Meditate on God’s Word
Welcome to the What Are You Writing For? And what are you waiting for! Series © in the Confident to Write Alliance ©
The Righteous
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path [or way] of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.Psalm 1:1-3, NASB
What does it even mean to meditate on God‘s word? You listen to sermons at church and online. You sing along with worship music. You read the word of God. You pray.
Meditation on God‘s word goes beyond passive listening or singing or reading or praying. Meditation is deeply intentional and purposeful. It involves profound and meaningful reflection, deliberate engagement, and focused application.
Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Here are some examples from my own life.
Michelle:
I met Michelle when she was only 10 and was amazed at her spiritual maturity, even then. I could tell she loved the Lord, and I marveled as she read her Bible and listened to worship music. The words from her mouth seemed wise for such a young one. I have watched her grow from afar and a few privileged times close by for over 40 years. Once when we were together I was so thrilled with her deep relationship with the Lord, I asked her how she spent her time with the Lord. She explained that she started out in prayer, asking God for wisdom, then went to the Scriptures to read. Most of the time, she read slowly until she received a rhema from the Lord. She stopped at that special word from the Lord. She paused when she felt the Holy Spirit take her breath away. She took note of that place in the word of God where she felt Jesus was speaking directly to her. And for the rest of the day, she meditated on those particular verses. She wrote them down, she memorized them, she repeated them throughout the day, she prayed over them, she considered their deeper meaning, and she asked the Lord for unique application of those words just for her. That’s meditation!
Jamie:
I met Jamie at university. We both taught upper classmen Bible studies from our sophomore years through graduation. Somehow, praise the Lord, we ended up meeting four nights a week in a corner of the women’s dormitory foyer. I had accepted Christ into my heart and life at age 9, but realized that I’d never really been taught how to dive deep into the Scriptures for myself. We sat with our Bibles and notebooks and pens and highlighters; we sat close together with our heads titled toward one another for hours each night. We prayed, we read, we discussed, we cried, we laughed, and we prayed some more! That’s meditation!
I’m so grateful for the hours he spent discipling and mentoring me.
Jamie once told me that he had flunked out of college to the point that he wasn’t allowed to enter college, even under probationary status! He had taken time away from school and painted houses for a few years. Each morning he rose to spend time with the Lord, praying and studying the word of God, and as he painted, he meditated on the words from that morning. For a time he even dedicated 2.4 hours of his day to the Lord. His thought was if a tithe to the Lord was 10% and there were 24 hours in a day, then tithing 10% of his time to the Lord would encompass 2.4 hours a day! That’s meditation!
It should come as no surprise to you to hear that he graduated with a masters degree in economics at the very top of his class at a very challenging university! That’s the blessing of meditation!
Karen:
Several times on my blessed entrepreneurial journey over the last 40+ years, I have remembered Jamie‘s testimony. During several seasons I have committed to spend 2.4 hours of my day with the Lord. Once I closed my private biblical counseling practice and wasn’t working eight hours a day, I often wondered how this would work when there were some days that I only worked 2.4 hours a day! Thinking the way the world thinks, I wondered if there was any way I could get anything accomplished when I was spending 2.4 hours of my day with the Lord, especially when I thought I should be spending that time on offers with my writing and publishing company.
I can honestly tell you that during every season that I have taken 2.4 hours of my day to the Lord first, I have accomplished more than any of the other seasons of my ministry!
That’s meditation!
That’s the blessing of meditation!
Here are 13 Summarized Precepts to Help You Meditate on God’s Word
Now it’s your turn to meditate on God’s word anticipating His blessing! Writing about what God’s word means to you and how it applies in your life through the steps of meditation encourages deeper understanding and a closer relationship with Him.
Psalm 119:11 mentions this beautifully:
“Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.”
- Pray for Understanding. Before diving into meditation, take a moment to pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and understanding. James 1:5 encourages us to seek wisdom from God. You want to see and understand from His perspective more than from your own.
- Choose a Passage. Start with selecting a specific verse or passage from the Bible that speaks to you. You might also want to choose a Psalm of praise or a Proverb of wisdom.
- Read Slowly and Repetitively. Read your chosen passage slowly and thoughtfully several times. This repetition helps you absorb the meaning of the words and phrases more deeply.
- Observe Themes and Keywords and Phrases related to your chosen passage.
- Explore Specific Promises related to the passage. For example, Romans 8:38-39 assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Writing about these promises can offer additional comfort and encouragement.
- Ask Good Questions. “What does this reveal about God’s character? How does this apply to my own life or current circumstances? Is there an area in my life where I need to change or grow based on these words?”
- Reflect. Spend significant time reflecting personally on what the passage means for you today and throughout your day.
- Contemplate its Deeper Meaning. Let your heart and mind ponder the deeper meanings behind the text – consider historical context, cultural significance, and how it fits into God’s overarching narrative of redemption.
- Write it Down. Write the words down verbatim, especially by hand. Journaling about what you’ve learned can solidify your understanding and allow you to process your thoughts more clearly. Write down insights, prayers inspired by the text, or even artistic expressions, like poetry and song!
- Memorize the Verse(s). If a verse speaks particularly and uniquely to you, consider memorizing it so that it can be readily recalled throughout your day as a source of encouragement or guidance.
- Pray over His Words. After meditating on God‘s word, respond to Him in prayer based on what you have understood and with gratitude for His promises; asking Him for help in obeying His commands, seeking strength and confidence.
- Practice Application. Finally, think about how you can put what you’ve learned to practice in your daily life.
- Share with others. Oftentimes discussing insights from Scripture with friends and fellow believers can deepen your understanding further as they add their perspectives to yours!
Meditation is meant to cultivate intimacy with God through His Word. You’ll acquire knowledge and allow His Truth to transform your heart and mind. (Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”)
Meditation on God‘s word goes beyond passive listening or singing or reading or praying. Meditation involves significant and reflective contemplation, deliberate engagement, and focused application.
May these insights guide you into deeper communion with God through meditation on His Word!
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