Meditate in the Presence of God
The word meditation is more often associated with Eastern religious philosophies or the clinical science of mind approach, therefore, it is not entirely adequate as a stand-alone term for any type of spiritual connection or communion. Likewise, identifying any spiritual union as simply contemplation draws unnecessary associations with Christian philosophies and mysticism (see Meditation – Its Mystic Roots).
For these reasons, the term divine meditation best characterizes the practice of God-centered meditation. It is a label that restores the essential presence of a divine Being into traditional meditation techniques. Divine meditation is a spiritual exercise used to contemplate and revere the divine nature and attributes of God, to ponder and assimilate divine ideals, to give thanks for the gifts of God, and to pray for the spiritual uplift of humanity.
The real strength of divine meditation is its recognition of a Creator God as the primal source of all reality, a Supreme Source who can be contacted in the upper reaches of your consciousness by way of your inner Spirit and by means of sincere worship, thoughtful prayer, and insightful contemplation.
Divine meditation is the progressive technique of contacting Spirit and, in the process, exchanging the mind of self for the mind of God. It is a shared experience that requires only simple faith in the power of the eternal, infinite, and divine Presence to bring about your spiritual transformation.
The more healthful attitude of spiritual meditation is to be found in reflective worship and in the prayer of thanksgiving. 100:5.10
– The Urantia Book
Divine meditation is a spiritual attitude of mind—a spiritual framework of divine values and supernal goals. It is a mental exercise in which you imagine yourself thriving in a spiritual context, a spiritual environment. It is putting yourself in the presence of God and the angels—a friendly, sympathetic, understanding, supportive, and goodhearted place where you can talk freely.
In this frame of mind, you open your heart and soul to a friendly Spirit, to a wise and loving friend. You express your feelings, your desires, aspirations, disappointments, or anything else on your mind. You place your problems before God, propose solutions, and ask for advice (see Divine Problem Solving).
Divine meditation is a faithful and reverent milieu for prayer and thanksgiving, both of which are psychological and spiritual techniques for changing your outlook on life—your attitudes to yourself and the world. You see yourself in a wider, universal context, a spiritual and cosmic setting in which you actively participate, improve, and help others.
Divine meditation is reflective worship—thoughtful meditation and contemplation—placing an emphasis on creative imagination, deep thinking, and spiritualized thought. It is the wholehearted and unreserved worship of the beauty of God, the goodness of God, the truth of God, and the love of God—the adoration and veneration of the inconceivable power, infinity, and eternity of the divine Source of all reality (see Worship – How It Works).
Beyond East and West
The Western trend in Zen Buddhism leans toward the clinical approach to mindfulness, which is, for the most part, a secular psychological approach. This trend is a predictable transition for Zen because, although its contemporary followers search for the final beatitude—a blissful mental state called nirvana, they openly admit it is a godless state of mind.
But whether Buddhists consciously recognize the presence of God or not, Zen meditation techniques are effective and productive because they help us to perceive the self-contained and changeless nature of God. They are a viable approach to God because there truly is a universal, spiritual energy for us to draw on, as most Buddhists presume. Indeed, meditating on concepts of Tao as the primal, eternal, and vital Source of all reality is a potent way to grasp the concept of Deity Absolute—the aspect of divinity from which all things come—the deep reservoir of all reality (see Way Beyond Magic).
But one principal difference in the God experience is the belief that this universal and infinite source of energy potential is entirely the creation of a Universal Creator—a creation that is manipulated by the absolute will of a personal and purposeful God the Controller, the Creator and Upholder of all reality.
Another key departure from the Eastern approach is the belief that God manifests as a freewill personal spiritual being with whom we can communicate, interact, or commune. Personality is only one manifestation of God, but it is an important one (see God Is Someone).
Without this notion of personality expression, it is difficult to conceive of divine love or a friendly universe, simply because cosmic energy and matter cannot love or be friendly. And if we believe that God and his angels are helping us to mature, both mentally and spiritually, then we also accept the volitional nature of spirit personalities who offer to help.
Mind Is the Gateway
By means of reflective, devout, and imaginative thought, mind becomes a gateway to the spirit realm, not a hindrance to it. Any contemplation, meditation, prayer, or worship requires reverent thought, not the absence of it.
But the words used in spiritual thinking are not as important as our frame of mind and attitude of soul. There are no correct words in these situations, although our choice of words (in thought or speech) can influence and direct our perception of spirit realities.
Our spiritual sentiments, along with our focused attention, direct our thoughts to the higher reaches of mind, a level of consciousness connecting the material world with that of the spirit domain. In this thoughtful state, direct your mind to contemplate divine values, to discover more transcendent realms of spiritualized thought, to become conscious of the spiritual currents of celestial communication.
It is your thoughts, not your feelings, that lead you Godward. 101:1.3
– The Urantia Book
Divine meditation is a dynamic and positive spiritual approach. It’s a technique used to control and direct thoughts, as well as to reflect and relax. It’s more than simply becoming aware of something or trying to exclude all thought. Instead, we just relax to contemplate all things spiritual while consciously allowing our inner Spirit to adjust our thoughts—to bring them into harmony with the workings of the spirit phase of existence—to spiritualize them.
This is not a difficult task. You will soon discover that divine meditation is an effortless, yet powerful, psychological strategy for contacting the spiritual phase of reality and, in the process, you will gain peace of mind, soul growth, and spiritual insight—wisdom.
During our meditations, we cannot entirely escape our egos—our selves, yet we wish to avoid being egotistic or entertaining any notion of self-importance. We choose to become selfless by not thinking about ourselves too much. The goal is to completely identify your ego with the Divine Presence so that the two become as ONE. In effect, you are allowing the Spirit within you to express itself through your personality, your thoughts, and your actions.
The end of life is to be like God, and the soul following God will be like him.
– Socrates
To reiterate, the Spirit does not seek to control your thinking but rather to internalize spiritual values—to spiritualize your mind. It cannot influence your thoughts against your will but, with your permission, it can improve and modify your thinking processes in such a way that you are actually thinking, speaking, and living on behalf of God.
The intention is not to confront and combat toxic thoughts or evil inclinations. This only gives an open stage to things not of the spirit. Rather than resisting unpleasant thoughts and unwittingly giving them a life of their own, it’s better to change your thinking by focusing only on those things that are loving, good, true, and beautiful. Ignore the rest.
Through divine meditation, you control your thoughts by introducing and contemplating divine ideals and spiritual ideas, ones that you admire, respect, and venerate. You can then focus and channel these exalted ideals along constructive lines by admiring and idolizing them. The result is that you reflect these supernal concepts back on yourself and, eventually, you begin to express them in your spiritual life. This is the technique of reflective worship.
Reflective worship is not only a matter of giving out your love and adoration to a personal divine Source, it is also a way of opening your mind and soul to receive God’s wisdom and love. Your communion with God is a two-way affair, even if you cannot consciously feel the presence of God.
And throughout all these exercises, you are not trying to empty your mind—instead you are permitting the spirit to fill your mind with spiritualized thoughts and spiritual goals—to be spiritually mind-full.
Keep Balanced
But before you begin with this powerful and effective approach, there are a few caveats about meditation practices. To begin, we are not seeking to induce a trance-like state or some imagined state of bliss. We also wish to avoid fanatical notions, or entertaining visions and interpreting dreams. These are open to endless speculation and may distract us from the sober but thrilling realities of the God experience.
It is also important to have patience. Meditation changes your perceptions, but it takes time. Trying to bypass the natural course of spiritual evolution is ineffective and ultimately proves detrimental. Rather than looking for quick miracles, it is more profitable to be patient, actively engaging in the spiritual experiences of the moment.
Divine meditation is a sane and balanced effort to reach beyond the borders of self-consciousness. You accomplish this by extending your awareness into the semi-spiritual realms of soul consciousness—your spiritual self—your spiritual nature and your spiritual outlook. If you can reach this level of perception, you are better prepared to make a concerted foray into spirit consciousness—direct contact with the divine Presence within you.
Ideally, your thoughts and feelings should flow freely in spiritually liberated but controlled channels of creative imagination. This means that you not only monitor your thoughts, ensuring they are pure in all intents—selfless, true, good, and beautiful, but also that you imagine divine ideals. But try to avoid fanciful illusions or dreamy stereotypes about the nature of spirituality, spiritual beings, or your degree of spirit contact.
Through all this, avoid prolonged social isolation. Keep on track but keep balanced by sharing your thoughts and experiences with others of similar mind—kindred spirits. Sharing your spiritual journey helps you to put things in perspective and contributes to a sense of balance between your inner and outer lives.
Divine Meditation
Ideally, you can meditate, pray, or worship anywhere at any time. But to get the most from meditation exercises, it helps to remove yourself from the rush of life and the worries of the day. Take time to prepare yourself and your environment. You want to be able to relax and feel comfortable. Choose quiet surroundings where there is little chance of being disturbed.
There are hundreds of books and websites offering instructions on how to meditate. I make little effort to elaborate on these, but I encourage you to review some of them and to adopt those techniques that best suit you. Just keep in mind we are going to take a God-centered approach.
Eastern meditation practices are particularly useful for relaxing your mind and body and they help you to focus your mind on a specific objective. The difference in the God experience is that you are focusing your mind on the divine Source of all things, you are filling your mind with spiritual realities, divine values, cosmic awareness, and God consciousness—this is the divine meditation method.
Surroundings
It is always good to appreciate the value of beauty when it comes to meditation and contemplation. Beauty arouses your highest spiritual emotions, inspirations you can then employ in your intelligent and reasonable efforts to commune with God.
You can find beauty in the flora of nature, whether in forests, public parks, or your backyard garden. Even some stark environments have their own unique and simple beauty—the saguaro cacti of an American desert, the tropical mangroves of Costa Rica, or the Arctic tundra of the Canadian North. A time of sunset or sunrise is conducive to meditation, as is gazing on the panorama of the starry realms. There are many rewarding ways to enjoy the beauty of nature.
If your meditation and worship must be confined to a building or a room, create a place of warm, simple beauty adorned with modest and tasteful artistic works modeled on nature. Design your place of meditation to inspire happiness, reverence, and holiness.
Mental Alertness
It doesn’t make much sense to try to meditate if you are physically or mentally exhausted. If so, it is difficult to focus or concentrate on any issue and you are prone to wander off or fall asleep. Your efforts will be more rewarding when you are rested and alert. Try it in the early morning, at noon, or in the early evening.
Remember too, that what you eat or drink, or what you do not eat or drink, will affect your efforts. Abstinence is not the answer because it is difficult to relax or focus when you’re hungry or have low blood sugar. Then again, too much coffee and doughnuts doesn’t help either.
Relaxation
One of the classic Buddhist techniques in meditation is to focus on your breathing. This is the simple practice of consciously taking control of your breathing, keeping it slow, deep, and even. This is a good way to begin as it helps to take your mind off worries and anxieties.
Also consider progressive muscle relaxation, a technique often referred to as a “body scan.” It is an extremely beneficial technique proven effective by several research studies. It may take a little practice at first but, after a while, it will come to you naturally.
Progressive muscle relaxation takes advantage of the fact that the body affects the mind, and the mind affects the body. By relaxing your body, you relax your mind. We are often unaware of how much we tense our muscles in reaction to stress or anxiety.
You begin these physical exercises by consciously tensing your muscles, or muscle groups, and holding this muscle tension for a brief period (5 to 10 seconds). By continually tensing and relaxing, you become acutely aware of the difference between the two states, and you also come to realize you are in control of your muscle tension and, by extension, your thoughts. Before long, you will achieve complete relaxation by running a simple body scan.
You can begin with either your toes or your face by briefly tightening every muscle before completely relaxing. Now move up or down your body doing the same thing with different muscle groups, tensing and releasing as you go. Once you have done this a few times, you become acutely aware of your body tensions, relaxing your mind in the process. This is a proven method for taking control of your body and mind.
But after taking control of your breathing and your muscle tension, there is little need to spend more time on this. By now, you should have reached a quiet state of physical and mental relaxation, finding yourself ready to begin the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual journey in which you get closer to, and interact with, your inner Spirit.
Focus on One Thing
Now is the time to focus your attention on spiritual qualities and let the Spirit carry you away. Have faith that God is helping you. Believe he loves you as much as anyone else in this universe and wants you to succeed, to be positive, to be loving, to help others.
Instruct your mind to dwell only on those thoughts that are divine in origin. Focus on the beautiful, the good, the true, and the loving. Wash away all feelings of guilt and regret in waters of divine love, heartfelt compassion, and wise understanding. Be kind to yourself, understand yourself, respect yourself.
Steady your mind by focusing on one spiritual concept at a time. Keep your mind on one idea, such as the love of God or the good nature of God. For some, it helps to write a simple note to oneself about the concept or thing you want to focus on. Whenever your mind begins to wander, use your note as a reminder. Others find it useful to say things aloud.
As you look around in your mind, become aware of your opinions, settled ideas, and prejudices. These thoughts impede all efforts of your inner Spirit, preventing it from sharing with you the loving and inspiring messages beaming out from the divine Source of all things.
Whenever you identify inhibiting thoughts, there is no need to dwell on them—just clear them out of the way by moving on to divine values, spiritual qualities, loving thoughts, and a consciousness of God. Remain open-minded. Give up your cherished ideas about the way the world should be. By all means, change the world if you can but, for now, just accept it for what it is.
During meditation, you may encounter startling thoughts or experience intense emotions. Take care to scrutinize these. Recognize every thought and experience for what it is, and not for what you imagine or wish it to be. Balance your thoughts and emotions with sincere self-critique while having the courage to accept new spiritual realities.
Meditation Exercises
There are no rules or set procedures for divine meditation, except for the obvious fact that you are attempting to contemplate all things of a divine or spiritual nature for the purpose of spiritual awareness, spiritual insight, and divine wisdom. It is a method of subjecting yourself to the consciousness of contact with Divinity.
The whole point of meditation is to change yourself—to progress in all aspects of God consciousness, spiritual enhancement, cosmic knowledge, and experiential wisdom—to become a better person, not just for yourself but for everyone else, for the benefit of your family, your community, all humanity, and for the entire universe.
Begin by using your creative imagination. Reach up to a high state of consciousness by being aware that you are aware. Have faith that the Spirit is trying to impart love and wisdom to you, and trust that contact is easier when you are purely motivated and sincere of heart. Be humble and open-minded as you stand at the doorway to the spirit world, and then summon the courage to knock.
Knock and the door will be opened to you.
– Jesus of Nazareth
In all these exercises, take your time. Meditate on just one topic or one line of thought each day. Rushing through spiritual concepts seldom yields positive or lasting results. It takes time to realize and embed new truths.
Meditating on a thought doesn’t mean saying it over and over in a mindless fashion. Instead, it is reflecting on a concept from different perspectives, especially moral and spiritual perspectives. It means contemplating a subject of interest with an eye to divine values and spiritual meanings. And it means using your imagination to evoke the presence of God in order to recreate yourself as a new being—as a truthful, good, and gracious being.
Take about an hour each day to contemplate various aspects of divinity and, after six days, use the seventh day to actively help others. Your degree of contact with spirit depends not just on your meditation and worship exercises but also on how much you share your love and compassion in everyday life.
The weekly exercises below are only suggestions. Be open and receptive. The best responses are spiritually spontaneous, individual, and unique. But until you reach that point, you may need a more structured approach.
Week One: Contemplate the Attributes of God
Personal attributes are things like height and weight, skills and abilities, or specific jobs that people do. When it comes to God’s attributes, we think about such things as his infinity, eternity, and power.
We begin by contemplating these and other attributes of God. I suggest spending one day thinking about just one aspect. And, by all means, add more as your spiritual inspiration and insights guide you.
Day One—Imagine God as the Primal Source of all reality. Without God, there is no reality. Imagine a self-existent Divine Creator who always existed before anything else was created. Imagine One God who is all there is, the infinite and eternal I AM.
Day Two—Imagine God being everywhere, living in all space, encompassing all space, yet beyond all space and the creator of all space. Envision God literally and eternally present in the universe of universes. Stretch your mind beyond space to embrace the infinity of the First Source and Center.
Day Three—Imagine the eternity of God, the one who is beyond all time, yet encompasses all time, lives in all time, and is the creator of all time. To God there is no past, present, or future—all time is present at any given moment. The eternal God is never-beginning and never-ending. Go beyond time by accepting the eternity of the Spirit of God.
Day Four—Imagine the infinite, eternal, and absolute power of a majestic God, the supreme preserver, the controller, and the upholder of all universes and all reality. Envision this protective Power supporting and maintaining an infinite universe with unlimited force and complete sovereignty.
Day Five—Imagine God as ultimate and absolute spirit, an all-wise, all-present, and all-powerful Deity of Creation, a divine controller, a brilliant light at the Paradise center of all reality, bonding and uniting the entire universe wisely and effortlessly.
Day Six—Imagine God as the first life and the gift of life, the source of all life, the pattern of all life, and the purpose of all life. Visualize the unlimited Spirit of All Creation as the divine source of all mind, of all consciousness, and of all personality.
Day Seven—Do something good for someone.
Week Two: Contemplate the Nature of God
A person’s nature is often perceived as their character or qualities—such as whether they are kind or cruel, respectful or rude, selfless or selfish. Take a week to contemplate the divine nature of God.
Day One—Imagine God as the spiritual epitome of love, the divine source of all love—a selfless, self-forgetting, compassionate, and wise love. Freely accept this perfect, infinite, and eternal love that is freely given to all who wish to receive it. Be Godlike—love others with parental love.
Day Two—Imagine God as the ultimate good and the source of all goodness—the eternal, divine goodness of a replete and perfect existence. Accept this eternal goodness into your heart and your life. Be Godlike—be good.
Day Three—Imagine God as beauty, and the source of all beauty, an infinite and eternal beauty. Discern the beauty of the universe, the beauty of goodness and truth, the beauty of grace, the beauty of symmetry, and the beauty of harmony in a spiritual life. Be Godlike—be beautiful.
Day Four—Imagine God as truth and the source of all truth—a living, eternal, and divine truth. Accept the Spirit of Truth into your heart and let it live in your thoughts and actions, let truth grow and flourish in your soul. Be Godlike—be truthful.
Day Five—Imagine God as supremely compassionate, fair, and helpful—the natural and divine expression of goodness and love. Accept that God is forever patient, understanding, and forgiving, always considerate of your challenges and tribulations. Be Godlike—understand and forgive.
Day Six—Imagine God as the source of all wisdom—an infinite, eternal, and divine wisdom—a perfection of truth and knowledge. Envision divine wisdom conditioned by God’s love, goodness, and compassion. Be Godlike—be wise.
Day Seven—Help someone who wants and needs your help.
Week Three: Contemplate Cosmic Meanings
Day One—Imagine love as the divine glue that forever binds the universe. Envision God’s love as the greatest of all spirit realities, the only true, infinite, and eternal power throughout the entire universe. Imagine the power of love pervading your entire being and the entire cosmos.
Day Two—Imagine yourself becoming like the true nature of God and thereby becoming Godlike in all that you say and do. Imagine yourself achieving spiritual maturity, enhanced insight, and the highest ideals. Visualize yourself as a spirit child of God and a citizen of the cosmos.
Day Three—Imagine all things material, intellectual, and spiritual working in complete harmony in the great scheme of universe progression. Visualize divine beauty, intellectual truth, and spiritual goodness as integrated and unified realities throughout the cosmos.
Day Four—Imagine the gift of eternal life. Picture the endless exploration of the wonders of an almost infinite universe. Imagine astonishing and thrilling adventures throughout the countless worlds of space. It is yours for the taking—follow your inner Spirit and become an active member in a friendly universe.
Day Five—Imagine the unique and personal contributions you can make to the positive and eternal progress of the universe and all its beings. Contemplate your spiritual privileges and duties as a child of a loving Universal Father.
Day Six—Imagine you belong in a friendly, helpful, and loving universe. Imagine yourself as a real cosmic citizen, completely loyal to the will of Divinity, completely loved and cherished by a universe Mother Spirit and all her angels.
Day Seven—Fulfill your duties to family and friends.
Week Four: Contemplate the Presence of God
Day One—Imagine a loving God living within you. Imagine the Spirit within you, seeing what you see, hearing what you hear, listening to your thoughts, aware of your motivations and desires, waiting patiently for your love and devotion.
Day Two—Imagine a friendly God living beside you. Visualize the Spirit of Truth walking with you throughout all your daily adventures. Ask this spirit to show you the truth in all situations and then listen (feel) for a spiritual response. Live a truthful life.
Day Three—Imagine the Holy Spirit all around you. Visualize her guardian angels who are always with you, helping you to see things in a spiritual light and to make spiritual decisions in all circumstances. Feel these loving angels with you now and love them in return.
Day Four—Imagine God’s spirit living in all people. Acknowledge and respect the Divine Presence within everyone. When you speak to others, speak to their Spirit as well. Honor the light in all people by valuing them as you value yourself. Respect others, understand others, love others.
Day Five—Imagine God is helping you to become a spiritual being. Believe he wants you to succeed and is actually helping you right now. Picture yourself becoming a spiritual being. Believe and accept this truth. Feel your spiritual transformation.
Day Six—Consciously share your inner life with God. Share your hopes and aspirations, your fears and anxieties, your happiness and devotions, your love and adoration. Be sincere and open. Listen for, and feel, the spiritual response.
Day Seven—Share your goodness, truth, and beauty with all others as you live in the presence of God.
Week Five: The Power of Prayer
Prayer is most effective when it is sincere and spontaneous. Our individual needs vary so much that it is impossible and impractical to try to come up with prayers to suit everyone. But here are some examples you may find helpful.
Day One—Pray for all to have the strength and courage to be loyal to the divine will. Pray for the courage to face anyone and anything, knowing there is no fear in love. Pray for everyone to have the resolve and fortitude needed to face the challenges of life.
Day Two—Pray for honesty of mind. Pray to be genuine and trustworthy to yourself and others. Pray to be forever loyal in your duties and responsibilities, pray for the ability to speak with sincerity and candor.
Day Three—Pray that we all learn tolerance and forgiveness, patience and understanding, tactfulness and resilience. Pray for compassion, love, kindness, fairness, and benevolence.
Day Four—Pray for personal wisdom, divine wisdom, and cosmic wisdom. Pray for all people to be wise in their actions and speech. Pray for truth, knowledge, and understanding.
Day Five—Pray for faith to sustain you and all others in the spiritual journey. Have faith in each other. Pray to remove all doubt and replace it with undying faith and loyalty in the wisdom, goodness, and love of God.
Day Six—Pray for the desire to love and help others. Pray for those who love you as well as those who despise you. Pray for the welfare of others and for solutions to problems. Pray to be selfless.
Day Seven—Work for the spiritual advancement of others.
Week Six: The Power of Gratitude
Day One—Give thanks for all the good things in your life. Give thanks for all the good things in the world. Realize that, over the long-term, the world is getting better and give thanks.
Day Two—Give thanks to all those who have helped you through life. Give thanks to your family and friends. Reflect on acts of kindness and love, and give thanks. Give thanks to all those good people who work for peace and harmony, beauty and nature, goodness and truth.
Day Three—Give thanks to your guardian angels who are so near to you and who watch over your soul. Thank them for working diligently and persistently for your spiritual enhancement and your eternal life.
Day Four—Give thanks to the Spirit of Truth who walks beside you, always helping you to discern the truth and to act on it wherever and whenever it presents itself. Listen to the Spirit’s comforting voice saying, “This is the way,” and give thanks.
Day Five—Give thanks to the Spirit of God living within you. Know this precious gift as the secret to your spiritual success and eternal life, and give thanks. Accept and believe this Spirit is always working to spiritualize your mind, and give thanks.
Day Six—Give thanks to the infinite, eternal God, the center and source of all reality. Give thanks to the all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving Creator of a universe. Know that God is good, perfect, holy, and glorious, and give thanks.
Day Seven—Go out into the world to give thanks.
Week Seven: The Power of Worship
Like prayer, worship is a highly unique and individual experience. Some like to worship with music, others while driving, but many prefer the quiet solitude of beautiful surroundings. Worship is best when it is spontaneous and sincere but, when starting out, it may not feel so. Be patient. The words you use are not as important as your frame of mind.
Day One—Worship and venerate the First Source of all reality, the Divine Cause of all causes. Glorify the Eternal One who resides at the center of all reality, who pervades all reality, who is all reality. Feel and adore the divine presence of God.
Day Two—Worship the gracious, almighty, and all-pervading power of God. There is no true power in the entire universe except for the absolute power of God. Feel and revere this infinite and universal power working for the good of the entire universe.
Day Three—Worship the majesty, glory, and infinity of a Creator God. Adore the eternal greatness and perfection of his almighty presence. Feel and revere this superior, matchless, and boundless being who lives within you and around you.
Day Four—Worship and revere the Infinite Source of all life, all consciousness, all mind, and all experience. Feel and revere the spirit of life within you and around you. Worship the beautiful Source of a beautiful life.
Day Five—Worship and admire the goodness of a benevolent and compassionate God. Feel and worship the presence of this divine goodness. Have faith that, no matter what challenges you face in life, God has a good, loving, and divine plan for you.
Day Six—Worship and adore the unconditional, divine love of God. Feel the Creator’s true affection for you and love him in return. Love God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. Feel and revere this heavenly love.
Day Seven—Learn to understand and love one more person today.
Week Eight: Transform Yourself
Day One—Open your mind to the spiritual power and divine energy emanating from the Spirit within you. Allow your Spirit to recharge and refresh your body, mind, and soul with spiritual energy. Ride this wave of divine energy, breaking through all resistance.
Day Two—Imagine harmonizing your physical, mental, and spiritual powers with the Divine Presence. Let them all work together as one force wholly dedicated to doing God’s will. Balance yourself in all things, giving equal weight to spiritual growth in body, mind, and soul.
Day Three—With joy and eagerness, fully cooperate with the leading of the inner Spirit. Imagine yourself coordinating and consecrating all your thoughts, words, and deeds with the Holy Presence. Imagine yourself making courageous decisions to do and to be whatever it takes.
Day Four—Imagine yourself embracing a spirit-led life by consciously choosing the divine realities of truth, beauty, and goodness. Visualize yourself living out these values through expressions of love, compassion, and ministry to others.
Day Five—Envision yourself as a child of God and happily accept that you truly belong in a greater universe guided by love and compassion. Joyfully accept your cosmic citizenship and recognize your spiritual obligation to the continuing, progressive evolution of the universe.
Day Six—Allow the Divine Spirit to show you the real motive, the final aim, and the eternal purpose of your life’s struggle. Allow the Spirit to fight with you and for you. Allow the Spirit of Truth to recreate you as a spiritual being.
Day Seven—Give thanks to all the spiritual forces within you and around you. Receive their loving guidance and pass it on to others.
Meditative Reflections
I hope these exercises have helped you feel a little closer to divinity and have inspired you to become more God conscious. By now, you have probably developed a technique that works best for you. This is great, but don’t get stuck on just one method or one way of thinking. Be spontaneous in spirit and always probe within yourself for greater truths, enhanced values, and spiritual meanings.
Throughout all these meditations, keep in mind that real progress entails outwardly expressing your spiritual transformation through love and compassion for your fellows. You can sincerely evaluate your personal success by the degree to which you manifest a spiritual nature, one marked by loving service, unselfish devotion, enlightened honesty, unfailing goodness, forgiving tolerance, and enduring peace, among other qualities.
Divine meditation not only brings you closer to God, it is also useful for solving life’s problems, a topic explored in Divine Problem Solving.
Let experience teach you the value of meditation and the power of intelligent reflection. 192:2.2
– The Urantia Book
