(devotional by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. from Christianity.com)

Should Christians practice meditation? An increasing number of Christians are trying or using Eastern meditation techniques in an effort to direct their spiritual lives. It is no longer shocking to see churches offering yoga and meditation classes, nor to hear some Christians talking about their walks in a labyrinth, time spent in meditation, or experiments with the latest borrowing from the East.

Now, the Gannett News Service offers a report on the issue:

“All the chanting and incense and — yikes — even meditation altars may seem too New Age and mystical for some, but meditation has gone mainstream and been embraced by suburban moms and busy people.

Younger generations get an introduction in yoga classes, careerists escape on meditation retreats and boomers seek tranquility in meditation gardens. Meditation, it seems, is no longer associated as a counterculture activity made hip by The Beatles and favored by flower children.

Some approach meditation through Buddhism or other Eastern religions; more and more Christians meditate through the ancient ritual of centering prayer; while others develop their own style, whether it’s patterned after the breathing techniques of popular guru Deepak Chopra or not.

Most sit still, usually focusing on a mantra or on their breathing, but you can even clear your mind while walking around, tending a garden or through movement-based activities, such as tai chi.”

The biblical concept of meditation on the Word of God does involve an emptying, of course. We must empty our minds of ungodly and unbiblical thoughts, of desires for sin and resistance to the reign of God in our lives. But that emptying never involves an empty mind. Instead, it involves a mind in which unbiblical thoughts are replaced by the truth of Scripture — not a blank slate of meditation that revolves around the self.

In Psalm 119, David writes, “Oh how I love your law!  It is my meditation all the day.  Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.” [Psalm 119:97]  David’s meditation did not revolve around David, nor did it involve David trying to empty his mind into silence.  He desperately wanted to hear from God, and he knew he would hear directly from God in the law.  He studied the Scriptures in order to cleanse his mind of wrong thoughts and have them replaced with right thoughts and patterns of thinking.

The article included a good assessment from Professor Don Whitney of Southern Seminary:

“The idea of emptying the mind is not biblically based,” says Don Whitney, associate professor of biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. “There can be a danger.”

Referring to meditation’s long association with Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions, Whitney says, “Some of the yoga stuff, where you’re given a mantra, that is rooted in false religions.” He sees no problem with stretching, but once you start chanting, you’re treading on treacherous ground, he says.

His beef is that some people are seeking tools to help them live and de-stress. “That’s very selfish,” he says. “Our lives should be lived to the glory of God.”

This is a really helpful analysis of the issue.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to be rid of stress that is rooted in worldliness and the cares of this world. But getting rid of this worry is not a matter of self-therapy, but of having our minds reordered by the Word of God — reordered by the Creator.

We live in a world so shaped by therapeutic concerns that most people never stop to wonder if God is dealing with them in their stress, their distress, their haunting thoughts, their cluttered minds.  An attempt to empty the mind might well be an effort to listen to the self when we should seek to hear from God.

Beyond this, we should question the entire idea that the mind can ever be empty.  Instead, it is far more likely that when we attempt to “empty” the mind in this way, we are just closing ourselves to anything but the concerns of the sovereign self.

For Christians, this kind of meditation is a danger, not a means to spiritual growth.  Should we meditate?  Without question, we should meditate upon the Word of God.  This should be a part of our regular and constant spiritual discipline. But, this kind of meditation does not lead to an empty mind, nor to the sense of an empty mind, but to a mind constantly more directed by Scripture.

Any other form of meditation is a dangerous distraction and an empty promise.

(devotional by Whitney Hopler – Contributing Writer for Crosswalk.com)

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t have long stretches of time to send lengthy prayers to God. He hears the short prayers you offer throughout your day – like while you’re driving, exercising, working, or eating – and He’ll answer them, too.

Incorporating brief prayers into your daily life will put you in frequent contact with God, which will make your prayer life rich and full, no matter how busy you are.

Here’s how you can pray as you go through your daily life:

Recognize the opportunities. Know that everything that comes your way is an opportunity for you to pray about something. Realize that tremendous power you have to change the world for the better through your prayers – and decide to use that power to the fullest. Ask God to give you His perspective on the people and situations you encounter so you’ll be motivated to pray for them.

Don’t stop. Think of prayer as something you can do continuously, without stopping. See it as ongoing communication with God. Remember that God is always present with you. Aim to check in with Him often through prayer.

Be natural. Understand that prayer should come as naturally to you as breathing does. Don’t worry about trying to follow any type of formula for prayer; instead, simply pray in the way that works best for you at a particular time. Be assured that God will hear your prayers even if you don’t go to a special place, kneel, close your eyes, speak your prayer aloud, use elaborate language, or pray for a certain amount of time. Relax and focus just on communicating with God in whatever way works best for you.

Be creative. Realize that prayer shouldn’t be boring; it should be enjoyable and interesting. Rather than praying about the same old subjects over and over, pray about new topics, as well. Instead of using the same format for your prayers, mix up the order and change the style for variety. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you pray, so the process will be exciting.

Pay attention. Notice the abundance of opportunities you have to pray all around you, and make a habit of praying as you encounter various needs from people and situations in your life. Instead of just praying about what’s routinely on your mind, make time to pray every time you interact with someone who needs God’s touch or deal with something that could benefit from God’s intervention. Know that the more you pray, the more God will answer and work in the world. Seek to become a significant force for change in your community.

Listen for the Spirit’s prompting. Expect the Holy Spirit to nudge you to pray about people or situations you may never have thought of on your own. Whenever that happens, respond right then, praying while the need is fresh in your mind. Then enjoy watching how God answers your prayers.

Use information from the media. Whenever a news story catches your attention, pray about it. Remember that, while you probably don’t personally know the people involved, they’re real people in real situations that need God’s help. Intercede using the specific details you’ve learned from the news story, asking God to transform the people’s hearts and impact the situations according to His will. Rather than assuming you know the best outcome (such as in the case of a political election), simply pray for God’s will to be done. Be assured that by praying about world events, you’re tapping into real, unlimited power that can change the world for the better in powerful ways.

Shift your prayers. Get out of the rut of praying for the same old subjects over and over again. As you go through each day, deliberately shift from one topic to another so you can touch on a wide variety of subjects, like: family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, the government, the war on terror, people of other religions, your church, your small group, your city or county, your children’s teachers and classmates, your upcoming vacation, moral issues, upcoming legislation, and the criminal justice system. Be creative, exploring new ground as you pray.

Make lists. Use lists of various topics to pray about, such as: a list you write of your personal needs, prayer lists you receive from your church or charities or missionaries that detail their current needs, and Bible verses you want to pray. Consider praying through your lists while taking a leisurely walk. After you pray through your lists, keep them for a while to remind you of what you’ve been praying and notice how God has answered.

Use your downtime. Make the most of the downtime you have each day, by praying in situations like: standing in line, waiting in a doctor’s or dentist’s office, sitting in traffic, waiting to be served in a restaurant, cleaning up after a meal, mowing the lawn or working in the garden, listening to music, trying to fall asleep, taking a bath or shower, sitting at the computer, watching your kids play, taking a walk, or watching television. View every moment of downtime you experience as an opportunity to pray.

Pray about whatever comes at you. Whenever life throws circumstances at you for which you’re not prepared, make prayer your first response to them. Instead of letting yourself become overwhelmed, wasting time and energy worrying, or trying to solve problems in your own limited strength, pray when you first encounter challenges to release God’s power into those situations right away.

Ask, seek, and knock. If you’re asking God about something, frame your request in terms of biblical principles to make sure you’re asking according to His will. Seek the answer to your prayer by taking action after you ask. For example, if you’ve asked God to help you become more physically fit (which aligns with the biblical principle of taking care of the body He gave you), seek the answer to your prayer by exercising regularly. Don’t just wait around for God to magically drop the answer in your lap without you doing anything that will move you closer to your goal. Keep knocking on God’s door persistently while you wait for Him to answer your prayers; don’t give up.

Pray the Scriptures. Read the Bible often and meditate on the passages that speak the most powerfully to you. Memorize them, so the Holy Spirit will remind you of them whenever you need to apply their truths. When you pray, do so on the basis of what God has already promised or commanded in the Bible, since that will make your prayers line up with God’s will. Don’t limit yourself just to the Scripture passages you’ve memorized; whenever you read some verses that speak to something you’re currently dealing with, turn that passage into a prayer by personalizing it. Realize that the better you know the Bible, the more specific, wide-ranging, and fervent your prayers can become.

Create a prayer file. Write down various prayer requests on index cards, using one card per request and noting: the nature of the request, the date, and where the request came from. File each request in the appropriate section of your file: things you intend to pray about daily, weekly, and monthly (divide the monthly section into 30 slots so you can pray about a different request each day of the month). Whenever you discover how God has answered a certain prayer request, record the answer on the corresponding card and move the card to a new file – one for answered prayers.

Pray about small things as well as large things. Remember that nothing is too small to pray about; everything is significant to God because it’s a part of your life and He loves you deeply. So go ahead and pray about whatever thoughts and feelings occur to you and whatever experiences you have. Don’t hold back. Make a habit of connecting to God through prayer constantly.

Expect God to answer. Understand that God will eventually answer all of your prayers, but sometimes not in the ways you predict. Be prepared for surprises. Trust God to hear and respond to each prayer – no matter how brief – in the absolute best ways for you and all concerned. Look forward to what God will do!

Adapted from The Ten-Second Prayer Principle: Praying Powerfully as You Go, copyright 2007 by Mark Littleon. Published by Howard Publishing (a division of Simon & Schuster), West Monroe, La., www.howardpublishing.com.

Mark Littleton is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and a former pastor and youth pastor. He has authored more than 70 books, which have collectively sold more than one million copies.

For Someone Who Doesn’t Like Me

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.—Romans 12:10

“God, there is a person in my life who doesn’t like me. Or so it seems. If there is something I am doing to rub that person the wrong way, please help me recognize it and stop. Help me see myself as they see me, and give me the strength and humility to change the things that offend them. Establish a good spirit between us. I want a loving relationship with this person. Help me do what it takes to achieve that. Amen.”

When You Are Resentful

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.—Ephesians 4:31-32

“God, I am feeling resentful. Maybe there are good reasons for my resentment. Maybe there aren’t. Either way, take these feelings from me. Resentment is really just a desire to hurt another — but I am only hurting myself. Help me forgive. Make me bigger than my resentment. Amen.”

For the Power to Forgive

A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.—Proverbs 19:11

“God, You told us to forgive those who hurt us. And yet, I find this hard to do. Deliver me from the hateful pleasure of nursing a grudge. It brings only misery. Instead, help me want to forgive. Then fill my heart with generosity. Make me bigger than my little self. Help me know the incredible pleasure of reconciliation. Amen.”



(devotional from OurPrayer.org)

Ever try to make a fruit salad without fruit? Or chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips? That would be silly, right? Even the most basic recipes have ingredients crucial to their success.

Prayer, too, has certain “ingredients” that help ensure its effectiveness and success.

Love is a crucial ingredient of powerful prayer. Love is the defining characteristic of God—and those who follow him. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus emphasized the importance of a loving, forgiving spirit (Matthew 6:14-15).

Belief and positive expectation are essential. Research has shown that patients with faith and hope heal more quickly and completely. Through prayer, God wants us to be “sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Always pray hopefully, confident that the Lord will bring about the best possible results.

The language of prayer must be simple and sincere. Jesus warns against empty and wordy prayers. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Bring your requests to your loving Father whenever they come to mind, but do not feel “many words” will make him hear you better. Just speak to God sincerely and confidently.

It is vital to pray, “Your will be done.” 1 John 5:14 assures us, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” You will pray with more and more confidence and power as you live close to the Lord, seek his will, and follow his guidance.

Pray with others. If you have the opportunity, take part in a prayer circle or join your church’s “prayer chain.” Agree with a few close friends to pray for each other’s children, health, relationships. And don’t forget that you can pray with other Christians anytime at OurPrayer.org!  Jesus promises “where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

(written by Doug Coldiron as it appeared in )

Dee Dee, my Jack Russell Terrier, raced after her tennis ball, her legs pumping. I’m a long-haul trucker and Dee Dee rides shotgun on my road trips. We’d been playing fetch for half an hour, relaxing midday at my company’s trucking center outside of Atlanta while we waited for my next load. It had everything a trucker could need—fuel bays, shops, a lounge, even a wooded area near the edge of the property. The entire complex was bordered by an electric fence, then a chain-link barrier beyond, protection from the rough neighborhood. That’s why I was comfortable having my dog off leash. It felt good to stretch our legs near the woods. Some days Dee Dee and I never got much beyond the inside of my cab. She’d been my traveling companion ever since my wife and daughter gave her to me seven years ago. She was good company, always there for me to talk to, her tail constantly wagging. All those miles on the road never seemed that long with Dee Dee beside me.

Jack Russells are smart, curious, high-energy dogs. Intense. Something caught Dee Dee’s eye by the fence. Before I could react, she let out a yelp and shot into the woods. I rushed over, but a briar thicket kept me from following. She must have been spooked to run in there! She wasn’t normally skittish. “Dee Dee!” I called. No answering bark. Outside the fences, I could see cars hurtling down the road. At least there was no way Dee Dee could have gotten beyond the barriers. I’ll find her, if I have to search every inch of the complex, I thought. She has to be close. I paced the perimeter of the trees calling her name. Nothing. I alerted some of the other truckers. They volunteered to help. We searched until it was pitch black. One by one the other truckers left. “I’ll pray for you,” some of them said. I wasn’t so sure God was listening. I’d been praying for hours and hadn’t been rewarded with even a faint bark. I was exhausted. But when I collapsed onto the bed in my cab I couldn’t sleep. All I could think about was my little dog: hungry, scared, maybe hurt. Alone.

The next morning the first thing I saw was the empty spot at the foot of the bed where Dee Dee usually slept. My heart ached. I wanted to spend the day looking for her, but there was no time. I had to load the truck and be on the road by 10 to get to Virginia. Saying goodbye was part of being a trucker. But I’d never had to say goodbye to Dee Dee. I called my wife, Rena. I’d been delaying the call, hoping to have better news. “Why don’t you put up posters and I’ll get something on your Facebook page? You and Dee Dee have so many people who care about you,” she said. I hung up, sad. Dee Dee needed people on the ground searching for her, not somewhere off in cyberspace. Besides, it’s not like I’d friended 1,000 people. I used Facebook to stay connected to a few friends while Dee Dee and I were on the road. She probably had more friends than I did. I pulled up a picture of Dee Dee on the laptop in my cab and quickly made a “Lost Dog” poster, with my phone number. I went to the office to print it and plastered copies on the walls, by the fuel bays, everywhere I could think of. As I was leaving, I spied Russ, the maintenance supervisor. “I’ll keep an eye out,” he said. “I appreciate it,” I said. But I knew he had his own busy job to do. We all had our hands full. Who had time for a lost dog?

I drove up I-75, the interstate rolling by in a gray haze, and reached my destination, Abingdon, Virginia, just before 5:00 p.m. After everything was unloaded, I sat alone in my truck and stared out into the empty parking lot, wishing I were 350 miles south of there. Usually Dee Dee would be sitting in my lap, licking my hand. I’d scratch her behind the ears and…. I couldn’t bear to think about it. I reached over to my laptop and pulled up my Facebook page to see what Rena had written. At first I thought maybe I’d clicked on someone else’s page by mistake. It was filled with postings: “We’re praying for you and Dee Dee.” “Hang in there.” “Trust in God.” For the first time since Dee Dee disappeared I felt comforted. Someone besides me was worried about my little dog. If only I could get back to Atlanta soon! I thought of typing that in a prayer and posting it: “Lord, get me an assignment back in Atlanta…NOW!” But I knew it could take weeks before I was routed through there again. I clicked over to my company’s website to find my next job. There at the top of the list was a morning pick up in Bristol, Tennessee, less than a half hour away. I scanned over to the destination. Atlanta! Could the prayers really be working?

Stay safe, Dee Dee, I thought that night as I tried to fall asleep, back at home in my own bed. She must be so hungry. Was she able to find water? Shelter? I thought of how her whole body shivered when she was cold. If only there were some way for me to know she was okay! My ringing cell phone the next morning woke me. It was Russ. “I saw your dog on my way to work about two blocks from here.” I couldn’t believe my ears. Dee Dee was alive! Then I replayed his words. Two blocks from the trucking center.… She was outside the fences! I thought about all that traffic, the run-down buildings. The guard dogs trained to attack. A little dog like Dee Dee wouldn’t survive five minutes out there. I picked up the load and headed south. I hadn’t gone 10 miles when my cell phone rang again. A text from a friend wanting an update. A few minutes later another text. A trucker letting me know he was still praying for me. The phone hardly ever stopped ringing. I couldn’t look at them all. I had to focus on the road and getting to Atlanta.

Around 2:00 p.m. I pulled into the trucking center. Russ came out. “Let me get my car and I’ll show you where I saw her,” he said. When we reached the spot, there were all the things I’d feared—heavy traffic, abandoned buildings—but no trace of Dee Dee. We called for her. Drove down block after block. Nothing. After an hour Russ had to get back. At the trucking center I borrowed a company loaner car from Cindy, the drivers’ service rep, and headed out again. But as the afternoon wore on I could feel my hopes fading with the light. Was there any place I hadn’t looked? I saw a gleaming white Baptist church with a cross out front, across the street from a row of brick houses. I’d driven by the church several times, but never stopped. There were woods behind it. I pulled up in front and walked to the trees. “Dee Dee!” I called. It was eerily quiet. I stood there for a minute, listening. Silence. Dejected, I trudged back to the car. All those prayers. Not one of them answered. Looking up to the sky, I said, “Lord, please just show her to me.”

In the car I glanced over my shoulder for traffic. And there on the doorstep of one of the houses sat Dee Dee! I sped the car across the street and into the driveway then got out slowly, not wanting to startle her. I tried to calm myself. Don’t spook her… “Dee Dee,” I said softly, “let’s go home.” She stared, as if trying to recognize me. I crept closer. All of a sudden her tail started wagging like crazy. She bolted over to me and licked my hand. I picked her up and squeezed her tight. Thank you, God. Other than a coating of Georgia clay, she was the same healthy, energetic Dee Dee.

We got in the car, and I called Rena. I was so happy I could barely talk. After we hung up I scrolled through all of the text and voice-mail messages. There were dozens! An entire convoy of prayer warriors. Then there was Russ and Cindy back at the center. So many people, all lifting Dee Dee and me up to God. It would take hours to thank them all. But I didn’t mind. Who knows what goes on in the mind of a dog? I’ll never know why Dee Dee ran off or how she got outside the fences or what her adventure was. One thing I do know is this: We are never alone. Prayer is with us always, and God always answers prayer.

(Permalink: http://www.guideposts.org/pets/prayer-and-god-help-man-find-his-lost-dog)