Personal Development
Christian Meditation – What Areas of My Life Can I Expect to Improve by Meditating?
Christian Meditation – What Areas of My Life Can I Expect to Improve by Meditating?
Meditation Benefits and Affirmations to Get You Started!
Christian meditation should be a foundational practice in every believer’s life. Meditating on God’s Word greatly improves the quality of life in every area.
Anyone can access the benefits of meditation. Whatever your beliefs may be, we all live in the world God created. That being said…
it is through meditation on the living Word of God that ultimately manifests the blessings of God.
Take a look at some ways our lives will improve:
Meditation Brings Mental Stability
The mind has creative power and we are told to prepare our minds. (1 Peter 1:13)
God’s Word causes joy and rejoicing in our heart. It changes the way we see our self, our family, and our future. It helps us start seeing our self and our life the way God does.
Sample biblical affirmations to meditate on for a sound mind:
- I have been given a spirit of power and love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
- God is not the author of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
- God keeps me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed on Him. (Isaiah 26:3)
Meditation Blesses us Physically
Meditation is like medicine. It is life to our spirit and flesh. Everything we need is in the word. Once we act on the meditated Word of God, we tap into the abundance of God. Physical and financial provision has already been provided, but it is up to us to act in order to receive.
Sample biblical affirmations to meditate on for physical needs:
- I prosper and I am in health, just as my soul prospers. (3 John 2)
- The Lord heals all my diseases and keeps me from destruction. (Psalm 103:3-4)
- The Lord sent His Word and healed me. (Psalm 107:20)
- By Jesus stripes I was healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
Meditation Provides Spiritual Growth
Physical and emotional blessings are just the natural created gifts we receive when we meditate and spend time in His presence. Faith, love and spiritual growth in many areas will also soon begin to manifest.
Sample biblical affirmations to meditate on for spiritual growth:
- Christ dwells in my heart through faith and I am rooted and grounded in love and grow in God’s love, which passes knowledge, and I am filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
As we tap into the abundance of God and His never ending supply, we will begin to experience growing prosperity in all areas of our lives. And meditation, which affects us both spiritually and physically, is part of God’s plan.
What is your next step? Take what you have just learned and put it to work in your life. Then watch as the power of Christian meditation transforms your life!
God bless you,
Brenda
Leadership – How Can the Power of Loyalty in a Leader Result in the Blessings of Success?
Leadership – How Can the Power of Loyalty in a Leader Result in the Blessings of Success?
Loyalty is Required to Reap the Full Reward
Leadership is a powerful directing force for any nation, group, or family.
The quality of a leader greatly impacts the followers and where they end up.
And the power of loyalty is a core element that results in leading the people into success.
Loyalty is a Key Qualification for Leaders
It is often thought, when someone is looking to step into a position, that in order to qualify they need to be the most talented or gifted person for the position. However, it is the loyal and faithful who are the most qualified to be leaders.
It is also thought that the friendly, flashy, outgoing person might be the best one for the job. But do not make the mistake in thinking that. A core requirement for leadership is loyalty and faithfulness and not anything else. A loyal person can be taught the skills needed for the job.
“It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
— 1 Corinthians 4:2
Loyalty is Required to Reap the Full Reward
Success comes to the loyal and faithful ones. One day we all hope to hear those famous words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
In the good times everyone seems loyal. Those who remain supportive through the difficult times are different from those who come in when everything is working well. No doubt, loyalty is most appreciated in hard times.
Loyalty Needed for a Successful Team of People
One person can only do so much. Growing success requires building a loyal team of people. In fact, no team will be strong and effective if they are not loyal.
It would actually be better to work alone than with a team of disloyal, disgruntled, and disunited people. One disloyal person breeds strife, hatred, and murmuring like smoke that quickly fills the whole house. Whenever there is distrust and disloyalty, the people are on guard and stray away.
Effective leaders exhibit loyalty and faithfulness. People are attracted by genuine love and commitment and repelled by disunity and discord. Loyal leaders influence their followers to be an effective and loyal team of people, who in turn create loyal successors.
Bottom line: Those who benefit from the blessings of success are the faithful and loyal ones. Without loyalty every organization constantly undergoes disintegration. Loyal leaders build loyal teams that remain committed in the good times and bad so that all can benefit from the blessings of success.
May you be a loyal and faithful leader and enjoy a life of growing prosperity!
Be blessed to be a blessing –
Cheers,
Brenda
Top 5 Proven Techniques for Living a Truly Happy and Joyful Life Inside and Out!
Top 5 Proven Techniques for Living a Truly Happy and Joyful Life Inside and Out!
Learn to Be Happy by Adjusting Your Thinking and Living Habits!
True happiness can be experienced by all who apply ‘happiness habits’ to their day. There are some who are simply born with a happy disposition. But the truth is; most people have to learn to be happy by thinking and living in a particular way.
Often people are happy in life when everything is going just right. Yet those who have learned how to be truly happy aren’t always the ones who ‘have it all.’ External circumstances do not control their level of happiness. They have discovered the secret of being able to experience an underlying peace and well-being; which is the essence of true happiness.
Happy people live their lives differently. And when acquiring any new skill, it pays to learn from the pro.
“We can think of happiness as a skill no different from learning to play a musical instrument…it is possible to train our minds to be happy.” – Richard Davidson, Ph.D. UW-Madison
So if you are ready to let some joy shine through you from the inside out, then take a look at these five key skills.
Top 5 Proven Techniques for True Happiness
1) Notice and Give Thanks for the Happy Things in Your Life
Learn to take note of everything good and positive in your life, regardless of how small. What are the things that you see, feel, taste, hear, or smell that bring pleasure?
Intention activates a part of the brain, the reticular activating system (RAS), which is responsible for turning on our memory and allowing it to bring anything important to our attention. When you decide to look for the positive, your RAS makes sure that is what you see.
We tend to feed the unhappy, negative side of life. Make it a game to see how many good things you notice during the day. Take a few moments to savor the positive things and make it a habit to feed your happiness.
2) Do Not Believe Everything You Think
Do not believe everything you think. Our thoughts are not always true.
For example, you may give a presentation and focus in on the one person with a frown on their face, and think you’re doing a terrible job. Yet the fact is you are really doing a great job, but you do not notice the rest of the group that is smiling and nodding.
It is said that we average one thought per second during our waking hours and the vast majority are habitual, negative thoughts. This whirlwind of automatic negative thoughts can stimulate parts of the brain that involve depression and anxiety.
Learn not to believe every negative thought that wants to hijack your happiness, and instead focus in on the positive compliments. It is important to break the natural tendency to register the negative thoughts, feelings, and experiences more deeply than the positive happy ones.
3) Exchange the Bad Thought for the Happy Thought
When challenged with negative, unhappy thoughts and feelings in a situation, learn to exchange them for equally true, positive, happy thoughts.
For example, have you ever faced a deadline and thought it was going to be impossible to finish on time? Why not exchange that self-defeating thought by searching your mind for an equally true positive thought such as: I regularly manage to get things done on time and I can ask for help.
Learn to be more optimistic and see the glass half full. Pay more attention to the positive part of the truth in a given situation and lean into those thoughts. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.
4) Appreciate the People in Your Life
People with good social relationships tend to be happy. Under times of stress we need the support of friends and family. And the best way to keep relationships happy and healthy is through appreciation.
“One of the most important things a person can do to raise his or her happiness level is to acknowledge those around them.” – Judith W. Umlas (author of The Power of Acknowledgement)
By showing appreciation to others for the support they give us, we reinforce that behavior; which in turn deepens our relationship with them. Engaging and communicating with others during times of stress has a calming effect and keeps us on the road to happiness.
5) Live with a Passion and a Purpose
Bringing a sense of purpose and passion to your routine activities will boost your happiness. Think about the activities in your life that you are passionate about. What is it about those things that make you happy?
One person may feel like an underpaid janitor, but another may passionately do their job the best they can with a purpose to make the building a beautiful place for others.
Learn to incorporate purpose and passion in your daily life at work and at home. Do all things gladly from the heart as unto the Lord.
The truth is: You do not have to let life just toss you around in unhappy waters. You can choose to learn new skills, live your life differently, and raise your level of happiness. 🙂
May your happiness increase daily and your life be filled with growing prosperity!
God bless you –
Cheers,
Brenda
Christian Meditation – What if My Meditation Time is Not Getting Results?
Christian Meditation – What if My Meditation Time is Not Getting Results?
Insights and Tips into Christian Meditation that Get Results!
Christian meditation –
is meant to be a part of
every believer’s life.
Okay…
So what do we do if we’ve been
meditating on God’s Word,
but our lives still seem to be a big mess?
“Meditate day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written.”
— Joshua 1:8
The Faithful Get Results
God commands us to meditate. So we need to practice it regardless of whether or not we think it is making a difference.
The truth is: If we work the Word, the Word will work in our life and make a positive difference.
We’ve already spent our lifetime making a mess of things and filling our mind and heart with junk. Even if we are not seeing positive results, we should continue to obey God’s instruction to meditate and eventually positive results will manifest.
Have you ever found it interesting that the Bible is full of “suddenly” verses? Meditating daily on the power filled Word of God, sets us up for a suddenly.
Let me tell you, when the “suddenly” hits and the eyes of your understanding are opened, your life will begin to transform. So even if you feel like your meditation time is not getting results – Do Not Stop!
You may just be on the verge of a “suddenly”.
Keep in mind: Christian meditation is a form of worship and it honors God. Our heart should be set on the giving of our time to the Word of God and our relationship with Him first; not with a focus of “how will this benefit me.”
A Powerful Biblical Meditation Prayer
Here is a really simple way to have the Word of God come alive in your life: Pray Ephesians chapter one every day. Write it out on a note card and keep it with you always. Record yourself reading it and listen to it daily. Make it personal and put your name into it.
This is just a snippet (wait until you read the whole chapter):
“…God I am asking You to give unto me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. I’m asking You God, to open the eyes of my understanding, that I may be enlightened, and know the hope of Your calling…”
Do this daily for at least six months. The Word of God will soon become a different book to you. You’ll begin to see things you never did before! At any moment a “suddenly” can happen in your life.
Bottom line: Diligence will eventually be rewarded and obedience does not go unnoticed. Stay a faithful Christian and commit to a life of meditation on God’s Word!
Are you ready to renew your commitment to daily Christian meditation?
God bless you,
Brenda
Self-Esteem – 7 Ways to Live With Bold Confidence
Self-Esteem – 7 Ways to Live With Bold Confidence
Transform Yourself Into a Shining Success!
Healthy self-esteem and bold confidence,
when put to work in your life…
have transforming power to make you a shining success.
Have you been living with intimidation, self-doubt, anxiety, fear, and rejection? If so, then you know it is time to change the insecurity into security.
Do yourself a favor and take a little time to focus on some ways you can overcome those negative, unwanted traits you’ve been carrying around for way too long.
7 Ways to Help You Live With Bold Confidence:
1.) CHOOSE TO RISE ABOVE
Make a commitment to yourself today, to begin overcoming the weaknesses and inadequacies you’ve been dealing with. Even though it will take hard work and you are bound to mess up along the way, make a conscious decision to keep pressing on and rising above. You are worth it!
2.) SPEND TIME WITH ENCOURAGERS
Be cautious who you spend time with. Your relationships are a key factor in overcoming a low self-esteem. Choose to spend time with encouragers. Regardless of your past, you can have healthy relationships.
“He that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
— Proverbs 13:20
3.) SHIFT YOUR FOCUS ON OTHERS
There is a great empowerment that comes from shifting your focus off yourself and on to others. It is easy to keep our minds focused on our own problems, fears, and insecurities. But this only intensifies them. Look around at someone struggling and reach out to lend a hand. True peace comes from giving.
4.) MAKE YOUR POSITIVE THOUGHTS RULE
Keep your mind filled with positive, empowering, confidence building, and happy thoughts. Overcoming a negative, and weak self-image is going to require that you eliminate those self-defeating thoughts. Squeeze them out of your mind by replacing them with healthy, confident thoughts.
Remember, God is not the one who gave you a spirit of fear. He gave you a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind! (2 Timothy 1:7)
5.) LEAVE THE PAIN IN THE PAST
Do not waste any more time replaying painful, embarrassing, or intimidating experiences from your past. This keeps you stuck and prevents you from walking into the future with the bold confidence needed to succeed. You do not have to let others (or past memories) cause you to lack confidence and live with insecurity.
Forgive anyone that has hurt you, and forgive yourself while you are at it. Then put the painful past behind you and face your future with strong confidence.
6.) TRUST GOD
God has a good plan for our lives. If we spend our lives trusting in ourselves and other people, the result is disappointment after disappointment. We need to put our trust in God and let him guide us. He is the one that will give us the desires of our heart. (Psalm 37:3-6)
7.) TALK CONFIDENCE
Just like it is vital to your self-esteem to get control of your thoughts, the same is true of your words. What are you saying about yourself? Do you make self-defeating confessions such as: ‘I am so ugly,’ ‘I am such a loser,’ ‘I am worthless,’ ‘I am stupid,’ ‘I never do anything right,’ etcetera?
The words we speak have power to affect us for the good or bad. Use this knowledge to empower yourself with confidence building confessions. It does not matter if you or others have spoken negative, curses over your life; you now have the choice to speak positive, encouraging, faith-filled words.
“In all things I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me.”
— Romans 8:37
Your next step? Make the decision to begin applying these seven steps to help you conquer low self-esteem, intimidation, fear, and insecurity. Encourage yourself and refuse to give up. God says you are a victor and you really can be all that God has called you to be. You can live with bold confidence and transform yourself into a shining success.
May you live empowered with bold confidence and enjoy a life of growing prosperity!
Soar higher in Him –
God bless you,
Brenda
P.S. Do you have any additions for this list? Feel free to share…
How to Prosper and Achieve Incredible Success with the Powerful Skill of Diligence!
How to Prosper and Achieve Incredible Success with the Powerful Skill of Diligence!
This Rare but Powerful Skill is the Prosperous Key to Helping Make Your Dreams a Reality
Prosperous outcomes –
require the use of powerful skills.
How would you like to become one in 1000…
who accomplishes abundant success?
In every project we take on,
as well as every goal we go after,
we will get results anywhere from extraordinary to disastrous.
The Prosperous Key to Making Dreams a Reality
Take a look at the lives of successful people and you’ll see that they have encountered final outcomes in one or more aspects of their lives from this range.
The exception: When it comes to the prosperous areas of their lives, the successful results are from putting into practice the simple, but extremely powerful skill of diligence.
Diligence was the key that helped them make their dreams a reality.
“Do you see a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings.”
— Proverbs 22:29
Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Walt Disney, Henry Ford, and Bill Gates are just a few of the people who have used the skill of diligence.
Why Do So Few People Fully Utilize Diligence?
The truth is it is a skill that can be learned by anyone regardless of their education, background, or IQ. True diligence is a rare, valuable trait that runs contrary to human nature.
Everyone has characteristics that happen to be part of the human condition. These types of characteristics create our natural drives, tendencies, strengths, as well as weaknesses. Diligence, although, is just not one of them.
Actually, the characteristic universal to all mankind is the desire, or drive, for quick gratification. We desire as much as we can acquire, as quickly as we can acquire it, by using as little work as possible. This is our human nature. Everyone has a natural tendency to pursue the path of least resistance.
“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.”
— Proverbs 21:5
Thankfully, in spite of this natural tendency, we can decide to undertake a path of greater resistance and grow diligent in the pursuit of every venture, assignment, or goal. And when a person develops this type of diligence, it is possible to achieve incredible success in any significant area of life.
Diligence to Prosper
Diligence is often described as a persistent and hard-working effort in doing something.
Diligence is working at something with persistence in addition to working smart. Doing it right, or to put it another way, doing it on time to the highest possible standards achievable, regardless of what is required or anticipated. It means bringing creative thinking, persistence, and in many cases incorporating other individuals as well as outside resources into the work to achieve incredible success.
Seem difficult and too much to handle?
That is because true diligence consists of numerous qualities. That’s the reason true diligence is extremely rare and hard to find. However, let me just say, you can begin incorporating these qualities of excellence today and start developing the skill of diligence. And you need to know that anybody can develop it.
Why not develop this rare, but powerful skill of diligence that is your prosperous key to helping make your dreams a reality?
Make no mistake about it; prosperous outcomes are possible when we have perfected the skill of diligence. We can make use of it in all critical areas of our lives, in any undertaking or goal; to quickly achieve amazing results. We can make use of it to change lousy careers into great careers; okay relationships into wonderful relationships; and a faltering business into a prosperous one.
May you develop the powerful skill of diligence and achieve a life of growing prosperity!
Be blessed to be a blessing –
Cheers,
Brenda
What Are 3 Key Mistakes Christians Make When Meditating God’s Word?
What Are 3 Key Mistakes Christians Make When Meditating God’s Word?
Overcome Obstacles that Try to Keep You From Time in His Divine Presence
Christian meditation is a valuable time that opens up truths and leads us into the great mysteries of God.
As children of God we should have a heart to seek wisdom and understanding of the Lord’s ways.
“My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.” — Psalm 49:3
There is great wisdom in the Word of God just waiting to be revealed… but we have to do our part to discover it.
When Christians begin to meditate, they often make these 3 key mistakes:
1. Meditation Becomes a Religious Chore
First off, Christian meditation should not be looked at as a religious chore. We should look at it as an exciting time that keeps us blessed, happy, peaceful, successful, and prosperous even in times of trouble; because we are tapped in the power of God.
Once we make it a chore, our heart is no longer in it and we are no longer open to receiving. This essentially defeats the purpose to begin with.
So always remember what a blessing and privilege it is to spend time alone with the King of kings; God Himself. It is a gift to spend time in the power of His divine presence.
2. Lack of Flexibility When Meditating
The second mistake that many Christians make is jumping into meditation with a strict, fixed schedule. This can be a setup for failure if flexibility is not included in the mix.
We all know life is constantly showing up with the unexpected. And unfortunately, an unexpected interruption in a strict meditation routine will become an easy excuse to stop meditating all together. Allow yourself to be flexible with time and method, especially when getting started.
3. Failing to be Consistent When Meditating
The third mistake is failing to be consistent in the long run. Meditation can be practiced in different forms. So start with one or two ways that feel comfortable for you. Begin with a simple method and schedule that will allow you to be consistent.
The goal is to make meditating God’s Word a habit. That way, the Word of God will be built up in us and help us stand strong when the storms of life blow through. It is not about waiting to meditate as soon as a need arises in our life.
If you are a believer that has not yet made meditation a regular part of your life, well there is no better day than today to get started. If you are already meditating on God’s Word regularly, then keep at it and be consistent. The more time spent in meditation the easier it becomes.
In conclusion: Meditation enables us to purposefully take the time to draw near and make a connection to God. Do not let these common mistakes get in your way. We are well rewarded for the little effort meditating takes!
Are you ready to commit to daily Christian meditation in the empowering, living Word of God?
God bless you,
Brenda
Meditation Results – What Are the 3 Most Effective Christian Meditation Techniques?
Meditation Results – What Are the 3 Most Effective Christian Meditation Techniques?
Christian Meditation Techniques that Get Results!
Christian meditation is vital for every believer.
Meditation can take on many forms and techniques.
This means there is no excuse not to…
meditate on God’s Word.
The following three keys will help you find the most effective Christian meditation techniques:
A Method of Meditation that Fits You
Remember there are many different ways and techniques to meditate God’s Word. Pondering, thinking deeply, affirming, contemplating, musing, and reflecting are some of the options. Speculating, memorizing, confessing, praying, reciting, singing, speaking, and focused study are also techniques that can be used to meditate on the Word of God.
Our goal?
To make our meditation time effective. In order to do that, we should start with a method that fits our personality. This will provide the best results in the short-term and long-term.
So, let’s say for example, you are someone who likes to read; then get alone and put your face in the Bible. Dig in and read, study, and take notes.
Or for example, if you are someone who learns best with audio; then listen to the Bible or scripture affirmations on CD. Or record your own.
There are so many resources and tools at our disposal today, including free and paid, that believers are truly without excuse when it comes to daily meditation. There are Christian meditation books, CDs, podcasts, etcetera.
Confess With Your Mouth
Regardless of the techniques chosen, it is EXTREMELY important to speak the Word of God out loud. We need to hear our self speaking and confessing Bible truths. This is how we get them planted into our heart and soul.
Hearing our self speak divine, scriptural truths is empowering to our spirit, mind, and body.
It also builds our faith. Faith increases when we hear others speak the Word of God, but it is even more effective when it is the confession of our own mouth.
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God.”
— Romans 10:17
The Power of Repetition
The final key point to make here about effective meditation techniques is repetition, repetition, repetition.
Look again at the above quote from Romans. Notice it does not say faith comes by hearing one time. It tells us we need to hear the Word of God over and over to build our faith.
No doubt about it: It is with daily confession and repetition that we unleash the power of the living Word of God in our lives. When the negative lies of the world are squeezed out, our lives will be transformed as we begin to speak the truths of God’s Word from the abundance of our heart!
Let me ask you this: What is stopping you from putting the power of Christian meditation to work in your life?
Cheers,
Brenda