Try Meditating
23 September 2007
What is Christian meditation?
Christian meditation is a deep form of prayer focusing on God’s Word. It helps to direct our minds away from ourselves and towards God and so is a wonderful pathway to intimacy with God. Many people, like me, have not only found it to be a great stress-buster but very healing too.
Is it Biblical?
Very much so. God commanded Joshua to meditate on his Word, he said Do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night. (Joshua 1:8). The Old Testament refers to meditation some 58 times – the Psalms telling us to meditate on:
- God’s Word (Psalm 119:97)
- His Law and Commandments (Psalm 119:97)
- God’s Creation (Psalm 8:3)
- God’s Miracles and Mighty deeds (Psalm 77:12)
- God’s Unfailing love (Psalm 48:9)
- God’s Promises (Psalm 119:148)
How do you meditate?
Don’t worry – you don’t have to sit cross legged of stare at a candle for half an hour! You can meditate any time anywhere. And if you can worry you can meditate! When you worry, you allow negative thoughts to roll over in your mind – but when you meditate the positive life changing power of God’s Word floods your mind.
An important place to start is to focus on your breathing.
Try this simple breathing exercise:
Inhale 1, 2…
Hold 1, 2
Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4…
(Repeat several times)
Now inhale 1, 2, 3…
Hold 1, 2, 3
Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…
(Repeat several times)
One word meditation
Repeat the breathing exercise above, but this time when you breathe out say a calming word to yourself like ‘peace’, ‘relax’ or ‘be still’. Now try to visualise this word moving across the screensaver of your mind.
One line Meditation
Now using breathing pattern above, try saying these words of Scripture to yourself as you breathe:
Be still (breathe in for 2 counts),
and know (hold you breath for 2 counts),
that I am God (breathing out for 4 counts).
(Repeat several times.)
The Jesus Prayer
This is a quick adaptation of a famous ancient prayer. As you breathe in slowly say to yourself ‘Je’ , and as you breathe out slowly say to yourself ‘sus’. Repeat many times.
——
All this material is taken from my book Into God’s Presence (Zondervan 2005) which is available through my website. Some of this material like the breathing exercises, one line meditations and Jesus Prayer are also on my new meditation and worship CD Immerse (Kingsway 2007).
