Christian Meditation

[DeerGlow]

How do you do it? Meditating on scriptures? Memorise a verse or a few to think about? Read a piece over and over? Pray about a verse? What does christian meditation involve and what helps you get the most out of it?

 

[Sarah G van G]

I currently recite the Jesus prayer 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner' in a repetitive manner (similar to mantra meditation). I sit in a quiet place to do this and set my alarm for 20 minutes (so that I don't fall asleep) and then do another 20 minutes (again with alarm so that I am not tempted to start checking how long it's been). I find it a useful way to 'clear my cache' when I am feeling overwhelmed by noise or intrusive thoughts and reset my focus on Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Instrument150]

I would recommend meditation to anyone. I think what you do on your way to it is entirely up to you, the Holy Spirit, and your actual purpose of trying to achieve this state.

Wanna clear cache? Just concentrate on God's love

Understand a scripture better? Chant that until you've reached the state, then study it

Hone a skill intended for use to glorify God? I picture the circle of fifths and start thinking about how God may have felt about all of the different tones and potential chords during creation.

But that's going to depend on your skill

 

[Tigger45]

I use this site by Fr Keating. It's ecumenical and covers a few different meditative practices. contemplativeoutreach.org

 

[DeerGlow]

I would recommend meditation to anyone. I think what you do on your way to it is entirely up to you, the Holy Spirit, and your actual purpose of trying to achieve this state.

Wanna clear cache? Just concentrate on God's love

Understand a scripture better? Chant that until you've reached the state, then study it

Hone a skill intended for use to glorify God? I picture the circle of fifths and start thinking about how God may have felt about all of the different tones and potential chords during creation.

But that's going to depend on your skill

Like a musical circle of fifths?

 

[Instrument150]

Like a musical circle of fifths?

Right

 

[DeerGlow]

Right

Okay. It's been a while since I was in band, I might have that in some of my old books.

 

[Instrument150]

Like a musical circle of fifths?

I can draw a full blown circle of fifths with whatever concept i'm trying to express .... mathmatically, EMOTIONALLY, and color coded for progression in less than 5 minutes... if i of course already know all of the components. Not bragging here, but I've been doing my homework

 

[Eryk]

Matthew Henry's Method of Prayer uses Scripture verses. I get a portion of this book each day by email.

 

[Faith Alone 1 Cor 15:1-4]

I currently recite the Jesus prayer 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner' in a repetitive manner (similar to mantra meditation). I sit in a quiet place to do this and set my alarm for 20 minutes (so that I don't fall asleep) and then do another 20 minutes (again with alarm so that I am not tempted to start checking how long it's been). I find it a useful way to 'clear my cache' when I am feeling overwhelmed by noise or intrusive thoughts and reset my focus on Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 6:7
Don't pray over and over the same thing , you think that you do good but God does not like it .

About the topic . After you read scripture and understand it , when you see something like what this guy above me wrote it automaticly pops as reminder by Holy Spirit , because it's His job to remind you , so you can correct your brothers in Christ . It's not of yourself but it's his work.

Some people are called by God to sing , some to make money to donate to poor people , some to teach , some to preach . Everybody has it's calling , if you want to know what is yours then ask God he will tell you.

 

[~Anastasia~]

We can meditate in any number of ways. Probably more that I know or could mention to list. As long as they are Christian meditation and do not borrow potentially dangerous practices from other kinds of thought, and as long as we do not allow pride or deception to creep in (this can be easy or extremely difficult, depending on the degree) ... then all of them are good. It can be that certain ones are better suited to certain times or persons.


Meditating on Scripture is basic. Taking a very short passage, usually, with only one principle to it (anywhere from a few verses to just a phrase, depending on the passage). Turning it over in the mind, praying to God to reveal its truth to our heart, thinking how we might apply it, getting deeply into exactly what the original words are saying, simply delighting in it and thanking God. It depends on the passage.

Meditation in prayer is also good. These are often short prayers such as the Jesus Prayer, a brief line from a Psalm, or sometimes a line (or line by line) from a formal prayer, like the Lord's Prayer. The key is to FOCUS on the words, their meaning, letting them seep into your spirit. If done in this way, it is not "vain repetition" but very fruitful. Letting your mind babble the words with no attention whatsoever, thinking you are praying, would be another matter. (Though there is such a thing as demonically inspired distraction, which we may face at times.)

There is also a still, silent contemplation, a meditation upon the presence of God (as far as we can know Him as limited creatures), a waiting upon the Lord. This can be very fruitful, and very profound. It is also the most potentially dangerous I've mentioned thus far.

Another very helpful kind of meditation is to be aware of God in all things, see His hand in all of creation, rejoice in constant thanks and awareness of what He has created and done. This often takes some effort and maturity to sustain, but can be practiced by anyone. Sometimes children are even better at it than adults. And is in every way beneficial (just don't let it mix with pantheistic ideas of everything BEING God, just because God created all things and is everywhere present).

Like I said, I'm sure there are more. These are the major practices that come to mind though.

 

[dcamero]

I wrote a book on this subject. Meditating on scripture is the oldest form of Christian meditation. It goes back to Biblical times. Praying about a verse is also a Christian form of meditation. In the fourth century, John Cassian documented a form of prayer (or meditation) that consisted of repeating a single verse. This seems to have evolved into the Jesus Prayer of Eastern Christianity, although that technically combines verses.

 

[Arsenios]

I wrote a book on this subject. Meditating on scripture is the oldest form of Christian meditation. It goes back to Biblical times. Praying about a verse is also a Christian form of meditation. In the fourth century, John Cassian documented a form of prayer (or meditation) that consisted of repeating a single verse. This seems to have evolved into the Jesus Prayer of Eastern Christianity, although that technically combines verses. If you would like more information about my book on Christian Meditation, there is a short description here: The Slacker's Guide to Stream-Entry

Nice first post! Welcome aboard!

The current understanding of meditation in the west has to do with usage of the imagination in visualization of an event or outcome desired. This is a worldly action, and very powerful for the attainment of worldly outcomes... Christian meditation has to do with the making of one's self to be un-worldly in union with God... This is why the deep prayer tradition of the Eastern Church has to do with deep silence and stillness of body AND mind... And in this effort, stillness of mind is discipled by means of repetition of a biblical verse, or, now, the Jesus prayer prayed over and over, with attention, to bring stillness to the usual suspects of random and ramblin' stream of consciousness thought progressions...

Because God is not worldly...

So in deep prayer when we meditate on God, we too become un-worldly, in hunger and thirst and with sleep deprivation and bodily discomfort from labors - Embracing these in deep stillness of soul and body without a thought or care for one's self or the world, but utterly focused on God... Strenuous when done right... Indeed exhausting... Christ in the Garden is recorded as sweating 'as it were blood'... Avoiding sleep is a part of it, as the disciples were unable to do... (Save John, I should think, who saw and wrote and was at the foot of the Cross...)

Visualization is dangerous because it is worldly...
Mantras are dangerous because they are God-less...
Narrow the Way...

Arsenios

 

[Arsenios]

Matthew 6:7
Don't pray over and over the same thing ,
you think that you do good but
God does not like it.

How then do you understand Luke 18 ? [The Parable of the Unjust Judge]

Arsenios

 

[Paidiske]

I can draw a full blown circle of fifths with whatever concept i'm trying to express .... mathmatically, EMOTIONALLY, and color coded for progression in less than 5 minutes... if i of course already know all of the components. Not bragging here, but I've been doing my homework

For someone unfamiliar with a circle of fifths, would you mind explaining it a little, and how you use it in meditation? That sounds really interesting.

For myself, the type of meditation I tend to find most fruitful personally is Ignatian meditation. Most famous for the whole course of his "spiritual exercises," but you can use the same approach in different ways. (More information useful for a complete beginner here: Ignatian Meditation Guides - Soul Shepherding )

 

[W2L]

How do you do it? Meditating on scriptures? Memorise a verse or a few to think about? Read a piece over and over? Pray about a verse? What does christian meditation involve and what helps you get the most out of it?

Meditate on scriptures. Usually something you might be having a hard time understanding. The apostle paul says to rejoice in the Lord always, and he also says to think about what is good, noble, praiseworthy, and pure...so that would be good to meditate on.

 

[Instrument150]

For someone unfamiliar with a circle of fifths, would you mind explaining it a little, and how you use it in meditation? That sounds really interesting.

For myself, the type of meditation I tend to find most fruitful personally is Ignatian meditation. Most famous for the whole course of his "spiritual exercises," but you can use the same approach in different ways. (More information useful for a complete beginner here: Ignatian Meditation Guides - Soul Shepherding )

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Study the circle of fifths if you intend on using it to write music for the Lord. But only meditate on His Word. Thank you, again

 

[Instrument150]

For someone unfamiliar with a circle of fifths, would you mind explaining it a little, and how you use it in meditation? That sounds really interesting.

For myself, the type of meditation I tend to find most fruitful personally is Ignatian meditation. Most famous for the whole course of his "spiritual exercises," but you can use the same approach in different ways. (More information useful for a complete beginner here: Ignatian Meditation Guides - Soul Shepherding )

At the time that I wrote that, The Lord was still dealing with some accidental idolatry in my heart

 

[Instrument150]

For someone unfamiliar with a circle of fifths, would you mind explaining it a little, and how you use it in meditation? That sounds really interesting.

For myself, the type of meditation I tend to find most fruitful personally is Ignatian meditation. Most famous for the whole course of his "spiritual exercises," but you can use the same approach in different ways. (More information useful for a complete beginner here: Ignatian Meditation Guides - Soul Shepherding )

But to answer your question a little ... The circle of fifths is a tool to help you recognize things like keys signature, potential chords in said key, their functions, etc. The notes are in like on the exact dimensions of a clock. They go - C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, D-,A-,E-,B-,F all perfect fifths to the one before. MEaning it is the only way that you can arrange all notes so that if you play them consecutively, every note will be in perfect harmony to the last.

 

[ripple the car]

How do you do it? Meditating on scriptures? Memorise a verse or a few to think about? Read a piece over and over? Pray about a verse? What does christian meditation involve and what helps you get the most out of it?

So, I have actually been learning to pray the Rosary. As a devotion, one meditates on an event in the life of Christ and / or Mary in sequence on every ten "Hail Mary"s prayed, which begins to look and feel a bit like a living Bible in one's mind. Each five decades encompasses a series of major events or mysteries; Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious, and as one goes decade by decade, one prays out the life of Christ and is given an opportunity to see and consider what one is contemplating.

I don't know exactly what I'm doing, but I'm trying, and God is merciful, and kind.