Biblical Meditation
By Tonya King
I’ve been studying a great deal about meditation the past few months.
I, like many, have steered away from meditation for fear it is some Middle Eastern Religious practice that will lead me far away from God. Indeed, it is practiced by Middle Easterners, but their form of meditation is far from the Biblical practice of meditation.
The term “meditate” or “meditation” is used 18 times in the Old Testament and 2 times in the New Testament, so clearly it is a practice that has been used by practicing believers. But it is important to differentiate between the meditation most people speak of which has its roots in Hinduism and what the Bible means.
The popular form of meditation today is practiced in various forms of yoga, mantras, emptying of the mind and is self-centered. Its goal is to better oneself and become united with a higher reality.
This practice focuses on emptying the mind and focusing on a single mantra and controlling breathing. Once your mind is empty, only then can you begin to attain your higher reality. To me, this is very dangerous. Once you empty your mind of the things of God, you are vulnerable.
Biblical meditation is God-centered. It deems us to look outward towards others and upwards toward God.
We are to focus on His word and His attributes… who is God? When we meditate on God’s word, we ponder it in our hearts.
This was said of Mary as the wise man came to see the new baby King that they spoke many things about Him and Mary pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19).
To ponder means to “weigh in the mind; to consider and compare”. This is how we are to approach Scripture.
To meditate Biblically also means to “murmur” or “speak” the passage of the Bible we are meditating on. This directly lends itself to Scripture memorization. When we are filling our minds with Scripture and the attributes of God, there is no room for the enemy to occupy our minds because they are not empty.
I firmly believe that mediation on and memorization of Scripture are very important aspects of treatment for mental illnesses.
When our minds are filled with the things of God, we are less apt to focus all our energies on ourselves. We can get outside our own thoughts and focus on the truths of God which are far better than anything we can think on ourselves.
I have found that Biblical meditation has began to ease the anxiety and the harmful thoughts I tend to think about myself. I can see me as God sees me based on the truths in His word.
Meditation has been freeing for me as I put more of my energy into memorization of God’s word and less into how I feel at the moment, whether good or bad. If you get the opportunity, try to meditate on the Word of God.
It changed your life for the better.
Tonya King is a Writer, Speaker and Mental Health Coach. She is the founder of Faithful in the Midst ministries which is a ministry devoted to the healing and wholeness of mental illnesses through faith in Jesus Christ.
In 2003, Tonya was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and has been advocating to include faith in Christ as part of treatment and wellness plans. She has been walking with the Lord most of her life but has drawn very close since her diagnosis and truly lives her faith.
Tonya lives in Perry, Ohio, USA with her husband of 31 years, Kevin. She has four children, two girls and two boys. She is available for speaking and coaching engagements.
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