I started off my day, much like any other, by hopping straight out of bed half asleep with the temptation of my pillow calling my name. Shout a loud No Paul tells me so, I ignore the calling of my comfortable little friend. “God’s going to do some cool things today, gotta get to it” I tell myself as I walk away from the bed.

I paused for a moment and with outstretched arms up to heaven (I stand as if being held up in a bank heist). I call this the Power Pose. I’ll talk in more detail about the science behind why this has a huge impact on our bodies physically in a future post, but the short version is that, science has proven that if you stand feet shoulder width apart, hands outstretched and reach for the sky…then hold that for an extended amount of time (like 2+ minutes).  It will actually change your body’s chemistry. The hormones that produce the feeling of power, and confidence, and certainty will go up in your body. I do this throughout the day when I feel fatigued and tired and it works like a charm. Is it coincidental that the Bible suggests that we lift up our hands to heaven? I don’t think so. Now science proves that it is good for us. Go figure. Yet another ancient Biblical principal proved by science to be good for us. 🙂

With eyes closed and an open heart, I say the Christian Vitality™ Prayer. Oh God, Creator and Sustainer of the whole Universe, YOU are MY loving Father and interested in every detail of my life. You only have GOOD for ME and desire to giving me healing, wholeness, and forgiveness.  Everything over which you’ve giving ME authority I place at YOUR feet.

I then rattle off all the things that may tempt me to be a worry for me on any given day.  They are all HIS now to worry about and take care of, releasing me of the responsibility. There’s an immense amount of freedom to be had here…for the rest of the prayer go here –> Christian Vitality™ Prayer

Diana and I are the stewards of 5 beautiful little people whom we love very much, which comes with the responsibility of making sure they have breakfast and lunch for the day, this being a school day.

So, careful not to stumble while walking with one eye open, I make my way down the stairs to the kitchen, to get breakfast & school lunches ready.

I’ve been at this place spiritually, mentally & physically, since I went out to San Diego a week ago, where I feel I am closer to God the Father than I have ever been.

Not out of a religious habit or in a manipulative way, I was verbalizing to God and myself and the kitchen cabinets this:

“Thank you God for this place you brought me to.  I don’t want this feeling to ever end.”

I’ve been feeling a sense of Synchronicity (like God is laying out every step of the day to work for my good, not in a selfish I want this or I want that way) where I take one step and another and sometimes the step I am taking doesn’t make sense, but by the end of the day or the end of the week it seems they were all well laid out plans for his purposes in my life to prevail. Like every detail of my life is part of a plan and on purpose.

There’s a song inspired by scripture that describes God being a lamp unto to my feet.  Well, what most people don’t know is that in ancient times they actually wore little lamps around their feet at night that would light each step you take as your taking it.  Not like the floodlights we have today lighting up a hundred yards.  Using those lamps, of ancient times, you were forced to take one step at a time. So, this synchronicity is like that.  I just take what I feel are Spirit led steps (fully surrendered to God’s will in the moment) and God takes care of the rest. Focusing solely in that moment…in the now…in the present moment.

Back to the moment in the kitchen now…so I just finished telling God thank you for the place I am in.  Then I felt a feeling of calmness, oneness, and then awareness when these words came out of my mouth:

God, I appreciate you! [PAUSE] I’m proud of you!

I started to tear up and was overcome by that feeling of sadness that you experience when your at a great movie that has a happy ending, when I realized that…that was the first time I said those exact words. What you don’t know, that brings it even more meaning to me personally, is that 4 days ago I had that exact same moment with my oldest daughter Rachel.

We had one of those moments where I felt God was using me to speak truth into her life.  Words with deep meaning and hopefully long lasting affect on her life. At the end of that 45 minute talk she said:

“I’m proud of you Dad. I appreciate you!”

Which was the first time she’s ever told me that.  Coincidentally, this morning was the first time I told God the Father essentially the same thing. I apologized to God and then told him, “thank you God for revealing that to me today…I promise to share this epiphany with everyone you send my way and do a better job of letting you know I’m proud of you and appreciate you”.

Why not make every day a God appreciation day? Why don’t we have a God appreciation day on the calender…or a God appreciation week like the nurses, and teachers, and office managers have? It likely won’t ever happen on a national level…that would be just too darn silly to those not so well enlightened ones.  But for you and I brother/sister we can do it at a personal level every day. Please join me. Tell me by sending me an email about your encounter with God today. dan {at} christianvitality {dot} com

I believe at least part of the reason why I am at this place of awareness of God’s presence, is the fact that, in addition to the Christian Vitality™ Prayer, I’ve also reintroduced a practice of saying an affirmation prayer I learned from Joseph Murphy from the book, “Think Yourself Rich“.  He’s not a traditional Pastor and by many Christians who have not read much about him, may even be thought of as a person more on the outside of the Christian Faith than on the inside.  I’d disagree to some extent because I’ve read that book at least a dozen times and it is full of Bible excerpts cover to cover.  He was an expert on just about every human religion and I believe a fellow of many colleges when he passed away. He was also an expert on the subconscious mind of man and metaphysics. I believe by marinating on the Bible, every man or woman, independent of their religion, will be impacted by what Christians call God’s living word (the Bible). I think he was also enlightened in this way.

I’m not suggesting you lead yourself astray by chasing after what some may call false prophets by adopting all of what Joseph Murphy reveals in that book.  But, if you feel yourself grounded in your Christian Faith, at least allow yourself to be open to the fact that many scholars who study the Bible for many, many years. Are impacted in a profound way and what they share of what they learned has been touched by God through his living word (Bible).

So, that preface being said, I want to reveal to you a practice I’ve reintroduced into my life the last several days that has had an immense impact on my life and brought me to where I am today. I’ve reintroduced a prayer/affirmation that Joseph Murphy taught me and am currently saying it throughout the day.  He instructed that you say it first thing in the morning when you get up and then say it a few times right before you go to sleep.  The reason being is, that your subconscious mind is more open to suggestion (proven by science and research) at those times and you can essentially reprogram your brain.  I’ve personally (internally) made it a prayer / affirmation and have memorized it years ago. It goes like this:

Right now, I am writing in my subconscious mind the idea of God’s wealth. God is the source of my supply and all my needs are met at every moment of time and point of space (circumstance). God’s wealth flows freely, joyously, and ceaselessly into my experience and I thank God for his riches forever circulating into my life. – Joseph Murphy PH.D, D.D. from the book “Think Yourself Rich” (I emphasize the bold words when I say it)

Through this practice of praying that affirmation everyday, morning and night (and even throughout the day), I have reached a level of awareness, synchronicity, and oneness with God the Father. The Creator. The Sustainer of the Universe. I am so, so blessed and thankful.

So, how do we encounter God EVERY day? Out of prayer and submission to him, I’ve been led (I believe divinely) to a practice that can be summarized with this acronym; SOAPP:

Syncronicity + Oneness, + Awareness = (come from) Prayer + Power Pose

So, brother/sister I challenge you today to integrate SOAPP into your life and watch your encounters with God come.

It is my sincere & genuine prayer that this message be a blessing to you and your loved ones.  May it allow God to use you in a bigger way in the circle of influence he’s placed you in.  In Jesus Name, Amen!

Was this post a blessing to you? Please help spread the word if you feel it is worthy by liking, sharing, tweeting, and pinning it. Maybe your friends may even thank you because it was a blessing to them. 🙂