Feeling Overwhelmed? Pray/Meditate
In our first conversation to discuss vigorous positive action, we recognized the most important immediate action is to promote healing for those traumatized by this past week (and quite frankly the past few years). Here are some prayer and meditation resources to help you heal the pain in our hearts.
Meditate
Getting Unstuck: Creating a Limitless Life begins on 7/11/16 for free. Each meditation lasts for about 20 minutes and guarantees you spend 15 minutes or more in silent meditation each day. When I am unable to sit, I lie down on my back in bed for my meditation practice. Register here.
Here are a few beginner’s meditation tips:
- Remove distractions (silence cell phones, close your door).
- Sit or lie comfortably.
- Close your eyes.
- Breathe naturally.
- Focus on your breath and how your body moves in response to it.
- Start with a few minutes and add more as you feel comfortable.
- Soon you will be able to replicate this feeling of peace in other spaces.
Tip: Sometimes, I move right into prayer from meditation.
Pray
Many houses of worship host prayer via conference call or in person in the early morning hours or on Wednesday. Contact a church near you or even one far away to listen in or pray in community. These comments and prayer from Pastor T.D. Jakes touched my spirit.
You can also spend time in prayer alone. Read, recite, and think about scriptures that mean something to you. Praying for others or giving thanks for the blessings you have is a great way to begin your day in prayer.
Here are two scriptures to meditate on during your prayer and meditation time provided by beloved sister, Nicole Wood.
Biblical Practice of Listening: James 1: 19-26
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Biblical Practice of Justice: Isaiah 58:5-12
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
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Let us know how you are coping with your feelings @fierceurgentnow or FierceUrgentNow.