You're listening to Encounter, a simple daily podcast of sacred and mindful meditations

to help you encounter the divine presence of God all throughout your day.

If you want to have free access to the entire library of 500 meditations, I encourage

you to download the Encountering Peace app where all the meditations are free as they should be.

Your Heartbeats 4,800 times per hour.

That's a whopping 115,200 times per day.

Feel it right now in your chest, pumping. It will pump nearly 2,000 gallons of blood daily.

The theme of this meditation from Proverbs chapter 7 is having a happy and healthy heart,

a heart filled with more than blood but filled abundantly with the glory, the hope,

and the love of God. So to begin your meditation, slip into a time and place where you can become

aware of your heart and the trust and faith and hope that your heart brings you for God.

You may start by listening and joining in this responsive reading and prayer from Proverbs chapter 15,

respond, Lord God, give me a happy and healthy heart. A heart full of joy and goodness makes a

cheerful face but when a heart is full of sadness, the spirit is crushed. Lord God, give me a happy

and healthy heart. The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly

inquires after it but the mouth of the stubborn fool feeds on foolishness. Lord God, give me a

happy and healthy heart. All the days of the afflicted are bad but a glad heart has a continual

feast regardless of the circumstances. Lord God, give me a happy and healthy heart.

Better is a little with the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble

with it. Lord God, give me a happy and healthy heart. This time in Christian meditation aims to

deepen your union with Christ. So spend a few moments now in silent contemplation as the

Holy Spirit strengthens your heart.

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