Meditating On Scripture and the Benefits
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Someone asked me recently if I believed in meditation. I responded, “Well, I sometimes meditate on Scripture from the Bible, but I’m not sure that’s what you’re talking about!”
Years ago, I shared a blog post on this topic, and readers received it with great interest. (This was years ago over on WordPress.) I’ve upgraded that piece, added additional thoughts, and am sharing it here today.
First, we should note that meditation has foundations in ancient philosophies and several world religions, though you don’t have to be religious to meditate.1 Most Christians today would probably NOT associate meditation with Christianity, and I get it.
Contemplation may be a better word to describe the practice as part of the Christian disciplines. We could also make a case for prayer as a form of meditation. Often I refer to this as sitting with Scripture or sitting with Jesus.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight…” Psalm 19.14a
In this particular verse from the Psalms, the word meditation (traced back to the original language) carries the meaning “to read in an undertone; to speak, proclaim.” This indicates an attitude of heartfelt prayer, talking with God, and proclaiming His word.
In other Scripture passages, the meaning of meditation translates as “to praise, lament, instruct, teach.” This denotes pausing for a time to give thanks to the Lord, pour out your heart, and receive His guidance.2
Benefits of Meditating On Scripture
Calm and peace—You may be surprised how meditating on Scripture creates a sense of calm and peace. At times, it is good to exhale a deep breath while resting in God’s presence and thinking about His Holy Word.
Focus—Meditating on Scripture not only brings focus to the verse or passage you have read. It can also help you contemplate other aspects of your devotional time—prayer, Bible study, and devotional reading.
Clarity—Incorporating Scripture meditation allows the Holy Spirit to bring clarity to your mind. With the Spirit’s help, learning more of what the Word is saying increases as you pause to hear and see more clearly.
Application—Another benefit of this brief exercise is the ability to apply the meaning of the text to your life today. Meditating on God’s Word combined with deeper study, can help you to discern if the Scripture was only for the original audience or if there is an application to be made to your life, as well.
Tips for meditating on Scripture…
When to incorporate Scripture meditation?
For me, this usually happens in the morning (with a cup of coffee in hand). Explore the time that works for you. You may enjoy taking a few moments as a part of your bedtime routine or combined with your daily devotional time (whenever that is). This will vary from person to person.
What Scripture to meditate on?
Usually, I meditate on a passage of Scripture I have come across in my daily Bible reading time. Or it may be a verse(s) I’m studying for a project or presentation. If meditating on Scripture is new to you here are other ways to begin.
Meditate on a verse of the day. If this interests you, use the Bible App or another platform to receive a verse of the day via email or text.3
Read a verse a day from Psalms. You can begin with chapter one and work your way through the chapter.
Meditate on a key Scripture from the sermon shared at your church over the weekend. Or select a verse/passage from a Bible study you’re currently engaged in.
NOTE: I suggest reading the verse/passage in at least two different Bible translations.
First, read the verse/passage in a ‘formal/functional’ translation (also referred to as a verse-for-verse translation). (e.g., ESV, NASB, NKJV, NIV*)4
Also, read the verse/passage in a ‘free’ translation (also referred to as thought-for-thought translation). (e.g., NLT, The Message Bible)
*The NIV falls in-between #1 and #2 above.
What to do after you’ve read the Scripture?
After reading, I like to sit with the Scripture and ponder what I’ve just read. For me, this requires closing my mind to distractions (turning my phone upside down or off, staying off social media, shutting the door to the room, etc.).
A word to the mom attempting to have a devotional routine with littles around. I see you friend and your efforts are seen by God. Do what you can and leave the rest to Him.
Bring the Lord into this time.
At this point, I try to sit with Jesus for one minute—in silence, to focus and listen. Sometimes, I will ask, “Lord, what do You want me to learn from this Scripture?” If you like, bring this time to a close by offering a brief prayer. Learn to rest in the peace that is yours in Jesus.
Now or later, dig a little deeper.
If you’re still here and there’s something in the Scripture you want to learn more about, there is one more step you can take. That is to study keywords in the verse(s) you’ve meditated on.
There are many great tools available free online that you can use to do a word study. If you have access to hardcopy resource books, you may find those easier to use than online tools. Buying these types of books, however, can get pricey.
Blue Letter Bible (website or app) is free and one of my favorite tools to begin a word study.5 When you go to the Blue Letter Bible HOME PAGE you’ll see a search box. Just enter a verse, word, or topic and it will generate the information you need to get you started.
Click on the Dictionary tab to see entries for word definitions.
Click on the Lexicon tab to see entries for Hebrew and Greek meanings of the word.
In the menu at the top, click on STUDY to see the wealth of commentaries, reference material, and other resources available.
Here’s a video that explains how to do a simple search on Blue Letter Bible. You may also find this video on the secondary tab helpful in searching for a particular word or phrase.
Here are the links to download the Blue Letter Bible app.
If Blue Letter Bible does not work for you (it is a vast website and can be a bit overwhelming), BibleStudyTools.com is another good free resource and a little less cumbersome. You can even find a verse of the day on the BibleStudyTools.com website.
These words are my creation minus the mechanics of artificial intelligence (AI). You are welcome here!
This article is an easy read and explains various methods of meditation, including religious distinctions. Meditation: What It Is, Benefits & Types. Cleveland Clinic website. (link effective 4/4/2024)
Logos Bible Software. Word Study. (effective 4/16/2024)
You may recognize the Bible App by the name of YouVersion. It’s packed full of tools and resources provided free to all.
For those unfamiliar with Bible translation abbreviations: ESV = English Standard Version; NASB = New American Standard Bible; NIV = New International Version; NKJV = New King James Version; NLT = New Living Translation.
Blue Letter Bible has been a favorite tool of mine for years. Today, I have access to Bible software on my computer (not free), but I still turn to Blue Letter Bible for some tasks, especially when away from the office.