If you are not meditating On The Word Of God, you are missing out big time.
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David explains the importance of meditating on God’s word in Psalms 1:
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditates day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
No one spends time in the word of God and remains unchanged.
The following are the top 15 benefits of meditating on the word of God:
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Meditation leads to depth and stability.
As David points out in Psalms 1, the Christian who meditates day and night on the word of God shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water.
In other words, meditation will lead to depth and stability.
A tree that grows on the river bank enjoys a constant supply of water – even in dry seasons.
Similarly, a Christian that meditates on the word of God day and night enjoys spiritual nourishment that can equip them to handle anything that comes their way.
They grow deeper in the word of God which gives them stability in life.
The psalmist says the tree will yield its fruits in season and his leaves will not wither.
It talks of stability – that even in times of economic downturns, you will still enjoy stability. But this stability is more than just economic stability.
You will be stable in your emotions, in your marriage, in your ministry, in your career.
You will be an evergreen tree! Meditating on the word of God gives you a chance to draw from the wisdom of God and as Isaiah puts it, the wisdom and the knowledge you acquire from scripture will give you depth and stability in your days.
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. Isaiah 33:6
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Meditation is a spiritual tasting of scripture.
Meditation is looking at the word of God with the longing of a tree for water. David likens it to the desire of a deer for water (Psalms 42:1), or the desire of a watchman for the crack of dawn (Psalms 130:6). See, God is a spirit (John 4:24) and his word is a spirit (John 6:63).
It is therefore not possible to really get what the Bible means if you only read it with your physical man – you have to taste scripture spiritually – and meditation is a great way of doing this.
Many people have tried to interpret scripture using their own mental reasoning and they ended up in heresy and confusion. But Apostle Paul gives us an important secret about studying the word of God;
12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.
Simply put, if you are not discerning scripture spiritually, you will never understand it. This is why you need to start meditating on His word!
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Live A Victorious Christian Life
Meditation will always lead to character growth — to fruit.
Meditation is not just a means of getting close to God – it does much more than that. Meditating will also lead to impressive character growth.
The more you meditate on the word of God, the more it exposes the character flaws that you need to fix.
As you fix your mind on the word of God, your heart is progressively transformed into a heart of love, joy, peace, patience, humility, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).
The interesting thing about the Bible is that it is the only book that reads you as you read it. God loves us the way we are but he loves us too much to leave us that way.
As you draw closer to him through meditating on his word, you will be inspired to work on your character and at the end of the day, you will be a better Christian and a better person altogether.
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Meditation leads to success.
Meditating on the word of God leads to prosperity.
David puts it this way, “whatever he does prospers.” Just after Moses dies, God appears to Joshua to give him instructions on how he is to proceed with the journey.
Among the many things he tells Joshua, he also tells him to always meditate on the word of God day and night.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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
Notice the promise that comes attached to meditating on the scriptures day and night? God promises Joshua that if he did that, he would be prosperous and successful.
There are two possible explanations as to how this works. First and foremost, God enjoys blessing those that are committed to him.
That’s why he tells David that he takes pleasure in the well-being of his servants (Psalms 35:27).
Secondly, meditating on his word daily exposes you to kingdom principles of success and all you have left is to apply them and enjoy the results.
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Meditation leads to Direction.
The amazing thing about direction is that it is superior to speed.
It does not matter how fast you go if you do not know the direction, you might end up getting lost and wasting a lot of time.
Meditating on God’s word will reveal the direction you ought to take in life – especially when faced with various dilemmas.
See, the word of God is the voice of God. And you cannot hear the still small voice unless you train your ear to hear God.
As you stay fixated on the word of God, you will hear the voice of God and you will know what you ought to do.
Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
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Meditation brings about happiness.
Psalms 1 opens by saying, “blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…but his delight is in the law of the lord and on it, he meditates day and night.” The word blessed is the same word translated as happy in the beatitudes.
When you meditate on the word of God day and night, it deals with any tensions, disappointments, and reasons for sadness and you end up a happy person!
Thoughts are more powerful than we think – thinking constantly about your problems can make you miserable. But when you ignore your problems and concentrate on the word of God, you will be a happy Christian.
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Meditation helps you deal with sin, the major benefit of meditating on the word of God.
David makes an interesting comment about the word of God
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. Psalms 105:11
David had discovered the secret of conquering sin – keeping God’s word in your heart. You do this by constantly meditating on it.
This helps the voice of your conscience to be louder than that other voice that always tries to nudge you over the cliff of sin.
So there you have it- the 7 benefits of meditating on the word of God. Start meditating today and enjoy these benefits and more!
Meditation is a term that many Christians shy away from because they associate it with Eastern religions and New Age.
They see it as an ungodly practice meant to achieve emotional calmness and relaxation.
Did you know that God commands us to meditate on His Word?
It’s the kind of meditation where you focus on His Word. Are you wondering how to meditate on the Word of God?
God gave Joshua the following command, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).
Kevin Puls describes meditation as: “Pondering the Word in our hearts, preaching it to our own souls, and personally applying it to our own lives and circumstances.”
To understand God’s Word, go beyond reading to consider what each verse says.
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“You should meditate . . . by actually repeating and comparing oral speech and literal words of the book,
reading and rereading them with diligent attention and reflection, so that you may see what the Holy Spirit means by them.” – Martin Luther
What does it mean to meditate on God’s Word?
The word meditation comes from the Latin word meditārī, which has a range of meanings including to reflect on, to study, and to practice
Rhonda Jones, a Christian meditation expert says, the best way to control a mind filled with worry, fear, and negative thinking is through meditation.
When you meditate on God’s Word, you think about what each verse, promise, passage, or story means.
This gives you a greater understanding of what God is saying and how you can apply His word in every situation of your life.
God’s intent is that we meditate on His Word. This differs from Eastern meditation practiced through yoga, guided meditation, or other Eastern religions.
Any meditation done outside of the biblical way is opening a door to the enemy.
The meditation God talks about is pondering over His word and filling your mind with it.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries notes that it takes more than just reading the Bible to grow spiritually.
When you learn how to meditate on God’s Word, you can move into a believing faith that always receives.
Meditating on the promises of God builds your faith, which comes from hearing – by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
Jinse Kim did a study to find out the effect of Christian devotional meditation on stress, anxiety, and depression.
The participants (Adult Koreans in the U.S.), stated that meditation helped them focus on God, experience His presence, and have intimacy with Him.
This shows that Christian meditation has profound benefits on the human mind.
The five points below will help you meditate on the word of God.
1. Go to a quiet place.
Get yourself comfortable in a place free from distractions.
You want to hear every word that God speaks. A place without noise or constant human traffic will do.
Quieten your mind and let go of your cares. Be still before the Lord and prepare to meditate on His Word.
2. Pray and allow God to search your heart.
To get into the presence of God, praise, and worship Him. Pour out your heart to Him so you can get rid of anything that is troubling you.
Where God reveals any sin, repent of it and clear your heart of any negativity. You get the most out of the Word of God when you have a pure heart.
3. Read and meditate on the Word of God.
Ponder over a particular verse and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a revelation of what it means.
Which part of your life is it speaking to? Stay on that verse until you clearly understand it.
Allow God to convict, encourage, or teach you through that word.
4. Apply the Word in your life.
Ask God to give you the wisdom to know how to apply the Scriptures you are reading.
You’ll find that a Bible verse speaks to a particular situation in your life.
It can be an answer to a question you asked God or the solution to a problem.
5. Let the Word renew your mind.
Romans 12:2 tells us to renew our minds so we will not conform to the pattern of this world.
God’s word renews our minds such that our thoughts align with His.
When we align ourselves to God’s ways, we live in His will for our lives.
Also Related: How to Study the Bible Tips for Beginners?
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The Hebrew word for “meditate” means to be intense in the mind. Meditation without reading is wrong and bound to err; reading without meditation is barren and fruitless. -Thomas Watson
What hinders Christians from meditating on God’s Word?
#1. Mistaking biblical meditation with New Age meditation.
Many Christians believe that meditation is an evil practice because of how the world has presented it.
Meditation practiced by the New Age movement is not biblical and dangerous to the believer because it involves clearing one’s mind and focusing on other things.
Christian meditation focuses on pondering over the Scriptures that you are reading.
Fill your mind with the promises of God so that there will be no room for the enemy to plant evil thoughts.
#2. The busyness of life.
Many people have busy lifestyles that leave little room for reading and meditating on the Word of God. They are always in a rush to get somewhere.
When they get home in the evening, they are too tired to focus on anything else.
Their morning is filled with activities like the gym or preparing kids for school.
Take stock of your daily schedule and audit each activity. How can you reorganize your day to give priority to God’s word?
#3. Mental distractions.
A mind burdened with the cares of this world will not respond well to the Word of God.
When your mind is full of many things, you leave little room for God to speak to you.
You may be in a quiet place but your mind is not quiet.
“Be still and know that I am God,” says Psalm 46:10. Still, your mind and make room for God’s Word. Do not worry about your troubling situations.
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We have the mind of Christ when we meditate on the Word of God. – Crystal McDowell
Photo by Mor Shani on Unsplash
Bible verses on meditation.
Below is a list of Bible verses from the book of Psalms to guide you as you meditate on God’s word.
Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer: Psalm 19:14
Psalm 48:9 Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.
I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds; Psalm 77:12
Psalm 104: 34: May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.
Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees; Psalm 119:23
Psalm 119:27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts, that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.
I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees; Psalm 119:48
Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes: Psalm 119:99
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Quote on Meditating On The Word Of God
The more you read the Bible; and the more you meditate on it, the more you will be astonished by it. – Charles Spurgeon
Helpful resources for meditating on the word of God.
Fia Curley gives simple steps for meditating on a Bible verse.
She says that you should read, write, say, sing, and pray the verse.
This way you give it all your attention and internalize it. God writes His word in our hearts as we meditate on it (Jeremiah 31:33).
Meditating on God’s Word will calm your mind and fill you with a peace that surpasses human understanding.
Andy Rau notes that meditation does not fit into Western culture.
This is because people value action and busyness more than stopping and considering.
To learn how to meditate, people are to overcome cultural obstacles.
You can develop a culture of meditating on the Word of God every day.
Many Christian ministers have developed resources on how to meditate on the Word of God.
You can read Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer, Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation by Robert J. Morgan, and Transforming Your Thought Life by Sarah Geringer.
Allow God to speak to the depths of your heart as you meditate on His promises to you.
Keep a journal and write what God speaks to you and the thoughts that come to mind.
Meditation will change your life.
