"Heart at Rest" - The art of playing instrumental guitar and scripture meditation

Meditating on God's word is vital and playing instrumental guitar can help! Being immersed in Godly thoughts from the scriptures helps me keep my thoughts on God's purposes, brings me peace, gives direction, helps me deal with stress, and brings me an awareness of his presence! Often I use my guitar for background soothing sounds as my mind meditates on the Word of God. It works for me in many ways. This is an example of how:

Sometimes the worry's of the day can overtake me! Problems too big to solve! Mysteries with no clues! and so on........-- I need to take these to the Lord and cast them specifically on Jesus.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you "1 Peter 5:7

Rather than contemplate over and over again the heaviness in my heart , I try to take immediate positive action by casting my cares on the Lord. I will name these troubles , desires, needs specifically --one by one. I need to be rid of them! -- And as I do this I am meditating on -1 Peter 5:7.

Meanwhile--with the guitar I will play groups of chords that I know will go well together or other combinations that I've never tried.(It doesn't really matter!) I don't necessarily play any songs.

For example I could start with a "D" major chord-- than add or remove fingers to add melody to the chord. Changing chords could follow- I am just letting a flow of melody notes and chords resonate. Listen to the guitar in the "Heart of Rest" video posted below for an example of this style of guitar playing.

In the meantime- I am naming my anxieties and casting them on the Lord . As this goes on there may be no musical plan or structure. There doesn't need to be. But the one thing happening is that the guitar is giving me a sound of musical peace and tranquility that the Holy Spirit can multiply. Sort of like a "peace that passes all understanding" -see Phil 4:7
These sweet sounds of Worship guitar create an environment of joy and thanksgiving as I present my requests to our Lord Jesus.

As this progresses I can enter a deeper place of worship. I am now able to go further into meditation of the Word.

Positive scriptures to meditate on:

Among many here are some of the bible verses that think and pray on while playing my acoustic guitar:

"surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"--1 Corinthians 2:9

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me" John 14:1

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6

Gradually all of these thoughts lead me to this spiritual place:

" You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you " Isaiah 26:3

Now back to the guitar. These times of musical meditation and prayers may have led me to write "Heart at Rest" . Although not trying to write a song -as a songwriter it usually happens eventually anyway .

Incidentally "Heart of Rest " is one of my compositions that is not written in a key that stays in one place. In other words I don't know what key it is in.

Otherwise "Heart at Rest is the title track from my acoustic album -"Heart at Rest" Recorded in the summer of 2009 it is a collection of original solo pieces http://www.glennzervas.com/. It is available at http://www.audiolife.com/store/GlennZervas/Albums.aspx.

I hope you are blessed by the ideas written here. Please share with me your comments as well as signing up as a follower or subscriber to this blog.-- God Bless -- Glenn

I Am Your God- Isaiah 43:1-3

I Am Your God- Guitar worship music using acoustic fingerstyle guitar and guitar synths to make scriptures come alive

As a guitarist, songwriter and worshipper of Jesus - and traveler through this life- I need to keep my focus on Jesus Christ and his promises of hope , love, and redemption. Life is difficult, sometimes joyous, sometimes painful as you all know. I use bible scriptures to remind me of the good things God promises. This helps me " be transformed by the renewing of the mind" -see Romans 12:3.

Putting scripture to music is my way of - expressing those words as mine , making them even more beautiful and sharing them with you.- This is why I wrote " I Am Your God"--Here's what it says to me:--- no matter what I go through , God is with me-- "Never will I leave you nor forsake you"- see Jos 1:5

The Lyrics

"When you walk through the waters"--Water can be a lyrical allusion to our experiences both good and bad. As water can be refreshing sometimes flooding can make the waters too deep--( puzzling, challenging, strenuous, tiring ,ect)

" I will be with You"- Nevertheless, God promises to be with us, to give us strength , wisdom , support . But we don't get these things without his help!--"Not by might nor by power but by my spirit say's the Lord" --see Zech 4:6

" And the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you"-- no problem or situation is too much for God's saving grace.

Chorus "For I am Your God

I am with you

For I am Your God

I love you" ---- This is all I need to know. God loves me and cares about me.-
"Surely I am with you even to the end of the age" see Math 28:20

" When you walk through the fire"---Circumstances that, hurt, destroy, --extreme sufferings ( sickness, loneliness, being misunderstood, death, financial loss, ect)

"you shall not be burned"--eventually God will cause good to come out of everything--" in all things God works for the good of those who love him" see Rom 8 :28

" you shall not be burned" he will use the heat to reshape you not hurt you .

"the flames shall not overwhelm you" --Good will eventually come from the extreme heat of sufferings

"do not fear I have come to redeem you"--God will buy back the ravages of suffering.

" I am near, I have called you by name- you are mine"--In the video you will see many people pictured (both family and friends). These are examples of all of us who God calls as his.

Song Performance and Production

This recording is more than 20 years old. It was recorded on a cassette 4 track. (remember those). It was played on a "Martin spd -16" in a dropped "d" tuning. All sounds are performed by me on guitar synth and bass guitar.Hopefully " I Am Your God " will bring you into God's presence as you meditate on his word and worship him for his Holiness---- God bless-- Glenn Zervas