Sabbath Rest: Mindfulness is Our Openness to God
Theme: Entering His Perfect Peace (Isaiah 26:3-4)
Sabbath Rest
A time alone, from earth’s groans.
A time to reflect, drawing inward to recollect.
Intentional slowing, to God’s heart, I am knowing.
A second, hour, or day, perhaps, a week or months I’ll stay.
Whenever, how long, I will enter today.
Author: Rev. Dr. Dianthia Y. Gilmore (Winter – 2014)
For a Brief Moment: If only for a brief moment, slow down and breathe! Sabbath resting allows time to take an intentional pause to quiet our spirit and to know God in a more intimate way (Psalm 46:10).
It is a time of silence, reflection, prayer, and devotion. It can also be a time of jubilant praise; dancing, worshipping, and rejoicing. Assuredly, it is an intentional time of drawing inward to touch heart-to-heart with God. In this sacred space, we seek only His heart and not His hand.
The precious Holy Spirit facilitates this coalescing process, where our wounded hearts are joined to the Savior’s healing heart that is intertwined with the Father’s waiting heart. In this sacred space, we come to know, more intimately, our Triune God: Father, Spirit, and Son.
How do we begin? Each morning, this process can be initiated with a short affirmation, such as, ‘You are my peace, Lord.’ Breathe deeply and slowly for three to five minutes. Relax. Follow the flow of your breathing as you reflect on His peace. Feel God’s Presence, as the affirmation gently flows through your total being: ‘Lord, you are my peace.’
While in this sacred space, welcome God’s truth for your life. Cast out anything that does not align with His truth. Embrace God’s reality for you; contentment, joy, and perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Feel His love warmly ebbing through your total being. His peace is gently replacing the rhythms of anxiety, rushing, expecting, and striving for more and more and never enough. Soak deeply, here. Notice the cares of this world receding. Worry and fear are being released. Doubt is being replaced with hope. Anxiety has jumped ship. The turbulent emotional waves that crash upon your senses are fading. Stay here a moment. Breathe. Embrace His peace.
As you regularly practice Sabbath resting, your new rhythm of peace and wholeness will begin to extend beyond mere minutes and flow into your day. The on-going practices of slowing, soaking, releasing, and quiet prayers will create a calming and indescribable peace that soon becomes a natural part of you like breathing.
Be it morning, noon, or evening, soaking deeply in God’s presence will increase mindfulness and gratitude. In time, God’s Peace will become a place of dwelling rather than a sacred space that is entered for brief moments.
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All Rights Reserved
Revised: 2/14/19