What is Christian Meditation?

Christian meditation is a series of meditation procedures by which one is supposed to purge the soul and find oneness with God. The ultimate goal is the “assimilation of the soul to God.” This is clearly a mystical attempt at divine-human union and is contrary to the biblical act of prayer.

How Christian Meditation is practiced?

A person maintains silence and progressively relaxes the body. The mind is emptied of external thoughts, and focused on some event in the Bible. This meditation ‘topic’ is then ‘imaged’ by using his or her imagination and Bible characters are ‘imagined’ or ‘ visualized’. The person who is meditating starts a conversation with the people he has imaged. In this situation the person you are imaging is supposed to be Jesus.

NOTE - If you are ‘talking’ with ‘Jesus’, then aren’t you receiving a truth equal to scripture thereby bypassing the entire need to meditate!

Mystical Meditation vs. Christian Meditation?

If you are using your conscious mind to think about truths the Bible has clearly revealed then that is Christian meditation. If you are using your sub-conscious mind or creating scenes that the Bible never specifically described then you are close to Zen than Christianity however otherwise they are both one and the same thing.

Is Meditation Taught In The Bible?

NO. Meditation is practiced with the goal of self-relaxation (both Christian Meditation and Eastern meditation) and is characterized by its self-centered objectives. It employs techniques like concentrating on objects, exercising "controlled" breathing, and uttering mantras -- all this with the purpose of emptying the mind of all kinds of distractions which supposedly will enable a person to reach an altered state of consciousness, a state of harmony with himself and the universe. Meditation as a spiritual discipline or centering is not Biblical and is not taught in scripture.

Why is Meditation Bad?

Meditation as a Spiritual Formation practice is very dangerous, because it draws people away from God by encouraging them to look inwardly to themselves rather than to God. Additionally, every kind of Christian meditation is intimately tied to Eastern philosophies and the occult practices which run counter to biblical teaching. The notion of emptying one's mind opens up the possibility of demonic deception, manipulation, and even possession of a person.

How Did Jesus Pray?

The Lords prayer is a direct conversation with God, not a convoluted step by step procedure of formation, centering, meditating or contemplative prayer or other forms of mysticism or mystical prayers.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. - Matthew 6:9-13 KJV

True Biblical Meditation

Biblical meditation doesn't involve looking within ourselves or emptying our minds for selfish reasons. Rather, it urges believers to contemplate and deeply reflect God's Person and faithfulness -- not only that, it also calls us to look to His Word (Psa. 119), and His creation (Psa. 19, 104).

Biblical meditation calls us to look upward and outward to God so that our minds may be filled with godly wisdom and insight, and so that our hearts may be filled with comfort, happiness, and joy.

Blessed is the man...[whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, who meditates on his law day and night." (Psa. 1:1-2 NIV)

NOTE - there is a vast difference between getting into the Word of God and getting the Word into you.