Meditation and Prayer Mingled

When it comes to the subject of Christian meditation, and having been drawn to this in my life consistently for over 40 yrs., I've come to realize that meditation is not something that needs to be put on a strict schedule, or a ritual. Seeking the presence of God is for me, a moment by moment vital part of my life. My inner life, and outward daily business mingles and adjusts as the need arises. Whatever I'm facing in the day, my first attention is drawn inward, where the Holy Spirit dwells, and an inner silent prayer for His help in whatever is before me that needs to be done. Yes, there's times of intentionally getting alone, and spending quality time without distractions, and being able to sit and put all my attention on a verse of scripture or some text, and probing deeply and seeking the Presence of God, to bring light to what I'm studying. But, I've learned that wherever I go, and whatever I'm doing He is there-as David speaks to us in Psalm 139:7-8:
​Psa 139:7  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 
Psa 139:8  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 

A man named Brother Lawrence, a monk who lived in the 1600's wrote a book on his method of seeking God's presence daily, in every situation he was in, and learned to come to realize the reality of the ever-present Spirit of God, regardless whether he was in the midst of his daily tasks, or on his knees in prayer. Some information I've found concerning this man: "Brother LAWRENCE (1614 - 1691)- The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery's kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual counselor. The Practice of the Presence records his last words of advice to his friends and disciples, as he suffered from an unnamed illness which would eventually take his life. 
The details of his early life are few and sketchy. However, we know he was educated both at home and by his parish priest whose first name was Lawrence and who was greatly admired by the young Nicolas. He was well read and, from an early age, drawn to a spiritual life of faith and love for God."

I have put a link of an audio book of his "The Practice of the Presence of God" to the right hand column with several other's by Madame Guyon under Resources. More will be added to this as I come across them. Anyone seeking a deeper prayer life will I'm sure, find them helpful.

Meditation and prayer can deepen to the place where one mingles with the other; and the Holy Spirit will many times bring understanding, and wisdom when our spirits become totally engaged in seeking Him, and His path for us. This is the place the gifts of the Holy Spirit will many times manifest on a deeper level, because outside interferences have been swept away, and the Holy Spirit has engulfed us. When this precious experience takes place, it's very difficult to leave it. This is the time when many in this deep level of meditation, don't want to come out of it, and would like the Lord to just take us home. That's what causes some of us to get depressed-we've gotten a glimpse of the other side, and don't want to stay here. I believe this may have been one of the problems Charles Spurgeon had in his lifetime. It's recorded he had many serious bouts with depression, that would last weeks, and months. I believe this is one of the reasons why. In his writings it's evident to me, that he was a serious man of prayer, and his eloquence in describing his devotion to Christ is nourishment to my spirit, but this level of devotion and love for Christ, had to come at a great price. I will use one of his excerpts here, because it gives a taste of his ability to bring to life, just one verse of scripture-and I'm sure you will hear the deep level of hunger in what he puts into print:

​Psa 25:5  Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 

“Lead me in thy truth, and teach me.” The same request as in the last verse. The little child having begun to walk, asks to be still led onward by its parent's helping hand, and to be further instructed in the alphabet of truth. Experimental teaching is the burden of this prayer. Lead me according to thy truth, and prove thyself faithful; lead me into truth that I may know its preciousness, lead me by the way of truth that I may manifest its spirit. David knew much, but he felt his ignorance and desired to be still in the Lord's school; four times over in these two verses he applies for a scholarship in the college of grace. It were well for many professors if instead of following their own devices, and cutting out new paths of thought for themselves, they would enquire for the good old ways of God's own truth, and beseech the Holy Ghost to give them sanctified understandings and teachable spirits. “For thou art the God of my salvation.” The Three-One Jehovah is the Author and Perfector of salvation to his people. Reader, is he the God of your salvation? Do you find in the Father's election, in the Son's atonement, and in the Spirit's quickening all the grounds of your eternal hopes? If so, you may use this as an argument for obtaining further blessings; if the Lord has ordained to save you, surely he will not refuse to instruct you in his ways. It is a happy thing when we can address the Lord with the confidence which David here manifests, it gives us great power in prayer, and comfort in trial. “On thee do I wait all the day.” Patience is the fair handmaid and daughter of faith; we cheerfully wait when we are certain that we shall not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord in service, in worship, in expectancy, in trust all the days of our life. Our faith will be tried faith, and if it be of the true kind, it will bear continued trial without yielding. We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously he once waited for us." (Treasury of David -  Charles Haydon Spurgeon)

This was a man who had come to the place that the Word of God, was food and drink to him; but again, I know it came at a great cost to him. You and I are still benefiting from his dedication and hunger for God today, in what he wrote in his lifetime.

I'll leave this with a short bit of a burden I've had on my heart for a long time. The youth in this generation and the last several before this, who are being brought up to believe they came from a slime pit, a mud pond. Scientists, atheists and teachers in schools who've taught them there is no God, and when they die, that's it-they just die and return to the ground. It's a lie, but many have bought the lie. My prayer is that somehow, God would bring light into the darkness of the kids hearts and lives and they would find Him, and learn what a price Jesus paid for their souls, and would get saved. The battles being waged for the souls of men and women, and kids is coming to a crisis point. The signs are everywhere that Jesus is about to return. Few are ready.

If you seek Jesus with your heart, you will find Him. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Let your heart and thoughts be turned to the One who created you, knows all about you, and loves you. Let Him be that friend-who will lead you in the way everlasting.

Lead Me in Thy Truth

​​In the way which thou regardest as truth, or which thou seest to be true. Truth is eternal and unchanging. What God sees and regards as truth is true, because he sees things as they are; and when we have the divine estimate of anything, we understand what the thing is. It is not that he makes it to be true, but that he sees it to be true. Such is the perfection of His nature that we have the utmost assurance that what God regards as truth is truth; what He proclaims to be right is right. It is then His truth, as He adopts it for the rule of His own conduct, and makes it known to His creatures to guide them.   Albert Barnes

The Truth Will Set You Free

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 
Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 
Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 
Joh 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

​​Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 
Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 
Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 
Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 
Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.