Welcome to the twelfth episode of Christian Meditation with Anita Mathias.
Let's begin to detach from the world,
To retreat into the inner sanctuary of the self and to be alone with God.
Let's begin to breathe,
Resting in the presence of the God who gives us breath.
It is only here with God that we are completely known,
Completely understood,
Completely loved.
Here with God that we can rest,
Being completely ourselves.
It is a blessing to come in,
Out of the wind,
In C.
S.
Lewis's phrase,
Out of the world of words and distractions and doing,
And to sit quietly,
Just being,
Just you and the God who made you,
Who loves you.
Whatever has happened so far in your day or in your life,
Plant it in God's hands.
Lord God,
Please bring good out of even the blackest seeds of our lives.
Make them flower.
We leave them in your hands.
Whatever is to come today and for the rest of your life,
Place it in God's hands.
Protect us,
Lord.
Deliver us from evil.
For now,
All we have is the present.
You here,
You beloved child of God,
Resting with God.
Close your eyes,
Sit straight or cross-legged if that's comfortable for you,
And breathe.
A deep breath in to the count of five and out to the count of five.
Breathe in deeply,
Breathe out fully.
Stretch your arms upwards,
Maybe clasp your left hand with your right wrist and stretch towards the right,
Then reverse the movement.
Captus your arms to stretch them,
I.
E.
Lift them at right angles to your shoulders and stretch them slightly backwards.
Raise your shoulders to your ears,
Slowly roll them clockwise,
Anti-clockwise.
Repeat.
Boil your fists,
Tense your fingers,
Wriggle them outwards like a starburst.
Send your breath towards any tense,
Tired places in your body,
To any place of pain.
Touch it as you breathe.
Lord Jesus,
Lay your healing hands on our pain.
Please heal it.
Exhale deeply through to your hips and down to your toes.
Clench them,
Wriggle them.
Breathe in as deeply as you can,
To the count of five.
Breathe out completely.
Try another couple of whole body inhales and exhales,
From your toes to your nose.
Come,
Holy Spirit.
Matthew records,
As Jesus walked on,
Two blind men followed him,
Calling out,
Have mercy on us,
Son of David.
He asked them,
Do you believe that I'm able to do this?
Yes,
Lord,
They replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
According to your faith,
Let it be done to you.
And their sight was restored.
According to your faith,
Let it be done to you,
Is among Jesus's most life-changing,
Startling,
Almost terrifying statements.
The sightless eyes of the two blind men could not physically see Jesus any more than our sighted eyes can.
But they sensed his kindness and his power.
They prayed a simple,
Potent prayer,
The Jesus prayer.
Jesus,
Have mercy on us.
And they were healed.
Faith is to see God as he is,
The prodigal father,
Running to hug you when you return repentant,
Ashamed,
And weary.
It is to ask him for mercy.
Faith is to see the Lord Jesus,
Who calls us his friends,
Stand beside you,
Power radiating from him.
Faith is knowing that on request,
The spirit will come to you.
Faith is to ask these three to lay their healing hands on the neurons of your burnt out,
Agitated,
Distracted,
Looping mind,
And to heal your overwrought emotions,
Which can swerve into anger.
Because of the goodness and mercy of God,
You know this healing has,
Of course,
Started right now,
Because you prayed.
And you can go on your way with faith.
Faith is to refuse to worry or to fear,
But to put our problems into the hands of Christ,
Who changed the molecular structure of bread and fish,
Multiplying them a thousandfold.
Faith is to know his power extends over the nitty gritty of our lives.
For there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ,
Who is sovereign over all,
Does not cry.
Mind,
As we pray with faith,
Seeing Jesus,
We are often given the very thing we ask for.
The transcript of our prayers becomes the transcript of our lives,
As Mark Batterson says.
But we live in an already,
Not yet,
Kingdom.
Not every prayer will be answered affirmatively.
We are not the best writers of the thriller of our lives.
Our plot would have us ascend the ladder of success,
Fame,
Wealth and being praised,
Which never ends and brings only more striving,
Disappointment and exhaustion.
But though Christ can sovereignly multiply the fruits of our labours,
Following him is not about success,
Wealth or fame.
It is about learning to love God and to love people.
And God's knows and not yets develop our strength and character as surely as his yeses do.
And through it all,
Through it all,
His love envelops us.
And on request,
We can sip his joy.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.
Thank you.
