Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life with Pastor Dave Cover
Christian Meditation can help refocus your mind and recalibrate your body to get the stress, anxiety and anger out of your heart and out of your body. Spend about 23 minutes to "be still" with God as each episode uses a different biblical image to e...
Recent Episodes
A Meditation on Freeing Your Body from the Weight of Guilt
33:22 | 09-01-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.This is a time set aside to experience God in a way that reintegrates your mind, heart, and body connection and replaces stress and anxiety and worry and insecurity with the peace and joy and assurance of God’s love and promises for you in Christ. We’re carving out a quiet time to be alone with God. Using meditation to reintegrate and recalibrate your mind and heart AND your body with the vertical reality of God’s presence with YOU, and God’s promises for YOU. Our body is an important part of who we are. And it is a common place where we store our stress and anxiety and insecurity. In Psalm 38 David talks about how being out of sync with God affected his body.Psalms 38:3-10 (NIV)3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.4 My guilt has overwhelmed melike a burden too heavy to bear.5 My wounds fester and are loathsomebecause of my sinful folly.6 I am bowed down and brought very low;all day long I go about mourning.7 My back is filled with searing pain;there is no health in my body.8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;I groan in anguish of heart. (Stress, anxiety)…10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me;even the light has gone from my eyes.Sin is when we live out of sync with the reality of who God is and the world that he has made and his purpose for our lives in it.God‘s wrath is when he lets us experience the consequences of that that are real and painful. In this case the consequences show up in David’s body. Guilt is the torment of our conscience that it feels the weight of our accountability and responsibility for that.Our body is just as much a part of our soul as our spirit is. It is constantly integrated with our relationship with God. For better or for worse. In David’s case here it is for the worse and he is using meditation to become aware and re-submit himself to God.Psalms 38:18 NIVI confess my iniquity;I am troubled by my sin.Psalms 38:21-22 ESVO my God, be not far from me!Make haste to help me,O Lord, my salvation!Meditation is a powerful way to focus on feeling your whole self — including your body — offered before YHWH as your God. Using your biblically guided imagination to feel God’s presence in and with you right now. And you are offering your whole self to him in submission. You may notice thoughts trying to sneak in saying you don’t really mean it. Just ignore that. You mean it right now. And even if you have a conflicted heart like we all do, you mean it enough to say it.So say it quietly now…I offer my whole self to you, my God. My whole body is yours. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Every cell in my body.Nothing is ever 100% in this Genesis 3 world and in your Genesis 3 body. But God’s Spirit is in you. And each time you can come before him in meditation and offer your whole self — your whole body — to him, that will re-wire your brain just a little bit more to make this a greater, deeper reality in your life.Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Feeling Into Your Body God’s Wonderful Works of the Universe and Wonderful Works of Your Body
30:34 | 08-30-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.It’s important to use meditation to try to feel your whole body, bringing your mind and body back into an integration where you embrace your whole entire body as part of your soul. Your body is an important part of who you are eternally. That’s why you will have a bodily resurrection in your salvation. Not a new body, but a transformed body without decay or sin or mortality. When we embrace our bodies as part of who we are, we are able to live as God intends. And we’re able to present our entire selves, including the members of our bodies, to God’s Spirit. So an effective way of feeling your body is to focus on breathing and relaxing the entirety of your body and at the same time focus on feeling your body relax. This is re-integrating your mind with your body in meditation. So take some time now to bring your mind’s awareness on relaxing your whole body with each breath. And focus on feeling your body relax. Try to imagine your mind feeling your body from within. As if your mind is going inside your body and feeling your whole body.A big reason we focus on getting good at learning how to feel your body from within is because that’s how you can feel biblical images into your body. So before I get up to preach on Sunday, I ask God to fill me with his Spirit, and I focus on feeling my whole body and imagining his Spirit filling every cell in my body as his holy temple. Imagining my whole body being filled with God’s Spirit. This is a much more biblical way to think of it than just limiting God’s Spirit to your “spiritual” self. You are an embodied temple of God’s Spirit. So think of your body this way, and use your imagination to feel this biblical image into your body.Psalms 19:14 ESVPsalm 19:1–4 NIVThe universe is an accurate picture of God in some ways. A finite picture that significantly “declares the glory of God” by “proclaiming the work of his hands.”Psalm 139:13–14 NIVPaul Davies (The Goldilocks Enigma)“Biological organisms are immensely complex... To a physicist they look nothing short of miraculous. …The living cell contains minuscule pumps, levers, motors, rotors, turbines, propellers, scissors, and many other instruments familiar from a human workshop…. The command and control functions of the cell are encoded in its DNA database, which implements instructions through intermediary molecules using an optimal mathematical code to convert software instructions into hardware products with customized functionality. And this is just one cell. In a larger organism, vastly many cells get together and cooperate to form organs such as eyes, ears, brains, livers, and kidneys, many of them immensely elaborate in their structure and function. The human brain alone has more cells than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. So it all adds up to a package of marvels that boggles the mind.”Psalm 19:1Psalm 139:14Psalms 119:27 (ESV)Psalms 19:14 ESVWho can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Experiencing the Goodness of God in Your Body from Psalm 16:1-2
28:14 | 08-25-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.My goal in this podcast — Christian meditation for a bigger life — is to help 21st century Christians in the always distracted digital age — to connect with God with our whole being and sense that embodied connection in each present moment throughout our day. And I think most of us as Christians are often living these unconsciously anxious and tense lives with a kind of bifurcated connection with our own soul and a fragmented connection with God. Where our “Christian faith” has become primarily about certain beliefs about our future rather than an embodied experience right now with the real God who created this entire universe.Psalm 16:1–2 ESV1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Experiencing the Presence of God in Your Body from Psalm 73:23
20:37 | 08-23-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.
Experiencing the Peace of God in Your Body
27:33 | 08-18-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.All your life you’ve been wiring your brain. Unfortunately a lot of that wiring is dysfunctional because it is merely horizontal. A lot of times our narrative of reality is based upon our very limited finite perception of our circumstances, and it’s missing the biggest reality in reality — God. The source of all reality. The source of all that exists. In him all things hold together the Bible says in Colossians 1. Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV)For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.So much of our life has been spent wiring our brain to see reality in an unreal way. A lot of it is based on the pseudo narratives of entertainment we watch.So the Scriptures say in Romans 12:2 not to be conformed any longer to the patterns of this world (just culture) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Rewiring of your brain.) Biblical Meditation and praying through Scripture is teaching/wiring our brain to see reality vertically. Not just horizontally. Philippians 4:5-8 (NIV)The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. …Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.In other words replace the low ceiling and small room of your own understanding of reality with the awe and the wonder and the transcendence of the reality of who God is and his nearness to you and his presence with you and his Lordship overall circumstances in the entire universe and in every detail of your life. You are finite but God is infinite.So let’s take some time to replace all the reasons your mind imagines why you should be anxious — replace that imagination with the better image of God‘s nearness and presence. As you’re lying or sitting there, imagine presenting your body — your whole self — and everything in your life that is causing you to be anxious or stressed or angry — imagine submitting that now before God. His presence.God is present. He is in this with me. And I can trust him.Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
What If You Imagined Your Body Washed Pure from All Shame?
28:38 | 08-16-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.
What If You Imagined God Being Right at Your Side?
30:58 | 08-11-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being. If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. To begin this Christian meditation, lie flat on your back or sit comfortably in a chair. Uncross your legs. And close your eyes, if you can. And just take a deep breath and let it out and say quietly to yourself, “relax.”And try to get a good calm rhythm of breathing going — in through your nose and into your belly. And feel your belly rise with each in-breath. …And with each out-breath focus on releasing the muscles in your body — letting go of tension and any muscles that you’re clenching. Often we are in a state of clenching our muscles in our body without even realizing it. So focus on realizing it now — with each exhale focus on letting all your muscles soften and relax.Breathing in, feeling more calm and relaxed. Breathing out, feeling yourself letting go of tension and stress. And you’re starting to feel a peaceful sense of quiet. PWho can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
What If You Imagined Your Body Filled with the Glory of Christ?
20:39 | 08-09-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.You may think that taking time to focus on re-integrating your body with your mind is not a very Christian kind of meditation. That somehow spiritual rejuvenation comes by focusing on the spiritual, not the physical. Focusing on the soul and not the body. And you would be wrong. Biblically wrong.Tim Keller“Christianity may be the most body-positive religion in the world…God made matter and physical bodies, and saw that it was all good…In Jesus Christ, God himself took on a human body which he still has…and someday he is going to give us resurrected bodies.”A lot of times Christians think the body is just temporary and is unrelated to the soul. But the Bible teaches the opposite. The problem with a lot of early Christian heresies — and they have stuck around for thousands of years — is that they somehow separated the body from the soul.A good example of that is in…1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV)“…You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”Now the “you“ there is the key because some wrongly thought the real “you“ was just your spirit/soul and not so much your body. Your body is earthly and going to die but your spirit lives forever. This is not biblical Christianity but a kind of heresy that always one way or another sneaks in.Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Imagine the Love and Joy and Peace of God’s Spirit in Your Life
27:37 | 08-04-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.This episode is a reload of a previous episode with some editing/cuts.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.Christian meditation focuses you on biblical imagery showing how you — your body — utterly depend upon God’s life-giving Spirit at every moment. Paul says, “In him we live and move and have our being” (Act 17:28). Of course most people don’t realize this or think of themselves this way, and even WE live our lives often ignoring God. But regardless whether we acknowledge it or not, it’s God who gives us life at every moment we’re alive. Every cell in our body.Continue to focus on breathing deeply and being aware of and relaxing your whole body with each exhale…Let’s recalibrate our mind and body to reality by imagining this reality and experiencing it in meditation. Imagine every cell in your body being given its life by God’s Spirit.This imagery can bring relaxation and relieve stress from your body.Let’s meditate on the imagery of…Ephesians 5:18 — “Be filled with the Spirit.”It’s an amazing thing to think – the God that created this universe is in me! In my body. The life-giving, universe-creating power of the Spirit of God is in me! I want his power to fill me! Fill every cell in my body!Continue to focus on breathing deeply and being aware of and relaxing your whole body with each exhale…Let’s imagine that now as we focus on a few more areas where we typically hold our tension and anxiety in our body.Your body is filled with God’s Spirit — No fear. No insecurity. No threat.Let’s meditate on the imagery of…Galatians 5:22-23 ESV…The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control.(This is what true holiness is.)Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Can You Imagine Being Held By the Eternal Arms of the Eternal God?
32:47 | 08-02-2022
Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind and body with God‘s presence with you and in you. Remember the quote from the apostle Paul in Acts 17:28 – In him you live and move and have your being.If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast.To begin, lie flat on your back or sit comfortably in a chair. Uncross your legs and arms. And close your eyes if you can. And just take a deep breath and begin to put your mind’s focus on relaxing your body. Christian Meditation is a quiet time for you to re-integrate and re-calibrate your mind with your body. And re-integrate and re-calibrate your body and spirit with God‘s presence with you and in you. Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV)The eternal God is your refuge,and underneath are the everlasting arms.Right now your whole being — body and spirit — is held in the eternal arms of the eternal God. He is your refuge right now. He is your life. He is your eternal righteousness. He is your eternal salvation. He is your eternal love. Your eternal security. Your eternal protection.Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV)The eternal God is your refuge,and underneath are the everlasting arms.Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it.Follow Dave Cover on Twitter @davecoverFollow A Bigger Life on Twitter @ABiggerLifePodOur audio engineer is Diego Huaman.This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.