“Guard over your heart with all diligence for from it flow all the issues of life.” – Prov 4:23
If Prov 4:23 is vital, then how do I take care of my heart… how do I feed it? How do I keep it full?
Feeding my heart requires more than just ingesting knowledge. Simply acquiring Bible knowledge by
reading the Bible, isn’t sufficient to nourish my heart. My brain is an amazing cognitive processor of knowledge and the place where the data is stored. Knowledge is food for my brain. But while knowledge may help me make rational and sound decisions, it’s still just an ‘earth-type’ commodity that my mind insatiably never gets enough of.
So what is heart food?
“Man can’t live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4)
We’ve talked about how our hearts need to hear our Father’s voice. When we hear Father’s voice, His voice gives us spirit food… real food that satisfies our basic essence. It’s an ethereal infusion so deep that it may not even register in our brain… but our heart knows quite well that something substantive and eternal just happened. We’re washed, freed, envisioned, secured, empowered, emboldened when we hear His voice. There is no mistaking the occasion, something significant changes when we hear His voice.
Now the way in which we hear will be somewhat different for every person.
For most people, our hearts get tender when we encounter our Maker/Father. When we recognize the sound of His voice… or the gentleness of His touch… something begins to melt inside of us. That ‘melting’ is our heart/spirit-man saying, “Abba/Daddy”. There is a sensing of, “all is well with my soul”. There is an, “ahhhh, life is better now”. And many times there are accompanying tears. They’re not mandatory or even necessary, but His voice/touch is so totally fulfilling and life-giving, that our spirit-man ‘leaps’ into life and has to spill over somewhere… more often than not, it’s through our eyes. I write more about the importance and significance of tears, here.
So how do I feed my heart and keep it full? This is one of my ways: I have created a 50-60 song special playlist. They’re only the songs that ‘make me cry’. And I don’t mind saying, I have some of my best times with my playlist. I burn these handpicked songs on CDs and play them over and over in my car. I almost never listen to radio… even Christian radio… my heart’s well-being is too important! These songs speak my heart language and draw me into unhindered encounter. This gives me much time to practice His presence and refuel my heart.
So, I offer you a few songs from my current list, in hopes that your spirit-man will leap into life… and maybe ‘spill over’. Grab a Kleenex and just be careful if you drive while listening to these heart songs.
Mark’s Latest Heart Therapy Songs
1. I Love You – Misty Edwards (IHOP-KC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHlliA_Ui2o
2. Not on My Time – David Brymer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGkvesSczGs
3. Father – Alberto & Kimberly Rivera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEx7_C3X7s0
4. Heaven’s Blessing – Alberto & Kimberly Rivera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y-7lhYHvoE
5. My Garden – Alberto & Kimberly Rivera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDxCvJz3PPU
6. Spirit Move – WorshipMob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWddN7r8Qk
— MLH
Mark Hendrickson
Beyond the Map 
Thank you Mark! I added them to my set list and soon to my heart.
Brent
Brent J. Welch brentjwelch@gmail.com Cell: 608-386-6333
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Thanks Brent. Soon our hearts will be so fortified with nourishing influences so as to never be vulnerable to lesser voices… and we’ll be empowered to do exploits. Dan 11:32 “Those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits.”
Awesome, Mark. So important. I have my set lists, too, but I’m adding a couple from yours. 🙂
The mystics write about a place in the center of our being that’s untouched by sin and illusion, a point of pure truth, a point or spark that belongs entirely to God. And only He can access it, and when He does, encounter happens! That’s what our soul needs to survive. We’re not only fed, we’re transformed! What a good Papa! What love!
So good, Mel! The saints are waking up… learning to steward our hearts better. We’re learning to eat the food that awakens our real DNA of bold and confident sons… yes even as co-rulers to “reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Rms 5:17) O my! That calls my spirit man up to full height just talking about it.
Our DNA and our future is so much better than we can imagine, right now!!
Amen!
Thanks for sharing Mark, Judy is doing CD’s in our home and while we are driving too! I knew there was some reason the Lord chose her for me and vice versa. 50 yrs come Aug 5th!!!!!!!!!! Blessings Jerry
Happy listening Jx2. You make me smile. 50 years… Wow, what a momentous accomplishment. I applaud you!!
Mark, thanks for sharing! A timely reminder for me… Congrats on another grandchild:) Love, Paul
Paul, it’s a necessary requirement in order to ‘stay alive’. It’s that or dry up and get an ‘tude at life or worse. 😦 So let’s determine to do what it takes to keep our hearts full!!!! 🙂
7 Grands… all 4 years and under. Life just keeps getting better.
Thanks so much Mark! Great choice of encounter music!
Our love and BLESSINGS!
Wayne and Verla Joosse
Fellow Presence-lovers have a common appreciation for a more open and simple music… a style that doesn’t require our brain ‘CPU’ preoccupation. It’s a style that lets our hearts engage without distractions. More, Lord!
Good job, Mel! We can’t overstate it… We must feed our hearts. Our heart is the essence of who we are. If we feed our bodies (food), and if we feed our souls (gratification of our emotions) then how much more, should we feed our heart/spirit man! Here’s a truth: if our heart ain’t full and happy then ain’t nuthin’ gonna be happy. So, I know what I gotta do!