Meditationals
In July of 2017, Jesse Turkington started writing little devotionals for a Bible study that he hosted in Salem, Oregon. His writings became known as meditationals because they were similar to devotionals yet had an emphasis on biblical meditation.
Meditationals are meant to encourage spiritual growth through the personal practice of biblical meditation.
Presented here are five meditationals that each focus on how biblical meditation works. These five articles cover (1) what meditation looks like in the Bible, (2) the mindset of meditation, (3) the Bible’s role in meditation, (4) the practice of prayer during meditation, (5) and the benefit of discussing thoughts with friends.
The Biblical Practice of Meditation
The biblical concept of meditation is best illustrated by a cow’s digestive system.
When cows eat, they do not take the time to chew up and evenly prepare the food for digestion. Rather, cows swallow their food whole. In time, they regurgitate it and chew the food much like how a cowboy would chew tobacco, by chewing twenty times on the left side and then twenty times on the right side. After this thorough munching session, cows once again swallow their food but this time it usually stays down.
This process is called rumination. We use it as a figure of speech sometimes, like, “Yeah, Uncle Berry and Mattie Joe were chewing the cud for a couple hours yesterday.” Meaning, they talked in a reflective manner. It’s an expressive idiom. People “chew” on thoughts similarly to how cows chew the cud.
This is the basic premise of biblical meditation. First, we hear something from the Bible. But often, we don’t have the time to properly ruminate on it rather we simply take it at face value. However, at a later time we then bring it back to our minds and think about it thoroughly.
As Asaph described,
I will remember the deeds of the of the LORD: Yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. (Psalm 77:11-12 ESV)
Asaph used three verbs to capture the essence of biblical meditation.
Remember. Asaph begins with remembering; calling to mind “the deeds of the Lord” and His “wonders of old.” He intentionally took note of history and pulled it into his thinking.
Ponder. To ponder is to think deeply. Interestingly, people can ponder a thought in community. It doesn’t have to be a private matter.
Meditate. To meditate is to dwell in a specific thought. In the Bible it was usually implemented as a private matter between God and Man. A conversation if you will between Maker and Made.
Biblical meditation is not the emptying of the mind. It is the practice of critical thinking. As Christians, we are called to fill our minds with worthwhile thoughts and to think through biblical teachings.
Rags Before a King
Entertainment is a subtle synonym for distraction.
There’s not a shortage of entertainment in our world today. If wanted, people could distract themselves with movies, music or podcasts without end. This is preferable to many because when left alone with our thoughts we tend to become uncomfortable.
Anxious feelings are more prevalent than folk let on, especially in our age today. With such easy access to news and with the tragedies of the last few years, it’s understandable why this would be the case. However, when our attention is focused on a certain task, then forsaken memories and uneasy feelings become obscured.
So, for many, this is why prayer is difficult. Because when we pray, we must remove ourselves from distractions. Prayer does not help people forget things, in fact, it usually brings thoughts to mind. When allowed to roam, our minds will wander.
There’s nothing wrong with entertainment or hard work, but there is a harm in our attempt to hide unwanted thoughts like a buried acorn.
Thus, prayer is an intimate practice because it positions people into a place where they can bare their soul to an all-knowing God. Rags before a King.
Now, you may say, “But I can’t even pray without getting distracted! Like, my mind wanders and I can’t think about the things that I actually wanted to pray about.”
May I suggest, that maybe we should start with whatever comes to mind. Maybe we should present to God the thoughts that permeate our mind. This is a difficult suggestion to offer because for many people there is fear attached to our anxiety. It can be scary to even think about our worries or regrets. But the nature of prayer is one of intimacy. We are able to come to our Creator through the reign of Jesus Christ and present our naked souls to God.
When one meditates, one must think. Thus, meditative prayer is much easier when we’re not afraid of wandering thoughts. So, when you pray in privacy, don’t feel ashamed of your rags but rather present them as if it’s the only thing you have to offer.
Try meditating on this statement and consider its meaning,
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2 ESV)
The Word of God
God is not a silent giant. Yet, it is a common misconception that He is distant. This erroneous belief is the basis of deism which imagines God as a clockmaker. The analogy is that God created the world and stepped back to let it run according to its pattern.
However, the Bible has much to say about God’s involvement with mankind and earthly matters. The Bible is a fascinating book that defies expectations. It consists of sixty-six individual books that were all written and compiled over the span of 1500 years. Miraculously, the thirty-five authors complemented each other and communicated a consistent story. How is that possible? How is it possible for people of different generations to continue and carry on a non-contradictive narrative? Realistically, we must say that it’s not possible unless there was someone inspiring and directing all of them.
The Bible is commonly referred to as the Word of God. Thus, suggesting who inspired the authors. But isn’t it interesting how it is not called the words of God? It’s purposefully singular; the Word of God. What is the significance of this? Each author wrote with their unique personality and writing style. So, the Bible is not the words of God in the sense that God penned the Bible. Rather, the Bible is the Word of God because it communicates what He wants said.
Something that He wants known and is demonstrated by the design of the Bible is God’s desire for a relationship with mankind. The very book that details and explains this amazing revelation was written and compiled through the partnership of God with mankind. Both working together in a functional relationship.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God and from it we are able to read about God’s will and learn about His personality. So, when we meditate on the Bible, we are filling our minds with the Word of God.
The biblical practice of meditation requires reading the Bible. So, let the Word of God dwell in your minds richly.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)
The Benefit of Meditative Prayer
Meditative prayer is thinking out loud with God. The benefit of this kind of prayer is twofold. It’s helpful in a person’s meditative search and it brings a relational aspect to it as well.
Meditation and prayer are two distinct practices which often pair well together. Biblical meditation is the rumination of scriptural thought while prayer is the spiritual communication between mankind and God. Thus, when paired with prayer, meditation becomes more explorative.
There are many ways to pray. A person could pray on behalf of another, such as a family member or friend. A person could pray for themselves or for personal interests. Lastly, a person could pray as they seek to understand an inspired passage of scripture. This would be an example of meditative prayer.
By praying throughout meditation, a person thinks through an idea while communicating their thoughts to their Heavenly Father. This eagerness of understanding is an invitation for the Holy Spirit to lead our thoughts and offer correction to our perspectives.
Let’s look at an illustration. Suppose that Heidi wanted to read and meditate on the Golden Rule presented in the Gospel of Matthew.
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12 ESV)
Now, how would Heidi go about meditating on this statement? A wise decision for her would be to understand the immediate context. This statement was made by Jesus during His sermon on the mount.
Next, it would be good for Heidi to become familiar enough with this statement that she wouldn’t need to carry a Bible around with her to think about it. Her options could be to memorize the words or she could write it down on a piece of paper and carry it with her. This would allow Heidi to think about it throughout her day.
With having a basic understanding and a familiarization of the Bible passage, Heidi could then pray out to God the thoughts that she has about it. She could ask God questions such as, “How is this related to the Law and the Prophets?” or she could ponder about how Jesus appealed to mankind’s selfish nature in order to instruct them to be kind to each other. As Heidi meditates on the Golden Rule, she could pray throughout her exploration.
Meditative prayer is the combination of two wonderful practices, biblical meditation and personal prayer.
Try meditating on the Golden Rule from Matthew chapter seven and pray as you consider its meaning.
Corporate Consideration
Contemplating big ideas with fellow Christians can offer beneficial insight.
Biblical meditation is a wonderful practice that fills our minds with the Word of God, and through meditative prayer, one can think out their thoughts through spiritual conversation with God. However, another helpful way to ponder scripture is to talk about it with a friend.
Some people are internal processors and others are external processors. Meaning, some people think through hard thoughts privately and others prefer to think through things conversationally. Believe it or not, but biblical mediation leaves room for corporate consideration. Meditation doesn’t have to be a lonely practice.
For instance, a person could think about James 1:22 and the practical instruction of living out God’s Word rather than only being hearers of it and come to a conclusive thought. Then again, suppose that a different person took that instruction and discussed it with a trusted friend to a point of conclusion. Both would be examples of meditation because people were thoughtfully engaged with the Bible.
Three verbs that describes biblical meditation are – remember, ponder and meditate. Notice how each characteristic implies an active thought process. If a passage from the Bible is being seriously contemplated then biblical meditation is being practiced.
Now, for those that prefer to have completed thoughts before entering a conversation, rejoice! Because public conversations are even helpful for you, especially, if the other side of the conversation has been contemplating the same thoughts. It’s good to test out your conclusions with another organic mind.
The ultimate goal that we are trying to achieve with this mental habit is one of constant biblical remembrance.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 ESV)
I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8 NASB)
When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches. (Psalm 63:6 CSB)
It is good for us to meditate on God’s Word.