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"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Josh. 1:8).

Meditating on the Word of God. It was an essential element of success in Joshua's day. It still is. Unfortunately, however, most of us today don't know it.

We read the Word of God, we listen to preachers preach it. We even get together and have discussion groups about it. But meditate on it? Most of us don't have any idea how to do that. Nor do we realize that we're short-circuiting God's own formula for success and consigning ourselves to failure by doing without it.

The truth is, meditation isn't nearly as mysterious and complicated as most believers think it is. Scriptural meditation simply means thinking about and reflecting upon the Word of God. It means pondering a particular scripture and mentally applying it to your own circumstances again and again until that scripture permanently marks your consciousness.

Why is meditation so important? Because it can affect your life in a way that almost nothing else can. It can, quite literally, alter your mind. Take a look at the story of Abraham and I think you'll see what I mean.

When God first told Abraham (or Abram as he was called then) he was going to have a son, Abram was an old man. His wife Sara was also old, well past the age of childbearing. What's more, she had been barren all her life.

An aging, childless couple - that's how Abram and Sara saw themselves. It was an image that had been imbedded deeply in their minds for years. They'd totally given up any other hope. In fact, they'd already made plans to leave his estate to their servant Eliezer of Damascus.

So, when the Lord spoke to Abram and told him He was going to give him and Sara a child, Abram literally couldn't imagine such a thing. It contradicted his entire mind-set. Knowing the mental struggle Abram would have, God didn't just make him a verbal promise and leave it at that. He did something else. Let's look at Genesis 15:5 and see what it was: "And God brought him, Abram, forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he,Abram, believed."

God didn't just leave Abram with his old image of himself as barren, old man. He gave him a new image to ponder, an image of God's promise being fulfilled. Can't you just see Abram staring out at the stars, trying to count them? Looking into the sparkling light of one after another and visualizing the faces of his grandchildren and great grandchildren? Filling the eyes of his heart with the promise of God?

A few years later, when that vision was growing dim (and after Abram and Sara had tried to help God's plan along by bringing Sara's maidservant Hagar into the picture), God spoke again. And, once again, He did something that would permanently mark the minds of both Abram and Sara. He gave them new names: Abraham - a father of many nations, and Sarah - a mother of nations (Gen. 17:5,15,16).

By changing their names, God made sure that His promise to Abraham and Sarah became more than words to be heard and forgotten. He arranged it so that every day, countless times each day, whenever they heard or called each other's names, His promise would again come to mind. From that day on, they were never able to separate themselves from it. It became a permanent part of their identity.

That is meditation. It is tremendously powerful, and by focusing on the scriptural promises God has given you, you can put it to work in your life just as Abraham put it to work in his.

How? Let me show you. Say, for example, you have a desire to give, yet financial failures have held you back. Put meditation to work for you in that area by going to 2 Corinthians and reading God's promise about it: "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8).

Spend some time thinking about that promise. Visualize yourself writing a generous check to someone in need. Then begin to act on that image. When the Spirit leads, give whatever you can. It may not be much at first, but don't worry about that. Just keep developing that image inside you. See yourself giving more. In your mind, practice writing those checks again and again. Each time you do, the promise of God will become more real to you, and your faith will grow.

"Oh my, Brother Copeland, surely you're not saying I should use my imagination!"

Yes, that's precisely what I'm saying. What do you think God gave it to you for? Coupled with the Word of God, your imagination is a tremendous thing. Let it help you visualize God's promise. A hazy hope is not enough. You need a detailed picture!

I first learned how to use my imagination that way as a kicker for my high school football team. I'd lay in bed and visualize myself making the kick. I could see the turf beneath my feet, the laces on the ball, and the goal posts in front of me. Then, in my mind's eye, I would visualize the football sailing between the posts. I'd do that over and over, building an image of that successful kick within me. Let me warn you though, sometimes creating such new images are tough - especially when there are old images blocking the way.

Years ago, when I was many, many pounds overweight, I read countless books on weight loss. One thing almost all of them said was this: "See yourself slim." I tried. But I just couldn't do it. Every time I shut my eyes I saw that same fat guy I'd seen reflected in the mirror 10 minutes before. Even when I succeeded in losing some weight, that inner image didn't change. So, I'd end up putting the weight right back on again.

I finally went on a fast, meditating on the Word of God and staying in prayer, until I overcame that image. Why is it so hard to change those old mental images of ourselves? Because we've spent years developing them. But, regardless of how tough it may be, if we're ever going to enjoy the blessings God has for us, we're going to have to do something about such images.

Quite often when I talk about visualizing and imagining the Word of God, I find believers are wary of such things. They say it sounds like positive thinking or transcendental meditation. Well, where do you think the devil got those things? You don't think he ever came up with anything on his own, do you? Of course not! He's a thief. He just stole that passage about meditation from the first chapter of Joshua, took out the part about the Word of God, and gave it to some folks who were foolish enough to fall for it.

The very fact that he stole it indicates just how powerful it is! So, put the powerful art of meditation to work for you. Use it to change the inner images that have held you back for so long. You'll find, just as Joshua did, that it is truly one of God's most effective "secrets" for success.

Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka:  Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Author Biography

Kenneth Copeland
Web site: Kenneth Copeland Ministries
 
For the last 50 years Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have been passionately teaching Christians all over the world how to apply the principles of faith found in God’s WORD to their lives.
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