Engaging Your Spirit to be Here with God
Be here with Me. Don't go somewhere else. Don't try to decide where I am, as if looking for Me in a certain place will make Me appear there when I am here, right here, with you.
Finding Me is not complicated. There is no magic formula for it. Do you want to know Me? Do you want to be with Me? Go deeper. I am here—in your heart. Do you know the way to your heart? How else can you find it other than looking inside yourself and finding Me there, with (in) you?
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So often, we look for God outside of ourselves. Yes, He is in everything—in the air we breathe, in nature, in beauty, in people—which means we can encounter Him in infinite places. Yet, how often do we make finding Him complicated, prescriptive—I should pray this prayer, I should read this scripture, I should go to this church group—and forget that sometimes we can miss Him when we don't look for Him where He most especially loves to dwell, our hearts?
Today's encounter is profound and simple, not confusing or complicated. It can take a few minutes or much more, however long you want it to last.
Begin by finding a quiet place where you can be alone. Get comfortable there, placing a pillow behind your back. You may want to take off your shoes.
Once settled, relax your body by rolling your wrists and ankles for a few moments. Then, gently roll your shoulders, then your head and neck.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, consciously inhaling and exhaling so that your abdomen expands as you let in air and contracts as you push the air out.
As you continue to breathe, consider how you feel: Relaxed? Anxious? Sad? Disappointed? Content? Spend some moments telling God about that. Share with Him your emotions—and do your best to tell Him why you feel the way you do. But, if you don't know how you feel—or if you don't know why you feel the way you do—don't worry about having to figure it out on your own. Ask Him to help you discern your deeper emotions. Trust Him to guide you. Let Him guide the conversation. Listen to your heartbeat. Listen to what God is speaking to you.
Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me discern my emotions. I am feeling…
Right now, I consecrate my mind, heart, and body. I invite You into this moment. I bring all of myself under your authority. Please help me open my heart and give it fully to You.
Pause here for a few moments, allowing yourself time to listen to what God is saying. Perhaps write down the conversation you are having with God in your journal.
Lord, I hear you saying…
Then, please choose one of the sets of verses below, read it a few times, and contemplate it. Allow your heart to receive it and God to speak it directly to you:
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Psalm 46: 9-10).
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own" (1 Corinthians 6:19).
"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:9-10).
"You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17).
"Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father'" (Galatians 4:6).
Change the point of view for the particular verses you chose so you are speaking words back to God. For instance, for Psalm 46: 9-10, you might say: "I will be still and know that You are God...You are with me; You are my refuge."
Then, change your physical posture somehow. If you were sitting, you could stand up. Or if you were standing, you may want to try lying down. In this new position, no matter how you are situated, be aware of your body—both physically and spiritually. Be aware of how you inhabit a physical and spiritual space right now.
In this physical-spiritual space, speak aloud to God those verses you have rewritten. Or, sing a song of praise to Him. Or, play a worship song aloud and invite your spirit to sing it. (Below are some ideas).
Be here. Experience yourself and God together—not like you are watching a movie of you and God together. Rather, be in the movie. Be here, with God. Stand before Him. Open up your hand and extend it to Him. Open the eyes of your heart and see Him. What does He do when you extend your hand?
Stay here for at least ten minutes. (Setting a timer helps me relax and not worry about the clock.) Be with Him.
Lord, here I am.
Here I am.
Here I am.
I am here.
With the spiritual eyes of my heart, I see You, and I love You…
Amen.
