Christian Meditation By Rhonda Jones
What is Christian Meditation?
In the simplest terms, Christian Meditation is “Being with God.” It is dwelling in his presence and meditating on his glory, his character, and his Word. It is abiding with Christ for the mere pleasure of being with him.
That sounds simple enough, right? But many things get in the way of us just being with God. With our busy and hurried schedules, it is often difficult to put aside time to give God any uninterrupted time in our day. When asked, many believers would say that an intimate relationship with Christ is first and foremost, yet how many of those same Christians spend time getting more acquainted with God in a personal way?
Fellowship with the saints, attending church, and serving the Lord are all necessary, but none of these can take precedent over worshiping our Savior in Spirit and in Truth. The Bible says that these are the types of worshipers that He seeks.
Although Christian meditation is a great tool for restoring peace of mind, promoting inner healing, and eliminating stress, it can also strengthen our relationship with God as we present our bodies as living sacrifices and surrender our will for his plans.
In one of my favorite books, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis, in Chapter 8 under The Voice of Christ it reads:
As I offered Myself willing to God the Father for your sins with hands outstretched and body naked on the cross, so that nothing remained in Me that had not become a complete sacrifice to appease the divine wrath, so ought you to be willing to offer yourself to Me day by day in…as a pure and holy oblation, together with all your faculties and affections, with as much inward devotion as you can.
What more do I ask than that you give yourself entirely to Me? I care not for anything else you may give Me, for I seek not your gift but you. Just as it would not be enough for you to have everything if you did not have Me, so whatever you give cannot please Me if you do not give yourself. Hence, if you desire to attain grace and freedom of heart, let the free offering of yourself into the hands of God precede your every action. This is why so few are inwardly free and enlightened – they know not how to renounce themselves entirely…If therefore, you wish to be my disciple, offer yourself to Me with all your heart.
Through Christian Meditation, we become One with Christ, just at Jesus said, “I and my Father are One.”
Many Christians have a head relationship with Father God, but He’s yet to really get in their heart. Even the Most High said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 15:8). Our walk with Jesus should be a mind, body, and soul experience. Just as Daniel knelt 3 times per day and prayed to the Father putting his whole self into worshiping Father God, we too must become living sacrifices to the Messiah, bringing our whole being unto Him, as empty vessels that He can abide in and use. Jesus said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23) God living in us is only possible if we surrender to Him and create time and space for him to occupy us and our lives.
Through the art of Christian Meditation, we surrender our whole being unto God by entering into his presence and bringing our mind and body under subjection to Christ. Through quieting the mind, meditating on God’s Word, and abiding in His Presence, we consecrate ourselves unto God and away from the world - it’s distractions, attachments, and affections. Each time we enter God’s Secret Place, we allow his transforming presence to change us inwardly where we discover the deeper things of God, a world within a world, that many never dig deep enough to find.
Jeremiah 29:13 declares, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Are you seeking God with all your heart? If not, would you like to? The first step is to sit at His feet and learn of Him.
In today’s fast-paced, increasingly secular society, it’s harder than ever to be Christ-like—not just to attend church and read His Word, but to truly live surrendered to our Lord. We cannot truly grow spiritually or fulfill the great commission if our minds are constantly filled with distractions and mindless chatter. Because of this, it has become easier and easier for Satan to weaken our lines of communication with God.
Our souls always long for God, but as the world grows louder, our faith and our need for our Savior are drowned out by all the noise. We are tired, we are busy, we are distracted, and so many of us desperately need help to relearn how to receive and abide His Presence. But, as with so many things, the answer lies within our innate connection to Him. And the key to that door is dwelling in God’s presence or Christian meditation.
“On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.” – Psalms 145:5
Is Christian Meditation Even Christian?
Maybe you are wary of meditation. Many Christians today view meditation as a new-age or pagan phenomenon, closely related to witchcraft, secularism, and anti-Christian, but these beliefs are false. Meditation, like the written word, is a tool that can be used by any person for any purpose, and one of its most divine purposes is to strengthen and clarify your relationship with the Lord. The Bible even uses the word “meditate” many times, each time encouraging us to pray and reflect upon the glory of the Lord.
“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.”- Joshua 1:8.
When Christians run from the idea of meditation in fear that it will leave them vulnerable to Satan or to other evil spirits, they forget what meditation really is in the simplest terms. To meditate is to devote the entirety of your being to one thought, feeling, or idea. Any time you find yourself focusing wholly on one thought (whether you’re trying to solve a problem or simply ruminating on how angry you are with another person), you are, in fact, practicing a form of meditation!
Since we meditate every day, whether we intend to or not, it follows that Christian meditation would be a natural, accessible way for us to achieve our spiritual and emotional goals. What opens you up to evil is unbridled meditation—that is, a sense of focus and obsession that operates outside of your control. When you fail to direct your whole being to hearing and receiving from the Lord, it becomes easy to obsess over the darker, harmful emotional impulses that the world around us can so easily encourage.
The scripture says that God is a Spirit and He will be looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and truth. It’s important that we know both the person of Jesus as well as walk in this divine nature and principles.
Christian meditation helps us to access Father God on those deeper levels. In his presence peace, joy, power, and healing abide. We are told to enter God’s secret place and rest with Him. We can attain this by meditating on God and his Word and dwelling with Him regularly.
There are numerous scriptures and references to Christian meditation in the Bible.
A few more to consider are:
Psalms chapter 4:4 that persuades us, “When you are in your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”
David desired in Psalms 104:34, that his “meditations be pleasing to the Lord.”
Isaiah declared in Chapter 50:4, “He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”
Moses spent 40 days on the mountain abiding and learning from God (Exodus 34-35).
Paul received revelation and saw visions from heaven (2 Corinthians 12).
John wrote visions that are recorded in the book of Revelations.
I believe that it was during times of Biblical meditation that the disciples and prophets received many of their visions and revelations from God. The Bible says even Jesus spent hours alone with God daily (Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35).
Our greatest inspirations and truths come during times of quietness, stillness, openness, and reflection - all components and benefits of Christian meditation.
Why Christians Should Meditate?
I can honestly say that Christian meditation has had the greatest impact on the quality of my life. In fact, Christian meditation helped me overcome 4-years of a deep depression, restored my peace of mind, created more joy, and helped me to find my true calling and purpose. Just being still before the Lord in the practice of Christian mediation has numerous benefits. So many I can’t name all here.
Seven Reasons to Meditate:
Reduce Stress - Studies show that 95% of all diseases are worsened by stress. Stress has become the underlying precursor of most illnesses. Meditation is one of the best methods to reduce or alleviate stress in your mind and body. Many doctors are now encouraging their patients to incorporate meditation in their lives.
Control Negative Thinking – What is the greatest battle of every believer? It is the battle of the mind. Jesus emphasizes throughout the scripture that we must RENEW our minds. Because we are born into a world of sin and iniquity, from birth, we are being programmed with negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, and false programs all to make us live in fear, give up our divine nature, and disconnect us from God and his promises. Therefore, if you are not in control of your thoughts, then they are in control of you.
Many believers suffer from negative thoughts and compulsive thinking. They can’t turn off the faucet of thoughts parading around in their heads. Their mind goes on and on like a broken record. It interferes with their sleep. It causes them to live in a state of worry, anger, need, and other toxic emotions. It robs them of God’s peace. Practicing regular meditation teaches believers to quiet their minds, disidentify with their thoughts, and clear their mental path to God. For further study read the following scriptures: Romans 1:28, Ephesians 4:23, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Romans 12:2, and Romans 7:21-23.
Maintain Peace of Mind - Have you ever turned your cares over to God only to take them back several hours or days later? You didn’t want them back. You made an honest effort to let them go, but before long they crept back in again stealing your peace. This was a vicious cycle for me. It was only through Christ-centered meditation that I got my mind back. Before that, I was a slave to worry, fear, and depression.
Create the Life you Want - Are you living the life of your dreams? Most people would say “no way.” But I’m here to tell you that “Yes, you are!” Why, because “as a man thinks in his heart so is he.” Your current thoughts and meditations (what you focus on) have created the very life you are living at this present moment. If this isn’t the dream you had in mind, meditation will help you to recognize those thoughts that are keeping you stuck. Once you know what you’re constantly thinking about, you can challenge, alter, and eliminate debilitating or destructive thinking and put your attention on creating the life you really want.
More Intimacy with God – Does God seem like a distant force in the universe? You have a personal relationship with Christ, but maybe you’re feeling a little disconnected from Him lately. That joy you felt when you were first saved is but a flickering light. Psalms 46:10 tells us to “Be still and…know God.” The scripture also says, “In God’s presence is fullness of joy.” If you want to experience a deeper relationship with God, meditation can help you to enter God’s presence and abide in his love.
Greater Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit – Has the voice of God become dull in your life? Throughout scripture when God had something to say to an individual, he spoke in a still, small voice. If your mind is filled with mental chatter, God’s word is going to be drowned out most of the time. Getting still before the Lord in meditation will help you to quiet your thoughts and create a greater sensitivity to God’s voice.
Overcome Habits and Destructive Behaviors – Trying to overcome habits and other addictive behaviors? Most people are always gravitating to something to make them feel better. I call it self-medication. We have a problem being still with our own thoughts. We’re afraid of where they might lead us, especially if we’ve buried years of hurt and pain. Regular meditation can help you to break the cycle of looking outside of God’s spirit in you for happiness. It can help you to release the restlessness that causes you to seek fulfillment in all the wrong places: food, drinks, church (yes even church), relationships, recreation, power, things, money, and more.