Nature Meditation in the Vox Divini Structure: A Path to Transformation

Introduction: The Theological Foundation

Nature is a reflection of God’s glory, proclaiming His eternal power and divine nature (Rom 1:20). As Scripture teaches, all things were created through Jesus, the Eternal Word, and in Him, all things hold together (Jn 1:3, Col 1:16-17). When we meditate on nature, we encounter the Creator through His creation. This practice is not merely observation but a transformative dialogue with Jesus, who reveals Himself in the beauty, order, and qualities of the natural world. By meditating on nature, we allow the Holy Spirit to shape our hearts, aligning our lives with the virtues of Christ, such as humility, love, and union with God. This meditation follows the same five steps as Vox Divini Meditation (POWER)—Presence, Offer, Word, Engage, and Response with Resolution—adapted to the context of nature.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Presence: Entering God’s Presence in Nature
To begin, find a quiet place in nature—a garden, park, forest, or even a balcony with plants. Choose a comfortable position, ideally sitting, but this can also be done while walking, working, or performing simple tasks like washing clothes or bathing. The key is to be intentional about inviting God’s presence.

Steps:
- Close your eyes (if sitting) and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
- Say a simple prayer to invite God’s presence, such as: “Lord Jesus, I come to You in this moment. Fill my heart with Your presence.”
- Alternatively, use a breath prayer, repeating: “Jesus” (while inhaling) and “I love You” or “I adore You” (while exhaling).
- If walking or working, maintain a gentle focus on your breath and repeat the prayer silently to stay connected to God.
Purpose: This step grounds you in the awareness of God’s presence, preparing your heart to encounter Him in creation. It’s flexible, allowing you to enter His presence regardless of your circumstances.

2. Offer: Surrendering to God
In this step, offer your entire self—body, mind, and spirit—to God. Ask Him to take full possession of you and to speak through the meditation.

Steps:
- Pray: “Lord Jesus, I offer You my body, mind, and spirit. Take all of me and speak to me. I want to hear Your voice.”
- Express a desire to be open to His guidance and transformation.
Purpose: By surrendering, you create space for God to work in your heart, aligning your will with His as you prepare to encounter Him in nature.

3. Word: Focusing on Creation
Open your eyes (if they were closed) and choose an object or creature in nature to focus on—a tree, flower, bird, or even a blade of grass. Observe its beauty and uniqueness, praising God for His creation.

Steps:
- Look at the chosen object with attention and gratitude.
- Offer a prayer of praise, such as: “Lord, I praise You for this beautiful creation. Thank You for its beauty and purpose.”
Purpose: This step shifts your focus to God’s handiwork, recognizing His glory in the natural world and preparing you to see Jesus reflected in it.

4. Engage: Seeing Jesus in Creation
Here, you reflect deeply on the object, identifying a positive quality or characteristic it embodies. Then, connect that quality to the life and character of Jesus, engaging in a heartfelt conversation with Him. You may explore one to three qualities, depending on time, praising Jesus for embodying these qualities.

Steps:
- Identify a quality in the object (e.g., humility, resilience, beauty).
- Reflect on how this quality is present in Jesus’ life or teachings.
- Speak to Jesus with affection, praising Him for this quality and expressing your admiration.
- If time allows, repeat this for one or two additional qualities.
Purpose: This step fosters a transformative encounter with Jesus, helping you see His virtues in creation and inspiring you to emulate them.

5. Response with Resolution: Committing to Transformation
Revisit the qualities you identified and admired in Jesus. Express your desire to embody these qualities in your life, and identify two concrete, practical actions you can take that day to live them out. Choose one action as your resolution for the day.

Steps:
- Reaffirm your admiration for the quality in Jesus.
- Express your desire to grow in that quality: “Jesus, I want to be like You in this way.”
- Identify two specific actions for each quality (e.g., a kind word, a prayer, a gesture).
- Select one action as your resolution, ensuring it is practical and achievable.
Purpose: This step translates the meditation into action, fostering spiritual growth and transformation through concrete steps.

The flower pot on which Anna Rose Meditated

Example: Anna Rose’s Meditation on a Flower Pot
Below is Anna Rose’s meditation, expanded to include the first three steps and presented in the Power Structure format.

Presence: Anna finds a quiet spot on her balcony, where a flower pot hangs from the roof. She sits comfortably, closes her eyes, and takes several deep breaths. She prays silently: “Jesus, I invite You into this moment. Fill my heart with Your presence.” She then repeats a breath prayer: “Jesus” (inhaling), “I love You” (exhaling) for a few minutes, feeling God’s peace settle over her.
Offer: Anna prays: “Lord Jesus, I offer You my body, mind, and spirit. Take all of me. Speak to me, Lord; I want to hear Your voice and be transformed by You.” She surrenders her distractions and opens her heart to God’s guidance.
Word: Anna opens her eyes and focuses on the flower pot hanging from the roof. She notices its vibrant flowers cascading downward. She prays: “Lord, thank You for this beautiful creation. I praise You for its unique beauty and the way it grows.”
Engage 1: “Oh sweet Jesus, how endless is Your mercy, how kind are You to me. Your love is so incomprehensible. My sweet Jesus, I see this wonderful creation of Yours. It is planted on top, yet it is growing down. Lord, let me see You in it. Why is it growing down despite being on top? I see that You were always on top, above all things, yet You came down. That shows Your humility. I realize that the more You raise us and bless us, we are to be down-to-earth. We should not consider ourselves superior to others who may not have grown spiritually.”
Engage 2: “Lord, I ask again, why is it growing down? How wonderful! I see that it wants to touch the dust. You came down to touch us, the dust, to bring life to us. You remind me that I, whom You touched, am now called to touch the lives of others, to bring them to You, the true Life.”
Engage 3: “Oh Jesus, I also see that though the plant is coming down it’s always rooted on the top. Lord I see that even l when You came down and got busy with so many activities in your ministry, You were rooted on top. You were always in union with the Father, even as You mingled with people on earth, the dust.”
Response with Resolution:
Response 1 (Humility): “Loving Jesus, I see that you are very humble. I want to be humble like You. To grow in humility, I will:
- Look for an opportunity to appreciate a lady whom I judged this morning.
- Pray the Litany of Humility today.”
Response 2 (Touching Others): “Oh Jesus, how wonderful you are. You touched the lives of so many people. I too want to touch others with my love. To do this, I will:
- Ask ………. how she is.
- Tell …… that I love her.”
Response 3: (Rooted in God) “Oh my sweet Jesus today I see you as someone always in union with your father. I too want to be like you. To be like you I will:
- Do my Personal prayer at 9.30 pm
- I will spend sometime praising you before going to bed.
Resolution: “My resolution for today is to ask NH how she is, showing her Your love through my care.”

Nature meditation: Example 2 by Anna Rose (Pillow)

My dear lord Jesus…Thankyou for loving me with all my weaknesses..Thankyou for loving the person I am..thank you for not wanting me to be perfect in order to be loved by you or to be called your daughter…
Engage 1
Eshoyee..I see a pillow..help me to see you in it eshoyee..Ohh dear lord..Im getting reminded of what you said..cast your burdens onto me and I will give you rest..The weight of my head when laid on a pillow gives me comfort..You give comfort to everyone who leans on you lord. And the weight of our pain will vanish..

Engane 2
Help me to see you more in the pillow eshoyee..Isn’t my head too heavy for the pillow..so the pillow will be hurt by the weight of my head..yet it never complained. Ohh Jesus..you also never blamed when others hurt you or used you..you always gave them love and comfort without giving them back any pain.

Engage 3
Ohh sweet Jesus…Can I see you more..eshoyee..The more it bore weight..more softer it became. You died to your will and comfort and the water and blood for salvation gushed forth from your heart. You are telling me that the more I suffer and die to myself..the more softer and I will become. Pillow is supposed to be soft..so I will become what I was made to be. Hardened hearts and stones in my heart and soul will vanish in the fire of purification.

Response 1
I see you as a source of confort for others. I also want to become a source of comfort like you. Lord, to be like you today:

I will ask R about his emotional pain and will console him
I will ⁠pray for people who lost their kids or spouses

Response 2
Sweet Lord, I see you accepting hardships without complaints. I too want to be like you and accept situations when others hurt me. To be like you: