Should Christians Meditate?
Meditation is defined by m-w.com as the act of engaging “in mental exercise for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.” Let’s assume that we’re talking about meditating on a particular passage or phrase in the Bible, or on an aspect of God.
So, what do you think, should Christians meditate?
Is that not called prayer? I often will read a passage of scripture and then think on it. But in doing so, I usually find my self asking the Holy Spirit for guidance, and thus I am praying.
Meditation is a form of focusing on a single item and cleansing the mind and body.
Different than prayer when you are having a conversation with God/Jesus.
Meditation here means focusing on what you have learnt or read from the scriptures and allowing yourself to the insighted more about what u learn through the Holy Spirit..which comes from God..so God speaks when Meditating.
For me, meditation is a must and my first priority. Muslims,Hindus, Buddhists meditates so, as a Christian a bible-based believers, we must meditate day and night (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2).Key to have a prosperous and victorious life as God promised.Meditation glorifies God.
Meditation is totally a Biblical principal. Whether you’re focusing on pressing into the Father, parts of his known word (ie: the Bible) or things said by other believers that you want to test or aid you. Meditation is the way by which our subconscious can be informed by and begin to inform our conscious. The other day I listened to a song called “Again” by the band Flyleaf. I found it very inspirational to meditate to. I was enriched by the word of the Lord… Just some thoughts.
I’ts practical and second nature for Bible Based believers to meditate,but we meditate because others meditatated in the Bible and they found joy and delight ex: Psm 119:15 15I will MEDITATE in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Psm 1:1-2 1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, F1 nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he MEDITATE day and night.
Psm 63:3-6 3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow F184 and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and MEDITATE on thee in the night watches.
Duteronomy 6:4-9 is about meditation. The caution about mediation is WHO is the focus of our meditation. It has to be God. If the focus of our meditation is a passage of Scripture, there are dangers that the enemy will use it to our disadvantage (see what happened in the Garden of Eden!). God is the centre of our focussed thoughts – Him and Him alone. He will reveal His will through his word. Not the other way around, i.e. meditating on God’s word does not reveal His will and purpose, meditating on God, does!
-k
There is illustration of a hand that shows five elements of God’s word. Each digit represent.a part of learning and living the word. Hearing (Hebrew 10:27), Reading (Rev. 1:3), Studying (Acts 17:11), and Memorizing (Ps. 119:9-11). The most important part of our hand is the thump. It holds what is needed to be retained. Meditating (Ps. 1:23) is the thump.
Meditation is the most effective way to have a deep connection with God and Jesus. Through a daily meditation practice, it is possible to clear your mind of daily chatter, connect to your heart, and transcend the physical body to connect on a much deeper level with God. I feel that meditation is the missing ingredient to most Christian’s prayer. Just as prayer is a practice, meditation is a practice. Prayer without meditation can be superficial. If you meditate before or after prayer, it is that much more meaningful and from the heart rather than the mind. Without meditation, most prayer is from the mind, not the heart. God / Jesus look into our hearts, not minds. Unfortunately, most people mistakenly connect meditation with Buddism. Meditation is an excercise all on its own – prayer of the mind – it is nothing to fear. It is something to cherish and be grateful for – after all, the bible does mention meditation many times!
Nah…
Good discussion. Here is how I view mediation through studying the scripture and my exposure to Hindus. Mediation in eastern religions is the art of emptying oneself of all thoughts. If you have swept yourself clean by emptying yourself out, you are open to deception.
Christian meditation is God centered and is to fill us up on through the Spirit on the greatness of God. His holiness, righteousness, mercy, grace etc. is the attention of our thoughts. From focusing on God, we place Him first and this allows the Holy Spirit to align us correctly with Spirit, Soul and Body.
JOSHUA 1VS 8 says or reads ‘”this book of law shall not depart from your mouth you shall meditate upon it day and night…” it’s a biblical instraction therfore one have to.
My understanding on meditation is this:
In prayer – We make our needs known to Him and In Mediation – He makes His needs known to us.
I have recently learned a good method of meditating, I attended a seminar by Mark Virkler on “hearing god’s voice”. Now that I know an easy method of meditation I do it at least once a day and I ask myself how was it possible for me to be a Christian without meditation.
meditation is a absolutely important, for ‘as a man thinketh in his heart so he is’. often times we engage in it without realising we are, so we ought to do it consciously to ensure we meditate on the right things.- whatever things are true, pure,of good report.- we are to stop our minds from dwelling on things that do not it into that scripture.
Christian should mediate, in fact it should take up a great aspect of our time. Psalms talks about meditation on God’s words day and night. It helps us to get to know Him better, memorize the scripture focus our thoughts on greater meaning. Also, it keeps us in constant contact with God and prevent us from thinking about negative things