How to Meditate on the Word of God

What is Christian Meditation

You might be wondering what is Christian Meditation and how do I meditate on the Word of God?

The Hebrew verb hagah, means “to muse,” “to meditate,” “to moan,” “to think,” or “to speak.”

J. I. Packer describes meditation as “an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communication with God.

Its purpose is to clear one’s mental and spiritual vision of God and let his truth make its full and proper impact on one’s mind and heart.

Charles Spurgeon says A man who wants to see a country, must not hurry through it by express train, but he must stop in the towns and villages, and see what is to be seen.

He will know more about the land and its people if he walks the highways, climbs the mountains, stays in the homes, and visits the workshops; than if he does so many miles in the day, and hurries through picture galleries as if death were pursuing him.

Don’t hurry through Scripture, but pause for the Lord to speak to you. Click To Tweet

You may be thinking to yourself that this sounds very hard to do. The truth is, you do this regularly just not with the Bible. 

You do it when you ruminate and you do ruminate over things. 

Example if you are worrying about something, you have it continually on your mind. 

You are always thinking of what could go wrong or asking yourseves a lot of questions about it and what you may do if so and so happens. 

You do it when you complain, when you grumble: something’s wrong at work, or at church. I don’t like this. I don’t like that.

And you could talk endlessly about that and think endlessly about it. That’s really meditation—maybe not positive, but it’s meditation.

Christian vs Eastern Meditation

In contrast to Eastern meditation, which seeks to empty the mind, Christian meditation seeks to focus and fill the mind with the truth of God.

While Eastern meditation puts aside reason, Christian meditation develops the skillful use of reason, considering the works of God and seeking to understand what they mean.

Adrian Rogers has this to say on the topic.

Eastern Meditation looks inward. Bible meditation looks upward. That kind of meditation is not under control. Bible meditation is controlled by the Word of God: “In his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

Transcendental meditation will get you into all kinds of trouble—it is kind of like going to bed at night and leaving all the doors and windows open to see what might come in. No—you meditate on the Word of God.

Christian meditation also includes the emotions. We focus on God and his Word so much that we feel glad about God’s truth, humbled by his law, thrilled with his creation.

Christian meditation combines reflection with emotion in such a way as to produce poetry such as the psalms.

Scriptural Exhortations To Meditate On The Word Of God

Now I am sure some of you may be wondering if the Bible encourages us to meditate.

In fact meditation, is so foreign in our Christian Society today that we need to see what the Bible says about it.

Scripture actually gives it high priority.

Psalms 1: 1-3 ¹ Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, ² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. ³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Psalms is the book of biblical meditation. Psalm 1:2 describes a godly person as one who meditates: “His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

The psalms are meditations by David and other godly Israelites. Subjects of meditation include the law (Ps 119), God’s unfailing love (Ps 48:9) and his works (Ps 77:12).

It says that blessed is the one who Meditates on the Word of God.

In other words blessed is the one who not only reads the Word but spends time thinking about it, spends time examining and questioning it.

When you do that you see the Scriptures in New Ways.

Joshua 1: 7-8 ⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

When we read the Book of Joshua we see him talking about Meditating on God’s Word. 

What he is saying is that we shouldn’t just read the bible or dont just carry it with us but we ought to meditate on it day and night so we will be able to put it into practice. 

That is how our life is going to be transformed into the Image of Christ.

Benefits of Meditating on the Word of God

So you may be wondering what are the benefits of Meditation. 

If meditation is so good as you say, what is there for me to gain from by putting this into practice?

Makes us more like Christ

 The Puritan William Bates said, “If I should be asked what do I think is the best means and way to advance the faculties, to make the ordinances fruitful, to increase grace, to enlarge our comfort, to produce holiness and the like, I should answer, meditation, meditation, meditation.”

Intellectual Benefits

Psalms 119: 97-99 ⁹⁷ Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. ⁹⁸ Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. ⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

Other people may have more degrees, but you can have deeper insight as you meditate and the Holy Spirit guides your thoughts.

Moral Benefits

Psalms 119:9-11 ⁹ How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. ¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. ¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

When we meditate we hide his Word in our heart.

It is not just laying on the surface but it is penetrated down to the core of of our being resulting in life change.

The commands that God gives us, the instruction that is found in the Bible, is there to benefit us. It is true to life; it’s the best way for us to thrive.

And as we think about it and as we understand that and as we understand the rationale and the reason why God gave us these commands, we’ll grow; we’ll become transformed in the image of Christ.

How Do I Meditate on the Word of God

6 Principles You Can Follow To Meditate on the Word of God

1. Choose a Bibilical word, phrase or verse as the focus of your meditation.

2. Begin with Prayer. Ask God to reveal himself to you and open up your eyes to the truth of his Word. Ask him to help you apply it to your life.

3. Think about the meaning of the text. It would be helpful if you had spent time studying it before heading into meditation. Think about what God is saying through the text and why it is important. 

4. Think about application of the text. In what practical ways can you apply the truth into your life immediately.

5. Write down your thoughts regarding meaning and application of the text.  Take note of any further things you do not understand which may need further study. 

6. End your time in prayer. Thank God for his presence and ask him to help you apply the truth you learnt this day. 

Further Exhortation To Meditate on The Word of God

Daryl Aaron shares this: When I was a pastor and regularly preparing sermons, the greatest challenge was usually the application—how was the biblical text relevant to the people in my church?

When I would get stuck, I would practice what I call “sit and stare time.” I would go to a coffee shop, stare out the window, and think. It was essentially a time of meditation on the text of my sermon.

I cannot think of a time when God did not faithfully use that meditation to bring thoughts to my mind with regard to application of his Word.

Try it yourself. See how God may be pleased to meet with you and do amazing things through your time of meditation on his Word.

It will be very good to include meditation in your quiet time.

QUESTION: Let me know in the comments how you plan to put this meditation practice into action and what you thought of this article.