on the Word. We should meditate on the Word, dig deeply into it and feed on it. Then, the Word will become a part of us just as natural food becomes a part of our physical bodies when we eat. We must feed upon the Word until acting on the Word is all we want to do. Meditating on the Word will prosper you and keep you safe in the will of God. John 15:7 says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”
Meditation helps to keep our thoughts under control as we focus on God’s Word. If you can make it a lifestyle, you will no longer conform to the pattern of this world. We’re told that we’re to renew our minds. It’s through meditation that this is done. By considering God’s ways, we’re “reprogramming" our heart to think differently. This is the pathway to divine revelation and supernatural manifestation.
Why meditate on the Word?
The Word is likened to Light - Psalm 119:105
The Word is likened to light. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." You need the instruction and guidance of the Word of God to survive and succeed in this dark world. Children of God are only able to think and do things differently when they understand and obey the instructions in the Word of God.
A Mirror - James 1:22,23
The Word of God is likened to a looking-glass. The bible is the word and the will of God. It is also His standards, which will never change and when you examine our lifestyles and conducts in line with the bible, we will surely see our areas of weaknesses and shortcomings. The natural mirror reveals what we look like, whether our faces are dirty or clean and whether our hair is well kept or not. Without one, we cannot tell how we look.
Fire - in Jeremiah 23:29
The Word of God is likened to a fire. Fire, in the Bible, is used as a purifying symbol. Gold is purified by fire and so, we are regarded as Gold, having been born again and reconciled to God. But the Word of God comes to purify our soul and make our body compliant with the ways and standards of God. That fire in the word of God is meant to bring out the best in us and gold would shine after passing through fire.
No man can ever hope to be holy without spending time regularly with the Word of God and obeying the instructions from the Word. It is the seed for spiritual growth.
A Hammer - In Jeremiah 23:
The Word of God likened to a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces. If the word of God cannot break your canal man down, then you cannot be remolded. If you are not empty, there will be no space to fill in your life, but if you are purged of your 'old man' through the study and meditating and obeying the Word, the Holy Spirit fills you afresh to be a new creature in Christ.
Seed - In Luke 8:11
The Word of God likened to seed which, when sown into the ground, that produces fruit. 1 Peter 1:23 states that our new birth itself is a result of that seed sprouting in our hearts. For Pastors, we know that the Word of the Lord is the seed we plant in the heart of men. We plant it, the Holy Spirit will water and God will give increase. Jesus said except you are sent to me by my Father, you would not come.
This is the reason why the Word should be preached (Planted) in season and out of season. The Holy Spirit waters it, when it is planted in the heart of men. He reminds them of the message and prompt them to repent of their sinful ways and turn to God.
Spiritual food - Psalms 119:103
The Word of God is also likened to food in Psalm 119:103. It is the only food for the spirit and when you are not feeding your spirit man with the Word, your life will be spiritually deficient and worldly enriched. The is a terrible thing for a child of God to be deficient in the things of God and knowledgeable in worldly things.
As Dew from heaven - Deuteronomy 32:2
The Word of God is likened to dew. This symbol teaches that God's blessing comes through His Word upon all who receive and obey it. In many places where there is no serious rain, it is the dew that fall every morning that water the plants and refresh the vegetation. So, your studying and meditating on the Word will bring you refreshment on a daily basis.
You may be lacking in talents and unable to preach or sing or pray like others, but when the dew of Heaven falls on your life, notwithstanding all your natural limitations, God can still make you a channel of blessing to thousands.
Sword of the Spirit - Ephesians 6:17
The Word of God is there called the sword of the Spirit. The Christian life is a constant battle with cunning foes, whose method of attack is often unpredictable, as they move from one method to another, guided by their boss the devil. As a matter of fact, against men of God, they set demons against them to monitor their every move, prayer and actions, looking for loopholes for attack.
If you are a man of God who does not know the devil hate you, you have not yet started. But the Word of the Lord is one of the most potent arrows against the enemy. Jesus Himself answered the devil and overcame him by the Words of His mouth. There was no argument, no physical fight, everything is spiritual. If you be the Son of God, turn these stones into bread...Not necessary, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone...
The sword of the Word was what Jesus used to defeat the devil and till this moment, the sword remains as powerful. The Word when spoken with authority, can defeat and pull down any adversary and it is available to me and you. Why not learn how to contend with the enemy using the Word of God?
Benefits of Meditating on God's Word
Spiritual growth
God told Joshua, “Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed” (Joshua 1:8, NLT). God’s definition of success in life is to know Him better. One way we do that is to read and understand His Word!
Insight and wisdom
Meditating on God’s Word will give you insights and wisdom that will guide you every day. The Word is the light you need to walk in dark corners of this word with all the temptations and trials of faith. The wisdom of God is hidden in His word and you apprehend them as you study and obey the word.
There is supernatural wisdom that comes from meditating on God’s Word. It will strengthen you, guide you and give you hope and victory in every situation. “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes”- Psalm 119:99.
Know His ways
Meditating on the word of God fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. You will continually think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. When we think good all the time, we are learning God's ways and preparing our heart and body to please Him in all we do.
Dangers of neglecting to Meditate on the Word
If we are not studying and meditating on the word, we will remain baby Christians for long. This is why Apostle Paul pleaded with the people in Rome to desire the sincere milk of the word, so they can grow spiritually. Without the Word, a Christian would remain canal. The following are the dangers of neglecting to study and meditate on the word.
Not knowing your Master
This is the most dangerous thing that can happen to a Christian. You are a believer and you don't know who your Saviour is. You know what He can do for you but you don't know what He expects from you. You can only know the Lord through the Word. The entire bible is about Jesus Christ, but until the Holy Spirit reveals to you, you will never know.
Becoming hard-hearted
It is easy for a believer to behave like an unbeliever when the Word of God is not living inside of the person. It is also easy for the devil to deceive a believer that lacks the word of God and make him hard-hearted. Without the Word, falling into sin becomes a way of life. If we want to stay away from sin, we need to know God's commands and God's commands are all written in His Word. We also need to retain His word in our heart and obey them. King David says to the Lord in Psalm 119:11: "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Fruitless service
Without the word, there will be no change of attitude. It does not matter how long you have known the Lord, without the Word of God inside of you, retained in your heart, you are still not born again - for you are born again by the Word.
Fruitfulness in the kingdom comes from abiding in Christ. You abide in Him by retaining His Word in your heart and practicing them. The Word in your heart that you obey is what will bring fruitfulness. Without the word in your Spirit, there will be no fruitfulness.
FIRE...
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