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Meditating on Scripture is good practice when someone takes the time to do a devotional. That time is a critical point of communication with God and should be done frequently. But what is the right way of doing it?
Biblical meditation is a must in our walk with God. The Bible implored that we must meditate on God’s Word “day and night” (Joshua 1:8). This passage is a potent reminder that it is essential in our walk with the Lord, so we may not falter and live a foolish life.
Jesus Christ also emphasizes that man does not live by bread alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:3-4). It doesn’t mean we won’t eat food to live, as it sustains our physical bodies. Christ wants to imply that meditating on God’s Word is food for our souls.
The reason for meditation
Meditating on Scripture day and night doesn’t necessarily mean staying up 24 hours a day and reading non-stop. Anyone can do that, and reading the Scripture verbatim is easy. However, digesting what the Lord wants to say is another thing.
Too often, we wrestle with our thoughts upon waking up and before bed. Part of it is allocating a daily quiet time to read and study God’s Word, even for a few minutes. Even daily prayer seems so hard for us to do.
Meditating on the Word of God gives us the wisdom that we need and the proper guidance and encouragement from Himself. Scanning through a few passages to seek God’s wisdom will help us live vibrantly for the Lord daily.
Having a dose of Scripture in the morning, then the much-needed closure at night takes us to the next steps in life.
How to appropriately meditate
The way we absorb God’s Word is subjective since there’s no right or wrong way or rigid standard that every Bible-reading person must follow. However, there are still specific points we must consider the moment we sit down and try to digest the Word of God.
It is critical to have reading comprehension and not treat the Bible as something left to interpretation; after all, it is God speaking to us, and adding or omitting anything will cause us to sin. So to avoid that, we must prepare ourselves in the holy presence of God and ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we dive into the reading and meditating of Scripture.
Five effective ways to meditate on God’s Word
Before diving into reading the Word of God, ask yourself the following questions:
- How important is the passage in particular?
- What should I know as I read along?
- What does God want to say to me?
- How should I absorb Scripture?
Understanding what God wants to communicate is crucial as you meditate.
1 – To meditate is to remember
Besides being a grand letter from God, the Bible also tells a detailed account of everything that happened from creation to the life of Jesus Christ and the subsequent events that came after. When meditating, we must remember the most excellent redemption story ever.
Keeping in mind that God shared this good news with us is something we must take heart for, including the things that God did for us through the power of the Gospel.
2 – Delighting in worship
Focusing, understanding, and remembering are all essential when reading Scripture. Once we are inclined towards studying His Word, our hearts are automatically redirected to worshipping God.
People automatically think worship is just singing, swaying to the music, lifting one’s hands, and clapping when the pieces are cheerful. Worship encompasses our daily lives, from the rising to the setting sun. Everything we do, including meditation, is an integral part of worship.
3 – Applying what one meditates
Reading and letting it go through the other ear is an unproductive and useless way to meditate on God’s Word. Our lives are our most remarkable testimony and what we display to the world reflects what we truly absorbed as we meditated on God’s Word.
Slowing down is key to applying what we learned as we meditate. Asking ourselves what we need to do is an excellent way to put words into action. There might be times, though, that confessing our sins is part of applying what we learned and as we ask for spiritual strength.
4 – Meditating by the spirit
Sometimes, the outside situations distract us from our divine purpose, affecting our walk with God and doing meditation hard. Constantly clinging and asking God for His help is the best thing to do. The Immortal Principles and Powers of Divine Love is a good start for anyone looking for another alternative to spiritual meditation of the Word.