Dreaming While You’re Awake

The Essential Practice Pretty Much No One’s Doing

We can be like Christ!

What other goal could we have?

Remember: You Are Soil!!!

Luke 8:11–15 NKJV

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Matthew 13:18–23 NKJV

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Reading Isn’t Enough

Memorizing Isn’t Enough

We have to PLANT the Word in our hearts!

To plant it requires hearing it, understanding it, reflecting on it, and knowing it.

hearing it,

understanding it,

reflecting on it,

and knowing it.

You don’t accomplish all of those simply by reading or memorizing.

The answer, is the Biblical practice of meditation

Joshua 1:8 NKJV

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Joshua 1:7–8 NKJV

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Joshua 1:8 NKJV

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

James 1:21–25 NKJV

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Psalm 119:

Psalm 119:9–11 NKJV

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

It’s clear that meditation, and hiding the Word in our hearts, gives us the ability to obey it, and then promises us success and blessing.

Meditation has been proven to have many benefits.

Relieves Stress and Anxiety

Improved Memory

A Healthier Heart

And I think most importantly, increased self-control.

A section of the brain called the pre-frontal cortex controls our will-power. Many people are missing will-power because their pre-frontal cortex has grown weak. Guess what the number one way to strengthen your pre-frontal cortex is?

The Huffington Post: “Research on meditation has also shown a wide range of psychological benefits. For example, a 2012 review of 163 studies that was published by the American Psychological Association concluded that Transcendental Meditation had relatively strong effects in reducing anxiety, negative emotions, trait anxiety and neuroticism while aiding learning, memory and self-realization.”

Cleveland Clinic: “A 2009 study found Transcendental Meditation helped alleviate stress in college students, while another found it helped reduce blood pressure, anxiety, depression and anger.”

Cameron Diaz says it changed her life, Katy Perry, Jerry Seinfeld, and others practice meditation and stout its benefits.

I bring them up not as role-models, but so you can understand people like them are finding time to do this in an unGodly way. Do you think you could find time to add this to your life in a Godly way?

Meditation seems to have the effect of coming pretty close to bypassing our natural body, and descending into our subconscious. This is exactly what happens while we dream, except it’s involuntary when we dream.

Now this is a dangerous place to be in because you begin playing with spiritual forces, and there are only two kinds of Spiritual forces.

Jesus said, “He who is not against us is on our side.”

There are no “neutral spiritual forces” They are either Godly, or demonic. One of the two. I don’t wanna be playing with non-Godly Spiritual forces, and that’s exactly what meditation can open you up to.

There is one way to accomplish both the benefits of meditation, while not opening yourself to the demonic: meditate on the Word!

Two Types of Meditating on the Word:

Three verses at a time (most powerful)

One passage at a time (for exploring)

How to meditate on the Word:

Joshua tells us to do it day and night

dedicate intentional time to only meditating on the word

Do it alone

Meditate on small “chunks” of the Word

so many people try to cram as much of the Word in as they can. The one-year Bible is *way* too much in one session.

It requires hearing the Word

Try to understand what you’re meditating on

ask questions,

visualize what you’re meditating on

Three verses at a time (most powerful)

One passage at a time (for exploring)