“I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”(1 Jn 2:14)
Introduction:
The desires of every child of God are to please God, live a victorious life over sin, and be one who has overcome Satan. Every truly born again believer in Jesus desires to be holy, separated from the world and its lusts, sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit. These desires can be summarized as tools needed by a believer to overcome temptation right on the spot. We want to see demons flee at a word of command. We want to prevail in our prayers–the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous has great power. We shall briefly examine one easy avenue to spiritual power–scripture meditation. This approach opens the gateway to power through prayer and power through the outpour of the Holy Spirit.
The basic premise is that scripture meditation exposes you to ALL the promises of God in His word. Knowledge of scriptures uproots the problem of ignorance for which many people suffer and err. (Hos 4:6, Matt 22:29) Meditation on the word of God makes the sword of the Spirit available at the point of need. It is a powerful faith builder! You can now pray effectively according to the word of God with the revealed will of God for your life. Meditate on the word of God.
The five-finger approach to the word of God is: 1)Hearing, 2)Reading, 3)Studying, 4)Memorizing, and 5)Meditating on the scriptures. Although these are somewhat related to one another, each one is distinct, and none is a substitute for the other. For instance, studying the scriptures is different from meditating on the scriptures which is also not the same as memorizing.
Our daily bread:
The majority of Christians who read the scriptures daily, often read comments in “Daily Guide,” “Our Daily Bread,” etc. Some people depend solely on the comments made in their devotionals without further reflection on the passage itself. Even though the comments in these devotionals can be very appropriate to meet the spiritual need of a certain day, one may discover that they do not “apply” on another day. There are people who routinely read these “dailies” to satisfy the religious requirement of “Quiet Time.” This kind of superficial attitude towards the word of God makes many such people have shallow Christian lives without victory in their daily walk. But this ought not be so. It is good to read comments written in the devotional books. However, it is far better to have a deep reflection on the Bible passage itself and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you–and supply you with your Daily Bread. The Lord wants to give you first hand counsel for the day. He wants to show you His will for your time of prayer. I would like to emphasize that the effectiveness of one’s prayer depends primarily on the level of the word of God in one’s spirit (Jas 5:16). It is the Word of God in one’s spirit (heart) that generates effectual mountain removing Faith (I Cor 13:2, Mk 11:23; Rom 10: 17). When the Word is stored in one’s spirit (heart), a great power is released whenever such a scripture is used or confessed. The WORD becomes sword of the spirit (Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12), fire (Jer 5:14; 23:29), hammer (Jer 23:29), and water (Eph 5:26, Heb 10:22). Hence, healing, deliverance, and miraculous manifestation of the power of God take effect by the utterance from the lips of the brother/sister who has the Word of God hid in his/her heart (spirit).
Do the word, sow to your spirit:
You may quickly ask, “How do I know that the Word is in the heart/spirit and not in my intellect?” The easiest answer to this is found in Mat 7:24-27 and Jas 1:21-25. And that is DOING the Word–taking action on the Word. Whenever you see yourself agreeing ABSOLUTELY with the Word of God, go ahead and DO what the Word revealed to you. (i.e. you understood a particular implication, application, or injunction of the SCRIPTURE, agree with it, and do it!) In so doing, the POWER of that Scripture will become evident in your life. It is sown in your spirit (Gal 6:7,8). It may seem tough when the Holy Spirit is making clear to you the implication and application of the WORD, PHRASE, SENTENCE, or PASSAGE of the scripture. However, once you agree with God, even though it seems difficult, you resolve to do it, and do it, it is sown in your spirit. But if you debate, argue, rebel and disobey or ignore it, you may still remember it in your mind, but it is sown in your mind–mental assent. (See Isa 66:2, Ezra 10:3, also Isa 1:19,20) To tremble at the Word of God simply means to be readily amenable to do it. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”(Ps 119:11)
Hearing:
But one must first of all seek out the word (Ezra 7:10). It is not possible to do something about which you know nothing. Therefore a combination of the five points listed earlier would be the best approach to seek out the word. We can say that while reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on scriptures are ways of hearing the word of God, there are other avenues of hearing the word of God. For example, one may sit in a church and listen to a preacher who preaches from the word of God or listen to a radio program that brings a message from the word of God. Listening to scripture tapes and even songs are yet other ways we can hear the word of God. For Jesus said, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” (Jn 8:47) But there are people who get tired of hearing the word. They are people who are slow to learn. The NIV Bible puts it this way: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Heb 5:11-14). In this matter of hearing the word of God, we must not be selective in what we want to hear from God. We must be quick to listen, and slow to speak. We must be willing to hear the “milk” and the “hard” sayings of God, too. When this is true of your life, i.e. to hear ALL that God has to say to you, the power of God will rest upon you. To hear the word of God means to attentively listen and to believe God. (See Acts 10:44-48) Listen for God wants to speak. As little Samuel said, “Speak Lord, for I am listening.” (1 Sam 3:10)
Reading:
The most appropriate way to read any book of the Bible is to read from the first chapter through the last (including greeting, names, etc.). A person may engage in reading through one book (OT or NT) at a time, while at the same time studying any other topic that may involve the whole Bible–e.g.. Topical or theme study. In this way, the reading may be fast–not requiring attention to every detail, but picking up very useful and helpful insights as one reads. This is the time to recognize passages and verses for meditation. I encourage you to highlight, underline, or otherwise mark up your Bible!
Studying:
Generally, Bible study is a detailed overview of a biblical topic, theme, book, or character. A Bible study may also be a collection of what the Bible teaches about a specific subject – from Genesis to Revelation. Doctrines are often subjects for Bible Study and one has to make sure that he/she gets the very clear, wholesome truth about the subject (1 Tim 6:3-5). A notebook and a pen are useful for taking notes or jotting down points. Bible expositions and other Christian literature based on the Bible may be helpful. But remember that these books are not the Bible and hence the views held in them may not be absolute.
Memorizing:
A book, a chapter, or a Bible verse may be committed to memory (from any Bible version of one’s choice). Those portions of scripture ministering to your need(s) or answering some of your questions are good to memorize. These are the verses that you come across while reading the Bible or that someone has shown to you. This is purely a mental exercise, but it is very helpful and useful in meditation. Often, many mistake this for meditation, because they are able to quote and recite such verse(s) of the scripture.
Meditation:
As a Christian you need to fix the Word of God deep in your heart. One good way to illustrate this is to liken meditation to a chicken swallowing a drop of water. The chicken raises its head up and shakes its head until the drop goes down. Then it picks up another drop and does the same thing again. The chicken continues until it is satisfied. When you do this to the Word of God, we call it digestion of the word. This digestion may be done to a passage or verse you have already memorized. You face the FACTS contained in the passage or verse and reflect deeply on all the implications of the passage in your life or the lives of others (look especially at your own life). Then muse on it for as long as necessary (a couple of minutes or several hours–but the longer the better) until you understand God’s will for your life specifically. This point would lead you into prayer (meditative prayer) saying simply that the Lord should prevail in your life in line with the Word you have received. This is different from merely thinking over what you have read. The Word of God will minister a deep sense of tranquillity to your heart, if you begin to yield to the Holy Spirit about that Word.
Eph 4:26 was a passage that broke me when my niece was staying with me. That eye-opening morning, she decided to cause problems and mess things up in the house. Before I could find her for proper discipline, she had escaped to school. So I planned to discipline her when she got home from school. But toward midday, as I communed in my heart, this scripture was revealed to me regarding my niece. ” In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” I literally wept before the Lord as I prayed to really forgive her and not to punish her at the close of the day. Since then, my anger never sets with the sun. I never carry over any disagreement or quarrel no matter who or what is involved. Therefore do not carry your quarrels over to a new day.
Jas 5:15 was a passage that gave a death blow to my sickness in 1980. “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” After I faced up to the absolute implications of this passage, I’ve never been bound by any disease. Although the devil would try to bring them, my meditation on the WORD gives a death blow to any sickness. And since then, I have taken Bible studies on healing, etc. and further meditations on other passages (Isa 53:4,5; 57:18,19; Matt 8:7,8)
In a recent discussion with sister Anthonia, one point became more evident about meditation on the scriptures. Contemplate the way that people take prescribed drugs. When the doctor prescribed analgesic tablets to be taken 1 tablet 5 times daily, patients take the same drug over and over again until the problem is over or until they are given another prescription. They never complain about taking the same medicine in the morning, noon, night, and so on. Thus is meditation! Have you come across a specific verse or passage that helped you to overcome your need, worry, sin, or sickness? There is nothing that stops you from taking “the prescription” until the problem is over. I am referring to those passages that you have read recently, or that someone has shared with you–take deep meditations on them until all the symptoms of the spiritual suffering are gone. Sow the Word in your spirit so that your spirit will begin to govern your soul and physical body (Heb 4:12).
Other practical applications:
And let me quickly address three major causes of demonic operation in the life of a Christian:
– Fornication/adultery: (sexual immorality – including masturbation, homosexuality, etc.) is a major source. This is also true when two believers go ahead and disobey the Word of God in this area (1 Cor 6:15,16-19). Sometimes a previous relationship that was not dealt with very well, may bring about resurgent spiritual operation. If you tell yourself each time that “Your body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord , and the Lord for the body” (1 Cor 6:13b), you would experience a total deliverance from sexual sins! About this, I would be willing to answer questions in more detail.
– Unforgiving spirit: See Matt 6:12-15; Col 3:5-8; Eph 4:31,32; Heb 12:15-17. Forgiving others is one of the most difficult things to do, but once you meditate on the WORD and the Holy Spirit opens your eyes about the people you must forgive (before ever they come to tell you they are sorry or whether or not they come), you have to go ahead and FORGIVE and tell them so. Even if you cry in secret (because it hurts) during your personal time with God, it is far better than carrying that sin thereby allowing the enemy to oppress you. DO THIS, and you will notice the difference in your life. Others will also see how different your life is. Your physical body will shine with the glory of the Lord.
– Bitter spirit/Resentment: Bitterness is a deadly killer. It destroys the life of anyone who is bitter. It defiles and makes you filthy. Resentment is a subtle hatred–a hatred that hides in a pretense of discontent. Most people who are resentful would deny that they hated the person. Be freed from these wicked feelings. They will kill you if you give them (bitterness and resentment) any foothold. Meditate on the following: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Heb 12:14-15)
Conclusion:
You want to deepen your personal fellowship with God through hearing, reading, memorizing, Bible studies, and meditation. These can be done through personal Bible studies and deep meditative prayer. (See Ex 25:22, Ps 4:4;7:6). Act on the WORD as these areas of your weakness(es) are exposed clearly to you by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures. It is necessary to mention that the above outline on meditation is not altogether exhaustive. There is no special time for meditation on the scriptures. Any spare time should be used. However, waking up in the midnight or early hours of the morning tend to be more helpful as one may not be tired at such times (Isa 50:4,5; Mk 1:35; Gen 24:62). The weekend, especially Saturday morning, affords a lot of time for Bible reading, meditation, and studying. Sharing the deep understanding you received from the Lord (during your meditation) with others would help you to retain and foster the concepts in your mind and spirit. This will also throw the door of personal evangelism wide open for you. As time goes on, you will discover that meditation may lead to further reading and to prayer, which will in turn lead back to more meditation.
If you have any Questions, further inquiry, prayer need……write:
Asopuru Okemgbo, PhD
PO Box 673
Richland, WA 99352
+15093086748
