Making the Case for Biblical Meditation

We live in an age of unprecedented information. According to some technology websites, over 400 terabytes of new information are created every single day.[1] But while the amount of information may be exploding, it seems as if reflection is decreasing.

In an age of podcasts, videos, and content on demand, where one can find sermons, Bible studies, and more, we are drowning in an information overload that we don’t know how to handle. Even with such a huge amount of information at our fingertips, we linger over the Word less and less. It’s likely that both our busy schedules and bite-sized information appetites are to blame.[2] Fortunately, there is a spiritual discipline that can help us not just consume solid biblical information, but to absorb it in such a way that it shapes the heart, transforms behavior, and produces spiritual growth and maturity.

This is the discipline of biblical meditation.

Meditation is often misunderstood by many Christians. For many, when we think of meditating, we immediately associate this discipline with Eastern mysticism or some variety of secular mindfulness. That is not biblical meditation. And many Christians might understand that they need to read God’s Word, but they have no idea how to retain what they read or allow it to impact their spiritual growth in a significant way. Biblical meditation is the act of intentionally and prayerfully reflecting upon God’s Word in order to know him, love him, and obey him more fully.[3]

“Biblical meditation is the act of intentionally and prayerfully reflecting upon God’s Word in order to know him, love him, and obey him more fully.”

Developing a discipline of biblical meditation can help us grow and mature in our spiritual lives, allowing God’s Word to infiltrate deep within and transform us. It is not only encouraged in the Bible, but modeled, and we can greatly benefit from forming a habit of deeply reflecting and meditating on Scripture, allowing it to guide us through this noisy and distracting world.

A Biblical Foundation for Meditation

The Bible mentions meditation frequently, especially in the Psalms. Many of these references simply describe the act of meditating on God’s Word, but there are some notable passages that provide either an explicit command or a strong expectation to meditate on Scripture.

One such command is found in God’s commission to Joshua at the beginning of his leadership in Israel. God says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).[4] This is a command directly to the leader of God’s own people, telling him not just to read or hear God’s law, but to meditate on it. While this may not be a universal command, and may be more specifically targeted toward Joshua, it does provide a principle for all believers to follow. To meditate on God’s Word is to know it better, leading to success in following God closely.

“To meditate on God’s Word is to know it better, leading to success in following God closely.”

Psalm 1 is another passage that provides clear instruction to meditate on Scripture. In this passage, the psalmist writes, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). The writer then compares such a person to a fruitful tree planted by streams of water. The psalmist could have instructed us to read God’s Word, or even to study it, but he calls us to meditate on it instead. This suggests that more than just the knowledge gained from reading or studying is the goal; an intimate understanding of God’s Word leads to an intimate understanding of and relationship with God himself.

There are more passages that encourage the spiritual discipline of meditation, and as many examples of people who practice this habit. In almost every passage, meditation bridges the gap between hearing and doing. It provides the means through which God transforms us to look more and more like he created us to be (Romans 8:29). Biblical meditation isn’t presented as an optional practice we might choose to use; it’s described as a normal part of the Christian life.

Why Meditation Matters

Many people may think they are too busy to take the time to meditate, and that it feels like wasted time. Some may confuse it with Eastern mysticism and be wary of trying it. Still others may assume that simply reading the Bible is enough. Many may not even know how or why to try. Here are some of the benefits that meditating on Scripture brings.

Biblical meditation deepens our knowledge of God. 

To meditate on a passage is to continue to mull it over in the mind. The more you do, the more you comprehend it. This eventually moves from mere information to relationship. You begin to shift from knowing about God to knowing God more personally. You begin to shift from knowing objective truth to worshiping the Truth Giver. The more we meditate, the better we know God; and the better we know him, the deeper our love for him grows.

Biblical meditation renews the mind.

Paul states, “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 12:2). Meditation is one of the primary ways that God renews the mind. In doing so, worldly patterns of thinking are replaced with more biblical thoughts, forming a worldview that is built upon God and his Word. The more you internalize Scripture, the better you live it externally.

“The more you internalize Scripture, the better you live it externally.”

Biblical meditation shapes our character.

My wife has a sign in our home that says, “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.”[5] Thoughts eventually become habits, and what occupies the mind eventually forms the heart. This is a biblical principle: “Whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Wilt Chamberlain once said, “Everything is habit-forming, so make sure what you do is what you want to be doing.” Meditation plays a key role in shaping who we are, helping us to become “doers” of the Word.[6]

Biblical meditation strengthens our faith during trials.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits to meditating on Scripture is the fact that remembering God’s promises provides stability in our lives, especially when we face trials or suffering. It’s easy to remember God’s goodness and faithfulness when things are going well (although we can frequently take that for granted too much). It’s when things get tougher—when we face suffering, doubts, uncertainty, or loss—that God can feel distant.[7] And that’s precisely when the benefits of meditation are most evident in our lives. If we have developed this discipline, then when those moments come, we are more able to anchor our minds on what is true instead of only on our circumstances. Those trials no longer dominate our thoughts; rather, we can dwell on what God has done, and what he has promised to do.

“Perhaps one of the greatest benefits to meditating on Scripture is the fact that remembering God’s promises provides stability in our lives, especially when we face trials or suffering.”

Biblical meditation produces a delight for God’s Word.

As I have developed this habit in my own life, I have discovered something unexpected: I have found that my delight for God’s Word has increased significantly. Instead of just reading what God has said, I now have a greater understanding of the God who has spoken. That makes a huge difference! The more we slow down to consider God’s Word deeply, to explore its depths, its beauty, its wisdom, the more we move from regarding it as an obligation to seeing it as a source of joy for our lives. Meditation allows me to slow down and relish truths that I might otherwise just rush by as I read.

Over and over in the Psalms, the authors take delight in God’s Word, and especially in Psalm 119 (see Psalm 119:16, 47, 97, 111 for example). Meditation helps us to develop this kind of joy and delight by helping us see Scripture as more than just information, but as a revelation—a communication—from a God who wants us to know him deeply.

Tips For Building Biblical Meditation as a Discipline

Biblical meditation can seem daunting, especially if you’re just beginning to consider it. As mentioned above, many people often confuse biblical meditation with more Eastern or mystical forms, and that can create hesitancy. Remember that those forms of meditation are an attempt to empty the mind; biblical meditation is focused on filling the mind with Godward thoughts. So, as you begin to develop this habit, or to incorporate it more deeply into your spiritual life, here are some suggestions that might help you get going.

First, take it slow. Read passages more deeply. Don’t just try to get through all of James, for example. Take your time as you read it. Sure, you can finish this letter in fifteen minutes, but in order to meditate on it more deeply, you might want to spend a few days there.

“Sure, you can finish this letter in fifteen minutes, but in order to meditate on it more deeply, you might want to spend a few days there.”

Ask reflective questions of the text: What does this show me about God? What does this teach me about myself? Is there something I should change as a result of this passage? What are the most important words or phrases found in this section of the letter? Questions like these can help you dig kernels of truth out of a passage that you might miss if you read past them more quickly.

Try praying through the text.[8] To do this, take each line and use it as a conversation with God. Offer his words back to him with a mind open to receiving what he might want to point out to you in response. Ask God to work through the passage with you as you study and dwell on it. You might even consider memorizing it, so you can review it mentally in those moments when you don’t have your physical Bible readily available. Meditation doesn’t have to remain confined to your quiet time; by memorizing, you can return to key passages at any moment you need it.

One tool I have recently started to use in this daily discipline in my own life is mind mapping the passage. On my computer screen, or even on a piece of paper, I put the passage in the center. From there, I draw lines and bubbles out from the central verse, and in those bubbles are the thoughts, ideas, and conclusions that I find as I consider that passage.[9]

“One tool I have recently started to use in this daily discipline in my own life is mind mapping the passage.”

In many ways, we’ve turned our study of God’s Word into something to consume, and then to check off a list at the end of the day. But instead of asking, “How much Bible did I read today?” maybe we should consider, “How deeply did God’s Word dwell within me today?” Developing the discipline of meditation may be one of the best ways to answer that question. In our fast-paced culture of the twenty-first century, we don’t simply need more information; we need God’s truth to sink into our lives deeply enough to transform us from the inside out.

[1] Manali Kekade, “Top 20 Big Data Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind in 2026,” TechDogs, https://www.techdogs.com/td-articles/stats/big-data-statistics.

[2] Adele AhlbergCalhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2015), 192.

[3] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998), 17.

[4] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version.

[5] Some attribute this saying to Ralph Waldo Emerson, although it’s not clear if he is the original author.

[6] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing Group, 2014), 53-54.

[7] If this is where you find yourself, Psalm 42 might be a good passage to meditate on.

[8] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 61-62.

[9] I use a program called SimpleMind Pro to help me map out my meditations. It’s a mind-mapping tool that helps me to see my flow of thought as I consider different sections of the passage that I’m meditating on. Their free version is enough, but their paid tier offers more tools and features. https://simplemind.eu.