The missing ingredient (the one thing that changes everything for your life) is heart beliefs. Simply put, you manifest what you believe in your heart (Prov. 23:7, 4:23, Heb. 4:12). The Bible refers to the heart 837 times; clearly, it’s a major theme yet it is often overlooked.
So, this begs the question: If we manifest what we believe in our hearts, how do we reset heart beliefs? First, we have to look at what the Bible says the heart is.
Heb. 4:12 states, “For the Word of God is living and active (NIV), sharper than a two-edge sword, piercing even to dividing asunder the soul and spirit, joint and marrow, (and is a discerner) of the thoughts and intent of the heart.”
This means the Word of God will change your life when it pieces the heart by dividing asunder the various aspects of the heart. To divide asunder means to separate for the purpose of distinction. The question is what is it distinguishing, and what is the heart in this context?
DISTINGUISHING THE HEART
There are two aspects of the heart that the word penetrates and separates: soul and spirit. The job of the heart is to mediate the soul and spirit. When these two aspects line up, nothing is impossible with God.
The spirit was made to influence the soul. That works as you renew your mind, establish your heart, and transform your personal belief system. This is what the Bible means when it says to “write on the tablets of your heart” (Prov. 7:3b, 3:3, 2 Cor. 3:3). In other words, you can prescribe the beliefs that are in your heart.
You will either establish what you believe in your heart by default or you can do it on purpose. Heart beliefs are the product of dominant thoughts coupled with feelings with repetition. This often happens to us by default.
For instance, you may have had someone berate you. They may have used verbiage like “you’ll never amount to anything,” or “you’re stupid,” or even “people like us never have anything.” If you’re emotional data bank responds by assigning those statements importance, it will elicit negative feelings in your heart. Then, your reticular activating system (recognition system) in your brain will look for ways to reinforce similar data, thus confirming this belief as “truth” in your mind and heart. When it does this repetitively, it becomes a heart belief.
The result is often fear, a negative self-image, or worry about stepping out into your destiny. It will create self-limiting beliefs that hinder your access to the manifestation of the kingdom.
THE MISSING INGREDIENT TO THE MISSING INGREDIENT
The missing ingredient to heart beliefs is Biblical meditation (Josh. 1:8, Psalm 1:2-3). Biblical meditation is not some new age transcendentalist state. In fact, the Bible uses the term “meditate” or its derivatives approximately 235 times. Cults and new age theories can only imitate the real thing.
Most people think meditation is simply thinking in a concentrated manner. While that is true to an extent, there are 5 defined stages to Biblical meditation.
5 STAGES TO BIBLICAL MEDITATION
- STILL STAGE – (Ps. 46:10)
- Like the Psalmist, psychologists have found the heart (subconscious mind) is most influenced in a calm state. Alpha state is that stage of being awake just before falling asleep.
- The Hebrew root to the term “still” is “rapha” or “healer”. It is the stage to reset self-limiting beliefs by corresponding to the medulla, which controls bodily functions.
- IMAGINATION STAGE – (Ps. 1:2,3)
- One of the terms for meditation is imagination. Imagination is the ability to see without limitation. Imagination is creating a picture that’s never been seen. Your imagination makes your mind see what you can believe.
- This is where you create new dominant images with emotion because images are the language of the heart. This is how beliefs move from the head to the heart.
- The key here is not willpower, but changing the image you see.
- This corresponds to the amygdala in the brain, which combines emotion with new data. Coupling emotions with new beliefs allows them to penetrate the heart.
- STRATEGY STAGE – (Josh. 1:8)
- Based on what I believe, identify what actions I should take.
- Create strategies (for effective strategy creating, reference Chapter 5 of The Missing Ingredient.
- ACTION STAGE – (Josh 1:8)
- Every day, do something toward the highest priority of your strategy.
- This correlates to the frontal lobe, which is the decision maker of the brain.
- THANKSGIVING STAGE – (Phil. 4:6,7)
- According to Philippians, thanksgiving guards or protects your heart.
CREATING YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM
New dominant heart beliefs are the product of meditation. In the article, “Habits of Self-Made Millionaires,” Business Insider suggests the wealthiest, most successful people in our culture ponder or meditate 15 to 30 minutes per day. When you create a new dominant thought (image), coupled with emotion repetitively, it will write on the tablets of your heart (Prov. 2:3).
I challenge you to create this habit of meditation in your life and watch your destiny explode. Just watch the kingdom begin to manifest itself in your life.
