How to Meditate as a Christian

Among the many spiritual disciplines practiced throughout the centuries, few have been more misunderstood or neglected in modern evangelicalism than meditation. Unlike its secular counterpart, which often focuses on mindfulness, breathing techniques, or achieving a mental blank slate, Christian meditation is something wholly different. It is not about detaching from the world but attaching more deeply to God’s Word and presence.

And yet, despite its rich biblical heritage, many Christians today find themselves asking a surprisingly simple question: How exactly do I meditate?

Rediscovering a Forgotten Discipline

Evangelical voices like David Mathis and Tom Schwanda have recently worked to recover the biblical vision of meditation, with Mathis describing it as “perhaps the most misunderstood, and most underrated, of the disciplines in the church today.” Indeed, many believers raised in Protestant churches were regularly encouraged to read Scripture and pray, but meditation was often missing from the spiritual toolbox.

But Scripture itself is saturated with the language and practice of meditation. Psalm 63 paints a vivid picture of David praising God with joyful lips as he “remembers [God] upon [his] bed and meditates on [Him] in the watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6). This kind of deliberate contemplation was also modeled by Mary, the mother of Jesus, when she “pondered” the words of the shepherds in her heart (Luke 2:19). Biblical meditation is a focused reflection on who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do.

Far from optional, it is both a duty and a delight. Yet, it’s here that modern Christians often hit a wall not because they lack the desire, but because they lack a roadmap.

A Reformation Heritage

Historically, Reformed Christians especially the Puritans held meditation in the highest regard. Thomas Watson called it “a duty wherein the very heart and lifeblood of religion lies.” John Ball boldly claimed that “a Christian life cannot stand” without it. To them, meditation wasn’t a luxury of the spiritually elite; it was essential for communion with God.

In fact, when Princeton Theological Seminary opened its doors in 1812, it required daily meditation from its students, emphasizing the need for self-examination, focused Scripture reading, and private prayer. This Reformation model placed meditation alongside Bible reading and prayer as the three pillars of personal piety.

But while the Puritans spoke often about meditation, they rarely provided step-by-step instructions. This frustrates modern readers accustomed to structured guides and measurable outcomes. Meanwhile, Roman Catholic spiritual traditions, such as the exercises of García de Cisneros or Ignatius of Loyola, offer highly detailed meditative processes complete with sequences, movements, and hierarchical stages. Why the difference?

Scripture Alone as the Guide

The answer lies at the heart of the Protestant Reformation sola Scriptura. Protestants affirm that Scripture alone is sufficient for faith and life. The Westminster Confession boldly asserts that everything necessary for God's glory and our salvation is found in the Bible. Therefore, spiritual leaders cannot bind the conscience with instructions that go beyond what Scripture teaches.

Roman Catholicism, in contrast, elevates both Scripture and tradition as co-equal authorities. This gives its theologians freedom to build extensive spiritual programs and meditative systems not explicitly grounded in the Bible.

Protestants, however, must tread carefully. To dictate specific steps, time durations, or sequences for meditation risks crossing the line into legalism. Reformed thinkers like Thomas Manton warned against efforts to “bridle up the free spirit by the rules of method,” choosing instead to “advise” rather than “prescribe.”

Meditation as Communion

Perhaps even more profound than the doctrinal distinction is the difference in the purpose of meditation. In much of Roman Catholic spirituality, meditation is considered a beginner’s stage a tool to be mastered and eventually outgrown in favor of more mystical, wordless “contemplation.” But Reformed writers rejected this tiered model. Meditation was not a rung on the ladder to spiritual enlightenment; it was the way of spiritual life.

Dutch theologian Wilhelmus à Brakel beautifully described meditation as the very means by which we commune with God. “The all-encompassing goal and objective of meditation,” he wrote, “is to acquaint ourselves with God and to have communion with Him, since that constitutes the felicity of the soul.” For à Brakel, meditation was the lifelong pursuit of tasting and treasuring the presence of God.

So, How Should I Meditate?

Though the Reformers refused to provide mechanical formulas, we can glean several timeless principles for practicing biblical meditation:

1. Start with Scripture
   Choose a passage, verse, or theme and read it slowly, repeatedly, and prayerfully. Let it soak in. The goal is not information but transformation.

2. Ask Heart Questions
   What does this passage reveal about God? What does it reveal about me? What promises are here to claim? What sins are exposed? What truths bring comfort?

3. Turn Thoughts into Prayer
   Allow your reflections to lead naturally into prayer adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Let God’s Word shape your conversation with Him.

4. Write It Down
   Journaling your meditations can help you internalize and revisit what God is teaching you. It also slows down your pace and invites deeper reflection.

5. Create Margin
   Schedule time for quiet. Early morning, late evening, or during a lunch break find your “watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6).

6. Repeat Often
   Meditation is not a one-time exercise. Like a friendship, it deepens with time and repetition. Scripture encourages day and night meditation (Psalm 1:2).

A Relationship, Not a Ritual

Meditation, ultimately, is not a technique to be mastered but a relationship to be nurtured. Trying to force it into a rigid framework would be like asking for a step-by-step guide to falling in love. It doesn’t work that way. You can cultivate the space, focus your attention, and be present but you can’t manufacture the depth of communion that only the Spirit can bring.

One group of Puritan pastors once wrote, “If thou wouldest have thy afflictions mitigated with the comforts of God . . . pray and consider, pray and meditate.” That’s not a formula. It’s a way of life one shaped by grace, grounded in the Word, and animated by the Spirit.

Christian meditation isn’t about escaping the world or ascending into a mystical fog. It’s about meeting God in His Word, letting it dwell richly in you, and allowing it to shape your heart, renew your mind, and conform you to Christ. You may not have a roadmap, but you do have a Guide and He is faithful.

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