Do you struggle to really meditate on the truths of Scripture when you’re reading the Bible?
Do you catch yourself quickly reading or maybe even skimming through verses in the Bible just to check “quiet time” off your list of things to do?
Maybe you’ve heard of meditation, but you’ve written it off in your mind as something only done by those who practice Eastern religions.
Actually, Scripture meditation is biblical.
Psalm 1:2 says, “Those who delight in the law of the Lord, who meditate on his law day and night are like a tree planted by streams of water.”
In Psalm 19:14, David says, “May these words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, oh Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 77:12 says, “I will consider all your works, God, and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” In fact, in the Psalms alone, this idea of meditating on Scripture and what God has done appears more than 15 times. That means it’s something important.
So how do we do it?
In this video, I’m introducing you to a concept and practice called Lectio Divina, which means, “sacred reading.” I’ll walk you through the steps laid out by Jan Johnson in her book, Meeting God in Scripture: A Hands-On Guide to Lectio Divina.
We’ll begin by relaxing and refocusing, quieting our minds, our hearts, and our lives so that we can enter into God’s presence and commune with Him.
The next step in meditation is to read, because this is about meditating on Scripture. Choose a passage and read it out loud. Read slowly. Look up details or underline things if you want to. Read it several times, paying attention to patterns and words that are repeated.
Then comes the heart of meditation, which is to reflect. Reflect on what you’ve read. Is there a word or an image that stands out as you read? Is there an emotion that comes to the surface that you’ve never noticed?
Try to enter the passage not just with your mind, but with your heart, with your emotions, with your energy.
After you’ve spent time reflecting, respond to God. What do you want to say to God about what you’ve read? Do you have questions you want to ask Him? Do you have something you need to confess? Is there something you want to worship Him for? Respond to what you’ve read in the passage.
The last step of Scripture meditation is rest. Simply rest in His presence. Be with Him. Allow the words of Scripture to fill your mind, to fill you with peace.
Scripture meditation is a powerful tool that we can use today in our busy lives to grow deeper in our love for Jesus and understand Scripture more so that we can love Him better.
Your Next Steps:
Step 1: Relax and refocus.
Step 2: Read a passage of Scripture several times.
Step 3: Reflect on what you’ve read.
Step 4: Respond to God.
Step 5: Rest in Him.
Scriptures to Read:
Psalm 1:2; Psalm 19:14; Psalm 77:12
Recommended Resources:
Palms Down, Palms Up (video on quieting your mind from Creative Devotions Collection)
Imaginative Prayer (lectio divina video from Creative Devotions Collection)
Meeting God in Scripture: A Hands-On Guide to Lectio Divina, by Jan Johnson