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Today I want to expand on the Chiron Versation. We had about prayer and the pattern David used. The pattern.

that God honors. But now I want to take you into the next natural step of that journey.

And this is, just to be transparent and honest, this is self-serving. I want to talk about the...

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power of reflection and I started doing these because I started journaling and spending more time to reflect and these videos

are for my children.

and you get to benefit from that.

We were watching some of our old vlogs and reminiscing. It really makes me miss vlogging. Just encapsulizing our lives and saving memories.

and then getting the opportunity to revisit them. It's one of the few benefits of technology, as much as I hate and despise technology. But it can be a powerful tool if used properly.

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So this is for my children to maybe one day go back and revisit to hear the words of their father.

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with the power of reflection.

because this is the truth.

If prayer is the engine of spiritual life.

reflection is the steering wheel. And when you reflect, don't leave it up to chance. Write it down.

Prayer gives us power.

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reflection gives us direction. Without direction, power can be dangerous.

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without power direction is useless.

So let's look deeper into this, scripture.

and walk slowly, intentionally, through the power of reflection.

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and we'll anchor every part of it in the psalm.

So what is reflection?

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Let's define it simply. Reflection is the deliberate act of stopping long enough to see what God is doing.

It is the discipline of meditation. It is the practice of remembering.

It is the posture of humility.

It is the birthplace of wisdom. And David was a master at it.

That's why the Psalms have so much power. They aren't just prayers.

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They are reflections.

They are moments where David stops moving long enough to hear God speak. Reflection is not laziness. Reflection is not daydreaming. Reflection is not overthinking.

Reflection is a spiritual process.

It's where the truth you prayed about.

becomes the truth you live out.

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David spent a lot of time reflecting on God's works.

David didn't just glance at God's faithfulness, he studied it. Psalm 77 tells us, will remember the works of the Lord. I will meditate also of all thy work and talk of thy doing.

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David says, I will remember.

I will meditate.

I will talk about it.

That's reflection. Why does remembering matter?

because fear grows when memory fades.

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And David knew what it was like to be afraid.

Betrayed by friends.

surrounded by armies and overwhelmed by guilt.

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So what does he do?

he remembers. Psalm 143, will remember the days of old. I meditate on all thy works. I muse on the work of thy hands.

Muse means to ponder deeply, to turn it over again and again, just like a cow chews the cud.

to extract all the nutrients over and over again until all the nutritional value is extracted and absorbed and digested.

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This isn't a quick thought. This is slow thinking.

This is intentional remembering.

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This is David saying, before I freak out about today.

Let me look back at yesterday.

Reflection builds spiritual memory.

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and spiritual memory builds spiritual confidence.

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we need to reflect on God's character. One of the reasons the Psalms are so comforting is because David constantly reflects on who God is, not just what God does. In times of anxiety,

and fear we reflect on problems.

David reflects on God.

Psalm 103, the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. Psalm 145, eight and nine, the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. The Lord is good to all.

David doesn't invent these ideas.

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He reflects on them.

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He stops long enough to say, Lord, remind me who you are.

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And sometimes that's the greatest need in our life. Not new blessings, but renewed perspective.

Reflection turns theology into reality. It turns Bible knowledge into strength. It turns truth into stability.

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when we're reflecting another need.

that we must include, must reflect on personal sin. David didn't just reflect on God's goodness. He reflected on his own failures and that's why he grew. Reflection is not always pleasant.

It often takes you places where ego dies and repentance lives.

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Listen to David in Psalm 51, 3.

Reflection requires honesty.

not the fake repentance that says, Lord, I messed up.

but you know how it is. Real reflection says, Lord, I see what I did. I'm not hiding it. I'm not excusing it.

I'm not running from it.

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I'm laying it bare before you.

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Reflection is the mirror God uses to show us what needs to change.

And if we refuse to reflect, we will repeat.

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Every unreflected sin becomes a repeated sin.

David broke the cycle because he reflected.

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reflection builds wisdom.

David wasn't just a warrior, he was a thinker. A deep thinker.

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wisdom doesn't happen on the battlefield.

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Wisdom happens in the quiet moments between battles.

Listen to this, Psalm 119, 15. I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways. David doesn't just read the word. He meditates on it.

Meditation is not emptying the mind like the world teaches. Biblical meditation is filling the mind slowly, deeply, intentionally with God's Word.

when you meditate on scripture.

your desires begin to change. Your reactions change.

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Your priorities shift. Your discernment sharpens. Foolish decisions fade away.

wise decisions rise to the surface.

Reflection is where wisdom is born.

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The hurried Christian is often the foolish Christian. The reflective Christian is the wise Christian.

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Reflection restores peace.

One of the most beautiful verses in scripture is David reflecting quietly at night. Psalm 4, 4, stand in awe and sin not. Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still.

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Be still and know that I am God.

There's a whole sermon in that one verse. Stand in awe. Remember who God is. Commune with your heart.

Reflect on your actions, emotions, and thoughts. Be still. Stop trying to fix everything by your own strength.

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Reflection brings peace because it slows down the mind long enough for God to reorder it.

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We live in an age of distraction.

Noise, busyness, and sensory overload. Most people never stop long enough to think a godly thought.

But David says, lie on your bed and be still. That's where peace is found.

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Reflection turns prayer into action.

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Here's the beautiful connection.

Prayer empties the heart.

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Reflection fills the heart.

Action expresses the heart.

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prayer without reflection becomes shallow.

reflection without prayer becomes self-centered.

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action without either becomes foolish.

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David prayed.

then he reflected.

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Then he obeyed.

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Before he ever fought Goliath, he reflected on the lion and the bear God delivered into his hand. Before he entered the throne, he reflected in the caves.

Before he repented, he reflected on his sin with Bathsheba.

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Reflection is the bridge between prayer and obedience. One clarifies, one strengthens, one directs.

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Reflection is what turns spiritual desire into spiritual discipline.

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Reflection opens us to God's correction.

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Here's something that the modern churches avoid. God corrects his people. But correction is not cruelty, it is love. Psalm 139 says, search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me.

and lead me in the way everlasting.

You cannot pray this unless you are willing to reflect because God will show you what needs to change.

Reflection is not passive. It is participation with God in our own sanctification. David wasn't afraid of correction. He welcomed it. And that's why he grew. That's why God used him. That's why he became a man after God's own heart.

Reflection is the soil where transformation takes root.

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So let's be practical.

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If you want reflection to shape your life the way it shaped David's, here are simple habits you can begin today.

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Reflect with scripture open. Go slowly. Don't rush. Meditate on the one passage.

reflect with gratitude, write down, or speak out loud what God has done, or do both.

David did this constantly.

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The perfect time to reflect is before bed. Psalm 4 shows David lying in bed, communing with his heart. Let the last voice you hear be God's.

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Reflect on your mistakes without shame. Shame hides. Reflection heals.

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Reflect on God's character more than your own weakness. Reflection is not about staring at your failures. It's about seeing them in the light of God's mercy.

Reflect until clarity comes. Reflection is not rushed. Sometimes clarity takes time.

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reflect with expectation. God wants to speak and stillness is the microphone he uses.

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So how will reflection transform your life?

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When you make reflection a daily practice.

worry dies because you start remembering what God has already done.

Pride dies because you face your own failures honestly. Discernment grows because you slow down long enough to think biblically.

Gratitude grows because you see God's fingerprints everywhere.

wisdom grows because scripture moves from information to revelation.

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Peace grows because stillness gives God room to calm your thoughts. Courage grows because reflection anchors you in God's faithfulness. This is why David could face giants, confront enemies, repent boldly, lead nations, and write psalms that shape the world.

to this day.

Reflection made him stable, grounded, and spiritually sharp.

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prayer and reflection.

are two wings of the same bird.

One lifts you into the presence of God. The other stabilizes you while you're there.

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One pours out your heart. The other fills it back up.

One cries out. The other listens.

One brings petition, the other brings perspective. One makes you dependent, the other makes you discerning.

they form a complete spiritual life. And today if you want to begin the practice of reflection, real biblical reflection, you will experience what David experienced.

clarity.

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Peace.

direction.

wisdom.

courage and a deeper walk with the Lord than you have ever known.

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This is the power of reflection.

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If you're watching this, I love you.

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Thank you.