A lot of Christians have been misled as to what meditation is. Mystic meditation is concentrating on something over and over in your mind - mulling it over we might say. Biblical meditation is speaking out loud the word of God - putting it into first person tense and personalizing it.
Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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.
Do you see right there in this verse that God tells you how to meditate on his word and why. It says "it shall not depart from your mouth..." Now at first glance that sounds like it means that the word of God should not be spoken out of your mouth. We know it cannot mean that because there are many other verses that teach that we should speak the word of God, so what does that phrase truly mean? The phrase, "shall not depart from your mouth" means that if I hear you speaking I should hear the word of God coming from your mouth - that is that it has not left your mouth, but that it is still there. It means the word of God is not absent or missing from your speech - it has not left, it is not gone, it has not departed, but rather it is right there each and every day coming forth from your mouth in your speech. I go into great detail explaining the importance of saying God's word out loud in my article entitled Say It! Read that and learn about planting God's word in your heart. In this article I am showing you the importance of personalizing the scripture and giving some examples.
Personalizing verses of scripture means putting the pronouns into first person for yourself and second person when talking with God. Notice I said talking with God not talking to God - intimate fellowship is what you are seeking with him not sharing information. I also recommend changing the verbs to present tense so that you are saying them as though it is happening right now not in the future. God is always present, he is always now. Let's use the verse above Joshua 1:8 as an example. To meditate using this verse you would say
"God, this Book of the Law has not left my mouth, but I am meditating in it day and night. I am paying close attention to do exactly what it says in every detail. As I do this, I am making my life prosperous and I am enjoying great success."
You see how I directed my words to God and I use the word "I" instead of "you". I also change the wording a little to make it more personal, and I changed the verb from "will" to "am". Whenever I meditate on a verse I usually start by saying the verse, then say it again personalizing it, then I keep saying it over and over, and as I do the Holy Spirit prompts me to say it slightly differently from moment to moment. I follow his leading because I know he is revealing something to me some new truth or insight or he is doing something to me - using the word in me to change me. Always listen to the Holy Spirit and do as he says for God says...
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26
Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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.
Do you see right there in this verse that God tells you how to meditate on his word and why. It says "it shall not depart from your mouth..." Now at first glance that sounds like it means that the word of God should not be spoken out of your mouth. We know it cannot mean that because there are many other verses that teach that we should speak the word of God, so what does that phrase truly mean? The phrase, "shall not depart from your mouth" means that if I hear you speaking I should hear the word of God coming from your mouth - that is that it has not left your mouth, but that it is still there. It means the word of God is not absent or missing from your speech - it has not left, it is not gone, it has not departed, but rather it is right there each and every day coming forth from your mouth in your speech. I go into great detail explaining the importance of saying God's word out loud in my article entitled Say It! Read that and learn about planting God's word in your heart. In this article I am showing you the importance of personalizing the scripture and giving some examples.
Personalizing verses of scripture means putting the pronouns into first person for yourself and second person when talking with God. Notice I said talking with God not talking to God - intimate fellowship is what you are seeking with him not sharing information. I also recommend changing the verbs to present tense so that you are saying them as though it is happening right now not in the future. God is always present, he is always now. Let's use the verse above Joshua 1:8 as an example. To meditate using this verse you would say
"God, this Book of the Law has not left my mouth, but I am meditating in it day and night. I am paying close attention to do exactly what it says in every detail. As I do this, I am making my life prosperous and I am enjoying great success."
You see how I directed my words to God and I use the word "I" instead of "you". I also change the wording a little to make it more personal, and I changed the verb from "will" to "am". Whenever I meditate on a verse I usually start by saying the verse, then say it again personalizing it, then I keep saying it over and over, and as I do the Holy Spirit prompts me to say it slightly differently from moment to moment. I follow his leading because I know he is revealing something to me some new truth or insight or he is doing something to me - using the word in me to change me. Always listen to the Holy Spirit and do as he says for God says...
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26