Are you ready to start your mindfulness journey while keeping Christ at the center, but you have so many unanswered questions like, What is meditation? How do I meditate? What are the benefits of meditation? Is meditation biblical?
For starters, Christians can meditate and have been since the beginning of time. Prophets such as Issac and David meditated regularly and God instructs his followers to meditate on His word for clarity and peace of mind. In short, Christian meditation is a practice that allows you to become more aware of your inner self through prayer and reflection on God’s word.
Christian meditation requires an open mind and a willing spirit as it combines prayer, breathwork, and reflection on God’s word. The act of prayer can be further examined as a time for self-reflection and evaluation and humbly asking God to heal or mend any brokenness within. Christian meditation is starkly different from other forms of meditation as it is anchored in biblical scripture and focuses on enhancing your walk with Christ.
Many people have trouble starting their mindfulness journey because of their busy schedule, when you think about it we should never be “too busy” for God, the creator of the universe. God created the foundations of the Earth and He created you, our God wants to commune with us daily.
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Matthew 7:7 KJV
The greatest obstacle that we face in life is ourselves, here are a few ways to get in the habit of meditating on God’s word, daily:
Set aside quiet time each day right before or right after a daily habit like brushing your teeth or walking your dog. This habit-forming technique is known as stacking and is very effective because you are using existing habits as triggers to complete a new habit. For example, every morning after I drink my cup of coffee, I take my dog for a walk, then I come back inside crack open my Bible, and meditate. The existing habit of walking my dog will act as a trigger for me to pray and meditate each morning, and my soul has thanked me for it!
Meditation does not have to be a 5-hour experience with all of the lights off and candles burning in the background with ambient music. Christ spoke of this in his early teachings. Being intentional about how you spend time with God is more important than how long you spend with Him.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Matthew 6:6-8 KJV
Do what feels manageable for you, right now. Whether that be five minutes or 35 minutes, cultivating a daily rhythm of prayer and reflection can help you along your faith journey. I promise you, God isn’t mad at you! He loves to talk to His children.
Creating an environment that honors your time with Christ is very important because it frees you from making the same old excuses like, “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I can’t do this”. Quiet time with Christ means putting your phone on silent mode or do not disturb and cutting out unwanted distractions that would have prevented you from focusing on your spiritual health. Find a quiet space, this can be anywhere in your home, your car, or even at a park; and even if you cannot find a quiet place consider wearing noise-canceling headphones. Remember, everyone’s “quiet” is different, if you have children or live in a busy neighborhood it is important to find a sense of stillness that works for you.
Cultivating a rhythm of prayer and meditation is one of the most important things you can do as a follower of Christ. There is always room for improvement in our faith and Christian meditation provides a way to deepen our relationship with Christ and also become better human beings.
If you’d like to learn more about Christian meditation, try Luminous Christian Meditation FREE.
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