For the past couple months, we have been on a journey through the Parable of the Sower. We have learned that when we are open and receptive, God’s words can be planted in our hearts like seeds. Under the proper conditions, these seeds can grow to maturity and bring forth great harvests in our lives. God’s Word is designed to become “flesh” in our bodies and circumstances. God desires His will to manifest in the earth!
You might have heard the phrase, “faith is the currency of heaven.” Faith is trust in who God is, and what He says. It is divine revelation leading to full persuasion, resulting from hearing and hearing His rhema words of life. Faith is a gift from God. It is not self-manufactured. It is resident in the words God reveals to us. It is the very faith of Jesus, because Jesus is the Word, and the Truth! (John 1:1, John 14:6)
When Paul says in Romans 12:3 that we have all been given “the measure of faith,” I believe He is referring to the fact that we have all been given the same written (logos) Word of God. What we decide to do with God’s scriptures, will vary from person to person. How much we are pursuing the revelation in those words will determine our persuasion and trust level.
We have learned that to succeed in our Christian journey, we must meditate, which involves our natural mind (brain), heart (spiritual mind,) mouth, and imagination. I have been diligent in thinking deeply and speaking verses in meditation for a while now, but recently the Lord has been leading me to use my imagination while meditating.
The Bible refers to imagaination in both the Old Testament and New Testament, using different Hebrew and Greek words:
* “hagah,” -to mutter speak, think deeply, and imagine in our mind
* “yetser” – thing framed, imagination, mind, and purpose
* “dianoia” – imagination, mind, understanding
* “dialogismos” – inner thought life where images, assumptions, and conclusions are formed
* “leb” – in the Old Testament and “kardia” in the New Testament: refers to the inner life or our heart– where our imagination operates and we hold our deep seated beliefs, inner images, and expectations
Check out the following verses explaining the power of our God-given imagination:
Genesis 11:6 King James Version- “And the LORD said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined (“hagah”) to do.”
Proverbs 4:22 – “Watch over your heart (“leb”) with all diligence, for out of it flow the springs of life.”
Isaiah 26:3 – “You shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind (“yetser”) is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Luke 1:51 – New King James Version – “He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination (“dianoia”) of their hearts.”
Romans 1:20-21 King James Version – “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imagination (dialogismos), and their foolish heart (“kardia”)was darkened.”
Ephesians 1:18 – Passion – “I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling – that is the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! Other translations use the word heart (“kardia”) for imagination.
If you think about it, we all “think” in pictures. When I say the phrase, “red apple,” you don’t see the letters of those words in your mind; you see a picture of a red apple. If I asked you how many windows you have in your home, you probably wouldn’t know right off the top of your head. You would need to begin seeing the rooms in your imagination to count the number of windows.
In my last post I mentioned the woman in the Bible who received or “took” her healing as Jesus passed by. The passage in Mark 5:25-34 NASB says that she had been saying to herself, if I can just touch His garments, I will be made whole. I believe this woman imagined over and over her healing touch before she ever encountered Jesus. Jesus told her that “her faith” had made her whole.
Our positive imagination enables us to see what has not yet been experienced by our senses. This is the very definition of faith. Using our imagination is crucial in receiving the things of the Kingdom of God!
Whereas this woman in Mark 5 had to go find Jesus in the flesh to receive her healing, we have Jesus on the inside of us in our born again spirit. He is with us 24/7 as we are one with His spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17), and filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are receiving the things of God, we can imagine His love, peace, power, healing, etc., flowing from within us, where the fullness of Jesus and His kingdom dwells.
John 7:38 KJV describes this kingdom transfer: “He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.'”
This word “belly” is “kolia” in the Greek, meaning belly, stomach, or womb. If you are new to using your imagination during meditation, this is a great place to start practicing. When you are rehearsing verses on healing, imagine the rivers of God flowing from your belly region out into all parts of your body, concentrating on the area where you are experiencing symptoms.
If you’re like me with a “Type A” personality, this can be difficult and even frustrating at first to recreate a scene in your mind. Don’t worry about imagining for a long period of time. Brief visualizations seeing the same “scene” a few times a day will benefit more than one long frustrating visualization.
As I mentioned before, our brain creates neural pathways through repeated thoughts (images) with a cascading trail of brain chemicals, triggering emotions, and then bodily action. An imagination is a supercharged thought, especially when it triggers a strong emotion. As we see in the verses above the power of the imagination can be positive or negative, filling us with the light and life of God or the powers of darkness!
Once we see the value of focusing our God-given imagination on the words of God, it will become like second nature. Below are some verses we can meditate on using our imagination!
Psalm 23:1–3 – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.”
Picture yourself lying down in soft, green grass, the sound of slow-moving water nearby. Feel your soul being gently reset and replenished.
Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles…”
Imagine rising effortlessly above weariness, carried by strength that is not your own, the wind beneath your wings steady and sure.
Psalm 91:1–4 – “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
See yourself stepping into a hidden, quiet place of safety, wrapped under God’s covering—secure, untouched by fear.
Ezekiel 47:9 – “Everything will live wherever the river goes.”
Visualize a clear river flowing from God’s presence, bringing life, healing, and renewal to every dry or broken place it touches in your body and mind.
John 15:4–5 – “Abide in Me, and I in you.”
Picture yourself as a living branch, connected to Christ the Vine, life flowing steadily into you—effortless fruitfulness and constant supply.
Isaiah 6:1–3 – “I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.”
Imagine the vastness of God’s holiness filling every space of your heart, His glory overwhelming yet peaceful, leaving you in awe and wonder.
Song of Solomon 2:8 – “Ah, I hear my lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.”
Picture Jesus, your Bridegroom, soaring over mountains and hills coming towards you. See Him embracing you and filling your being with love, lifting your anxiety or sorrow.
If you prefer a music visualization, the lyrics in this worship piece by Jackie Baker contain many beautiful scenes to imagine. Before beginning any visualization, take a few slow, deep breaths and become aware that God is in your midst. You are safe to rest in Him. ❤️