Stress Relief Through Scripture
Relief from stress is found by dwelling in a mental place where the daily pressures are released into God’s keeping. Choose simple passages at first. Short passages are easier to remember, but as one gains confidence in mental recitation, longer passages may be selected.
Here are five simple scriptures that may help you begin your meditations:
- John 14: 1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”
- Psalm 16: 8“I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
- 1 Peter 5: 6, 7“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
- Deuteronomy 33: 27“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
- Proverbs 3: 5, 6“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Definition Of Meditate In The Bible
The following words are translated in Hebrew and Greek into our English word for meditate:
- Hagah: muse, growl, moan, utter . Found in: Joshua 1:8, Job, 27:4, Jeremiah 48:31, as well as various times in Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah.
- Suach: muse . The Complete Word Study Bible further expands on the usage of this word to mean, a verb meaning to be bowed down to be downcast. It refers often to the despair of ones soul.” Found in: Genesis 24:63.
- Meletao: to care for, practice, study . Found in: Acts 4:25, 1 Timothy 4:15.
Other words are also translated meditate, but they are derivatives of the above words.
Why Should We Meditate
Because of what the Bible isRevelation from God. In the Bible God has spoken and through this book God reveals Himself, reveals who and what man is, and what His plan for man consists of.
The Bible was given to us by God to be read and meditated on. An unread Bible is like food that is refused, an unopened love letter, a buried sword, a road map not studied, a gold mine not worked.2
Because of what man is and needsReconciliation to God and one another. The nature of man and the nature of the world and Satan constitutes a great need for personalizing the Word: cf. Eph. 4:16f 5:15f 2 Cor. 4:4 etc. Because man is a holistic being, his spiritual, psychological, and physical faculties are complexly intertwined. Dr. Paul Meier writes:
To prepare myself as a Christian psychiatrist, I undertook college studies, an M.S. degree in human physiology, an M.D. from medical school, psychiatric residency training in two different programs, and theological course ware from two evangelical seminaries. During those years I was equipped with many techniques and shortcuts for bringing human beings relief from anxieties, depression, phobias, fears, insecurities, and other kinds of emotional and physical pain. Among the many tools I learned to use, by far the one that has been most valuable in helping people attain spiritual well-being is Scripture meditation.3
Psalm 119:78 May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie But I shall meditate on Thy precepts.
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The Difference Between Meditation And Reading
When we do our daily Bible reading, were acknowledging and strengthening our communion with God. In that regard, our daily reading and Scripture meditation are the same. Bible meditation also shares a similarity with Bible study like Bible study, its meant to take a lingering look into specific aspects and contexts of Scripture.
Where daily reading is our regular nourishment in Gods Word, and Bible study is meant to deepen our understanding of that nourishment, Bible meditation is learning to savor every morsel of Gods rich, vibrant, life-giving Scripture:
In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 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.
Think of Bible meditation like slowly enjoying a piece of chocolate, letting it melt in your mouth, paying close attention to every nuance of flavor and texture. Like a thoughtful experience with well-made food, meditation brings delight in Gods holy testimonies and character, and that delight inspires even more meditation on his Word.
While Bible study educates and convinces the mind, Bible meditation persuades and entices the heart. In the hardest times, I mull over what God has said, reminding myself of his justice and goodness this settles my soul and turns my eyes from my immediate troubles to his eternal grace.
We Meditate On Scripture To Get Gods Perspective
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9
Meditating on Scripture gives us a renewed perspective on our lives and circumstances. It helps us set our minds on the things of God. We remember that even in the challenges were facing right now, God has a higher plan we cannot see. We can trust Him.
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Christian Meditation Is Different
Christian meditation must be distinguished from the sort that we find in eastern religions or new age fads. Here are seven differences between Christian and eastern meditations:
Practice Breathing And Relaxing
It is always a good idea to relax when meditating. Often times youll find both Christian and Non-Christian meditations lead you through some form of relaxation and breathing exercises. These are techniques that actually allow your body to be more at ease and your mind to be more settled.
When you are in a relaxed state of mind, it is much easier and much more effective to meditate, allowing your own thoughts and body to move aside to make way for what God has for you spiritually.
It also has many health benefits. Research shows that it can reduce anxiety, sharpen memory, treat symptoms of depression, promote more restful sleep, and even improve heart health .
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Testimonies Of God At Work
Greetings to you from India. Thank you so much for your Blessed messages and material. Each time I am strengthening and sharing with our Congregations and Gospel Teams, and in Bible Classes to our people in India. Please share more Teachings regularly. In Jesus Love, Evangelist Babu
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I love to write you as a Nepali Christian, Im involved in the church planting and training ministry. We have started a church in main town of Pokhara I am very happy getting your e-mail, and have much blessed by your Intimacy With God program. May God bless you and provide all resources to you. Many people will be blessed by your program. Yesterday I visited on the subject Gods calling for your life was very blessing and useful to me. I am teaching to new and old believers in the training, it is therefore very helpful for me.
Thank you for this website. It is a blessing to me. Now I have a Christian site I can get all the resources and information I need. GOD bless you all !!!!!
Just wanted to say thanks for this site. I typed in the search because this is what God has been doing in my life. Drawing me into intimacy and showing me how easily grieved He is. You will be more blessed than ever before.
The study was excellent ! I could understand it. It was done beautifully and simply God has changed our lives through this study. We are both working for a soft and humble heart.
We Meditate On Scripture To Align Our Hearts With Gods Purposes
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
Isaiah 55 reminds us Gods Word never fails to bear fruit and will always accomplish His plans. As we meditate on Scripture, were aligning our hearts with Gods purposes. As we take put Gods Word into practice, it bears fruit in our lives.
We remember our Lords purposes go far beyond our own plans for a comfortable life where we get everything we want easily and quickly.
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Meditation Begins With Thinking On Scripture
To meditate properly our souls must reflect upon what our minds have ingested, and our hearts must rejoice in what our souls have grasped. We have truly meditated when we slowly read, prayerfully absorb and humbly rely upon what God has revealed to us in his Word. All of this, of course, in conscious dependence on the internal, energizing work of the Spirit.
Why Is Meditating On Gods Word Important
But still, you might be wondering: Why meditate?
And the answer is, simply because meditating on Gods Word will help you understand it better, internalize its truths, and learn from it. Meditating on the Scriptures is way more than just readingits saturating yourself with Gods truth.
There are so many benefits of meditating on the Word of God! Have you ever read a Scripture passage, and then a day later, you pretty much forgot what you read? By meditating on that Scripture, youll not only increase comprehension of it, but also be better able to remember what you learned. Meditation also goes hand-in-hand with memorization. When you dwell on a particular Bible verse again and again, eventually youll commit it to memory.
When you learn how to meditate on Gods Word, you grow in your knowledge of Scripture, and in your relationship with Jesus. As 2 Peter 3:18 says, you are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Meditating is a great way to do that.
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Four Prayers For Meditation
How, then, does our meditating on Gods words relate to our words to him called prayer? In two ways. Through prayer we both ask for help before we hear from God in his word and we respond to God after steeping our souls in his word. First, we ask for help to hear, and then we delight to have his ear.
On the first kind of prayer, the Desiring God Affirmation of Faith confesses that prayer is the indispensable handmaid of meditation. By that, we mean that prayer serves meditation on Gods word. We, then, specify four specific requests that we make of God, via prayer, for meditation:
- for the inclination to turn from the world to his word
- for the spiritual ability to see his glory in his testimonies
- for a soul-satisfying sight of his love
- for strength in the inner man to do his will.
We will meditate on what we love, and also that on which we meditate, we will grow to love more.
If we are to gain any true and lasting benefit from lingering over Gods words, we depend on his help. Without him, our hearts gravitate toward the world, rather than his word. Without him, we cannot see true glory in his word. Without him, our souls will not be satisfied in him. Without him, we will not have strength to do his will. And so, we pray. Prayer before and during our meditating on Gods word is vital in asking God to give spiritual effect and power to our pondering.
Lectio Divina: Biblical Meditation
Lectio Divina literally means divine word or divine reading. It involves choosing a short passage from the scripture, memorizing it, and then repeating it silently for some minutes. During practice, all ideas, thoughts and images related to the passage are allowed to arise spontaneously in the mind .
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Developing The Discipline: Step 3
It also helps to apply your imagination and senses to the truth of the text. Envision yourself personally engaged in the relationship or encounter or experience of which the text speaks. Hear the words as they are spoken. Feel the touch of Jesus on a diseased body. Taste and smell the fish and bread as they are served to the multitudes. See the truths that God has revealed by mentally recreating the scene with yourself present. There is nothing magical or mysterious in this. The purpose of the imagination is not, as some have argued, to create our own reality. Our imagination is a function of our minds whereby we experience more intimately and powerfully the reality God has created. As you are doing so, reflect on the truth of the Word brood over the truth of the text absorb it, soak in it, as you turn it over and over in your mind.
Developing The Discipline: Step 1
So how should the Christian go about developing the discipline of meditation? The first step is to rehearse in one’s mind the presence of God. Perhaps reading and reflecting on Psalm 139:1-10 will help. Focus your attention on the inescapable presence, the intimate nearness of God. Issues of posture, time, and place are secondary, but not unimportant. The only rule would be: do whatever is most conducive to concentration. If a posture is uncomfortable, change it. If a particular time of day or night is inconvenient, change it. If the place you have chosen exposes you to repeated interruptions and distractions, move it. I enjoy watching football on TV as much as the next guy, but trying to engage with Gods Word during the huddle is hardly an effective way to experience its power!
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Examples Of Meditation In The Bible
The first person we see meditating in the Bible is Isaac. He was meditating in a field when the Lord brought his wife, Rebekah, to him .
1. Isaac
Isaac was the son God promised to Abraham and Sarah. While we know a lot about Abrahams amazing faith, Isaac had his own personal journey with God.
Isaac was what we would consider a little old to be a bachelor, but there he was, waiting on the Lords provision for a wife. He was in the midst of grieving the death of his mother, meditating and waiting when God brought Rebekah to him. Most Bible scholars consider him to be prayerfully processing life with God during this time.
Scripture records that he took Rebekah as his wife, loved her all his days, and was comforted after his mothers death. In a culture of polygamy, Isaac loved only Rebekah. When the two of them shared anniversary after anniversary with no children, Isaac prayed, and the Lord heard his prayer and blessed them with twins.
Meditation and prayer were intricately woven into Isaacs life, even shaping the direction of his family.
The next instance of meditating we see in Scripture occurs in the book of Joshua:
2. Joshua
After Moses died, the Lord gave instructions to Joshua, Moses aid. One instruction was to meditate on the Book of the Law.
The Psalms echo this admonition from the Book of Joshua:
In these two examples, meditating on Gods word results in doing all that is written in it, yield fruit and prospering.
3. David
Developing The Discipline: Final Step
The final steps can be summarized in four words: pray, personalize, praise, and practice.
Pray: It is difficult to know when meditation moves into prayer. It isn’t really that important. But at some point, take the truth as the Holy Spirit has illumined it and pray it back to God, whether in petition, thanksgiving, or intercession. In other words, take Scripture and turn it into dialogue with God. Personalize: Where possible, and according to sound principles of biblical interpretation, replace proper names and personal pronouns with your own name. God never intended for his Word to float aimlessly in impersonal abstractions. He designed it for you and for me. Praise: Then worship the Lord for who he is and what he has done and how it has been revealed in Scripture. Meditation ought always to lead us into adoration and celebration of God. Practice. Commit yourself to doing what the Word commands. The aim of meditation is moral transformation. The aim of contemplation is obedience. And in obedience is joy inexpressible and full of glory.
This article is adapted from Sam Storm’s article, “10 Things You Should Know about Christian Meditation,” originally appeared on SamStorms.com. Used with permission.
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What Does Meditation Mean In The Bible How Can I Practice Biblical Meditation
Meditation is a key component to a Christians growth. While meditation isnt described in Scripture as many think of meditation today, which is greatly influenced by Eastern meditation methods, meditation in the Bible is associated with growth and prosperity.
Meditation is a key component to a Christians growth. While meditation isnt described in Scripture as many think of meditation today, which is greatly influenced by Eastern meditation methods, meditation in the Bible is associated with growth and prosperity.