Karen Zerby
GN 1194 FD/MM/FM / Feast 2007
By Maria 3621[b] 10/06
Continued from GN 1193
185. (Spirit helper:) My name is Aquiah, [pronounced "Uh-KWI-uh"] and my spirit carries the beauty and strength of quietness, meditation, and reflection. I move slowly and I whisper calmly. I bring calm to your mind. I teach you to settle your thoughts and to focus your energies on Jesus, on peace, on Heaven, and on God. I breathe thoughts to your mind that open you up to entering into peaceful rest and meditation with your Lover. I will bring the concepts and the thoughts that will best settle you in spirit and bring you into that place of complete openness, to the quietness Jesus wants to give you.
186. I settle you. I calm you. I introduce you to that spirit of peace and quiet where your mind is perfectly at ease as your spirit rests in your Lover's arms and finds strength, renewal, and fulfillment through His love. I move slowly, like a feather floating on the wind. I bring results.
187. I can ease your mind. I can slow you down in the flesh. I can calm your mood and help you to change your mode of operation and enter into that quiet spirit. I can help you to settle at your Master's feet, away from the work and the duties. My nature is quietness and rest. I bring calm.
188. Call on me to help calm your mind as you enter your garden of rest and meditation. I will help you to put the world aside, your thoughts aside‚ your burdens aside. And, if you call on me, I can bring to your mind thoughts of peace and quiet, concepts or precepts to meditate on that will connect you to your Lover in reflection and rest, and I can help you to truly benefit from each moment spent in the temple with Him.
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189. (Jesus: ) She's beautiful, isn't she?—And so needed for everyone in the Family, for all have been working hard and have need of her quiet‚ calming spirit.
190. I created her in Heaven and she has never lived on Earth; that's one reason why the spirit of renewal that she brings to you will be so heavenly and will help you to leave the cares of the world behind.
191. She was created for this time, for now, as a touch of My love to all of My children in the Family who continue to work very hard to build their winning teams and to learn how to follow the new moves of My Spirit. She is My love gift to you to help you to slow down your pace and to bless and strengthen you whenever you spend time in My temple.
192. She works with Heaven's prayer warriors, as well as with your personal prayer angel and praise angels. She is a major helper and is available to help any of you at this important time in the Family's strengthening.
193. Summary: Aquiah is a major spirit helper, created as a touch of the Lord's love for the Family at this time to help us to slow down in calmness and peace as we settle at the Master's feet.
194. (Jesus:) Moses is one of your spirit helpers in regards to meditation. He also plays other roles in the Family, such as being one of your main counselors and giving you wisdom and wise judgment. You already know about Moses being a spirit helper, but you don't yet know of the very valuable help he can give in regards to meditation.
195. He wants to assist each of you with your lifestyle change of slowing down and learning to rest in Me‚ particularly through meditation. He knows what he's talking about because he personally spent 40 years going at a slower pace (Acts 7:29-30), and he will help you to see the benefits of calming your spirit through meditation.
196. Moses is a major spirit helper for the Family, and he is one of your major helpers in the area of helping you learn how to meditate. He has the authority and training in the spirit, directly from Me and from other important spirit helpers, and his influence in the Family is great.
197. Moses learned about quietness and stillness of spirit from his 40 years in the wilderness shepherding sheep. He learned from this slower pace of life how to calm his spirit, how to meditate, and how to make meditation a valuable part of communion with Me. He received comfort and encouragement from the stillness of quiet meditation.
198. Moses' training didn't end with the 40 years. I continued to instruct him and teach and train him as he led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. There were many times when he was pushed beyond his natural limits with them, and I taught him to find his strength in his times away from the crowds, up on the mountain, or even within his tent when he would shut all else out and quietly be refreshed.
199. Moses learned the value of quietness and meditation and time away from it all, times when his spirit was calmed and strengthened and renewed.
200. One advantage Moses had that many of you don't have is that he wasn't familiar with Me. My voice was sometimes audible‚ the plagues were very tangible, My judgments were swift and obvious. And he had been raised an Egyptian, and only came to know Me in his later years. So he lacked familiarity, and that made it much easier for him to give Me the time that I asked of him. He knew it was important.
201. Moses can help impart to you that same respect and reverence for taking those times of quiet with Me, rather than brushing them off or postponing them or cutting them short.
202. Summary: Moses is a major spirit helper, who learned from 40 years of personal experience through a slower-paced life style‚ and then through a very trying and long haul with the Children of Israel, how to meditate for his comfort and encouragement. He can help you learn the art of meditation.
203. (Channel: ) I'm seeing a figure taking shape. He's sitting on a settee by a window—one of those old arched stone castle–like windows. He's dressed in a robe, playing a harp. He's singing some of the Psalms and he has such a beautiful voice. It's not just his voice that is so beautiful, it's the sincerity and love and depth of spirit I can feel when he sings.
204. (Jesus:) You are all very familiar with him—although you probably never thought of him as the master of meditation that he is—but he is none other than King David of old. Here he is revered and highly honored in the skill and craft of meditation and resting in Me. It is a craft, after all—something you learn by practice over time. It's a spiritual principle and practice that is continued here in this realm, even though everyone has the added benefit of being in and surrounded by My presence at all times.
205. David is a special helper in the meditation department—as well as Moses, and some others—because he lived on Earth and learned to overcome; he learned to rise above the natural and carnal that pull and drain; he learned through his experiences and breakings the supreme worth and power of meditation and the art of fully resting in Me. By no means does that mean it came easily for him; quite the contrary. If anyone can relate to you as having experienced the full spectrum of troubles and obstacles and the woes of life that war against fully resting in Me, David can.
206. As I've often told you, My loves‚ it shouldn't surprise you that what you go through and learn while on Earth can teach lessons to those in My heavenly realm. That's why King David and Moses are still heralded as "greats" or "masters" in this department. What they personally overcame in the natural to gain this merit and level of being masters in the art of meditation was monumental—clearly supernatural. But that doesn't mean it's not doable for you. Just remember what they faced. If in the midst of their times and troubles they could become known as masters of meditation, think of what you can do in your time, given the gifts and weapons of the spirit you have.
207. For instance, you're all familiar with what King David went through: years of strife with his enemies; having to flee and hide out; having to face the scorn and ridicule of others—even his first wife; having to face his own sins and waywardness over Bathsheba; the death of their child; the betrayal of his son, Absalom, and the numerous breakings he went through. I called him, and still continue to call him, a man after My Own heart, because through all that—through those years of trials, persecutions‚ and breakings—he sought My heart above all.
208. Why do you think the Psalms feed your spirit? Why is it that so many of the Psalms impart a peaceful and quiet spirit when you read them? It's because those Psalms carry with them a very special spirit of rest and peace.
209. Those words were born from meditation, from very special times connecting with Me and becoming one with Me. Those words are spirit and they are life. They have fed and inspired and comforted and upheld millions throughout history, and still do to this day—and always will. There is power in those words. This is why King David is one of your helpers when it comes to meditation. He's "been there and done that" in the sense that he's endured the full spectrum of life's trials and tests and challenges and he's come forth as a shining example of having learned to depend on Me and rest in Me.
210. Sure, it was a different time and different circumstances, but all flesh has endured the same tests and lessons and breakings in different wrapping paper. David suffered much, but came through those tests and trials with a rock-solid connection with Me. He forged a connection and love for Me and our times of personal connection that could not be broken by anything life had to throw at him.—Not his job or position and responsibilities as king, his persistent enemies, his heart and emotions as a husband and father, or his own fleshly weaknesses and frailties.
211. You know those beautiful words from Psalm 139: "O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord‚ Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me."
212. How do you think those words came about? They came about through the times of meditation and intimacy David spent with Me. They came about through his breakings and his utter dependence on Me. They came about from those times he had no other shelter to turn to or hide under or lean upon. The Psalms are words from the soul of someone who really knew Me, who really entered into Me—into My presence and into My atmosphere of spiritual peace and trust.
213. That's what those words, and other words of the Psalms, encapsulate: peace and trust and faith. They flowed out of a heart full of praise and love and dependence on Me. David is a master of praise as well. The Psalms are a beautiful testament of praise—pages and pages of beautiful praises to Me. They are praises to Me as a result of finding and continuing to exercise the art of meditation in his life. They are expressions of love and dependence on Me—of finding Me and then dwelling in and resting fully in that blessed and sacred spot where nothing of Earth can touch.
214. Summary: King David is a master of meditation and resting in the Lord and is a special helper in those areas, one who endured the full spectrum of life's tests and challenges and developed a rock–solid personal connection with the Lord as a result. He can help us to do the same.
215. (Concentor: ) I can tell you of so many times that I have helped the Lord's prophets of old and David's children of the Endtime. An example was Moses when he had to draw down power and focus in order to be able to do the miracle of opening the Red Sea. It was a combination of me coming to help him focus and concentrate, along with the power of our Lord; together we made a mighty team to do the miracle before the eyes of many. This helped to increase everyone's faith that day, but more so the faith of Moses, who had to have that Heaven-sent faith in order to help him to continue the mission the Lord had for him.
216. I was there to give him that concentration, even though it was very difficult for him because of the doubts and fears that were being thrown at him. Moses kept his eyes and mind and heart fixed on his Lord. And even though he didn't call on me by name, I was there, because that was my job and always has been—to be called on in times like these to help the Lord's children to concentrate and pull down miracles from Heaven.
217. There are hundreds and even thousands of times that I have come to help the Lord's children. And now, at this time, I am at your command to help you, the children of David, because you have stood the tests and have come out shining—not only because of the victories you have won, but because of all the trying times that you have experienced throughout these years of service to your Husband and King. You have been tried and proven, and now that the Gideon's band is being formed each day, many of you are seeing how important it is to focus on the power from Heaven and strengthen your faith as you rise above the different situations that are coming at you.
218. The force that I am able to deliver is so mighty, it will knock anything that gets in its way for a loop! It's like a lightning bolt that can destroy the evil of Obstacon, who tries to come in and discourage and wreak havoc. When you call on my force to come in, I help you to concentrate and to focus on what you need to do—whether it's a miracle performed, an impossibility accomplished, or even the simplest little thing done. We are intertwined at times to make it more difficult to break our spiritual force field.
219. It is time to ask for my help more and more because of all the distractions that are around you. This concept of your meditation times, which for some has been a little bit of a trial, is where I have to come to help as well.
220. When you start your time of meditation, the Enemy is there to distract you and to try to make you think of something else and get your mind on things of lesser importance.
221. I come in then to create a force field around you, and to help you to feel the security of the spiritual force around you that is protecting you during these times. Then you can drift off from this world and commune with your Husband, and get your minds and hearts off all your daily activities, which sometimes distract you from the spiritual realm. If you could only see with your eyes what happens when you fully concentrate and call on me to help you to do so, you would stand in total amazement, and the emotion and wonder of it would be too overwhelming for your human emotions to handle.
222. As you call on me, I come in in full force to help you to think on the words of your King. And with me helping you to concentrate, wow, it's a reaction that explodes any devices of the Enemy that are trying to come in! This is the power you receive when you call on my help. So be sure to use it, and know that from even the smallest things that need to be done to the largest tasks, you can call on me to help you to concentrate and focus on the power of the keys and the mightiness of the spiritual world. We will fight together to overcome the Enemy's lies and discouragement, to give you the pure focusing power that will help you to keep your mind and heart stayed on Jesus. You will feel me within you‚ around you, and helping you to stay close to the things of the spiritual realm, those things that are important to your spirits to help them stay strong.
223. Summary: Concentor is a spirit helper who helps us focus, concentrate, and get things done. His power can create a spiritual force field around us, enabling us to stay close to the Lord and commune with Him without interference from the Enemy.
224. (Mama:) The Lord also reminds us later‚ in another message, about calling on the Holy Spirit to aid us in connecting with Him in times of meditation and deep communion.
225. (Jesus:) There are so many blessings to be found in resting in Me. It's a wonderland of marvels that you'll never see or experience until you enter this land of peace and leaning on Me, resting on Me, and letting Me carry the load.
226. The Enemy will try to tell you that it's impossible to fully enter this wonderland of rest and spiritual blessing while you're carrying a heavy workload—that first you must lessen your physical work or be freed from some of your heavy responsibilities if you're to truly make it work. But this is not true. Resting in Me and being prayerful, loving, wise and balanced is not synonymous with less work and less responsibility.
227. If you are casting your burdens on Me as you go and letting Me carry your load, if you are desperate to let My Spirit lead you, then I carry you and sustain you. I help you to operate in My Spirit, which lifts the heavy pressure, gives you peace and rest in Me‚ and enables you to be a sample of My love to others in your work and the responsibilities you carry. The work is there, but I am carrying the load of the work‚ not you. Because of this, you are able to be a sample of My love through your interactions with others on a work level; you impart peace and trust in Me; you are led of My Spirit.
228. Sometimes I see fit to free you from some of your workload—either to give you a break, or because I know that it's necessary for you to change bad habits you have formed, such as going too fast, not acknowledging Me enough, not being led of My Spirit enough, not resting in Me enough and allowing Me to actually carry your load.
229. But it is possible, My loves, to rest in Me and live a balanced life while at the same time carrying big responsibilities, because resting in Me and living a balanced life are synonymous with letting Me carry the load, with letting Me bear the weight, with being a new weapon wielder, and with working hand in hand with your spirit helpers. You see?
230. The Enemy wants to tell you that you don't have time to be spiritually strengthened because you have too much work—but the time is always there. My promise is always there that if you cast your burden on Me, I will sustain you; that where I guide, I provide; that I will take you from strength to strength; that if you have a lot to do, you need to spend more time with Me, and I'll help you to accomplish what you are not able to do on your own. These and many other promises are there for you to avail yourself of and live by.
231. The Enemy would like you to think there is no way that you can take the time, that there simply is no time. But if you ask Me to lead you, I can show you how to organize your time and all the things you have to do. If you will open yourself up to Me and ask Me to lead you and help you to rest in Me—even when you have to keep going with the work—and if you will cast your burdens on Me, then I will bear the weight; I will sustain you and lead you by My Spirit.
232. The Enemy would like to twist your conclusions and make you think that resting in Me and going slow equals less work, less responsibility. The truth is that resting in Me and being what I want you to be means casting your burdens on Me; it means letting Me carry the weight; it means walking more in My Spirit. Walking in My Spirit is something you can do all the time, no matter what else you are doing‚ and the more work you have, the more imperative it is to be led of My Spirit.
233. Every Family member is busy, and those who labor on the front lines have in many ways just as heavy a workload as busy leadership; their responsibilities are different, that's all. I want each of My children to learn to let Me carry the weight. The point is not to try to do less of the vital work that is My will for you, but it's to make your time with Me as quality as possible‚ and then to carry Me and My Spirit with you all through the day, so you can do more and do it right because you are being led of My Spirit.
234. If I call you to responsibilities big or small, whatever I call you to do, it must be done in the spirit. I'm calling you to lean on Me‚ to let Me carry the weight, and to let Me shine through you. I want you to be led of Me in everything you do. The goal isn't necessarily to have less work. The goal is to do things more in the spirit, and when you do, you will have the time to do the things that are most important and that I want you to do.
235. Whether you are a busy executive leader, a busy parent, a busy Steering Council member, a busy board member, or a busy Home member‚ I want you to be led of Me. Every Family member is a busy person, but no matter how busy you are, you can still be resting in Me through drawing close to Me in spirit and through teamworking with your heavenly helpers. In spirit you can be at rest, no matter how busy the body is.
236. In the days ahead, each Family member will need to take on even greater responsibilities in order to reap the great harvest of the Endtime, and you'll only be able to do so through resting more in Me; through letting Me help you to carefully plan and organize your priorities and time; through claiming the power of the keys to help you to create better habits and work more closely with your spirit helpers. The goal is not to do less, but to work smarter in the spirit so that you can accomplish all that you need to do for Me.
237. To do things the right way, you must draw close to Me and be spirit-led, and you can be spirit–led no matter what responsibilities you carry.
238. (Jesus:) Meditation is a broad handle for many spiritual concepts. Basically, any time you slow down and think about Me, focus on Me, and stop all the busy thoughts going through your mind and the busy impulses of your spirit, you're well on your way to meditating.
239. Sometimes you could say that you're praying when you're just thinking about Me, communing with Me. Sometimes you're praising—glorifying Me, meditating on My greatness and power, and marveling at My abilities. Sometimes you're just quiet, resting on My bosom. Sometimes you're opening up your channel and letting Me fill you—not with any particular thing‚ but with anything I want to bring to your mind or tell you.
240. There are many forms of meditation, and I encourage you to try them all, to get familiar with them all‚ because each different form or style brings a special blessing for your spirit. They don't all benefit you in the same way; they each do something different for you. The better at them you get‚ the easier it will be for you to slip into that restful, meditative state where I really can carry the burdens, relieve you of your troubles‚ and fill your spirit with Me.
241. So don't worry or struggle to define meditation. The more you get into it, the more you'll understand it. The more you quiet your own spirit and search for Mine—and finding it, just rest there awhile—the more you'll understand what meditation means.
242. You can try all kinds of different avenues, and I encourage you to try them, pursue them, and make them a part of your life. But don't worry too much about technique. The main thing is to rest in My arms, to quiet your own thoughts and drink in My Spirit. That can be accomplished in many ways, through many different avenues of communion and prayer and praise and song and thought and rest.
243. (Jesus: ) The carnal mind thrives on activity and always feels like it needs to be doing something. Most of you have gotten to the point where you understand the concept of really drinking in the Word via reading it or listening to it for large chunks of time, because this is pretty obvious, makes sense, and is something that you can easily do. You know that the more time you spend reading those words, the more they will wear a good groove into your brain and heart, and it makes sense to most of you. You can even see the physical results of this to some extent‚ as the longer you read, or the more frequently you read, you will find those words coming back to you; you will remember them at some point‚ and that will act as logical proof that the Word you read made an impact and did something for you.
244. But where most people need to grow is in the areas of the spirit that are restful, calm, and aren't as easy to see the physical effects of. Things like meditation and resting in Me take effort, and most people only do them to do them, to obey Me by faith, because they haven't really gotten to the point where they have proved that tool yet‚ or seen the good that it can do. I like the faith you manifest, and I do allow whatever steps you take to strengthen your spirits simply because you have obeyed. So doing it out of duty or obedience isn't a bad thing; it's a very good start.
245. But sometimes it's good to spend an extended period of time doing one of these activities, like loving Me intimately, or meditating, or just resting in Me, thinking good thoughts and listening to My love words to you, or listening to songs or something of that nature. The reason I advocate occasionally doing this for long periods of time is because these things tend to be difficult for your carnal mind to accept and yield to, and sometimes the amount of time you spend thinking about it or wondering if you're doing it right or worrying about it, is greater than the time you spend relaxing and benefiting from it. Your carnal mind has a hard time reconciling your lack of physical or mental activity with the benefits that I've advertised in the Word.
246. You feel like you need to be doing more, and like you're wasting time or falling asleep. And because it feels "less feeding" than time in the Word‚ or it overall feels like a bit of a challenge and something new that you're not so good at, the tendency is to do it for shorter periods of time, just to say that you've done it, and just to give yourself a chance to grow in the skill.
247. Again that's good, and it will help, but the downside is that sometimes the point of the exercise is lost because people spend the whole of their short period of time corralling their wandering thoughts‚ or worrying or wondering if what they're doing is having any kind of spiritual effect. Sometimes it's over very quickly and all they did the whole time was wonder and worry if they were doing it right.
248. So sometimes you have to push past that point‚ and just keep going until your doubts and worries melt away and you really are just resting in Me and reveling in My spiritual love and relaxation. The spirit isn't bound by time and place, yet there is a certain reward that comes from length of time spent persevering at a spiritual action.
249. It isn't wise to do this all the time, as My plan isn't for you to have to pray really long prayers or have to spend hours on end meditating. But I'm sure you all can remember a time when the spirit really seemed to whisk you away and take over in a setting where something was quite prolonged. Maybe it was an inspiration or time of singing songs when you just kept going and going, and the spirit really moved in the second or third hour more than it did in the first. Or maybe it was a united prophecy meeting that started out slowly but then got into gear and you practically couldn't stop giving My seeds, and people were weeping and prophesying and speaking in tongues and the spirit was really falling.
250. As I said, these things happen because there is a reward for persevering in the spirit time-wise. I certainly am able to punch through with a heavy dose of the spirit without it taking a lot of time, so it's not like time spent is the only factor‚ but sometimes it does make a difference. And the difference is usually because you humans benefit from that kind of time, because that's how long it can sometimes take for you to shut off your carnal minds, stop thinking about what you're doing, and just do it. Sometimes it takes you that long to really burn free or get fully into the spirit. And if you're always stopping the more "restful" exercises too soon, then you'll miss entering more deeply into that place of rest.
251. It's all about shutting off your mind and letting the spirit move. And as powerful as you are all becoming in controlling your thoughts and being able to turn on your spiritual mind, sometimes you will profit from more time spent at it. You will feel closer to Me after time has passed and you've really let go, than you will at the beginning when you're still cleansing yourself from the work and thoughts of the wings.
252. It's an act of faith. You're not sure exactly what it means to "rest in Me," and you wonder if what you're doing is hitting the mark, but by continuing to do it, by continuing to say love words to Me, or to meditate on Me, or to listen to beautiful praise songs about Me, you show your faith in My counsel, and this faith will eventually overcome your carnal thoughts that threaten to take you out of the spirit.
253. Even though you're not sure how much good it's doing or the effect it's having, to do it anyway is very pleasing in My sight and something that I can bless. And I will let the spirit take over and I will help you to feel the results of this time spent with Me. And even if you don't feel a huge, tangible difference, you can know that it just isn't possible to spend that much time in My temple, under My dome, and not come away with your spirit refreshed and nourished. Even if all you feel is the blessing and peace that comes from knowing you've obeyed Me, you can know that this is only the tip of the iceberg of benefits that you have gained spiritually.
254. It's really something worth doing on occasion—just letting yourself go on and on in your time with Me and some restful activity, until you forget all about the world and the carnal and the work and the stress and you really are just kicking back with Me, resting and relaxing in My arms. It's a fact of life that this is how humans work, and when you apply this principle to the spirit, it can have a really good effect. Everyone needs time to warm up to things, or to unwind‚ and spiritually you're no different.
255. When you take vacations or time off, aren't you more rested and relaxed as time goes on, rather than at the beginning? When you're really spent and exhausted or have had an extended busy time‚ stopping to rest for just one day doesn't give you nearly enough time to fully wind down and relax, and it's the same in the spirit. Just as a one-week vacation is far more restful than seven one-day vacations, so in the spirit sometimes you need an extended period of time to gain the full benefits from resting in Me.
256. Just as it's not always practical to be on vacation, so it's not always practical to spend multiple hours of time in this kind of spiritual relaxation. But it is important to do it sometimes, and to make it an extended period of time so that it has a deeper effect. It's like the difference between having quickies or nice, long lovemaking sessions. Both are nice and both are needed. You can't have just one or just the other, because neither are always practical, and if you only have one and never the other, it's not even good for you.
257. You need a balance in the spirit too. Sometimes you can only dash away for a quick time of refreshing, and sometimes you need to clear your schedule and give Me enough time to really show you the benefits that extended time in My temple can have.
258. (Jesus:) At first it seems difficult to grasp the entire concept of meditation, so let's break it down into simpler pieces. I'll begin with your thoughts. This is one of the most difficult things to understand, but I'll make it simple.
259. There are two types of thoughts. The thoughts of the mind are conscious, reasoned through‚ or even at times drifting—thoughts about the things of Earth and the practical that run through your mind all day, every day. Even many times when you are working at praising Me or spending time with Me, your mind is still active.
260. An example of how even praising Me can be thoughts of this type would be when you're having praise time and you have to come up with a praise that begins with a certain letter or characteristic. You have to concentrate on finding a word that begins with that letter, or you have to consider how to go about praising Me. It's still praise to Me‚ but it's a different kind of praise.
261. That praise, while wonderful and a praise that I greatly appreciate, is still praising from your mind. During meditation‚ such praises are more of a hindrance than a help. As you focus on what to say or how to say it‚ your mind is in control rather than your heart, and that distracts you from being totally focused on Me.
262. An illustration of the other type of thoughts—the ones from your heart—might be when you are having a Loving Jesus time together, and a song to Me has deeply touched your heart. What you are experiencing is not coming from your mind, but from deep inside your heart. You are focused on Me and the love I give to you. The song ends and you just want to thank Me with everything you've got. You aren't thinking, "Now I wonder what sort of expression Jesus would like me to use?" or "I wonder what words will inspire those around me as I praise the Lord?"
263. The words of praise flow out of your mouth‚ not because you've calculated what will sound best or even how best to express it, but it is simply what is in your heart. In that moment you aren't aware of anyone else. It's as if you and I are the only ones there. Sometimes the expression of your heart will form into words, and sometimes it is just the pure love that flows out to Me. Those are the thoughts of the heart.
264. Can you see the difference? One is controlled or instigated by the mind, and though sincere, it is limited because it is tied to reason‚ and therefore the things of Earth. I can inspire you in response to this, but cannot lift you as completely into the spirit world when your thoughts and spirit are so tied to your mind.
265. To your mind, these thoughts from the heart may seem more like emotions or feelings, because they are less defined and have nothing to do with reason; they are those mysterious sensations that seem to come out of nowhere. But these thoughts from your heart draw you closer to Me and away from the mind and things of the Earth.
266. When you prepare to meditate, a part of the preparation is to shut out the thoughts of the mind. At first you might listen to a song, read the Word, or some other form of tuning in to My Spirit, to help you focus on Me. Then you have to shut out the thoughts of the mind and let your heart take over. Your thoughts are no longer calculated or reasoned out; you are striving to shut all that out and just allowing the love in your heart for Me to pour out.
267. Often‚ no words are necessary, but at times words do form. Sometimes a verse that you have hidden deep in your heart flows out to Me as a manifestation of your love for Me, and I may even show you how to apply it in some new way. This isn't the same as quoting verses while you meditate. The difference is that you aren't struggling, trying to find words that, to your mind, express your love. You are simply relaxing in My arms, simply "being" with Me, and if words pour out, they pour out; and if no words come, it isn't important. It is the spirit of your love that is being transmitted to Me.
268. For some people, quiet music creates a soft background that dulls or mutes other noises that could distract and cause their mind to kick in, even while meditating. For others, that same soft music might trigger other memories associated with the song to come up, which acts as a distraction. It depends on the person and the music. If music is a distraction for you during meditation, you might still find it helpful as an aid to prepare your spirit for meditation, to help you come out of the wings, to calm your spirit and get you thinking about heavenly things, but you wouldn't use it during your meditation time.
269. King David was a beautiful example of thinking from the heart when he meditated on Me. Some of the Psalms that he wrote were his heartcries of praise to Me as he meditated. Other Psalms were written in his times of preparation to meditate, as he poured out the thoughts that troubled him, the fears he faced, etc., and laid them at My feet. This was a method he used to shut out the thoughts of his mind. He had great faith and knew that once he placed his cares and thoughts in My hands, there was no more reason to carry them. He was then able to shut them out of his mind so that he could focus only on Me. Having set the mind's preoccupations aside, he let the deepest passions of his heart for Me take over.
270. The reason that meditating on Me is so beneficial to you and is a source of such great power, faith, abiding joy and a channel for My thoughts, is simple. Spiritual communications through meditation are what you might call a two-way street. You aren't petitioning or presenting your needs or programs to Me, but you are communicating with Me‚ pouring out your love for Me and awaiting the response of My love for you.
271. When you are deep in the spirit, it's a bit like the difference between a clear phone line and a telegraph connection. With the connection of your mind, the connection is weaker and fewer things can pass through that connection—just as the telegraph can only send clicks or beeps, while the phone can transmit your voice, and even pictures.
272. When you are meditating on Me from your heart, the connection is spiritual and I am pouring into you as your heart pours out to Me. This is what meditation is: It's a complete, two-way connection in which your love is flowing to Me and My love and all of its manifestations are flowing to you. It is an extremely intimate connection. The visions of Daniel and other prophets were a side effect of their deep meditations on Me; meditation on Me opened the door to revelation.
273. For most people, the conscious thoughts of the mind are a continual and all-encompassing part of everything they say and do. And because the thoughts of the mind and the thoughts of the heart are often mingled together, it's difficult for many people to sort them out. The only practical way to eliminate the thoughts of the mind is to initially shut all thoughts out. It does take a conscious effort to shut them all out to begin with, but with practice you'll find it takes less and less effort and time.
274. Then, once your mind is no longer overriding everything else and you're focusing on Me‚ you can begin to let in just the expressions of your heart and pour them out to Me. Shutting those thoughts of the mind off is one of the harder steps. That's what your preparation before meditation helps to do. As you read the Word, listen to songs that glorify Me‚ pray, or use any other method that helps you, you begin to push aside all the things of the world and your own concerns and preoccupations.
275. It does take practice. It takes effort to do this, but as you practice more and more, two things happen. First, you find that shutting off those thoughts becomes easier all the time. Second, you become less dependent on having such thoughts running all the time in your everyday life, and the tendency to turn to Me becomes stronger.
276. This brings up another factor in understanding meditation: There are different levels of meditation and even degrees of depth within those levels that you grow through. There are two main levels of meditation. I'll call them simple meditation and deep meditation.
277. Deep meditation, and the strong bond that it forms between us, is often a springboard to other gifts such as the gifts of miracles, revelations, and wisdom. Deep meditation is when you stay longer with Me; you hold out and tarry with Me in the spirit. It's good for times when you need to relax and unwind down to the very core of your being‚ and you want to drink Me in deeply and absorb Me.
278. Simple meditation, while not as deep, is a source of daily overcoming and strength, because even though you aren't going as deep in the spirit, it can bring a strong link with Me, even in circumstances where deeper meditation would be very difficult to practice due to the many distractions around you.
279. Simple meditation also makes the deeper times of meditation much easier to reach, because through practice, you learn to rule over your mind, and there is then much less resistance to letting the thoughts of the heart take over.
280. One of the best ways to build your meditation skills is to start taking these brief steps into the spiritual realm throughout the day. Just pause at a point when you are not pressured by some deadline or can at least step back from it for a few moments. Take a moment to sit back‚ get comfortable, close your eyes‚ and shut out all the thoughts surrounding you.
281. You can praise Me out loud, or in your heart, or put on some gentle music that reminds you of Me, or you can picture Me helping you in some way that means a lot to you. Don't try to think up things to do or say. Just focus on Me and think about how much I love you. Just picture Me doing whatever helps you to relax. Maybe I'll be giving you a massage, or looking deep into your eyes, or maybe just holding you close. Focus on the experience and your love for Me and let Me sense that love.
282. If words begin to come to you, speak them to Me, but stay focused. Doing this for a few moments whenever you have a chance will cause a calmness to come into your life. It will begin to change how you see the world around you.
283. After doing this regularly, you'll find that when you come to Me for the deeper times of meditation, the struggle to let go of the thoughts of the mind will be much less. The time required to reach the point of deep meditation will be less, and what you experience will have a greater impact on your life. As the dominance of your carnal mind diminishes, you'll find that you can step into those times of deep meditation with very little effort.
284. Besides these two types of meditation, there are many degrees of meditation that you grow into as you use this skill faithfully. As you become more experienced in taking these times, you'll find that they enhance the gifts that are within you. Meditation is not an end in itself, but a means unto an end. Your power in the days ahead will be in direct proportion to the strength of your connection with Me.
285. That doesn't mean that the number of hours you spend in meditation will determine how powerful you are or that you will have more gifts. It's the depth of our bond built during those times that will empower you. It also doesn't mean that a showy gift represents greater power. It means that you will be empowered to do the things I have chosen and created you to do, and to do them completely.
286. It's the position of your heart that matters. It's the sincerity and wholehearted desire of your heart that builds the connection to Me. I look on the heart, and the more your heart reaches out to Me, the more I can pour in, in every way.
287. All these practical tips can help you to learn to meditate, just as more time reading the Word helps to build your faith. But ultimately, it's a personal relationship determined by you, and how complete and rewarding it is will be up to you and how important I am to you.
288. What is the greatest gift you can give Me? It's your heart, My love, and that's what meditation is all about. It doesn't have to be some great transcendental experience, though sometimes it might be. It just has to be your sincere love, placing your heart and time in My hands, shutting out everything else, and letting Me use your time and will as I know best.
289. (Question: ) Reading these wonderful things about meditation makes me wonder why we would ever want to do anything else, if meditation is so powerful. It sounds like meditation is the all in all, even though I'm sure the other things that we do to commune with the Lord are needed and necessary.
290. (Jesus: ) Meditation isn't the all in all. It's a means to draw closer to Me, to connect more with Me, to partake of more of My Spirit, and that, very simply put, is the all in all. I am the all in all, and the more of Me you have‚ the more power you will have. So many of your spiritual weapons are a means to connect to My power, to harness My power, to partake of My power. Meditation is no different—it's another means to connect with Me, to drink Me in deeply and be satisfied. It's not that meditation itself is the power. The power, as always, is in Me. It's just up to you how you connect to it.
291. (Jesus:) Step into My heavenly meditation center, and I'll show you how it's done. You'll notice that everything here is very clean and fresh. The air is very pure and refreshing. The décor is simple and the rooms are spacious.
292. It's more difficult to meditate in close quarters, even though it's not impossible. It helps to have air and space around you, if possible—either to be outside in creation, or to be in a place where there's fresh air and uncluttered surroundings. These physical things help to make it easier for your spirit to accept the breezes of My Spirit that will clear your mind and heart of clutter and baggage, and make you open and ready to receive from Me.
293. When preparing to take a solid block of meditation or deep communion time with Me, it's not something that you can just jump into right off the bat. You can't immediately go from your daily work into deep quality communion with Me. It takes time to make the switch. There needs to be a time of transition when you phase out of this world and prepare to enter My realm.
294. The length of transition depends on the person, their personality, what they're involved in, and the load they carry. For some it's easier to make the switch than it is for others. This is not to say that you can't immediately connect with My presence. But when you have time to take a mini-spiritual retreat (such as during the Feast)‚ or when you want to take several hours of quiet communion with Me and listen to My still, small voice as your focus, you have to prepare in spirit‚ heart, mind and body.
295. You prepare your spirit by committing to Me anything that's on your heart or mind, the things that are pressing on you or weighing on you, the burdens and cares. After committing them to Me in prayer, you may need to take a few minutes to receive My promises concerning those situations. Then you'll have peace to leave those things in My hands while you rest in Me, and not feel as though you need to try to pick up the burdens again.
296. You prepare your mind by asking to have a mind-meld with Me and by giving Me full possession. Take time to align your thoughts with Mine. What is going through your mind at the moment? Ask Me for My thoughts on those things, and then give them to Me. Prepare your mind by praising Me. As you put forth the effort to praise Me in whatever ways I show you, you'll more easily make the transition to heavenly thought power.
297. You prepare your body, the shell that houses the real you—your spirit—by physically relaxing. This can mean different things for different people. Perhaps you're feeling very tense and should spend several minutes doing some gentle stretches, breathing deeply‚ to release the tension. Or you might try taking a shower or a bath. Your body may be very tired, and if so, you should lie down and rest or sleep. If you're surrounded by creation, you might try taking a short walk outside.
298. To properly meditate on Me and My Spirit and words, you must wind down from the cares and busyness of life. It's best to meditate somewhere other than where you work or spend most of your waking hours. This isn't always possible, but especially when you're dedicating long blocks of time to meditation or communion, doing it somewhere else is ideal.
299. Try to be somewhere where there is plenty of fresh air, if possible, and the less "busy" your surroundings, the better. Everything around you emits static of one kind or another; there are unseen airwaves moving at all times. So even if you can't see the "action" that is taking place, your spirit can feel it, and this is why wide-open spaces are ideal for meditation, because there is less unseen spiritual static.
300. When it comes to meditating on Me and My Spirit, the main thing that matters is the position of your heart. You don't necessarily have to sit a certain way, except that of course you should be comfortable, and if you're sitting, you should sit in a way that allows you to maintain good posture, because this aids you in proper breathing and in good circulation of the blood.
301. That's another important physical key: that your body is in a position that provides for good circulation of the blood. This may be sitting, or reclining, or even walking for some (though others may find it difficult to meditate while physically moving).
302. Take a few moments to breathe deeply, to relax your neck and shoulder muscles, to stretch; inhale and exhale, while raising and lowering your arms. Stretch your legs and rotate your ankles. If you have specific stretches that you do or enjoy, do some of those.
303. Check your breathing from time to time, to make sure that you are breathing from your belly. For some people it's easy to focus on breathing properly while doing other things; for others, it's difficult for them to do both at once, in which case they don't need to worry so much about whether or not they're breathing properly at all times. But they should check their breathing from time to time, because it's something that can make a big difference to your body.
304. When you are relaxed in spirit and have placed your cares and burdens in My hands, when you have aligned your thoughts with Mine, and are physically rested and free from tension, you're then ready to begin a time of focused meditation and communion with Me. It's not meant to be a works trip. The main key is to enter into My Spirit, and these are simply some of the things that can help you to achieve that goal. The most important thing is to take time to quiet your spirit before Me, because in quietness and confidence shall be your strength (Isa.30:15).
305. Something else that can help you to come away from the cares and worries you're carrying is listening to the beautiful heavenly music I've given you. Music really does lift your spirit from the earthly plane into the heavenly one. It's a spiritual transporter‚ as your Father David said. So listening to music is very beneficial, and you can do this while doing some of the other things I mentioned earlier, such as stretching or resting, in preparation for your main meditation or communion time.
306. One wonderful thing about My kind of meditation is that even if you miss doing something in the physical that would naturally help prepare you, I see the desires of your heart and can help you to achieve the goals that you're reaching for. But you do have to do your part. You have to take time to come out of the busyness of life before you can be lifted high into the heavenlies. Put forth that effort and I will do the rest and help you to achieve the benefits you need.
307. As to why meditation and times of physical quiet and rest are good for you, you have to remember that you're not of this world, and that even though you live on Earth, you really are spiritual beings living spiritual lives. Meditation helps you to get in touch with or be more closely connected to the spiritual elements that govern and dictate your lives as My disciples and brides. It helps you to remember that this world is not your home, and that the things that flow through your mind at a given moment are not the all in all. It helps you to remember that there's more to life than this world, and that there's more to your service than just work and busyness.
308. When you give Me this focused‚ quality‚ uninterrupted time, it strengthens our relationship. Just as you have to get away with only your earthly mate from time to time, meditation helps you to do this in your relationship with Me. It renews your focus on things above. It helps you to tune out the noise of the world and to get your spiritual bearings straight once again. It reminds you of the true priorities of life. It clarifies your vision and strengthens your resolve to love, serve, and obey Me. It opens up your spirit to receive untold blessings, which is perhaps one of My most favorite things about meditation.
309. Quiet is a beautiful thing. Silence is golden, as they say, and it's really true. When you're quiet and have shut down your earthly mental processes and physical nonstop rush to accomplish‚ you're able to hear Me more clearly. You know how you sometimes come away from a time of hearing from Me feeling refreshed and renewed? Well, wouldn't you want to carry that same feeling with you for days, weeks, months, or forever? Meditation helps to make that possible. It's a chance for Me to give you My peace. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you" (John 14:27).
310. If you look through the Bible and many times throughout history, I have tried to emphasize to My children the importance of coming apart from the busyness‚ the importance of quietness and confidence‚ meditating with Me in the night watches‚ seeking Me early in the morning. You need those times of quiet and rest to keep your head above the clouds so that you can see where you're going.
311. There are also physical benefits. Even science doesn't fully realize how much your mind, your thinking and thought processes, affect the physical body. You do know that there are many ailments and conditions that are caused by stress and tension. There are many points of connection and influence when it comes to the spirit, or the mind‚ and the body.
312. For example, stress and negative thinking can cause the body to age much more quickly and even affect your appearance, because it affects your countenance—which is why the Bible says that a merry heart doeth good like a medicine (Pro.17:22). When you meditate on Me and My precepts, My Spirit cleanses your spirit from the mental stress which creates toxins that could negatively affect your body. Meditation and rest are healthy.
313. One of the reasons people lived so long in the early days of the world is because everything went much more slowly. There was much more time for thought, prayer and contemplation. They didn't allow their minds to be so encumbered by the things of this Earth. Of course, there was also less for them to be encumbered with. But that's why I'm going to have to slow things down in the Millennium, so that we can "get back to the Garden."
314. Meditation can improve your sleep. It strengthens your nervous system, because it provides for a more balanced life. When you rest spiritually, your physical body is more rested‚ and your nerves and reflexes are conditioned to better serve your body and to maintain a good healthy balance.
315. I could go on for a great while on this subject. Most of the benefits are spiritual, but they are felt in your physical body too. It's something that all My children need more of—those extended times of calm‚ quiet, peaceful rest, meditation and communion with Me. This is something David spoke of a great deal in the early days of the Family, in many Letters, and you'd do well to review them.
316. (Mama:) Recently I read some articles about silent retreats. These are retreats that are either totally silent or that have long periods of silence. Sometimes there is one talk or class or devotional per day, and the rest of the time is silent. People don't talk, and there's no radio or TV or MP3 players or music allowed. The retreat has a staff, and the staff take care of the meals and activities, etc., so there's no need for the attendees to communicate about much or anything at all, and the goal is that they aren't spoken to‚ and also don't have to talk much—if at all—for the days or weeks that they attend.
317. People have all sorts of personal reasons for paying so much money to go to these retreats, which are usually quite spartan and simple and secluded—such as needing a break from their life, recovering from a breakdown, needing to make a big personal decision, seeking healing for something in their life, etc. But the bottom line is that they are willing to go through a time of total silence in order to focus more clearly on whatever it is they feel needs focus. And the testimonials from those retreats are a confirmation that when all other noise stops, they are able to hear their own thoughts, and everything becomes clearer. We would put it in spiritual terms, too, that the Lord is able to punch through much more easily.
318. I found those articles very interesting‚ because there's definitely something to be said for having times of simple quiet, where you turn off and tune out everything around you, and let your mind clear and be free from all outside noise and distractions. I'm not recommending that everyone have a silent retreat, but you might find it helpful sometimes to go somewhere in creation, or set aside a part of your day, and let things be quiet—a period of time when you don't talk or watch or listen to anything, but let things be quiet while you meditate, read, think, and absorb the Lord's Spirit.
319. (Jesus:) There is a time for everything, including silence (Ecc.3:7). There are times‚ even in Heaven, when My Father calls a hush to everything—all the activity‚ all of the interaction and talking—and everyone is still, quiet, and at peace.
320. There's nothing wrong with being quiet, with getting silent before Me, with communing in private with Me—and by "in private," I mean just you and Me. Whether or not there are others around you or in the vicinity, you're not speaking to them; you're speaking directly to Me. You're giving Me your full attention for a period of time, and I know that I have all of your attention‚ because you're not giving any of it to anyone else.
321. You are like vessels that have an opening at the top, which is where I fill you up from, and then toward the bottom of your vessel you have a spout, which is where you pour out to others from. If you want to be replenished, you need to close your little spout and open yourselves to be filled up by Me. That's symbolic of being quiet and ceasing from all the talking, all the doing, all the going, all the moving, all the hustle and bustle of spirit, so that I can fill you up.
322. (Mama:) In thinking and praying about how you can make this type of meditation and deep communion more a part of your life on a daily basis‚ one suggestion is that you could discuss as a Home about possibly setting aside a time regularly (for example, every three months), where you give each Home member an extra day, or half a day, to have a spiritual retreat. Or‚ another option is that on a personal level you could decide to take part of your W&R on some sort of regular basis (for example, one morning a month) to spend in spiritual retreat or "conference time" with the Lord. You could ask the Lord for a personal plan of how to make that time really worth your while, and then set that time aside as sacred, as your time with the Lord, and don't let any other personal plans or priorities come before it. I'm sure many of you already take a good portion of your W&R to read and tank up spiritually, but this would mean expanding on that a little bit, and setting it aside as spiritual retreat time, where you do whatever the Lord shows you would be most beneficial for you. You might want to check with or inform the other members of your Home when you're planning on taking part of your W&R like this, so that they can make an extra effort not to disturb you.
323. (Jesus: ) One of the benefits of taking a spiritual retreat that is longer than your normal prayer and Word and communion time is that it helps you to learn to suck and to reach up and receive beyond what you think you're capable of.
324. It's true that there are limits to what you can do, being bound in earthly flesh. But in general, your spirit is capable of much more and of going much farther than your body thinks it's able to. So if you learn to let the spirit have control in such things, you're able to receive more than you think you're naturally capable of.
325. It teaches you spiritual endurance in a good way, but it does require effort and putting your will and desires behind that endeavor to hold out for more. It helps you to create a stronger vacuum for Me and the things of the spirit‚ which is something you learn through experience—experiences such as this one.
326. (Dad:) There are little things you can do, and should do‚ like clearing your mind from worry by praising, or finding a quiet spot where you will be undistracted, or listening to music, or praising in tongues. But the most important thing to remember is that getting quiet before the Lord and getting into that restful, peaceful mode with Him has a lot more to do with your spirit and your heart than with your body and your actions.
327. I'm not saying that there aren't physical actions you can do to help ensure fruitful quiet times with the Lord. But what you need to be careful about is trying to work up this restful state in the flesh. It won't work. Flesh and spirit are continually at war, and the best way to let the spirit win is to ask the Lord to take over.
328. If you find it hard to enter into that sweet rest that the Lord talks of, if you find that you're struggling to calm your mind and nothing seems to be working, well‚ that's a sign that you need to stop frantically rowing and should instead put up your sails and let the Lord push you along.
329. Jesus wants you to enter into this rest more than you do. He's even more desperate for your growth in this area than you are. So if you feel that you've been working hard at it but aren't seeing the results you're hoping for, then maybe you need to stop and let the Lord be the One to work at it‚ so that He can give you the results He knows are needed.
330. As I said, this restful state is more about your heart and spirit than your physical actions. So focus on your heart and your spirit foremost. Set your heart on the Lord, plant your feet in His Word‚ in His Spirit, and once your spirit and heart are centered on the Lord, the rest will follow. Then, any works or actions you do in the flesh to help to further this meditation or quietness with the Lord will be blessed, because you put the spirit first.
331. It takes study to be quiet (1Th.4:11). It's really an art. But where people get it all wrong is when they try to make use of this spiritual truth by purely physical terms and actions. That's when they lose the focus and the formula, and thus they never reap the full benefits.
332. "Study to be quiet" is something that must be spiritually applied by learning to quiet your spirit first of all. You need to learn to enter into that restful spirit, the peaceful place where all is calm and trusting in the Lord. Like the principles of "Stop, Look, and Listen," you have to stop your spirit and focus on the Lord and His spiritual truths and beauties; then you must listen to His stillness, His wisdom‚ His love.
333. As you stop and calm your spirit, it will affect your physical actions and attitudes. Your spirit will have control over your physical actions‚ and the spirit will have won that war over the flesh. Your mental state will be a lot calmer. Even your heart will beat more steadily when your spirit is at rest. This will affect all you do for the better and bring about better results.
334. Quieting your spirit first of all helps to prepare your mind and physical body for the meditation or quiet time that you are going to have with the Lord. Like a dancer takes time to listen to the music and to feel the rhythm of the music before he gets out there to dance or perform, that's what you've got to do in spirit. You've got to quiet your spirit so that you can listen to that heavenly music, and get on that heavenly plane, that spiritual wavelength. You have to be calm in the spirit to prepare your mind and body for the beautiful dance of resting in the Lord that you're about to perform.
335. It's like getting in the mood for sex, for that spiritual lovemaking with the Lord. You have to start by opening your spirit to it, wanting it, desiring it, craving it. You need to strip yourself bare in the spirit before you can receive His seeds and His words. It's really a beautiful act between the Lord and His bride—the whole experience of learning to rest in the Lord and to get deep and intimate with Him in your spiritual life.
336. Ask Him to turn you on in the spirit‚ to set you free in the spirit, to open you up to wanting all that He has to give you. He knows just how to handle your spirit, how to turn you on and excite you and ignite you and make you want more and more from Him. He can make you crave the things of the spirit like you've never craved anything before. He can make you pant for His seeds and spiritual truths like you've never experienced before. He can take you further into His intimate chambers than you've ever gone before.
337. Ask the Lord to turn you on, and that's one heaven of a way to get your spirit focused on the Lord. Like a lovesick puppy, your spirit will be glued to the Lord's presence, and then you can truly enter into that beautiful restful experience with Him.
338. Don't worry so much about the physical. If you don't know just what to do or how to do it, then take this advice and ask the Lord to do it for you. Ask the Lord to help you to enter into this restful state. Undress Him with your mind, kiss Him with your words, adore Him with your heart, cling to Him with your spirit, and let Him whisk you away into this dome of complete rest and calm in Him.
339. "The Lord is my Shepherd … He maketh me to lie down … He leadeth me beside still waters … He restoreth my soul" (Psa.23:1-3). See? The Lord is the One Who has to do it! The Lord is the One Who will do the leading, the restoring, the stilling, because only He can. Thank God!
340. Let's let Him do it. Let's hold His hand and be led of Him, fed of Him, and bedded by Him. The Lord will help you. He wants you to make it, to do it, and to change in this new way, so He will bless all your efforts. Whatever He shows you to do‚ He will cause to work for you. So trust in the Lord, and He will give you this desire of your heart! I love you.
341. (Jesus:) In figuring out how you can best learn to meditate and make the most of the time, a lot depends on you—your likes and dislikes, your control of your spirit, your ability to focus, and your level of honesty with yourself.
342. If soft music appeals to you and you find it helps you to relax and think about positive things‚ or even if you find it lifts and carries you into the spirit, then yes, music can definitely be a tool to assist you in your times of meditating on Me and resting in Me.
343. Music is a very spiritual thing; it can literally convey you into the spirit. Of course, you have to yield yourself to the music to some extent to feel its effect‚ and you have to be prayerful what music you use. The music of man is never as pure as the music of the spheres in My Kingdom, but some of it carries positive spirits and can be used to assist you in your times of entering the spiritual realm, and even propelling you along while there.
344. That's what meditation is; it's one way of entering the realm of the spirit. It's akin to prophecy in this way, and as with prophecy, what and how much you benefit from it depends on each individual. Some in the world enter through the dark side and some through the side of light; some barely poke their nose in and others take a flying leap. Meditating on Me is a safe and deep way to enter into the positive spiritual realm; the deeper you go, the less connection you have to the conscious or physical realm.
345. When you first wake up in the morning, there is a time when you are still partly in the spiritual realm and partly in the physical or conscious realm. If you pause to focus on Me and desire closeness with Me at that point‚ you are meditating. It's easiest then, simply because the connection to the spiritual realm from your night of traveling and learning in the spirit is still there, and you don't have to work to make the connection.
346. Some people will find it easy to slip into meditation at that point when they're just waking up. If at that point you look to Me, then you can maintain that state virtually for as long as you wish. This time between the spiritual and physical realms can become a time to meditate, or a time to ask specific questions and receive prophecies from Me, or even a time to come before My throne in a powerful way through intercessory prayer.
347. Those very first moments in the morning are good to put to use, especially for meditation, because your spirit is already naturally connected to Mine. If you focus on Me and desire that oneness with Me and rest in My arms, then it's meditation. Sometimes, while you're thinking of nothing but Me and resting in Me, I'll speak to you and give you a little prophecy as part of your meditation time. In those very first moments when you wake, you can be almost automatically connected to Me, with very little effort. It's a fragile link, though, and if you let the thoughts of the day begin to flood your mind‚ it is easily severed.
348. In those early morning moments when you commune with Me, when you sense Me close by and you choose to revel in our love, we can easily become one. As you go through your day and take times to stop and rest in Me, try to remember how it felt at that point in the morning when meditating seemed so easy. Shut out everything else using whatever tools you have found helpful, and desire to return to that same position. It takes some practice and it's a bit different for each person, but the more you do it, the easier it will become.
349. Some will see images of Me before them; others will hear My voice of prophecy echoing in their head; others will feel My presence as a sense of comfort and calm. It may not be something you can put into words‚ but you will sense that something is different. Whatever it is for you, focus on desiring above all to return to that point of meditation on Me that you found first thing in the morning.
350. For some, soft music or even white noise can help them shut out other more distracting sounds. For others, a certain song can propel them forward if it reminds them of My love for them. Songs with words, while they might help you to think about heavenly things initially, are better used as a tool of preparation, rather than something to keep playing while you are trying to meditate, simply because the words will tend to keep your conscious mind active, which is not what will help you in meditation.
351. You may have noticed that some of those from other religions that don't follow Me, who seek to imitate or enter the spirit world through other doors, use music as a tool, both to prepare and to meditate. It is usually what could be considered hypnotic or repetitive background music that doesn't have variations in volume or changes in rhythm. I'm not recommending using the music they use, because many times it actually carries a spirit that is not leading in the right direction. But I use this as an example of how music can help some people to focus on the spiritual realm.
352. The more you consciously take time to meditate on Me, the easier it becomes and the more automatic it becomes‚ but at first it may take some time and conscious effort. It's like relaxing. Some people can simply lie down and relax completely, while for others it takes a lot more time and effort and even outside help, such as a massage, before they can relax. It has to do with concentration and focus, and some just find it easier than others. Practice is usually a factor as well.
353. There are little things you can do that will make it easier to meditate on Me. These are just helps, so keep a balance in them. It's a natural tendency to want to carry the physical steps or aids to an extreme‚ hoping that your physical activity will open a channel in the spirit. I'm not advocating spending a lot of time at such things, because they are only aids, not solutions in themselves‚ and they won't bring you into My Spirit; only your hunger and desire for Me can do that. They simply make it easier for you when you choose to step into a time of meditation, because they will help to eliminate some of the biggest hindrances that fight against you at those times.
354. One such practical thing is that when you go to take a nap, sit back to gear down for a few minutes; or when you go to sleep at night, take a few minutes to teach your body to relax. Lie flat on your bed, or sit in a comfortable chair, and consciously tune in to the various parts of your body, relaxing the muscles one by one. It's simply practice in helping your body to relax when you want it to. Then when you feel relaxed, spend a little time in My arms saying goodnight to Me, or thanking Me for different things from the day and listening to anything I might have to say to you.
355. It may be a bit difficult at first, but as you do this regularly, you'll find it becomes easier and easier. What you are doing is learning to control the tension in your body. Many of the distractions that your mind must contend with are not ones that you are aware of, and in times of meditation‚ when you want to be fully focused on Me, these preoccupations can make it harder to focus on Me. As you learn to remove them, it makes it easier for you to connect with Me.
356. That's why those moments when you are waking up are so fruitful. Your body has had time to relax and those distractions are not present. Falling asleep at night is often not as fruitful a time‚ simply because your body is still not relaxed. It takes some time for this to happen, until your conscious mind has shut down‚ unless you make a conscious effort to make it happen.
357. Every time you pause to set aside everything else and tune in to Me, you are meditating‚ and you pick up things in the spirit even if they are not conscious thoughts. There are many levels of meditation. Some you can reach in a brief moment of pause; some can even be reached in the midst of confusion and difficulties. But the type of meditation I'm trying to instill in the Family is a deep kind of meditation that comes when your body, mind, and spirit are quiet before Me.
358. The other forms of briefer or more "light" meditation will grow too as your deep times with Me become a core element in your life. As you strengthen the connection between your conscious and unconscious mind through meditating on Me, those messages and communications you already receive will gradually become more and more available to your conscious mind. Right now you often have a leading as to what to do. You're catching what is needed without always receiving the message in words that your conscious mind can grasp. As you strengthen the link through meditating on Me, even more details will come through.
359. It isn't rocket science; it's simple and it's available to all. Some find it takes more patience and perseverance than others, but whatever it takes is more than worth the price, because it opens a whole new avenue through which I can pour all that you need and more. Try different things and see what works for you.
360. I've covered your likes and dislikes, your ability to focus and concentrate, and the last factor is your level of honesty with yourself. For many, this is a trap of the Enemy that can hinder them. I'm speaking here of honestly finding out what works for you, what you personally need to do in order to still and calm your spirit and have deep times of communion with Me.
361. What hinders honesty, even with yourself?—It's pride. You might see someone else listening to music while they meditate, so you try to do the same, but in your case, it doesn't flow. Don't let your pride keep you from admitting that music doesn't really help you. You sometimes have to find out what doesn't work in order to find out what does work. Don't let the Enemy tell you that you're inferior, or convince you to keep doing something that is ineffective for you just to prove that you can do it.
362. You may find some success in gaining a degree of communion with Me, but unless you really leave aside all your attitudes and concerns, and become willing to try what I show you, you won't experience the full potential you have. If something doesn't work to improve your focus on Me, then it is going to hinder it.
363. To sum it up, most of you will find these new steps of focusing on Me and yielding to Me to be difficult at first—but don't give up. Often it takes patience. You won't instantly find that everything is crystal clear, but as you refuse to give up, the methods and tools that suit you will help you to reach the goal of a closer, deeper link with Me.
364. Call on the keys of focus, the keys of connection to Me, and the key of single-mindedness to help you to shut out all else. Then call on the key of vision to help create the bond between the spiritual and physical realms.
365. Your helpers are many, but the most powerful force who will help draw you to Me is the Holy Spirit Herself. Seek Her help and She will coordinate those who surround you to accomplish whatever is needed to make these times of meditation on Me times of strengthening, of renewing your vision and deepening your spirit.
366. The point of learning to meditate is to learn to shut out all else. Don't worry about claiming the help of every spirit helper and every key or make it too complicated. Claim the help of those I remind you of‚ and then relax in My arms and let Me minister to you.
367. (Jesus: ) In order to truly enter into My presence it's vital that you learn to calm your spirit, which will enable you to fully partake of the time spent with Me.
368. Picture yourself as a wife coming home from a busy day's work. She has agreed with her husband that there will be a set time to spend relaxing with one another and taking time out of their day for love. However, when the wife comes home, the wear of the day is evident‚ but rather than taking the time to just relax, she looks around and sees that the living room is untidy. "Do you mind if I spend a few minutes cleaning the living room while we talk?" she asks. "Okay," her husband hesitantly answers.
369. So they begin to talk. All that the woman can talk about as she feverishly runs around the living room cleaning are the laments of the day—the busy work that wore on her, the tiredness of mind she endured, and the long list of projects left unattended. Every time the husband tries to direct the conversation elsewhere, the wife keeps bringing it back to the same topics on the struggles of her day.
370. When the living room is cleaned, the wife moves on to the papers she brought home from work. "Honey, I'm going to sort through these papers. I can hear you, if you want to keep talking." The husband sighs and walks to the dining room table where she has the papers all laid out. Whatever happened to our time of relaxation and bonding? he wonders. Before long their time together is up, the children come home and the house is a beehive of activity until the wife exhaustedly slumps into bed.
371. "I'm sorry we didn't get much time together," she says with a yawn. "We rarely get time together these days, but I just had to clean the living room and get to those papers before the kids came home. Maybe we can try again tomorrow." With that she rolls over and falls asleep.
372. Does that sometimes sound like your times with Me? You make your appointment to spend time with Me, but as you enter into My presence you tend to carry the franticness of the day with you. Rather than leaving it at the door so that you can fully partake of the refilling and rejuvenation of My Spirit‚ the weights of the burdens and responsibilities fill your mind and clutter your channel so that you're not able to relax and be tanked up with Me.
373. What a different picture it would be if the wife were to come home and quickly run to get into something comfortable in order to relax physically as well as mentally. Then, because the living room is a little disorganized, she suggests to her husband that they spend the time in the bedroom where it's tidier and they can cuddle on the bed. In her eagerness to spend time with her husband she doesn't let the paperwork from her day at the office steal away the precious time she has with her husband. She knows this time is essential to her having the energy and ability to keep up with the children and to pour into them when they come home. She values each moment with her husband, and won't let any burden or worry steal her focus away from that time.
374. I am your caring Husband, and we have an appointment with each other every day, a time when you can rest in My arms and let your spirit find peace and calm. It is from the peace and calmness of spirit that you find the wherewithal to meet the demands of the day. But if you allow your spirit to still feel the pressures of your day, the many things you accomplished or the many things on your mind that you have yet to accomplish, you're less likely to really relax in your times with Me.
375. In spirit you have to do as the wife must do—she must set her work aside, change out of her business clothes, and come and cuddle with Me. Of course there is plenty to do and many jobs that are left unattended during your time with Me, but you and I both know that when you're faithful to take your time with Me, and I mean really take your time with Me, then I work behind the scenes to care for what you can't.
376. Think of getting calm before Me as a process of disrobing your spirit. You bear many burdens, you have big jobs that you must do for Me‚ you have the needs of your personal family, you have the commission to be a sample of Me and to be what I need you to be. All of this can be taxing on you as a frail human; it's easy to mess up or to let the burden of it all wear on you. But if each time you come before Me you learn to disrobe yourself in spirit of all that, then you'll find that even though you initially entered My presence feeling weighed down and concerned about the many burdens you carried, with each one that you remove, your spirit becomes lighter and you feel refreshed.
377. Some examples of ways to get calm in spirit are:
378. * Stopping to listen to a couple of songs of love and praise to Me. Rather than just putting the songs on in the background while you check one last e–mail or work on one more project, if you'll sit back and dwell on the words to Me‚ it'll be much easier for your spirit to wind down from the frenzied feeling that was there before you entered. Or even if you weren't feeling frenzied, but simply burdened with many things on your mind, by taking that time to clear your thoughts, it'll relax your spirit and make it easier for you to drink in the fullness of My Spirit.
379. * Reading praise words to Me‚ such as praise kisses or To Jesus with Love. Read something that you can easily absorb, so that it's easier for you to keep your focus on what you're reading, and through it detach from the busyness of the day.
380. * Doing something that's physically relaxing first. This wouldn't be a form of worldly entertainment, but rather something like a brief stroll around the garden where you spend some intimate time with Me. Take a shower, and during that time talk to Me as you would to a lover or dear friend, rather than dwelling on the work demands of the day.
381. For different people, different methods of relaxation work, and it's important to find out what works for you so that you truly are able to calm your spirit to then be able to partake of the deeper things of My Spirit. Why is getting calm in spirit so vital? Because when you get calm before Me you are opening your spirit up to hear from Me more clearly, to experience the greater benefits of that time. It clears your channel, gives you the proper perspective on things, and helps to eliminate and relieve unnecessary pressure and stress.
382. Getting calm beforehand isn't something that's only necessary when you're going to take Word time or when you're going to meditate; it's necessary when you need to stop in the day to receive My instruction and guidance on a situation, or sometimes you need it simply to lower the pressure levels of your day. If you find that your day seems to escalate into high gear pretty quickly, then you should regularly try to get calm before Me, which will bring you calmness of spirit and peace of mind.
383. Do you find yourself partway through the day frantically trying to juggle numerous tasks? Are you weary and burdened by a situation or problem and can't seem to get it off your mind? Are you having a hard time focusing on your time with Me? Do you need to talk with someone and you're concerned about how you'll come across and what your sample will be? If so, those are all times when you'll greatly benefit from getting calm in spirit.
384. When you are faithful to calm yourself before Me, then you're more inclined to receive the jewels I want to speak to you about. Your channel is more aligned with Heaven, as through calming yourself you remove the clutter and rubble that would create obstacles in your ability to freely receive the things I want to show you. Getting calm before Me helps you to work in the spirit; you're letting go of your fleshly ability to accomplish something and you're instead partaking of My Spirit, which enables Me to work through you.
385. To get calm in spirit goes against the urge of trying to stack up more accomplishments, because rather than running around trying to do things yourself, you sit back and commune with Me, trusting that I'm going to work behind the scenes for you, or even having the faith that although that project or situation is sitting there waiting for you to attend to it, you know that it's more important for you to get calm before Me so that you can receive My specific direction before trying to care for it yourself. When you take the time to calm your spirit, you're telling Me that you value the time with Me, and you're confident that it's the best course of action, rather than you running frantically into the fray, hoping you get it right.
386. I've been encouraging the Family over the years to learn to live more in the spirit, and learning to get calm before Me in spirit is one of the ways that you can learn to live in the spirit more each day. The Enemy fights your getting calm in spirit; he hopes to convince you that it's "your responsibility" to tend to things, and that because there are so many demands on your time you can't afford the little "extras" here and there to get calm before Me. That stinks of the Enemy and his demons of accomplishment, who try to get you so accomplishment-oriented that you forget that your work must be done primarily in the spirit.
387. Oh, what time you would gain if you were faithful to slow down and calm your spirit! You have to do more than just step in and out of the temple; you have to turn your face upward and breathe deeply of the refreshing air in the temple if you want to make the most of that time. If you have absorbed and drunk in of the goodness found in My temple, and have let it calm your spirit, then when you leave the temple and once again enter the wings, you will be refreshed. You will walk more in My Spirit, having taken the time to let My Spirit enter you.
388. Then what others see is a little more of Me shining through you. They can tell that you have been with Me‚ that you have spent time with Me, and that is an example to them. More than all the things that you could verbally express, if others can see that your spirit is calm, and that it positively affects the projects you put your hands to, that is the greatest witness to them of your dedication to Me, your reliance on Me, and need for Me.
389. If you desire to be the example I need you to be, if you yearn to walk more in the spirit, then learn to get calm before Me, and especially give time to let that calmness of spirit permeate your entire being. Don't jump up the moment you get calm and attempt to meet the challenges ahead. Let that calmness wash over you till it eliminates the rushed and hurried spirit, and replaces it instead with peace and reliance on Me.
390. As that little quote goes, "The secret to calm and peace is resting in the Lord" (ML #98:4, Vol.1). Rest in Me, My loves, calm your spirits‚ and in so doing you'll be able to drink more deeply of My Spirit till it becomes alive within you and you radiate with the calmness of having been in My presence and partaken of Me.
391. (Jesus:) Remember what your David told you?—That I would raise you up to be little Davids and Moseses? Moses was a leader and commander of the people, but that ability to lead came from his times of deep communion with Me. In his own strength and foresight, he didn't have what it took to lead such a people. He knew that, and I knew that.
392. It took many years of quietly tending sheep and learning to be still, to be quiet, and how to draw strength from that quietness, that made him what I needed him to be. Those years of tending sheep were preparation for what was to come.
393. Was it easy for him? No. Was it easy for him to learn to be still and quiet and to enter into that peace and rest with Me? No, it wasn't. It took many, many years for his spirit to get past the point of rushing in first and impulsively and rashly trying to work things out in his own mind and spirit, and to get to the point of being able to enter in to a state of rest and quiet.
394. I had to prepare Moses even before the great exodus by having him learn to be still and learn the value of that quiet training and corralling of his mind and spirit during those times of tending sheep in the wilderness. He had to learn to subjugate his own spirit in many ways.
395. I know you're wondering, "Is this really something that can actually be learned‚ like any other skill?" My answer is yes, it can be learned. That's why I said to labor to enter into rest. Labor denotes work, self-effort‚ and discipline of some kind. While you're in this world and in human flesh, you will have to work at entering into that rest. It will require taking the necessary steps in the physical and natural in order to enter into that rest. It's not something that will be given to you instantly, because as I've said, the flesh is at war with the spirit, and the natural man fights against the spiritual man; while you dwell in the flesh, that war will continually wage.
396. Entering into that state of rest is reaching out and touching Me. It's being immersed in Me‚ letting more of Me inhabit you. Basically‚ it's never stepping outside of Me. It's living in Me and My Spirit at all times.
397. Imagine yourself as a scoop of solid ice cream that has been dipped into this giant vat of delicious warm chocolate—Me. As soon as you and the chocolate meet, it sticks, because you‚ the ice cream—your spirit—have entered that vat, and all the conditions are just right for Me to smother you and surround you with My goodness, and for that goodness to stick. That's an important part. You should emerge slathered in Me‚ that delightful chocolate. You'll smell good, you'll look temptingly good, and your flavor will be enhanced. And people will want what you have. You'll be the proof of the pudding, and you'll have the goods to prove it.
398. If you don't feel that you've personally touched Me and connected with Me, or that you've been changed in some way from your time with Me, then you haven't entered into that rest. You haven't been sufficiently immersed in My Spirit. When you've been with Me, it should show—your spirit and even your countenance should reflect that and bear witness.
399. Moses' face and countenance shone when he came down from the mountain (Exo.34:29,30). That's because he'd been fully submerged in My presence and Spirit. He'd gone deeper than the surface; he'd been fully immersed.
400. You must not only tarry with Me, you must stay with Me until you know that your spirit has reached out and touched Me and been immersed in Me. Sometimes it will take passing through and closing the many doors of your mind and thoughts until you reach that inner sanctuary of rest. But at the heart of that sanctuary—at its very core—is that beautiful pool where your spirit can be fully immersed in Me—where you and I can truly become one.
401. You know when that happens, and you know when it doesn't happen. You can't necessarily take an extended period of time every day, but when you are taking time off for spiritual retreat, I'm asking you to stay until you have been deeply touched by Me and have entered into that sanctuary and pool of rest. However long it takes—and I mean this—however long it takes, I ask that you take that time.
402. Again, look at Moses. This is a good example of the measures I and My Father had to take in order for Moses to be ready in spirit to receive the instruction, guidance, and laws he needed to lead and rule over his people.
403. Retreating to the heights of the mountain was indicative of Moses' need to see the big picture, the overview, in order to lead, guide, and shepherd his people below. The press of the people and the demands of the situation were extraordinary. He needed to step out and up, over and above the daily grind, the details.
404. The boundaries that My Father set upon the people and even around the mountain were for important reasons. The cloud that descended upon the mountain was as much for Moses' benefit as it was for a sign to the people of My presence. My Father brought that cloud so that Moses was truly separated from what lay at the base of the mountain—the people‚ the distractions, the call of the flesh.
405. Without that cloud and separation, he would not have been able to tune in and focus and to enter into that total union with My Father's and My presence. That place of physical retreat, that mountain and that cloud, were our gift to him—a necessary part of his being able to separate himself completely in mind and spirit and flesh from everything else.
406. You, My loves, don't have that physical cloud to make it easy for you. But you know what?—You have more‚ because you have even greater gifts of the spirit than all My great men and women of old. You may not have the benefit of a physical cloud that is going to descend upon you and envelop you and whisk you away to that sanctuary of rest, but you have the spiritual weapons which can and will be a very real supernatural cloud to aid you in entering into My rest. That's what they're for—not only to be used offensively against the Enemy and in keeping you on the cutting edge of discipleship—but they're for your times of deep communion and resting in Me. They're designed for both.
407. Each of you will need to find out what your "cloud" is—the specific spiritual steps and keys that will enable you to enter into My sanctuary of rest. Sometimes it will be using one of the new weapons; other times it will be using a combination of two or three of them. There will be key elements that will always come into play, such as loving Me intimately, stepping out of this world and entering into My bedchamber, disrobing and leaving behind the thoughts and cares of this world‚ entering into My courts with praise and thanksgiving, coming before Me naked in spirit as My humble, receiving bride who only wants to love Me and to be with Me, knowing that at that moment nothing else in the world matters except connecting and becoming one with Me.
408. Just as I gave that cloud to Moses for a reason, for most of you there will be a similar cloud of separation needed to help you to separate yourself from the normal everyday demands of your ministry. That cloud will be a combination of physical and spiritual helps to help you to enter the sanctuary of rest.
Continued in GN 1195
Copyright © 2006 by The Family International. Art by Tamar.
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