Mindful Latter-day Saint Christian Living

Damascus Way Recovery is looking forward to a new year of spiritual growth, enlightenment, and deepening one’s faith in Christ and God. This past year has been one of focus on developing a mindful Christian life. Going into the 2020 is no different and will continue to maintain the foundation of living a focused and mindful Christian life. This coming year the theme will be on spiritual impact and influence as we continue to grow in our faith. Part of this will be incorporating the teachings from the Come Follow Me study through the Book of Mormon.

Why “Come Follow Me” and study through the Book of Mormon?

The overall objective of this year’s movement toward spiritual influence and impact is based on the central theme of gospel learning. This central theme is to bring about a real and true conversion to become more like Jesus Christ.

Damascus Way Recovery is focused on helping individuals come to know Jesus Christ in a more authentic and genuine way. Many of us are broken. We struggle with substance use, have experienced crisis of faith, and are questioning whether or not God really is there and if he truly cares for us. It is to answer the question of what God has planned for us. It is also to answer the question of how we may experience a significant spiritual influence and the impact we have through the Holy Spirit.

As we move into the new year, our focus is going to be on ways to incorprate the principle truths and teachings of the scriptures into our lives. Build an authentic relationship with our Savior, and become a person of spiritual influence where we make a significant impact on the lives around us.

Profession and Confession of faith – living it out daily as we continue to transform our minds through God’s word is the goal. We want to be transformed into a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 2:17) where we rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s wise counsel. Surrender toward God so that we have a mighty change of heart in how we think, behave, and experience life.

However, our spiritual growth in Christ does not happen all at once. We are asked to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and witness of the truth. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our minds are enlightened to where we receive personal revelation from God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to become a person who has a spiritual influence and impact on others around us. We live by truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Personal revelation from God gives us the ability to live, learn, and grow in faith. Enriching our lives, influencing and impacting the lives around us, and govern our own thoughts and actions. This leads us to living a life of abundance through Jesus Christ.

How the Book of Mormon will help strengthen our Faith in Christ

The central theme to the Book of Mormon is to understand who Jesus Christ is, the purpose to our lives, and how we are able to make a significant spiritual impact and influence in our lives today. It is to help us know – Jesus is the Christ, Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:13-20).

Not only will one enrich their personal lives, draw near to God, we are challenged to abide by the teachings we encounter in this sacred text. It is when we prayerfully meditate on the scriptures are we able to have our own personal revelation of who Jesus Christ is. Through this personal revelation, we begin to desire and hunger to be like Christ.

8 Simple Ways to Mindfully and Prayerfully Meditate on Scripture

First, we want to come to understand the truths about who Jesus Christ is. All scriptures testify to us that Christ is the Son of God. That He came to redeem fallen humanity from our sins. Provide us a way to live life – regardless of the challenges we may face. As we come to the stories, events, and the teachings within the Book of Mormon, we want to meditate on how we are called to follow in the Savior’s footsteps.

Second, as we meditate and prayerfully study this sacred text of scripture, we want to draw our attention toward those words and phrases that impress us. Read them as if they were written specifically to us. This happens when we seek out how the scriptures are personally relevant to inspire and influence our way of thinking.

Third, we want to study the principle truths revealed through our study. What are the eternal truths being revealed to us each day? How do they influence and impact our present lifestyle? What do we need to change in order to incorporate the values and principles?

Fourth, we want to rely on the teachings, promptings, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is through the Spirit of God that we are guided in wisdom and truth. What are the impressions being presented and revealed to us that our Heavenly Father desires for us to learn and understand?

Fifth, we want to liken those scriptures unto our own personal lives. There is no greater spiritual influence and impact than applying the scriptures, the teachings, the doctrines, and the way to follow Christ. What are the barriers that prevent us from following those teachings? How do we fully step out in faith and complete surrender unto God? What examples do we learn from the people in the passages we read?

Sixth, ask questions. After all, we are learning to grow spiritually and mature in our faith. Questions will come to our minds and they may relate to what we are presently meditating upon. As we contemplate these questions, let us continue to seek God for the answers to those questions.

The seventh simple way of mindfully and prayerfully meditating on the Book of Mormon involves our own perspectives on the context of the passages we read. What insights are we taking away as we read the stories and events? What is the background and the values of those individuals we are encountering through our own personal study?

Finally, record thoughts and feelings through mindful journaling. As we consider the context, phrases, words, the impressions we are receiving from the Spirit of God, what are the actions we need to take? How does it inspire us to live out our lives?

Following Christ is our personal spiritual call to action

Damascus Way Recovery focuses on recovery that is dramatic, startling, and life-changing process of transformation through Jesus Christ. Through a fresh relationship with Christ, an individual is empowered to improve their overall quality of life that is spiritually disciplined.

This is accomplished by fostering healing and recovery among those who have stepped out of God’s divine and sovereign grace. And, by assisting individuals in recovering their identity through Jesus Christ, renew their faith and hope in order to restore a deep and meaningful relationship with God, other’s, and self. This is accomplished by the these two truths:

• Salvation is through Jesus Christ and is the fundamental foundation to build upon
• Our response is to realign ourselves back into God’s divine Sovereign will through obedience to His sustaining word

The guiding principle is faith and hope whereby an individual discovers the central truth that motivates and inspires an authentic Christ-centered lifestyle. Becoming aware that people are able to be restored and overcome the internal and external challenges and adversities that have separated them from Christ’s love and mercy.

FOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

To understand the nature of our separation from God’s divine love and grace, we come to understand the following principles:

• Sin and Transgression creates suffering: We take inventory because of our own experience with suffering.
• Awareness of our need: We realize the nature of our need for grace and forgiveness and begin to see the reality of those causes and conditions that have taken us from God’s divine sovereign will.
• Forgiveness and repentance is possible: We realize that forgiveness and repentance is possible and take refuge in God’s divine grace and mercy.
• Spiritual maturation is possible: As we commit ourselves over to walking in obedience to God’s divine sovereign will, we begin to discovery the abundant life promised to us by Christ.

Our healing process begins when we come to the end of ourselves and realize our need for a renewed faith in Jesus Christ.