Most of us don't take the time to fully appreciate or to fully complete a true meditation through either properly breathing (and trying to count or pay attention to the method) or maybe through prayer. We don't take the time because we tell ourselves we don't have time. Well, turns out we have more time to do this than we really may have thought. We need to be really honest with ourselves and just say it; we choose not to do it. We choose not to do it, and when we make that decision what we're actually doing is robbing ourselves of the healing process that takes place both during prayer and during meditation. There are key differences of course; let's go over a few of those differences, then we'll hit on the similarities.
When we pray we have a different mindset than when we're about to meditate. Prayer is more often than not, a time to both thank God for things, but you know, and I know, that we pray for things as if we need to petition God for something. We do. We petition Him, ask Him to be with this or that, to make this or that come about, to stop this or that, and we do it without really even giving any (or much) concern as to how it may make Him feel that we're asking in the first place. Do we not know that He knows what we need and want before we ask? He does. Nevertheless, it's still a good thing to ask for it as it makes the thing real to us. We put the effort in, and we feel that we have been communing and really that's what prayer is; it's a way to speak with and listen to God when He speaks to us.
Most of the time when we ask God for things we're the one talking. The times we listen, think, wait, and try to hear or feel God is more or less the time we spend in meditation. We're on the opposite side of the aisle now; we're the one being still and maybe breathing, thinking, hoping, wanting, or relaxing, and we're trying to figure out if the answer is going to be yes, no, or wait. God doesn't say wait if He's going to ultimately tell you no. You need to know that. A wait answer is a yes answer, but it's just not time for it happen....hence the wait. There's no way God is going to do a "psych" on you, tell you to wait, and then say something like "Just kidding!" No, a wait answer is a yes answer, but it is not ready yet - - we aren't ready, it's not ready, something isn't ready yet, and God's time is always perfect. EVERY time.
It takes about 10 minutes to actively run a mile. It takes me longer as I don't actually run, I jog-walk and trip into it for about 13 or 14 minutes, but I do finally get the mile in, which I usually count as the start to the workout. I don't feel like I've done anything until the first mile is finished. Saying that it takes about 10 minutes is important because I personally feel that if don't spend at least 10 full minutes in prayer during the day, I don't feel that I've started my walk with Christ that day. I guess I feel that I've put Him off, or I'm made other things more important. I used to use the time it took to drive to work to pray, and no, I didn't close my eyes when I did that. If I had to close my eyes to pray I may end up falling asleep. Ten minutes is a good start, that's all I'm saying. If it's 10 minutes of praying or 10 minutes of meditation where I have a thought to think out, or just asking Him to guide my mind, I think it's a good start to the whole event taking place.
I have to be honest, I've stopped watching television (I catch a few shows online) so that I can take more time in the closet to pray and talk to God about things. I do turn out the lights, and I do snuggle with my dog, pillow and rock, but I end up staying in the closet for an hour sometimes just talking and asking things, pondering, questioning, even challenging God to show me things. I've done that. I think for me, prayer is more of a two-way thing and meditation is too, but it's more me listening and waiting. If I spend 10 minutes praying I'll end up spending about the same time meditating just waiting and thinking about the prayer. I don't always ask for things, most of the time I'm talking about things and why they are the way they are; or why they can't be another way!
Again, if I had to be honest, I'd say that lately (for about 2 and 1/2 years) I've spent much more than 10 minutes each day praying and about the same in meditation over the same topic and the same subject matter. I'm praying for someone, a specific, and particular someone, a someone that I didn't choose to pray for, but God asked me to so I do. I didn't start out praying anymore than a quick reminder prayer. I have to say that, I wasn't going through the gambit with God, asking questions, answering questions, thinking of new ways that this particular person could find himself closer to God, but that's what it's turned out to be. God led me to know that no one was actually praying for him and God told me he needed prayer. Though I didn't know the man, I knew he was married. Why wasn't she praying for him? I knew he had parents, why weren't they praying for him? Did he have a granny? Grannies pray! God pierced my heart with a thought; the man's granny was no longer able to pray for him, and that's why I was picked. It was her time to go home.
We know God's plan is God's plan, and no matter what He wants it will happen. This man needed prayer, and I was available I suppose, but we all know that God's timing and His planning aren't willy-nilly, there was a reason God picked me. I just couldn't have known it then; not sure I really understand it now. That's part of my time spent - - I keep asking over and over WHY GOD, WHY? The answer is always "Because I asked you to." It's not a yes, it's not a no, but it is a clear WAIT. So I wait...and I wait....
When I'm in the closet praying I find that I end up singing something too; usually an old old hymn that I learned by memory as a kid. I end up half breathing it and half singing it, sometimes I end up crying through it, and most of the time, because I'm such a good Baptist, I don't sing the third stanza. If you don't know you don't know, but it is true. I end up singing words like "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey." If I ever think I'm too busy to be in that closet I remember that He hung on a cross longer than 10 minutes and before He did that He endured hours of torture; I can give Him whatever time I have. He made that time.
Meditation for me is not trying to cause my mind to be blank, a blank mind can be filled with demonic thoughts. I try to fill my mind instead. I fill it with words of praise, worship, or just psalms I've quoted a 100,000 times. I think of new third stanzas for songs I've sung all of my life. I even asked myself if that was allowed since there really is a third stanza and I really should go look it up. I do actually own a copy of the Baptist Hymnal. Some people stole copies, I did the right thing you know, I bought it on Ebay! I was so proud of my little blue hymnal until one day my mother found it and took it home with her claiming she taught me to read it in the first place! I had to replace it of course, and all Ebay had was a METHODIST hymnal and it was red. Fine. Most of the songs are the same, but the page numbers are off. HOW did I get on this tangent? Talk about rabbit holes!
Ten minutes. That's my challenge to you. If you are on a treadmill, if you are walking or jogging outside. If you are doing something that requires you to be active and you need something to keep your mind occupied, try prayer. Give it to God and let Him show you that you have a source of power to turn to when you thought the last strides would never be possible. If you're going for a longer walk or run, try prayer and meditation but keep your eyes open so you don't trip over a tree root or something. Give yourself the OK to turn off the television, to go offline, put down the cell phone. You probably spend at least an hour a day on social media - - why not using Knee-Mail or Heart-Mail instead? Well, you may not agree with me, and I'm not asking you to agree with me. This is my blog, my thoughts, my opinion; it works for me and I wanted to share it with you. You're welcome.
Ten. Just try it.
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