Dear one, you are worthy of love. That’s what God says. He decided that you are worth living with and worth dying for. He has seen your most shameful moments and has nothing but love for you.
Let God’s love in.
This is the practice of Biblical meditation. It is an ancient practice, rooted in the Bible. Closely related to Scripture memory and to prayer, Biblical meditation helps you chew on God’s word, savor it, and experience it in your heart.
How to practice Biblical meditation
- Pick a passage from the Bible. (Some of my favorites are Psalm 23, John 15, and, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 55:1-2, and Psalm 131.)
- Read the whole passage to yourself.
- From the larger passage, choose one line that speaks to you.
- Sit comfortably, with your back supported.
- Close your eyes and let your mind focus on the line, one word at a time.
- Ponder each word by asking questions:
- For example, Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd”
- “The” – What does “The” mean?
- “The Lord” – Who is “The Lord”? What does it mean to be “Lord”? “Lord” of what?
- “The Lord is” – What does “is” mean?
- “My” – Whose?
- “Shepherd” – What is a shepherd?
- For example, Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd”
- Apply the passage to your experience by imagining yourself in the passage
- “The Lord is my shepherd.” – Imagine yourself as a little lamb, being shepherded by God. Engage your senses, imagining how it would feel to have God pet you, feed you, hold you. Look at the Shepherd and see the love in His eyes for you.
- Let yourself stay in the passage until your heart feels satisfied.
- Ponder each word by asking questions:
Meditation is slow but very nourishing. No need to rush. Sometimes you may spend many days meditating on a single line, if there is still more your heart needs to experience from the words.
Troubleshooting
If you have difficulty quieting your mind as you try to focus on the passage, you’re in good company. Simply notice the other thoughts without judging them and return your focus to the Biblical words or image that you are meditating upon.
Biblical meditation, like any spiritual discipline, is a practice. Your mental ability to focus will grow stronger over time, as you continue to exercise that ability. If you’d like to learn more about Christian meditation, you can read about it in Richard Foster’s classic Celebration of Discipline.
Why Biblical meditation is so powerful
God gave us our imagination, our ability to visualize, as an incredible tool to help us grow and heal. Research has shown that imagining an activity changes the brain in similar ways as physically experiencing the activity. In addition, the act of deep focusing (popularly termed “mindfulness”) has also been shown by research to be effective in helping the mind and body to calm down.
By engaging both our imagination and our focus, the practice of Biblical meditation lets the power of God’s word fill and literally transform our minds, changing the very structure of our brains.
Psalm 1 describes the benefits of meditating on God’s word:
Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
May you live deeply and love deeply, friend.
Related posts
To learn more about God’s love, check out these other posts:
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