The value of Christian meditation

What then is Christian meditation? It is the deliberate practice of turning our hearts and our minds to the full time task of bringing the word of God to life in the daily activities of our lives. As I said earlier, God wants to change us from the inside out. He wants to renew our minds and hearts so they will become more like his own. However, it is *only* by God's grace and power that this could ever happen. We *cannot* change ourselves. God uses a number of things to accomplish this. But the primary tool he uses is his own word recorded in the Bible. If we ignore it, he cannot work in us. If we use it and put it to use, he will be able to enter into our lives and form us into what he wants us to be. Meditation on the word of God allows its transforming power to renew our minds and change our hearts.
Meditation as a lifestyle (How do I meditate on God's word?)
Meditation on the things of God yields wisdom and purity. It yields spiritual maturity and communion with God. Here are a few of the things we can meditate on.

• The things God has done for me and others I know.
• The holiness and perfection of God.
• The Beauty of Christ
• Our meeting with God after our life here is complete
• Our eternal fellowship which we will have with Him
• The meaning/application of any specific passage of scripture.
• Anything God has just taught us or made us aware of
• Questions regarding the will of God.
• The salvation he has given us
• The life he has freed us from

You see, much of this is reflection on the relationship we have with God, it is thinking about His love and influence in your life, it is wondering about His awesome power and mighty deeds. It is joyfully giving thanks to Him for all he has done. It is sitting in awe and appreciation of his works. It is using all your energy to understand and obey his word. Just as your digestive system processes the food you eat so it can be of use to your body, so also meditation digests all things concerning God and makes them a power which can renew your heart. (1)
Meditation centers on the relationship we have with God that comes through Jesus Christ. It seeks to improve this relationship by allowing God to use his word to renew our minds and our hearts through knowledge of his will. The word of God plays a central role in meditation because it is the place where our knowledge of God originates. We must therefore determine to know the word of God so that we have the material we need for meditation available to us. This involves diligent study and memorization of the scriptures. This will make sure that everything in the scriptures will be at your fingertips when you want it. Memorized scripture plays an important role in the art of meditation. I have written two articles on the subject of memorizing scripture:

Why Memorize Scripture

How to Memorize Scripture Meditation can be done at all times of the day. It requires a bit of planning and extra effort to keep focused becuase it is work. It is also foreign to the natural state of your heart. It is something you choose to do. Meditation can be done both on planned, pre-arranged times and informally, whenever your mind is free.

• During your morning quiet time
• While you do household chores or waiting for something
• While you drive to work
• While you are waiting to sleep
• When you wake in the middle of the night

Not all types of meditation are Christian
Some types of 'meditation' are not helpful to the Christian. Do not confuse these thinks with true Christian meditation. The religions of the East fall into this category. Even some forms of meditation taught by some Christian groups are not really helpful. One teaching on meditation tells you to clear your mind, sit comfortably and repeat a phrase 'Ma-ra-na-th' over and over again until you feel at peace. I don't get the point of it. There is no benefit to it because it neither promotes the repentance and fellowship with the Spirit that God enjoys.


May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Ps 19:14)