Previous Spiritual Exercises
12 June 2010
The meditation workout
One of the lost arts in the Christian world is meditation. However, whenever I mention the word ‘meditation’ people often get concerned that we are getting into something dodgy! It sounds dodgy because we associate it with Transcendental Meditation, Eastern mysticism or the New Age movement, but the art of meditation has actually been stolen from us. Christian meditation is a wonderfully refreshing way of hearing God speak and has been used since the beginning of time. The Bible has many references to meditation. Let me give you a few scriptures that you can look up for yourself to discover that meditation is completely biblical: Genesis 24:63; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 48:9 and Psalm 119:148 all tell us about meditation.
Transcendental Meditation and the New Age movement tell us to empty our minds. This, I believe, can be very dangerous and I would never encourage anyone to do it. It allows outside influences, which are not always good, to invade our minds and affect our lives. In contrast, Christian meditation is allowing God and Scripture to fill our minds. Quite a difference! It demands discipline, since our minds find it easy to wander from one subject to another. However, if you are willing to try meditation, I know you will find it a very useful and fulfilling exercise.
There are many ways to meditate - this week we are gong to meditate on the Bible. If you have never meditated before here are a few instructions on how to meditate.
HOW TO MEDITATE ON THE BIBLE
1. First of all, relax. Meditation is very easy, so don’t get uptight or anxious about it, or you will find it difficult to hear anything from God.
2. Look up the suggested scripture.
3. Read it slowly
4. Pray, asking God to speak to you through it.
5. Read it again several times.
6. Spend time thinking about what the verse says
7. Perhaps dwell on a phrase or section of the verse, or even just one word.
8. Allow yourself to follow a train of thought until you see something in the verse you have never seen before.
9. Write down what you get
10. If your mind begins to wander totally off the subject, then start again.
EXERCISE
Meditate on Matthew 4:4 ‘Jesus answered. “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Once you have meditated on this verse write down what you get - then if you have a spare minute drop me a quick email at nancy@nancygoudie.com and let me know what God has said.
28 June 2010
This week’s exercise is MEMORISING. Before you think to yourself, I can’t do this - my memory is bad! Let me remind you that your memory bank can be trained. Exercise is good for it and what better way to exercise your memory than to fill it full of the Bible.
HOW TO MEMORISE
The memorising workout
The best way to memorise is to break the verse into portions. Learn the first portion first, then the first and the second together, then the first, second and third together, and so on until you have completed the task.
Let’s take 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 as an example: ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ These verses naturally fall into phrases. So, let’s take the first phrase: ‘Be joyful always.’ Repeat that out loud many times, then add the second phrase: ‘Be joyful always; pray continually.’ Again, repeat it a number of times before adding the third phrase: ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.’ Repeat the same process before adding the fourth phrase: ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’
Once you have said it all, say it over and over again until it becomes part of you. Why not try recording it again and again onto a cassette and let it play while you are doing other things? It helps to get it firmly implanted in the brain. Perhaps put it on a card or piece of paper and take it with you in order that you can review it during the day. It is worth noting, however, that just because you can say something once or twice doesn’t necessarily mean you have memorised it. It needs reviewing in order for it to be imprinted in your memory bank.
This week’s EXERCISE
Memorising
My exercise for you this week is memorising Ephesians 6:13 ‘Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’
What a fantastic verse. Throughout all the trials and stresses of our every day lives it is good to know that God is with us and that when we stand fully equipped with the armour of God we will be able to overcome the evil one. Keep the verse with you on a card of piece of paper so that you can review it. Once you have memorised this verse do repeat it to yourself during the week.
There are many other exercises in my book ‘Spiritual Health Workout’ which will further your walk with God. You can purchase this book online on the shop page. Join me next week for a new exercise.
21 June 2010
Paraphrasing
The paraphrasing workout
This is an exercise that people shy away from, and yet when they experience it they realise how much it can help them get to grips with the Bible. Sometimes we pass over the more difficult parts of the Bible, and if someone were to ask us to explain what we have read, we wouldn’t know how to go about it ‘Paraphrasing’ can really help you understand the meaning behind the words. ‘Paraphrasing’ is a fancy word for using your own words to express the meaning of the passage. We need to be careful that we don’t change the meaning of the passage but just express it in a different manner. After you have paraphrased a piece of Scripture, look up The Living Bible, or The Message, paraphrases the Bible, or perhaps look up a commentary to see if you have altered the meaning at all. Try the following psalm and you will see how easy it is.
This week'e exercise
Paraphrase Psalm 121
What a fantastic psalm - full of God’s promises to help us and watch over us in every part of our lives. You can paraphrase this on your own or together with a few friends. Once you have paraphrased this passage perhaps read it out to each other and see the comparisons you get
There are many other exercises in my book ‘Spiritual Health Workout’ which will further your walk with God. You can purchase this book online on the shop page. Join me next week for a new exercise.
14 June 2010
Nature Meditation
In encouraging people to meditate on nature and asking God to speak to them through it, the results have been incredible. I am always amazed at how much people can get through this kind of meditation. At my weekend conferences, which I hold every year in hotels in Bristol, Preston and a day in Glasgow, I often encourage people to meditate this way.
It is important to realise that because the enemy often tries to deceive us, we should always make sure that what we receive from God through meditation is consistent with Scripture.
This week’s EXERCISE
Meditate on an apple. Explore the apple using all your senses. Look at it; feel it; smell it; cut through it before biting into it, and tasting of its richness. Then ask God to speak to you clearly through it. Rediscover this every day fruit afresh and to the full. Write down what God shows you through this meditation and do write to me at nancy@nancygoudie.com to tell me what God says to you.
Join me next week for another spiritual exercise.
07 June 2010
HOW TO MEMORISE
What a great verse. God will never leave you or forsake you – ever! WOW! Once you have memorised this verse do repeat it to yourself during the week. It is so good to remember no matter what we face in life that God is with us, goes before us and will help us through every experience in life.
31 May 2010
Bible Study
This week’s EXERCISE
17 May 2010
PRAYER
Prayer is something that we all know we should do, but sometimes find very difficult. I don’t think I have ever encountered anyone who has said that they find prayer to be easy. Perhaps you think that you are the only person who struggles in this area, but that’s not true. We all struggle with prayer at times. It seems that every time we start to pray, the phone will ring, or the doorbell will go, or we think of a hundred and one different things we should have done. I’m sure this happens because the enemy knows how effective our prayers are and will try at any cost to keep us from communicating with heaven. It’s important to recognise that our prayers do accomplish much and that communication between us and our heavenly Father is essential.
This week’s EXERCISE
03 May 2010
Memorising
Memorise 2 Cor 5:17 ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’
26 April 2010
Prayer
12 April 2010
PARAPHRASING
22 March 2010
MUSIC
Using your imagination
Another type of meditation is using Scripture, your imagination and perhaps music to bring you deeper into the presence of God. I have often used this form of meditation either by myself or with a large audience. The results coming from this form of meditation have been very exciting. At the end of the meditation, people have often been in tears, having heard form God or having been touched by God in a special way. I would encourage you to use this type of exercise and not to be fearful of using your imagination. Your imagination has been created by God; therefore He does want you to use it to His glory rather than in self-centred and unrealistic fantasising.
This week’s EXERCISE
You will need my ‘Peace Like A River’ CD for this exercise. Find a place where you will not be disturbed for 15 minutes or so and put on track 2, Healing Waters of my CD. This is the CD I have produced to help combat the stress that so easily entangles itself around us. My prayer is that during this meditation God’s healing waters will wash away your stress, your hurts and your pains and you will feel renewed and refreshed physically, spiritually and emotionally.
15 March 2010
HOW TO MEMORISE
The memorising workout
The best way to memorise is to break the verse into portions. Learn the first portion first, then the first and the second together, then the first, second and third together, and so on until you have completed the task.
Let’s take 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 as an example: ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ These verses naturally fall into phrases. So, let’s take the first phrase: ‘Be joyful always.’ Repeat that out loud many times, then add the second phrase: ‘Be joyful always; pray continually.’ Again, repeat it a number of times before adding the third phrase: ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.’ Repeat the same process before adding the fourth phrase: ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’
Once you have said it all, say it over and over again until it becomes part of you. Why not try recording it again and again onto a cassette and let it play while you are doing other things? It helps to get it firmly implanted in the brain. Perhaps put it on a card or piece of paper and take it with you in order that you can review it during the day. It is worth noting, however, that just because you can say something once or twice doesn’t necessarily mean you have memorised it. It needs reviewing in order for it to be imprinted in your memory bank.
EXERCISE
Hebrews 12:2 ‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at he right hand of the throne of God.’
What a fantastic and important verse to memorise. Praise God for all Jesus has done for us. Once you have memorised this verse - do repeat it to yourself during the week. Let me know what God says to you through this exercise by emailing me on nancy@nancygoudie.com You will need my CD 'Peace Like A River' next week. You can purchase this on-line at the products section. Join me next week for another creative exercise. Keep looking to Jesus!
08 March
Prayer
The Prayer Workout
Prayer is something that we all know we should do, but sometimes find very difficult. I don’t think I have ever encountered anyone who has said that they find prayer to be easy. Perhaps you think that you are the only person who struggles in this area, but that’s not true. We all struggle with prayer at times. it seems that every time we start to pray, the phone will ring, or the doorbell will go, or we think of a hundred and one different things we should have done. I’m sure this happens because the enemy knows how effective our prayers are and will try at any cost to keep us from communicating with heaven. It’s important to recognise that our prayers do accomplish much and that communication between us and our heavenly Father is essential.
Jesus was intimate in His prayers. He spoke to God as if He really knew Him and even called Him His ‘Daddy’. He didn’t feel He needed to use old-fasioned language to speak to God, but spoke to Him as He would to a friend. Jesus had an intimate friendship with His heavenly Dad, which ad developed from the beginning of Time. God wants us to get to know Him intimately and the only way to do that is to talk with Him often. If you wanted to develop a friendship with someone, the way you would do that is to communicate with them. If you went to someone and tried to talk with them but they ignored you, then eventually you would give up and walk away. Friendship means you need to have communication in both ways.
This week’s EXERCISE
Write a prayer to God about your family and friends. People often find that writing out their prayer helps to focus their thoughts and become more specific. After you have written it, read it out aloud to God. It may be good to read other people’s prayers in the Bible before you start writing your own. Look at Jesus prayer for himself, his disciples and for us in John 17. Look at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-21 or Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:2-11. Look at Jabez prayer for himself in
1 Chr 4:9 + 10. May these prayers inspire you as you write your own prayer to God.
There are many other exercises in my books ‘Spiritual Health Plan’ and also
‘50 Creative Ideas’ which will further your walk with God. You can purchase both of these books online on the shop page. Join me again next week for more exercises.
01 March 2010
Nature
Nature Meditation
It is important to realise that because the enemy often tries to deceive us, we should always make sure that what we receive from God through meditation is consistent with Scripture.
This week’s EXERCISE
Try meditating on some grapes. Buy yourself a little bunch of grapes. You can choose green or black grapes. As you meditate, remember to use your senses. Look at the grapes, feel them, smell them, taste them and ask God to reveal something to you through them. Write down what God shows you through this meditation and do write to me to tell me what God says to you. You may find some quiet background music helpful.
There are many other exercises in my book ‘Spiritual Health Workout’ which will further your walk with God. You can purchase this book online on the shop page. I look forward to joining you next week.
