Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the way of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers,
But his delight is on the Law of the Lord,
And on his law he meditates day and night-Psalm 1

Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God's voice and obey his word-Celebration of Discipline-Richard Foster

Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind...Christian meditation leads us to the inner wholeness necessary to give ourselves to God freely, Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster

Otium Sanctum means "holy Leisure." Foster aruges that it is a sense of balance in the life, and ability to be at peach through the activities of the day, an ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty, and ability to pace ourselves (27). Our churches lack a deep experiental knowledge of God. We do not know how to commune with the living God. We do not know how to walk in day to day life with God. Instead, we have an external righteousness that lacks substance, depth. I picked up Foster's book to help me cultivate my intimacy with God. Distractions, Business, and Ministry crowd out me sitting at the Lord's feet, opening my heart to him, and learning from Him.

Why do Christians lack growth and fall into lukewarmness? (1) We harden our hearts because we have become "dull" of hearing the Word. As the apostle James says, We should be "doers" or the Word and not only "hearers" lest we deceive ourselves. Here are some important princples I learned from reflecting on this time:

1. Stop
Find places where you are not distracted from emails, phonecalls, people, and work. Be consciously telling yourself that this time you have is to have One on One time with the Lord.

2. Be Comfortable
Find a place where you can meditate freely. For me, this is the beach, my backyard, and my room in the evening.

3. Open Your Heart
Tell the Lord what is really going on in your heart: Anger, Betrayal, Anxiousness, Hurt, Pain, Joy.

4. Listen to God
Ponder on the Scriptures. Ask God to show wonderful things in His Law.

Application:
Morning Times-I get so distracted in the morning. The first thing that pops into my head is that I need to go running or get ready for work. I also want to check my email, facebook, or bank account before I start reading my Bible.

Afternoon-I rarely spend times with God in the afternoon. I get caught up with studying or meeeting with people or preparing lessons.

Evening-I believe this is my most important time of the day. I normally reflect in the Scriptures in Genesis. Playing Worship Music relaxes me. In other words, here are times where I am able to contemplate and open up my heart to God.

Lord, grow me in becoming more intimate with you. Open my heart to recieve your word. I confess to you that I have hardened my heart and have stop listening to you because I have become "dull" of hearing because I have been so "busy" serving you. Help me stop, think, reflect, and listen once again.

Thank you for grace, In Jesus Name, Amen.