A Beginner’s Guide to Biblical Meditation

Meditation is one of the most fulfilling spiritual disciplines in a Christian’s life. Yet, it is also one of the most neglected. It is partly because of its association with pagan and new age practices like yoga, emptying of the mind, relaxation therapy, identifying with the universe, transcendental meditation, etc. I have always thought that meditation consisted of sitting cross-legged on the floor, being still, clearing your mind, and chanting “hum” repeatedly.

But biblical meditation is entirely different, and Christians ought not to fear practicing it.

What is Biblical Meditation?

Biblical meditation is filling one’s mind with God’s Word and mulling over it. It is slowly chewing the bread of life and taking time to savor its rich taste. There are two key Hebrew words for meditation in the Bible: hagah and siyach.

Hagah means to moan, growl, utter, speak, devise, or muse. It describes the act of plotting or devising things deep in the heart or murmuring in the heart. It appears in Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2; 19:14; 49:3; 63:6; 77:12; 143:5 and Isaiah 33:18.

The Bible also uses hagah to describe a lion growling over its prey. For instance, Isaiah 31:4 says, “As a lion or a young lion growl [hagah] over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him he is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise.” So meditation is akin to a lion feasting on his prey and growling in satisfaction and delight.

Siyach means complaint, contemplation, or musing. It is the quiet or verbal pondering of the heart and mind and conversing with oneself. It is used in Psalm 77:6; 103:34; 119:15, 23, 27, 48, 97, 99, 148; 145:5 and Job 15:4.

So, overall, biblical meditation is rehearsing God’s truths in mind, musing on it profoundly, and taking utmost delight in it. It involves actively recalling God’s Word to mind, dwelling on it, pondering it, and having one’s heart and affections stirred by it.

Thomas Watson defined meditation as “a holy exercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths of God to remembrance and do seriously ponder upon them and apply them to ourselves. It is the soul’s retiring of itself, that by serious and solemn thinking upon God, the heart is raised up to heavenly affections.”

Meditation vs. reading and studying the Bible

Meditation differs significantly from reading and studying the Scriptures. Reading and studying are works of the head, but meditation is a work of the heart. Scripture is like a beautiful field with many hidden treasures.

Reading or hearing God’s Word is like walking over the area and getting familiar with the terrain. Studying Scripture is like digging in the field to unearth the treasure hidden beneath. And meditation is taking the gems, weighing them, admiring them, and delighting in their beauty. It is observing their multifaceted attributes and devising ways to turn these gems into graceful ornaments for our heads and pendants for our necks.

Why should Christians meditate?

Christians must devote themselves to meditating on the Holy Scriptures for at least four crucial reasons.

God commands us to meditate

Meditation is not an optional spiritual discipline reserved for the elites, but an essential discipline required of all Christians. Scripture tells us to meditate on Scripture day and night (Josh 1:8), think about things that are true (Phil 4:8), set our minds on things that are above (Col 3:2), and let God’s Word dwell richly in us (Col 3:16. To meditate is both a precept and privilege, a command and commendation, duty and delight. 

Meditation helps us know and apply God’s Word

Meditation is how we gain a deeper and richer understanding of Scripture. It is how we immerse ourselves in God’s Word and get our inner being soaked with its life-giving truths. Without meditation, our knowledge of Scripture will remain shallow and superficial. Meditation is also necessary to apply God’s Word in our lives; it is the bridge between hearing and doing the Word. When God commanded the Israelites to meditate day and night, He said, it was “so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it” (Josh 1:8).

Christ and all the saints meditated

We must meditate because Christ, our Lord, devoted himself to meditation. He frequently retired Himself to lonely places to pray and meditate, and as His disciples, we ought to walk the same way He walked (1 Jn 2:6). Many of the Lord’s most faithful and godly servants practiced meditation in biblical times (Isaac, David, Mary, Paul, etc.) and throughout church history (church fathers, the reformers, the puritans, etc.). We ought also to imitate those who walk according to the example that we have in Christ (Phil 3:17).

Meditation makes us pray effectively

Meditation is the middleman between Bible reading and prayer. It is how we take God’s Word and transform them into prayers fit for the Lord. Thomas Watson says, “Meditation has double benefit in it—it pours in and pours out. First, it pours good thoughts into the mind, and then it pours out those good thoughts again into prayer. Meditation first furnishes with matter to pray, and then it furnishes with a heart to pray.”

Meditation also helps us fix our thoughts on God and prepare us to encounter Him with awe and reverence. Without weighty introspection of the Scriptures, our prayers will weaken and wither. Thomas Watson also says, “Meditation is like oil to the lamp. The lamp of prayer will soon go out unless meditation feeds it.”

Benefits of meditation

Meditating on the Holy Scriptures is a duty that provides several fantastic spiritual benefits. Here are just seven of them.

Meditation promotes holiness

Meditation drives God’s Word deep in our hearts as a hammer drives a nail into wood. And a heart saturated with God’s divine truths is more fit to resist sin and temptation. That is why David cried out, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). Meditation also leads to turning away from sin to obeying God. Psalm 119:59-60 says, “When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies; I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.”

Meditation removes vain and sinful thoughts

The mind is not a sanctuary for sin to roam free and unchallenged, but a battlefield where we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And meditating on God’s holy truths is how we guard our minds against sin. It fixes our thoughts on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8). It prevents us from dwelling on vain things.

Meditation stirs our affections for God

Meditation is the tinder that kindles the flame of our love for God (Ps 145:5). Without it, we only have a head knowledge of Christ. Serious pondering on Scripture leads to a more profound understanding of Christ. It makes us gaze so intently at His beauty and loveliness that our hearts can help but melt in affection and adoration of His marvelous person.

David wrote, “My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue” (Ps 39:3). And Thomas Bates says, “The rays of sun may warm us, but they do not inflame unless they are contracted in a burning glass; so some slight thoughts of heavenly things may warm us a little, but will never inflame the soul, till they be fixed by meditation by close meditation (Ps 112:7).”

Meditation makes us grow spiritually

If Scripture is our spiritual food, meditation is how we digest it and boost our spiritual growth. It is how we grow into healthy trees and bear good fruits to the glory of God. Psalm 1:2-3 says that he who meditates is like, “a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Meditation makes us prosperous

Meditation brings us success and prosperity. God promised that if we meditate on His Word day and night, “then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). This, of course, doesn’t mean that if we meditate, we will be healthy and wealthy. God’s view of success and prosperity differs from man’s view.

Meditation makes us wise

Meditating on Scripture makes us wise and discerning. Psalm 119:98-100 says, “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.”

Meditation gives us joy

Meditation brings pleasure and delight to the soul. Psalm 119:97 says, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:15-16 says, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” And Psalm 104:33-34, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.”

The practice of biblical meditation

Scripture doesn’t give specific instructions on how to meditate. Much like prayer, we have freedom regarding length, posture, location, time of the day, etc. What matters most is the subject of our meditation, which is Christ. Nevertheless, here are a few guidelines to help you get started.

When to meditate

There is no prescribed time to meditate, and the best time is whenever works best for you. You can do it in the morning, afternoon, or evening depending on your preference and availability. I prefer to do my meditation first thing in the morning before other distractions and tasks come my way. 

Where to meditate

The best place to meditate is anywhere you can be alone with God and free from distractions. Jesus said to go “into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret” (Matt 6:6). And Jesus frequently retired Himself to isolated places to pray. This should also be our pattern for meditation. Besides your prescribed deliberate meditation, you can (and should) meditate throughout the day. For instance, while folding laundry, waiting in line, in traffic, or during a commute, etc. Scripture memorization is immensely helpful for these occasional meditations.

What to meditate

The subject matter of Christian meditation is Scripture. Within the Bible, you can choose many topics like God’s attributes, the loveliness of Christ, the ugliness of sin, eternity, your spiritual condition, etc. Choose a topic or Scripture that is easy and appropriate for your current situation. For instance, if you are unemployed, meditate on God’s provision; if you struggle with guilt, meditate on God’s forgiveness and grace, etc. As a default option, you can simply meditate on a text from your daily Bible reading.

For example, I read through one book of the Bible 30 days in a row. every month. And every morning after my daily reading, I select a verse or two from the book and meditate on it. It also helps ensure I don’t meditate on Scripture out of context and don’t have to waste time choosing my text.

How to meditate

Start small

Meditation requires deep pondering on God’s Word. Hence, it is more profitable to focus on one or two verses and go deep rather than a large text and get distracted or frustrated. For instance, if you meditate on Psalm 23, you can start with, “the Lord is my shepherd” rather than the whole psalm.

Examine the text

Once you have selected a text to meditate, examine, and understand it. Look at the text from every angle and glean as much meaning as possible. My favorite technique is repeating a text multiple times and emphasizing a different word each time. For instance, meditating on “The Lord is my Shepherd” would look like this.

The Lord is my shepherd—there is only one God, and He is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd—Lord is Yahweh, the great I AM, the Ancient of Days, the almighty creator is the one who shepherds me. The Lord is my shepherd—present tense; the Lord is my shepherd now and forever. The Lord is my shepherd—it is a personal relationship; He is mine, and I am His. The Lord is my shepherd—a shepherd is a protector, guardian, provider; He cares for sheep and lays down His life for them.

Every repetition provides a new angle to examine the verse and new truths to warm the soul. You can also paraphrase the verse, write it down, etc.

Ponder

Having examined the text and extracted some of its truths, ponder on them. Take your time and chew on it until your heart is full (or you are out of time). Look unto Christ and examine yourself in light of Scripture and determine how you can become more like Christ. When I meditate, I ask five questions from Tim Keller’s excellent book Prayer.

• What does the text teach me about God and Christ for which I can praise or thank Him?
• What sin should I confess or repent of considering the text?
• What need does this text reveal?
• How is Christ or the grace that I have in Him crucial to overcoming my confessed sin or answering my need?
• How can I apply this text? How will it change my life?

Pray

Last and certainly least, pray. Pray before you meditate, pray as you meditate, and pray after you meditate. Your meditation should always result in praise, repentance, resolution of the heart, and personal application. You can then turn these into adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication while you pray.

For instance, after meditating on “The Lord is my Shepherd,” I can praise God for caring and providing for me and always being there when I need Him. I can confess I have doubted in His goodness and got consumed with fear and anxiety instead of trusting Him. I can thank Him for remaining faithful even though I was faithless. And finally, I can ask Him to help me overcome my fear, increase my faith, and learn to cast my worries unto Him.

Meditation is the palate of the soul whereby we taste the goodness of God; it is the eye of the soul whereby we view the beauties of holiness. It is the key to the wine cellar, to the banqueting house, to the garden of spices that lets us in unto Him whom our soul loves.

Thomas Watson

Conclusion

In our always-busy culture full of distractions and never-ending to-do lists, the noble art of meditation is dying a slow death. The average Christian barely finds time to squeeze 15 minutes of Bible reading, let alone take time to contemplate it. And it is one of the reasons why we have so many shallow and lukewarm Christians today. Meditating on God’s Word is essential, and we must make it a priority in our lives.

It will be hard (I still struggle to be consistent), and you will have to make some sacrifices, but it will be infinitely worth it. As Edmund Calamy said, “be not discouraged though you find difficulty at the beginning of practicing this duty, but accustom thyself to it; custom will make perfectness.”

Further resources

I am indebted to these three books for introducing and teaching me about biblical meditation. I highly recommend them!

• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life – Donald S. Whitney
• Meditation: A Christian on the Mount – Thomas Watson
• God’s Battle Plan for the Mind: The Puritan Practice of Biblical Meditation – David W. Saxton

  Grace and peace to you!