Tips on Meditation
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
Meditation can be difficult in the beginning because our minds can easily be filled with the day’s activities, tasks we have to do tomorrow, or we are busy with family, kids, cooking, cleaning, and we can carry our jobs home with us. There are numerous things the world can fill our mind with and we are to sit down in quiet place and clear our mind of it all? This can be difficult in the beginning, but over time and with prayer, we can find what works best to calm our mind and meditate on God and his love. Below are five tips that can help in clearing our mind and meditating.
- Focus – I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. (Psalm 119:15) Schedule a time and a quiet place to meditate each day. Meditating in the late evening is a good way to unwind from the day’s activities and escape into divine peace and relaxation. Think about life in the big picture, from your childhood to eternity, meditating on your past and how God has intervened in your life. When you focus drifts from the world, select a short scripture and read it. Pray for the Lord’s help in meditating and focusing your eyes on him and the scripture, as you become more relaxed.
- Understand – Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. (Psalm 119:27) Select a scripture and seek to understand. Pray for understanding and picture in your mind the location and people in the scripture. Pray for deep understanding of the heart of Jesus and the attitude of the people. Dig deep into the minds and hearts of all in people in the scripture.
- Remember This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. (Joshua 1:8) Pick a key verse that grabs your attention and repeat the verse over a few times for deeper meaning. The scripture may bring to mind the blessings of God as he draws you closer to him and deeper into the scripture. The scripture can resonate in your heart and become part of you.
- Worship – …but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2) Start by praising God and giving thanks. Recognize his perfect love and thank him for salvation and the many blessings of the day. Praising and thanking the Lord will help to focus and reveal his love. Practice this throughout the day because it can bring peace and keep us connected to the Lord.
- Apply – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We meditate on scripture with the aim of teaching it to others and the Lord opens the scripture for deep understanding. I have personally found that when meditating on scripture and praying for what I can teach from the scripture, the Lord opens the scripture like never before.
Today: Take time and practice meditating on scripture. Try to following the five steps and modify the steps to what works for you, guiding you into the spiritual. Meditation should help you relax, by escaping the world and being filled with peace and comfort.
Prayer: Lord, help me to focus on you throughout the day because it will help me to meditate. Open your Word to me for deep understanding so I can bring your truth to others. Help me meditate and to drawn closer to you. In Jesus name, Amen