Meditating on scripture is something that is changing my life. This discipline/practice doesn’t come naturally to me but it is something that is having a noticeable impact on my attitudes and actions. I’m certainly not an expert but I have learned some things that have helped me.
What does it mean to meditate on scripture?
Usually when we think of “meditation” we think of someone sitting on the floor with their legs crossed, hands held in an upside-down OK sign, eyes closed, and humming. In most eastern religions, meditation is an emptying of your mind.
Meditating on scripture is not an emptying but a filling. Filling our every thought with God’s Word. Meditating on scripture is to take a small passage and allow it to dominate your thoughts throughout the day. To continually think upon it and keep it before you. I believe it’s part of the process of being “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Here’s What You’ll Need
- 10 minutes
- A quiet place
- A Bible
I start out by asking God to use His Word to transform my thoughts and actions. I then read a small portion of scripture. After that I usually pick out a phrase or a few words from the passage to dwell on and think about for the day.
Here is a recent example:
Hebrews 11:8 (NIV)
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
I focused on “obeyed and went, even though.” For several weeks I have been meditating on this phrase. Asking myself questions about the level of my obedience. What keeps me from obeying? What are my “even thoughs?”
It may help to write it down on an index card to keep it in front of you or read it over and over again. Anytime I have a spare moment, I read the verse or phrase again to keep it always in my thoughts and allow it to “stew.”
This is something that has worked for me and I hope that maybe it will be helpful to you.