Close your eyes and relax. Breathe deeply. Ask Me to clear your mind of thoughts and worries. This may take you a few moments, and that’s fine. Relax your body. Relax in spirit. Be still.

Picture yourself sitting on the shore of a pristine beach with white sands. There’s a gorgeous view not only in front of you, but all around you. You’re sitting on the shore, close to the water’s edge, looking out over the ocean, toward the horizon.

Slowly now, the tide comes in, and very gently, the small waves begin to lap against you. As the water touches you, it soothes and caresses you. The waters are filled with spirit and life, and you partake of that as these peaceful waves flow toward you. Then they carry away from you stress, tension, worry, fear, and sadness.

There’s not a sound to be heard except for the lapping of the waves and the wind softly blowing. The breeze blowing against the water creates a fine mist. It’s soothing and refreshing.

There’s a message in the wind, though not one that you can hear or make out its words. It’s a message of the spirit that speaks directly to your heart. Your heart and spirit understand, and you open your soul to receive this message, the song of the wind. It’s a song of peace, of understanding, of rest and quiet.

Let My Spirit of tranquility wash over you. Let My Spirit of tranquility lift the burdens from your heart. Let the refreshing mist of My Spirit of tranquility cleanse and rejuvenate you.

Spending time alone with the Lord is the primary means of getting to know Him and building our relationship with Him. Ask yourself how strong your relationships with your spouse, family, friends, or coworkers would be if your communication with them was the same as your communication with the Lord. Would your loved ones feel you are spending enough time with them? Would they feel that the fellowship you have with them causes your relationship to flourish? Our relationship with God is our primary relationship, and to keep it alive and flourishing we need to spend time with Him, just as we need to spend time with others we are in relationship with.

One key element of fellowship is mutual communication. It’s in listening to and talking with another that we get to know them better. Our fellowship with the Lord is no different; we must both listen to Him and speak with Him. The primary means of listening to God is through reading His Word, the Bible. He speaks to us through Scripture as we read it, think about what it says, meditate on it, and ask ourselves what it means to us and how we can apply that meaning to our daily living. He also speaks to our hearts when we quiet ourselves and listen to His still small voice.