Christian Meditation
Christian meditation involves spending time considering and reflecting upon God’s Word, leading to a deeper relationship with Jesus and his Spirit.
Meditation is an important component of spiritual development, helping one take biblical and spiritual truth to heart and implement it into everyday life. Many spiritual practices and Christian counseling techniques incorporate some form of meditation into their practices or methods.
Meditation in the Bible
Christian meditation is an effective way to draw closer to God. The Bible contains numerous passages encouraging Christians to meditate on Scripture. Biblical meditation involves repeating God’s words over and over in your mind and pondering its significance for life – unlike eastern-style mantra repetition, which does not engage all aspects of one’s being simultaneously.
Meditation requires time and dedication, yet the rewards can be tremendous. By reflecting upon what God has done for you and applying His Word to daily life, meditating can give a deeper understanding of what He’s done for you – as well as help combat negative thinking patterns that could cause anxiety or depression.
When using this form of meditation, setting an exact length of time can help. For instance, if you’re just starting out in this practice, one minute would suffice as your initial meditation session and slowly increase over time. A guided Bible meditation could also assist with this step of your practice.
Another popular approach to Bible meditation is selecting one verse at a time and dwelling on it for your meditation period. For example, if you’re struggling financially you could consider praying that God provides for your needs; or consider more general topics such as creation’s beauty or God’s character as your meditation topic. During your session try and think of different aspects of the verse that speak to you or how they apply to your situation.
Write down what struck you during meditation or make a list of key points, to help remind yourself what insights led you closer to God. With these notes handy, you can refer back to them throughout the day and refocus your focus back onto him.
Guided Meditation
Christian meditation offers believers an engaging way to dive deep into Scripture using thought-provoking questions and prayerful reflection. Additionally, this form of prayer allows Christians to avoid sinful tendencies by encouraging healthy habits instead. Christian meditation can renew one’s mind while strengthening one’s relationship with Christ – leading to deeper insight into Scripture as well as improved physical, mental, emotional health benefits and even spiritual healing.
Christian guided meditations often begin with a short relaxation exercise to prepare both body and mind for Bible study, typically featuring deep breathing exercises that engage the diaphragm to unwind every part of your body from head to toe. After this brief warm up exercise is complete, meditation may begin with reading Scripture passages followed by some reflective questions for further thought or consideration. Some guided meditations even feature music or soothing sounds to increase overall wellbeing.
Christian guided meditations offer more than relaxation, however. Participants often learn how to recognize the Spirit of God everywhere around them – an invaluable skill since it’s easy to miss His presence in everyday life and conversations. Furthermore, guided meditations may teach participants active listening techniques so that they may hear what He’s telling them in everyday situations and conversations.
As Christians, we are called upon to love others and serve the Lord. Christians who incorporate Christian meditation into their lives discover it deepens their relationship with the Lord while encouraging loving actions outward toward others. Additionally, meditation teaches how to cope with suffering, disappointments and difficulties with patience, kindness, faith, goodness, gentleness and self-control.
Before embarking on any form of meditation, it is imperative that Christians thoroughly research each technique. Otherwise, they could fall prey to practices which do not adhere to biblical teachings or lead to demonic influence. When trying new meditation techniques it may be useful to review the chart “Main Differences Between Eastern Meditation & Christian Meditaiton.”
Lectio Divina
LECTIO DIVINA (or Lectio Divina) is an ancient method for reading Scripture to draw closer to God. The practice consists of four steps: Lectio (reading), Meditatio (meditation), Oratio (prayer) and Contemplatio (rest). First developed by St. Benedict during his monastic life in sixth-century Europe and formalized later by Guigo II of Carthusian monks during 12th-century Spain.
Step one of lectio divina involves reading Scripture slowly and thoughtfully, allowing each word or phrase to sink in and settle into your consciousness. Select an excerpt from either your church lectionary, devotional book or personal Bible and read out loud if preferred; take note of any particular words or phrases that resonate with you.
By reflecting deeply and contemplatively upon what you’ve read, meditation allows for in-depth consideration and contemplation. Consider how the passage relates to your personal experiences and seek its deeper meanings. Treat each word like food being digested inside your mouth and allow the Spirit to reveal new concepts or feelings that help to comprehend and integrate this passage into your spiritual life.
Once you are ready, begin speaking directly to God about what the reading has revealed to you. This is known as lectio divina or “prayer of meditation.” Re-read through the text again and focus on any specific word or phrase that stands out to you; consider its connection with your situation or lifestyle and what meaning this has for your everyday life.
After spending time contemplating your text, take some time to just be in God’s presence for a few minutes before returning to your readings. This final stage of lectio divina can sometimes be the hardest, yet most rewarding step. Be still and open yourself to His love – you may experience feelings of inner peace or awareness of tension or sorrow as part of God’s healing work on your soul; just let it all pass by naturally before returning for more readings after some restful minutes have passed.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a practice of being aware of one’s thoughts and emotions in order to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. Studies have also revealed its ability to improve focus, concentration and mood. Christian mindfulness aims at redirecting one’s thoughts back to God when their attention has wandered; unlike secular mindfulness which often uses breath or body awareness techniques as guides; in Christian mindfulness verses are used instead as the source for focus.
Many Christians incorporate mindfulness practices into their prayer time or throughout the day, for instance if experiencing anxiety or depression it can help to meditate on a Bible verse that encourages trusting in God. Others might use a quiet time for themselves just focusing on breathing or body scanning to stay grounded in reality.
While mindfulness may provide many health advantages, some Christian scholars warn against its practice because it can foster an unhealthy degree of self-focus and an “all is one” worldview that leaves one vulnerable to demonic influence. Additionally, mindfulness may create feelings of emptiness or leave your mind open for demonic invasion.
Christian meditation can help you develop skills to remain calm during times of chaos and turmoil, to let go of worries for the future or regrets from your past, and live more fully in each present moment while being grateful for what you have. By becoming more conscious of God’s presence in life, you may also recognize His guidance more readily as life unfolds for you.
Christian meditation can do more than help you cope with life’s daily challenges – it can deepen your faith and deepen your relationship with Christ, too. Additionally, Christian meditation cultivates an attitude of gratitude and contentment so you’re better able to appreciate and give back what life offers you.
Finding a meditation method that resonates with you and fits seamlessly into your schedule is paramount to successful meditation practice. Once you find one that suits you best, experiment with various methods until finding one that sticks – then stick with it at least for several weeks so as to reap its full benefits.
