How Christian Meditation Is Biblical and Practical

How Christian Meditation Is Biblical and Practical

When you think of Christian meditation, what picture comes to mind? I hope no New Age-based pictures entered your mind, because Christian meditation is both biblical and practical. Christian meditation is simply thinking deeply and carefully about God’s Word. It is slowing down to savor God’s truth one portion at a time, like you would savor a five-star restaurant Meal.

Christian Meditation Is Biblical

Depending on which Bible translation you use, the Bible mentions meditation around 20 times. The two Hebrew words hagah and siach are used to describe pictures of meditation. As used in Isaiah 31:4 and 38:14, hagah refers to lions growling over their prey, or mourning doves continually cooing. The idea is repetition, a main element of Christian meditation. The concept siach represents is concentrated and uninterrupted focus. It is used mostly in Psalms, such as in Psalm 119:15 and 119:148. In summary, Christian meditation is repetitive, concentrated, undistracted, and focused.

When practicing Christian meditation, you don’t empty your mind like New Age practitioners advise. Instead, you fill your mind with a single truth from God’s Word, which the Bible says is “the living and abiding word of God” 1 Pet. 1:23 (ESV).

God’s Word is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12 – ESV). So when we meditate upon it, we invite the Holy Spirit to work God’s truth deep into our hearts and minds.

Christian Meditation Is Practical

We’ll do a mini meditation exercise in a moment. But first, let’s talk about how Christian meditation is practical as well as biblical. You may have heard about the many benefits of meditation for your physical and mental health. The good news is that Christian meditation has all these practical benefits too.

By taking just a few minutes to meditate on God’s Word each day, you can improve your focus and concentration. Christian meditation helps you improve your memory skills. You can lower your blood pressure and decrease your stress because it reduces cortisol levels. Christian meditation can transform your thoughts and help you regulate your emotions. It will also help you be better prepared to share the Gospel with others because you hide God’s Word in your heart and mind during meditation.

A Christian Meditation Exercise

If you meditate on God’s Word every day while you do a regular task, such as getting ready for work, it will be easier to remember to do. Plus, you’ll gain all the benefits above in only a few moments every day. Let’s do a mini exercise to help you get started. When I meditate on God’s Word, I ask myself three questions: 1) What does this verse tell me about God? 2) What does it tell me about myself? 3) What does it tell me about relating to others?

Here’s one of my favorite verses to meditate upon with those three filters in mind: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Is. 26:3 (NIV)

I read the verse slowly several times, focusing on different words each time. What does this verse tell me about God? It tells me that He is the source of perfect peace. What does this verse tell me about myself? It tells me that if I trust in God and keep my mind steadfast on His truth, God will keep me in His perfect peace.

What does this verse tell me about others? Surely others need this peace as much as I do. I can seek this peace in God’s presence so I can share it with others. Your answers to those questions may be different, and that’s great! The Holy Spirit will speak to you personally and individually as you carefully and repeatedly savor scriptures through meditation.

A Christian Meditation Challenge

Here’s a challenge for you: Find a verse that applies to a problem you’re currently facing. Write the verse on a sticky note and display it where you’ll see it daily. Each time you see it, meditate on it for a few minutes and use it as an opportunity to pray.

Do this every day for a week and watch how God increases your peace and reduces your stress through this practice. It’s worked for me, and that’s why I’m passionate about telling others the biblical and practical benefits of Christian meditation.

¹Geringer, Sarah. Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus (Leafwood Publishers: Oct. 1, 2019), 18-19.

²Ibid., 21.