This month, we have been on a journey to the bedchamber of the Lord; the secret place of the Most High. We have looked at the INVITATION to that place and at accepting the invitation by our HUNGER. Today, we take a look at the journey itself, THE WALK into the bedchamber of the Most High God.

By walk, I mean our daily living with the Lord. Living in constant consciousness of Him. This is a walk, a progressive movement into a place. Our destination is the Lord’s chamber and our beginning point is where we are right now.

Many of us believers begin our day with a quiet time or a morning devotion as is commonly referred to in christian circles. It is simply a time, preferably early in the morning, you get alone with the Lord to hear what He has for you for the day. A word to sustain you throughout the day as you go about your daily business whatever it may be. This is typified well in Exodus where the Israelites were given manna daily and were to gather it early in the morning when the dew of the earth was still on the ground. They needed it daily and could not keep it till the next day. That is quiet time.

Although this is important, for many of us it ends right there. For the rest of the day, we go about our business oblivious of the Lord and even of the message He gave us that morning. For this reason, the word He gives does not benefit us and we have found our relationship with the Lord at a stand still or moving at a very slow pace. What is wrong and how can we progress from this stage? Let me share some of the ways you can progress in your walk with the Lord.

MEDITATION

Meditation is a common word these days even in secular circles. The devil understands the age-old benefits of meditation and has distorted it into his own way and is selling it out to the world. Biblical Meditation is very different from the eastern meditation which has become so popular. In Biblical meditation, the goal is to get the Word of God you have received into your spirit. The goal of getting the Word of God into your spirit is that it becomes natural to you and you begin to do.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

James 1:22

To hear God is very important, but it is not the ultimate. The ultimate is to do His word and Joshua 1:8 tells us that the missing link between hearing and doing God’s word is meditation. Therefore, it is not enough to just have your quiet time. You need to spend time in meditation as well. In meditation, what occurs is that your mind becomes focused on the Lord and His word and He is able to further open up His word to you. When you set aside time to meditate on the Lord, you refocus and become conscious of His presence with you in the day and in what you are doing.

How then do you meditate?

• Set aside sometime during the day: I would recommend a fixed time so that it is part of your daily schedule. Find a time that you can slip away alone. The Bible says, Isaac went into the field to meditate. I used to go to the topmost floor of my school’s building which was nearly deserted to do that. Have a fixed time. You can begin with 10 minutes then progress from there. Alarms help so that you don’t leave but do not let the time constrain you. Keep going as you enjoy yourself.
• Have a scripture or a message from the Lord in mind:You can use whatever scripture you used for your quiet time or a phrase that caught your eye during bible reading.
• Begin to say the scripture undertone: The word ‘meditate’ means to mutter or to murmur. In meditation, you say it to yourself. You speak undertone mulling the scripture in your head. Ask questions. You will find other scriptures on the same topic coming to mind making it clearer. This is the Holy Spirit interacting with you as you meditate. He is opening up scripture to you and speaking to you.
• Avoid distractions: It is very easy to lose track of yourself because this is a spiritual exercise. Your flesh will fight it. You may begin to feel sleepy or other issues will be pressing on your mind. Your phone may ring at that time. Do not give up. Keep going. You are engaging the Lord.

You may not find immediate growth but with consistency, you will recognise an increase in awareness of the Lord’s presence. You will also begin to experience hearing the Lord more. 

AT THE MASTER’S FEET (BIBLE STUDY)

My favorite time spent with the Lord. Here is where I learnt to know the Lord’s voice. This is the key that sustained my relationship with the Lord as a student. I determined as a student to study my bible daily at least an hour before studying my books. It was the time I sat before Him as Mary did and listened to Him (LUKE 10:39). It was the altar where I met the Lord and communed with Him. It was the bedrock of my relationship with Him. I came to recognize the voice of the Lord at other times of the day when I compared it to the voice that speaks to me during my bible study time. In doing that, it helped me to follow the leadings of the Spirit.

To have a bible study;

• Dedicate time for it: Anything you dedicate to the Lord is precious to the Lord. When you dedicate a specific hour of the day with Him, He loves it and will come to meet you there. A specific time is very important.
• Pay attention: In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus had visited Mary and Martha’s house and was teaching even as food was being served. It was a teaching dinner. Mary and Martha were the Hostesses but instead of serving with Martha, Mary sat on the floor in front of Jesus and justlistened. She ignored the distraction of serving and listened. There are many things that call for your attention during the day, but in the time of day that you have chosen to be with the Lord, avoid distractions. Find a discreet place. Get some good earpieces.
• Gather your materials: You will need a bible and a notebook, virtual or hardcopy. You may need a dictionary, concordance or bible commentary which are readily available online. You can use devices other than your phone to avoid calls and messages.
• Pray and invite Him to teach: Spend some time in prayer to tune yourself in to the voice of the Spirit. You can initially have a plan to study a book or a topic but as you grow, ask Him for what He wants to teach. You will be glad you did.

As I mentioned earlier, the walk is progressive. Begin from where you are and take steps. Ask the Lord for wisdom and direction. Know that He is ready to help you as you have responded to His invitation.

Enjoy the Walk!