Day 9 of “The 12 Days of a Sanctuary Functional Christmas”
“9 Favorite Psalms”
“On this 9th day of “The 12 Days of a Sanctuary Christmas,” the staff at Sanctuary will be sharing some of their favorite Psalms. May your meditation upon these Psalms bless your season.
We encourage others to look to the Psalms for sources of mediation. Meditation can be a tricky word in today’s cultural context. The word itself has many different connotations. Many forms of meditation advocated by those working outside of a Biblical mindset can lead one in the wrong direction. Focusing on yourself, false ideologies, or merely “emptying your mind” can be dangerous spiritual practices. However, the ancient wisdom in the Bible commands deliberate meditation upon truth.
Choosing to focus on God’s Word can bring peace for the present by orienting our focus past the present turmoil and reframing our experiences in light of eternity. At the end are some studies which support the use of meditation but remember that the Bible encouraged it first. Again, recognize the benefits, but I recommend choosing a Biblically centered form of meditation. The studies will not necessarily advocate that aspect. Method does matter.
9 Favorite Psalms
“On this 9th day of “The 12 Days of a Sanctuary Christmas,” the staff at Sanctuary will be sharing some of their favorite Psalms. May your meditation upon these Psalms bless your season.
We encourage others to look to the Psalms for sources of mediation. Meditation can be a tricky word in today’s cultural context. The word itself has many different connotations. Many forms of meditation advocated by those working outside of a Biblical mindset can lead one in the wrong direction. Focusing on yourself, false ideologies, or merely “emptying your mind” can be dangerous spiritual practices. However, the ancient wisdom in the Bible commands deliberate meditation upon truth.
Choosing to focus on God’s Word can bring peace for the present by orienting our focus past the present turmoil and reframing our experiences in light of eternity. At the end are some studies which support the use of meditation but remember that the Bible encouraged it first. Again, recognize the benefits, but I recommend choosing a Biblically centered form of meditation. The studies will not necessarily advocate that aspect. Method does matter.
You may already recognize many of these by number as your own favorites. You may also recognize some as Psalms which we have included in our spiritual health blogs this year (these will be highlighted with a link to our longer exposition in those past posts). You may need to look at others which are unfamiliar and hopefully be blessed by God’s words therein. Regardless, letting your hearts and minds meditate on God’s Word will always be fruitful.
Psalm 23
The Lord is our Shepherd. I know I need a loving and faithful shepherd.
Psalm 91
May the Lord keep us under His protecting wings.
Psalm 139:23-24
“I know that life is full of obstacles and evil. I love this verse because it reveals how real David was before the Lord. He knew his weaknesses and poured his heart out before God to lead him and know every part inside him. I want that close walk and relationship with the Lord as well.”
Psalm 40: 1-5
Trying to wait patiently for the Lord’s work of lifting me out of the mud as I trust in Him.
Psalm 65
NEW Post & LINK – In a world of chaos, I am thankful that God orders all things.
Psalm 131
https://sanctuaryfunctionalmedicine.com/topics/spiritual-health/when-life-hands-you-lemonsrest/
If only I could learn to rest like this Psalm teaches us.
Psalm 56
https://sanctuaryfunctionalmedicine.com/topics/spiritual-health/psalm-56-my-tears-are-in-his-bottle/
Knowing that God values each one of my tears enough to keep in a bottle gives me hope.
Psalm 20
There are so many prayers waiting to be answered for our family as we recover from mold while living in a fallen world. I cry out with David for God to answer in our day of trouble.
Psalm 10
So often, God seems to stand far away during our trouble. Yet, we hope in verse 17 & 18 “O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.” (ESV)
REFERENCES
Lowers Stress
JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Mar;174(3):357-68. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018.
Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24395196
Lowers Anxiety
Chen, K. W., Berger, C. C., Manheimer, E. , Forde, D. , Magidson, J. , Dachman, L. and Lejuez, C. W. (2012), MEDITATIVE THERAPIES FOR REDUCING ANXIETY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META‐ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. Depress Anxiety, 29: 545-562. doi:10.1002/da.21964
Improves Sleep
Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2015 Nov;21(6):547-52. doi: 10.1097/MCP.0000000000000207.
The value of mindfulness meditation in the treatment of insomnia.
Martires J1, Zeidler M.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
