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How to Meditate on the Word of God

April 15, 2020 By Jennifer H. Yates 2 Comments

15 Apr
How to Meditate on the Word of God

I used to envision Rafiki every time I heard the word meditation. It sounded like something I would do in yoga pants on a mat while sipping green tea.

But then I remembered that the Bible commands us to meditate on the Word, so Christian meditation must be something different (and it is).

In eastern religion, meditation is about emptying the mind. But what the Bible teaches us is filling the mind with the Word of God. And that’s something all of us should desire to do.

In his book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney defines meditation this way:

deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture or upon life from a Scriptural perspective, for the purpose of understanding, application, and prayer

In other words, meditation goes beyond just hearing or reading the Word; it involves spending time thinking about the Word more deeply and what that Word means for our lives.

Whitney uses the illustration of a tea bag (the irony was not lost on me). The longer we allow a tea bag to steep, the more tea permeates the water. A good soaking results in a stronger tea.

Likewise, when we spend time lingering and soaking in the Word, the result is that we are immersed into God’s way of thinking so that it impacts the totality of who we are.

I love this promise to Joshua:

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Joshua 1:8-9, NIV

This verse was one of the first I memorized as a young believer. The Lord was sending Joshua to succeed Moses in leading the Israelites. God promised Him success if Joshua would meditate on the Word.

We know that true success in God’s eyes is eternal and spiritual, but isn’t that the most important thing anyway? Ultimately, we don’t need wealth and fame, we need more of God. That’s what meditating on His Word gives us.

The more we think on God’s Word and its truths, the more we will see life through His eyes, the more we will want to walk in His ways, and the more we will want to bring Him glory–that’s success!

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

Psalm 1:1-3

So, how do we meditate on the Word day and night?

First, we must delight in the Word.

The phrase “day and night” is what Hebrew scholars term a merism–a figure of speech in which two contrasting parts are used to encompass the whole. In other words, the Word should be so much a part of who we are that it encompasses our whole lives.

If we truly love Jesus, the Word made flesh, we will love His Word. That doesn’t mean we always understand everything we read, or even that we won’t sometimes have questions.

But it does mean that we believe His Word is true and that He chooses to communicate to us through that Word. We believe that His Word has the answers we need for life and that we can trust it.

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4

I love this verse because it tells me that I can choose what I delight in. If I choose to delight in God and His Word, He will begin to place His desires in my heart so that I love what He loves.

Second, we must linger in the Word.

The Hebrew word for meditate means “to utter a sound, moan, meditate; to mutter; from the base meaning of uttering a sound of any kind comes figure of meditation, the act of thoughtful deliberation with the implication of speaking to oneself”

The NIV Exhaustive Bible Concordance, 2047

I love this definition because it’s telling us to think on the Word and then speak it to ourselves. That’s so much more than just listening to the Word or even reading the Word. It involves the mind, the heart, and the mouth.

We think on the Word:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

Philippians 4:8

When we get our minds aligned with God’s Word, our hearts will be changed by it.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12

When we allow the Word to judge our hearts–out motives and attitudes–we are speaking those truths to ourselves. David had to “encourage himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6). We will have to allow the Word of God to correct wrong thinking.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:5

Third, we must obey the Word.

When I spend time with God each day, I write out portions of Scripture as I think on them. I find verses to memorize and commit to my heart and mind. I prayerfully ask God to speak to me what He wants me to learn from His Word and how He wants me to apply it to my life.

Sometimes, I do word studies and look up cross references to get a deeper understanding of the truths I am studying. I may spend a few minutes thinking about what I have read and the implications for my life.

But if I don’t put any of these truths into practice in my life, it’s all in vain.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

James 1:22

The promises of spiritual prosperity are for those who put the Word into practice. It would have done Joshua no good to meditate on the Law if he were not also “careful to do everything written in it.”

So, it is with us. Meditation is not an academic exercise without a practical application. The one who is fruitful and prosperous in Psalm 1 is also careful not to walk with the counsel of the world. Obedience to the Word is central.

All of these things comprise meditation. It’s more than a cursory glance at Scripture or a quick read of the Bible-in-a-year passages. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t read the Bible in a year (I am currently doing so). It just means we combine that with time spent lingering as well.

Meditation is a spiritual discipline that will help us grow in our walk with the Lord. How will you put this command into practice?

Want to start memorizing Scripture? Get my free download How to Memorize Scripture in 10 Easy Steps.

For more in our series Faith in Action, click here.

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Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: Devotions for Women, How to Meditate on the Word of God, Jennifer H Yates, Jennifer Hayes Yates, spiritual disciplines

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  2. How to Get Your Mind Right says:
    October 28, 2020 at 8:41 am

    […] Our minds can become distracted and confused, especially as the world drowns out what we know to be true. But God’s Word is the antidote for those lies. Meditating on and even memorizing Bible verses will help us replace those negative thoughts with tru… […]

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About Jennifer H Yates

About Jennifer H Yates

Hey, friends! I'm Jen--wife, mama, and empty-nester. I love to write, read, and drink coffee, especially with friends.

I've found that many women struggle to find time and focus to grow their relationship with God through studying His Word. I encourage and challenge women with practical strategies and helpful resources for quality study in as little as fifteen minutes a day.

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Today on the blog, I shared about using the gifts
Today on the blog, I shared about using the gifts God gave us to serve others, no matter how big or small we think they are.⁠
⁠
#prayerwarrior #bedeeplyrooted #prayerispowerful #praywithoutceasing #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #growingyourfaith #womenoftheworld #intheword #lampandlight #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus

We all have a place in the Kingdom. ⁠
⁠
Click

We all have a place in the Kingdom. ⁠
⁠
Click link in bio to read post.⁠
⁠
#prayerwarrior #bedeeplyrooted #prayerispowerful #praywithoutceasing #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #growingyourfaith #womenoftheworld #intheword #lampandlight #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel--the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:1-4, NIV).
All of Scripture, all of history, all of time has been about Jesus Christ, Son of God. 
Do you know Him? You can. His life, death, and resurrection are historical fact. All so that you could know Him and have eternal life.
Jesus loves you! ❤

"The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee fo
"The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment" (Luke 23:55-56).
Can you imagine the horror these women had witnessed? Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others had followed Jesus and helped support his ministry (Luke 8:3).
Now all their hopes had been crushed as they stood at a distance and witnessed Jesus' agonizing death on the cross (Luke 23:49). His own mother had to stand by helplessly as her son cried out, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46).
As we women often do, they looked for a way to still serve Him, even in His death, by preparing His body for burial. Sometimes, it's the little things.
When our hearts are breaking and we think we can't take another breath, sometimes we need something in our hands--a burial spice, a casserole, a text that says I'm here.
We can't make the hurt go away, but we can channel it into something useful, something hopeful, something comforting.
As they rested on the Sabbath, I'm sure they anticipated the opportunity to see Him one more time, to minister to Him once more with the spices and perfumes they had prepared.
Hearts crushed, hands open.
Grieved but grateful. Resting but ready.
Because if there was anything they knew for sure, it's that Jesus was no ordinary man. And when hearts are turned toward Him, anything can happen.

God never called us to “blind” faith. We may b
God never called us to “blind” faith. We may believe without seeing, but faith is being sure and certain of what we don’t see, not what we don’t know. ⁠
The Israelites had historical facts on which to base their faith. That’s why God constantly told them to remember what He had done and tell it to their children. Their faith was in what they knew to be true, even though they didn’t always see it with their own eyes. ⁠
We, too, have facts on which to base our faith. The Bible is historically accurate and verified. If ever we needed to know what we believe, it’s now.⁠
⁠
Click link in bio to read post.⁠
⁠
#prayerwarrior #bedeeplyrooted #prayerispowerful #praywithoutceasing #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #growingyourfaith #womenoftheworld #intheword #lampandlight #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus

It’s something I have a hard time doing. Like mo
It’s something I have a hard time doing. Like most women, when I do get still, my mind is still going 90 mph. I’m so distracted by all the preparations for the day. Sounds a little like Martha, who, by the way, is the one who invited Jesus over in the first place. But like Martha, I have felt the Lord’s gentle rebuke. He wants me at His feet. And really, that’s where I want to be. It’s not about time and focus. It’s about heart and desire. The rest will come. ❤️ #growingyourfaith #jesusfirst #wordbeforeworld #seekhimfirst #javawithjesus #womenintheword


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