The Power of Our Heart’s Full Attention

Oct 27

I love it when I have your attention. And you are yourself when you have mine. It is yours, all my attention. Always. But do you see it? Do you know? For when you do not know, what good is it? If your heart is not your own, for its attention is elsewhere, how will you know what you do not know?

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations” (Ezekiel 36: 26-27, NLT).

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Dear one, take a deep breath now. Your Father loves you. He is with you. He is always near.

In this encounter, we are invited to engage with God on the topic of distraction–specifically, how we lose connection with our true hearts, our deepest sense of self, when we live separate from God. When our heart’s attention is on God, we taste our heart’s fullness. But when we live without engagement with Him, the price is greater than we initially realize, building to dissatisfaction with and disorientation from our very identity. In this encounter, we hope, through engaging with God, to grow deeper in love with God as we also reconnect with our hearts that He always knows and sees.

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Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down.

Take deep breaths for a few minutes, closing your eyes and gently stretching your arms, legs, back, and torso. Then engage your heart with God as you inhale and exhale:

Jesus……(Inhale)

I love you (Exhale)

Next, consecrate this time, and your mind and heart, bringing this encounter under His authority. We want Him to lead. We want to surrender and trust in His guidance now.

Father, I give my heart to you now. I consecrate it to you. I give you my thoughts and expectations. Lead me deeper into your heart. Show me what you have for me.

You might want to get out your journal and write what you surrender to Him. Give to Him everything that feels like an emotional weight now. Every worry. Every burden. Offer each one to Him.

Jesus, I love you, and I trust you. So, I give you……

Stay here as long as you need to. Before moving on, you might want to remain in this posture, sitting or lying down, with your eyes closed, allowing your heart and your imagination to give you a visual picture in your mind of something God wants you to know and see.

Holy Spirit, I am here, expectant and open. Thank you for being here. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your kindness and your good plans for me. As I stay with You, is there anything you want me to know? Anything you want to show me?

Remain comfortable with your eyes closed for at least ten minutes, allowing yourself this time of wide-open space with Holy Spirit. Here, in this place of all possibility with Him, where your imagination is expectant and your heart is at peace, let your heart engage with the One who knows and loves you best.

Lord, quiet my heart; help me to be with you now….

After allowing yourself this time of openness and space, consider getting out your journal and continuing the interaction with God by writing down your thoughts. Talk to God about what you felt you heard Holy Spirit say. Tell him how you feel and think. Process, with him, what is going on in your heart.

Father,...

Next, turn your attention to the following verses of Ezekiel 36: 26:

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart” (Ezekiel 36: 26, NLT).

Break up the sentences phrase by phrase or even word by word.

Consider the first sentence:

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.”

What is your response to the repetition of “I will……?”

Father, when you say “I will….” I feel….

Furthermore, what are your thoughts about God promising to give you a “new heart”? What does this promise mean to you? How do you need a new heart? What do you want this to look like in your life? Spend a few minutes here. Engage with God about this first sentence. What is he saying in this promise, specifically to you?

Lord, when you say……I feel……

Continue to engage with God, Jesus, and/or Holy Spirit as you contemplate the second verse.

“….I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart” (Ezekiel 36: 26, NLT).

Let your heart lean into Him, hearing his heartbeat as he loves you and speaks to you.

What, Lord, in this passage, are you saying to me now?

You might want to sketch a picture of your heart on a fresh page in your journal.

How do you perceive your heart? And how does God see it?
What is filling your heart? (What do you often think about? What actions occupy your days?)
What are the beautiful, soft, open places of your heart? (Name the specific ways you choose to abide with God during moments of a regular day.)
What are the harder, more stubborn places that tend to resist God and his invitations to you? (Be specific as you name the situations during the day where you tend to resist God. Lean on Holy Spirit’s guidance to gently invite you deeper into God’s love for you now.)

Allow your heart to linger with Holy Spirit, closing your eyes as you continue encountering his heart for you.

Finally, consider how God might invite you to respond to these verses with action and faith. His invitations are always ones of love.

Lord, this is how I feel you loving me now….
This is how I receive your promise for a new heart and a new spirit…..

You might want to continue using your journal as a tool to process your conversation with him. Or you could move into a time of worship. Below are some songs to consider.

Amen.