Biblical Meditation
Don’t worry . . . I haven’t been corrupted by eastern religion, but I have found a nugget of truth in amongst their practices . . . meditation. However, biblical meditation isn’t an emptying of the mind, but a focused filling of God’s truth.
I recently started practicing a few minutes of meditation after my quiet time each day. After I shut my Bible and my notebook I close my eyes, relax my body, and sit in silence and solitude dwelling in my Lord’s presence. Even with the short amount of time I spend in this simple act, I am amazed at the effects it has on my spirit. I have found being in a meditative state is empowering in many ways and here are a few:
• It evokes a state of trust in God’s power and not my efforts. When I feel I should be getting on with the day, I sit still and focus on Him. It forces me to trust Him to be my strength to accomplish all that I need to that day because I am not rushing off, but simply being with Him. The days I have the most do to are the hardest to be still but those are the days I need it the most.
• It encourages me because I am focusing on one or more attributes of God or a verse. For example, I may focus on His love and its consuming nature in my life. How I feel after spending 5-10 minutes focusing on any of His attributes or truths after being in His Word is solid, grounded, secure, hopeful, strengthened and grateful. The two working together, abiding in and meditating on His Word, put me in the right frame of mind for whatever lies ahead that day.
• It puts me in a mindset of resting in Him. I am a proficient task master. The under current of my life is efficiency and getting things done. Meditating forces me to come out of that state of mind and simply rest. The unwinding and letting go does wonders for my soul, mind and body. I am trying to incorporate that state of rest throughout the day and starting it off with meditation is fundamental.
The practice of meditation has gotten a bad rap because of pagan associations or no rap at all in the Christian community. As a result, we are missing out on the benefits of being still and knowing God is God in our lives. We need this discipline more than ever before in our busy, over-stimulating, and demanding world. Not to mention, in a world that has forgotten the power of God and relies on man’s power, intellect, wisdom and strength. We have been so inundated with doing and we have lost the art of being.
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Our duty is to call upon God, believe, trust and rest in Him. His part is to work through us, but many of us try to take on His job. Biblical meditation, being still in presence of God and focusing on His truth, helps to train us to do our part and let Him do His. It prepares our minds to let go and let Him work through us and not in our own strength.
If you aren’t currently spending time each day meditating after being in His Word, I would encourage you to try it. If you are like me you will find it difficult to be still. Our restlessness reveals how much we don’t trust and rest in Him as He commands us. But as we continue to be still, our spirits learn to give in and let go. It is a simple act that accomplishes a lot in our lives as are most things with God. In addition, when we stop and enter into a state of trust and rest we honor God because we are acknowledging Him as God in our lives.
Here is a link to an article with some interesting points and ideas on biblical meditation.
Living Light 
October 28, 2008 at 2:16 am
Rachel thank you so very much for visiting me and I thank you not becasue you graced me with your presence but becasue your visit brought me to thes place of God. You truly Stir the Deep. I was able to read this post and The energy we project as well as Mountain Moving Prayer. thank you so much for these truths. I too am blessed by Moses -he had such a relationship with God and it is becasue He spent so much time in His Presence and Yes that is how we develop that intimate relationship we seek with God. my life goal is to know God , in fact my determined purpose s to know Him intimately, and deeply. You stated loving as God would have us to is a process- developing every characteristic of God is a process it has taken some a long term to learn including me that I don’t develop these characteristics myself by God in me, working and growing Himself in me. A Pastor once told me I was a Jewel in Progress-what he calls all god’s disciples. Though the process will not be complete until Christ return journey to that end is so joyous. Thanks again for stopping by- it is great to make a new friend and to find another place among many which I can find the Spirit of the Lord. Be blessed.
October 28, 2008 at 2:50 am
So you are a “proficient task master”, eh? 🙂 I’m a pretty good task master myself, but I think I’m an A- personality rather than an A, because I get distracted too easily.
I like what you said about us needing to be still whenever our lives are the busiest. Good reminder!
October 28, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Willnette,
Thanks for stopping by and your encouraging words. It is a blessing to connect with another seeking heart.
Rachel
October 28, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Janna,
LOL . . . I knew we had that in common. We can be a reminder to each other to take time to be still.
Rachel
December 3, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Great post. I would only add what I believe to be the clear difference between Biblical meditation and pagan meditation.
Biblical meditation specifically means filling our minds with the Word of God and dwelling on those truths, and, as a consequence, mindfully dwelling on God’s glory and His wonderful attributes. See Joshua 1:8 where Joshua was commanded to meditate on the book of the law day and night.
On the other hand, pagan meditation calls for emptying the mind of everything in order to supposedly achieve inner peace or a higher level of consciousness. As Christians, we shouldn’t be emptying our minds. We’re commanded to love the Lord with our heart, soul, mind and strength. Emptying our minds can indeed be very dangerous (see Mat 12:43-45).
Blessings to you as you continue to meditate on our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Living Word) and His written Word.
December 4, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Greg,
Thanks for your feedback and much agreed. I added a peice to clarify.
Rachel
December 3, 2011 at 11:51 am
Hey Rachel, quite time with the Lord is a must, it prevents vain repetitions. I go further, as in doing boring work, I am meditating with the Lord. All is called, “Praying without ceasing” —I have been reading all your post & see your growth in Spirit &truth. However, I perceive you & the congregation to be waiting on the Lord for another big seal to be broken.
‘The Lord helps those that help themseves” – find in the old testement where it will come out of Jerusalem, then look to Rev.16:12 the 3foul spirits like frogs/dragon/beast/false prophet. In the past I spoke of no prophets today as was of old: this is how we know the false prophet that rose in 622AD. Rev.13 beast rising out of the sea; it goes on to explain the beast begins with babylon through present day; Rev.17:15 the sea/waters,then go back to the great image in Daniel. the dragon is the system &in our day the whole matter is controlled by one man through a hand-me-down-system that was created by men. In Jerusalem, today, within a couple blocks of each other will be found an Islamic temple, a waleing wall, & a supose to be christain church. “No, not one” -I know it is something most have never concidered. It may be delusion if it is spelled out by a man, each must hear it from the Lord
December 6, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Hi Eldon, we each must hear the truth from the Spirit of God … it is His spirit of light and truth that breaks the darkness of lies and deception. Why our prayers for others are so important and letting the Spirit use our lives as He wills, not us.