The Impact of Your Internal ‘Dialogues
The conversations you have within yourself can guide you to Me. What are you feeling? What are the messages you hear in your mind over and over and over?
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There are thoughts in our heads that we hear on replay, conversations within ourselves that we don’t share aloud, especially with others. They are the internal dialogues that shape (and reveal) how we feel about ourselves, equate our worth, and choose the role we want to have in the world.
We often take these internal, private conversations for granted. What happens most often is one of two options: (1) we don’t acknowledge their existence and let the power of their influence shape us without a second thought, or (2) we stay hyper-attuned to them, giving them the power to decide what we do, what we feel, what we believe we know, but without discernment, wisdom, or letting Holy Spirit join in.
Today, let’s ask God how our internal dialogues might shape us. We can trust His wisdom. It is always so good to encounter Him and go deeper into an experience of His love for us. Through encounters with God’s love, we attain the fruits of the spirit that Paul reminds us about in his letter to the Galatians–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). God’s presence is the starting place for us to recognize the life we experience with–and without–God.
So, to start this encounter, please set down everything you are holding. Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground or floor and your hands palm open in your lap.
Close your eyes and inhale and exhale deeply. Listen to your breath, drawing your awareness inward and pulling away from all external sounds and objects. You are here, Holy Spirit within you. May He increase your sensitivity to and awareness of Him, the One who loves you most. Continue breathing slowly and deeply for two to three minutes with your eyes closed.
Next, surrender to God everything you feel burdened with–all fears and worries, all concerns and stress. Be specific.
Lord, I give you….
Ask Him to fill your heart, guiding you deeper into His love. Ask Him to shepherd you as you dedicate this time to HIm.
Lord, fill my heart…
I consecrate my heart and my thoughts for this sacred time with You.
What do you hear Him say?
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Now, let’s invite Holy Spirit to help us be aware of what conversations we often have in our minds in various situations. Below are some prompts to consider using as you converse with Jesus. He might take you in a totally different direction, of course, but in any case, trust that He will reveal a deeper truth about yourself and Him: “Search me, God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23).
Jesus, I want to know what you know about me. I want to see what you see. I want to be more aware of what I think and feel–particularly when I am turned away from you and trying to figure things out on my own. I want to experience more of your love and live in union with you.
Jesus, what do I tend to get most stressed about? And when I am stressed, what internal dialogue am I having with myself? What am I thinking? What words do I use? What (and who) do I turn to cope? How does my body feel when I am stressed, and how does my mind respond to those feelings?
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Jesus, what makes me sad, angry, happy, and content? Show me situations where I have felt these emotions, and help me understand my internal conversations with myself when I feel these different ways. What do the conversations sound like? What do you want me to understand about myself? In what specific situations are my internal dialogues not helpful–and how are you inviting me to abandon my self-coping dialogues to hear your voice, rely on your love, and grow in union with you?
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As you ask Jesus the questions above, consider writing in your journal what you hear Him say to you in response. Or, sit in silence–or with soft instrumental music playing–and let your imagination, as you sit surrendered to Jesus, reveal to you a deeper place you could never uncover on your own. Stay here, listening with your heart and mind open, for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
As you listen with your heart, you might see yourself with Jesus, like a character in a movie you are observing. Or, you might be very present in your mind and body, hearing Jesus’s breath next to you, hearing his words in your heart as you discern his presence within you, at this moment, in the physical space where you are
Let Jesus guide you deeper, deeper, deeper. What are the patterns of your thinking? What people in your life are part of these patterns? Who has influenced them? What actions have you taken when you felt the influence of your thinking or when a particular emotion was dominating your thoughts?
Jesus, these are the thought patterns I often experience. When I am sad/happy/stressed/overwhelmed/disappointed/angry, my internal dialogues sound like this:
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And Jesus, this is what I hear You say:
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Consider concluding your encounter with contemplation of Psalm 121:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Change the personal pronouns in this Psalm so that you are speaking the words of the Psalm right to Jesus: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—/where does my help come from?/ My help comes from You, Lord,/ the Maker of heaven and earth,/ You will not let my foot slip/ You who watch over me will not slumber/indeed, You who watch over Isreal/will neither slumber nor sleep….”
Continue your conversation with Jesus, keeping your heart open. Below are some song ideas for worship.
Amen.