Introduction
Nowadays, many people may consider attending church once a week as a faithful Christian, living by God’s words. However, being a truly committed Christian transcends the primary, generally accepted practice of Sunday service. Being dedicated to religion implies being connected with God, and it is a constant process of reading, worshipping, praying, and meditating.
This is the genuine purpose of the divine design plan, which is to connect a man to his Creator and navigate the person through life’s struggles by illuminating and reminding them of their true self, knowledge, skills, and emotions. By the divine design plan, my purpose is to be a committed and disciplined person who worships God through meditation and prayer.
The Steps of the Divine Design Plan
Soul Work
The first step in the divine design plan is to determine one’s identity and the desired vision of oneself. The way I see it, I need to be a committed and disciplined individual who respects and worships God. This does not only involve setting a promise and striving for success but outlining specific steps and rationales that will guide me through my path toward the transition to a better version of myself. The most common way to maintain one’s relationship with God is through communication, and this communication, among all other forms, takes the shape of prayer.
As it is mentioned in Colossians 4:2-6, “devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Bible, n.d.-a). In the Holy Scripture, prayer is a dynamic way of communicating with God, typically taking the shape of an unplanned, impromptu appeal or expression of gratitude. This is, therefore, the first spiritual discipline that I will use in my practice as a way to manifest my promises.
However, aside from praying, other spiritual disciplines will be immensely crucial in my path. To achieve a more profound knowledge of and be enlightened by God’s word, the Bible refers to meditation as intense reflection. Still, it is indeed undeniable that meditation is a teaching opportunity that may be misused. Many people view meditation as a way of abstracting from reality or even sleeping.
However, Christians must apply it with caution, biblical insight, and reverence rather than shunning it. As it was emphasized in Psalms 1:2-3, “but they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night” (Bible, n.d.-c). Therefore, I aim to apply praying and meditation, which involves self-reflection and being close to God. I plan to be intentional with my plan by using time management and finding the best time frames to be in solitude and practice my prayers and meditations, which will help me concentrate.
Head Work
The next challenging step in the divine design plan is head work, which focuses on man’s knowledge. Speaking of what I need to know, I can emphasize the teachings of God and standard practices of worshipping the Creator. Although praying, meditation, confession, fasting, and celebration seem to be simple activities that help one become connected to God, they are sometimes not as obvious. Therefore, learning more about the history of those activities and teachings of God can help me understand the background and become more adept at those processes and answer the “Why?” question.
I plan to prioritize my education by understanding that my future depends on it. Education is not simply a piece of paper or a fact that might allow some to be boastful but a way of improving myself and enhancing my knowledge and skills. Learning more about God’s teachings, the history behind Christianity, and practices helps me navigate my life and know what is best for me and how to maintain my relationships with the Creator. However, this additionally involves other people since, with my knowledge, I want to inspire others to follow this path of enlightenment. Therefore, having an end goal helps me make my education a priority.
I have been preparing my mind, heart, and family for this path for quite a long time. First, I have been trying to incorporate spiritual disciplines into my life to keep my mind pure and my family’s recognition and support of this path. For this reason, praying, meditation, and solitude have helped me understand my priorities. From a financial and time perspective, I have been working hard on my time management skills, stability, and ability to support my physical or academic needs. Now, I expect daily Bible studies from the seminary will offer opportunities to understand the gospel, grow in my religious experience, and recognize the voice of the Creator.
Handwork
The following element of the divine design plan is the handwork, also known as the skills of the Christian follower. The first question I need to answer concerns the activities I need to do. In this case, I can say that what is necessary for me is reading the Scripture, along with practicing meditation, praying, solitude, and worshipping. Reading the Holy Scripture, I can understand the meaning of the Lord’s words or the intended message.
Additionally, I need to objectively identify my weaknesses and strengths while eliminating and intensifying the latter. Among the list of essential ministry skills, my areas of strength are planning, goal-setting, and time management. I focus on the time required for various activities, and I understand what I need and how to achieve it. However, my areas of growth are evaluation and Bible study. Sometimes, I need guidance and feedback to understand whether I have made significant progress or require more learning.
Still, there are more skills that I would like to master to become the best version of myself and be closer to God. The first skill that I find essential is being flexible, which implies reshaping my perspectives according to God’s words and vision. As it was said in Isaiah 64:8-9, “but now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter” (Bible, n.d.-b). Therefore, I need to learn how to be the clay that was mentioned and remodel my approaches according to God’s wishes. Moreover, I need to be emphatic to succeed in my transition since it is God’s teaching to support one’s brother.
Heart Work
The final step in the divine design plan is heart work, which is man’s emotions. At this step, I can confirm that I need to feel invigoration and connection to God. I expect to hear and understand the voice of the Lord and be guided by it. Therefore, my overall mood is positive since I am excited to learn and become a better version of myself, transitioning into and maintaining my Christian self.
At this moment, I understand and manage my emotions well due to self-discipline. However, there was a time when I let my emotions control me, which was a darker phase of my life. Still, the emotional growth that I seek to improve involves social-emotional competence and community connection. Although I learned to control my emotions, I cannot account for the behaviors and feelings of others, which I need to embrace. I aim to understand their perspective and why they act as they do.
Therefore, my emotional health is essential, and I do whatever is necessary to maintain it. This can be seen through my focus on my emotions and how I strive to control them to remain in peace. However, it is additionally evident from my aim to understand and embrace the uniqueness and characters of others. Understanding, accepting, or changing oneself can establish emotional health.
Conclusion
Hence, I aim to be a dedicated, disciplined person who praises God through prayer and meditation in compliance with the divine design plan. I want to be purposeful with my strategy, so I will use time management to discover the optimal times to practice my prayers and meditations and be alone, which will help me focus. I can stress the teachings of God and customs of worshiping the Creator while speaking about what I need to know. Additionally, I can state that I must read the Bible, along with doing my best to meditate, pray, spend time alone, and worship. The heart work, or human emotions, is the last phase in the divine design plan. I can confidently say that I need to feel invigorated and connected to God.
References
Bible. (n.d.-a). Colossians 4:2-6. Web.
Bible. (n.d.-b). Isaiah 64:8-9. Web.
Bible. (n.d.-c). Psalms 1:2-3. Web.