Try inhaling deeply and slowly. This helps you be more attentive to what God wants to do on the inside and soothes your body, decreases your pulse rate. If you start to feel tense, concentrate on that area in your body and breathe into it, asking How Do I Meditate As A Christian?
In recent years, Christian meditation has had a somewhat rebirth. People desire to know how to mediate since it has developed alongside Eastern meditation in the US and Western society.
Still, there are absolutely certain risks associated with so-called Christian Meditation. Just as Jesus declared, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), so likewise not every ministry practicing "How Do I Meditate As A Christian" is doing in keeping with Scripture.
Meditation Guide
- How To Know If You Are Meditating Properly
- What are the 8 rules of meditation?
- 7 Steps to Improve your Focus and Concentration
How Do I Meditate As A Christian: The Role of Silence in Christian Meditation
King David and the other Psalmic writers realized that the only way to be closer to God is to have His precepts down deep in our hearts. They would chew on a bit of God's Word as a cow chews on its cud. Perhaps not a nice image, but the concept is that you reflect. You give thought to. You start to think. Out of God's Word, you can get every last bit of nutrition. And you learn your Creator more thoroughly in the process.
Christian meditation lacks a magic sauce or super spiritual recipe. The secret is to have an open heart and create the environment where God might interact with you via His Word. There is no fixed time limit. No place is perfect. There is no one time of day that suits me particularly. God is always present, hence whatever environment offers will help you avoid the least distractions.
How can meditation be beneficial for a Christian?
When you truly stop to consider it, the real question is, how could Christians not benefit from meditation?
When you are concentrating on God's Word, you are totally and utterly focused on Him and His Words and His faithfulness, His mercy, His goodness, His grace, etc. The list might run on an eternity. Excellent ideas and attractive thoughts abound in your mind. You are not considering the bad aspects of our planet. Meditating on God helps you to concentrate on the One who can address all of your difficulties, not on the problems themselves.
How might one meditate on Scripture?
The Bible does not contain a specific defined process for focusing on Scripture, hence I assume you already have your own method. However, I wanted to offer a few pointers here in case you have not tried it before.
Look for a peaceful, comfy spot. Though you can reflect on Scripture anywhere, it helps to have somewhere you can totally concentrate on the Bible passage.
Choose a little bit of Scripture. This could span a very little chapter of the Bible from one verse to three or four lines. I will choose a longer passage if I am focusing on Scripture for my quiet time than if I am reflecting on Scripture to break a habit.
Think about graphically dissecting the Bible verse. I keep this in my journal quite a bit. I will review the verse and begin to sketch it in my notebook. This clarifies it for me and lets me perceive the links among the several elements of the verse. My past journal picture and later on in this post both show an instance of this.
Consider the poem's visual picture. Imagine what that would have looked like if the verse followed God or someone else performing a deed. Zephaniah 3:17, for instance, describes God celebrating over us with singing. Close your eyes and see Him doing that beside you. If the poem addresses natural elements, consider what that would look like.
Find out, practically, what the verse means. Proverbs 23:17–18, for instance, advise us not to be envious. What, therefore, does envy mean? In my personal life, how would that look? Do I become envious? Does anything need me to change? How ought I to approach that? Consider how you might cease feeling jealous; then, spend some time in confession asking God to assist you in transformation. Meditating on Scripture is mostly about learning what that Bible verse means, then soaking it in and allowing it to transform you. These kind of useful queries can assist with it.
Ask God to reveal to you understanding. Our advisor is the Holy Spirit, who also enables us to grasp Scripture. Sometimes, though, we find ourselves stumped and struggle to understand what a verse implies. Try the next step when that occurs.
Look at a good commentary. Many insightful analysis available on BlueLetterBible.org will help you understand a Bible verse. If you're having trouble understanding the passage, first try to learn as much as you can without a commentary then utilize one for more insight.
Reasons to Work on Scripture Meditation
One should consider Scripture for many different purposes. We merely studied one of them; it alters our perspective! Here are some further reasons to give Scripture some thought:
It alters our point of view. The more the word settles in us, the more we think biblically rather than culturally; and life always looks better when you think biblically.
It helps us to release sin. God utilizes Scripture to equip us to transform the world He desires. There is an old hymn titled There Is Power in the Blood. The Word carries power as well. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He used that power; we may use that power when we encounter various temptations. His Word is truth; God employs truth to release us.
In circumstances that call for neither peace nor happiness, it provides solace. Recall David? He would start a Psalm somewhat depressed but by the conclusion he would be usually happy. Starting to perceive life from God's point of view, his spirit raised and he began to trust and believe in God.
The Benefits of Meditation
As expected, it is normally for our welfare if God orders us to meditate daily and night on His Law. Though there are numerous advantages, let me point out a few (yes, it's a lengthy list!).:
- Blessing: It is the road or means toward a really God-saturated life.
- Focusing slows us down in our hectic life so that we might see Him.
- Stability: It conveys the Story that underlying our own and provides a consistent basis from which to grow.
- Change: It carries the Word down from brain to heart where transformation occurs.
- Marveling on His grandeur enables us to appreciate Him more and fans our love.
- Development: It increases our confidence and helps us to know Him better.
- Often slow reflection on His Word results in memorizing it too!
- Thinking God's thoughts helps us to praise and ask in harmony with Him.
- Remind us to steer from sin by steeping in His Word.
- Repentance asks us to return to truth from our strays from God's road.
- When tempted otherwise, perseverance gives the inner drive to remain following God.
FAQs: How Do I Meditate As A Christian
How to do Jesus meditation?
Breathe in Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, again and over, then exhale have mercy on me. Try to dive ever further into an awareness of Jesus' presence every time you pray. He is with you and sustaining you right now, lending you loving compassion at your hour of need.
What Bible says about meditation?
Furthermore included in the New Testament are several chapters urging the disciple of Christ to concentrate the mind—that is, meditate—on God. Among these are Philippians 4:4–9, Colossians 3:1–3, Romans 8:5–7, Hebrews 3:1 and Hebrews 12:2.
What is the Christian way of meditation?
Christian meditation is the process of purposefully concentrating on particular ideas (like a Bible chapter) and considering their meaning in the framework of God's love. Christian meditation seeks to strengthen the personal relationship marked by God's love, therefore promoting Christian communion.
What is the powerful mantra in Christianity?
The Jesus prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner—is a common repetition. Inspired by Psalm 62, O God, come to my assistance, O Lord, make haste to help me,Come Holy Spirit, Come Lord Jesus,are other often used Christian mantras.