The power of meditation

Monks, monasteries, yoga, inner peace, etc. – are words that are commonly linked to meditation but have you ever wondered what it actually means to meditate? It may sound like an ancient term but after reading this write-up, the concept and practice of meditation will be demystified in your mind. Oh, by the way, contrary to “popular” opinion, meditation is not chanting either.

So What Is Meditation?

Meditation originates from Christian roots. In an actual sense, God was the first being to meditate. The Bible says the Spirit of the Lord hovered on the waters (Genesis 1:2-3). As He brooded over distorted earth, he spoke and it was restored in a glorious fashion.

The Hebrew word for meditation in the Bible is Hâgâh, which means “to murmur” (in pleasure or anger). It also means “to think on” or “ponder over” something, “to imagine”, “to mourn”, “to contemplate”, “to mutter”, “to roar”, “to speak”, “to study”, “to talk” or “to utter”.

All these acts play key roles in the process of meditation but I want you to note the two main organs of the body that are harnessed in the meditation process; the brain and the mouth. This implies that meditation has two main aspects; thinking and talking.

How to Meditate

Woman meditating

1. 1. Let go of every distraction – put aside anything that will make your meditation period weak or ineffective. Concentration is needed in our bid to achieve maximum results when meditating. You need to ensure a lack of contact with movies, noise, phones, TV, radio or anything that will distract the said period. Read Psalm 119:15 Galatians 5:1 for God’s opinion on this subject.
   2. Surround yourself with materials that will make your meditation easier. Always have Christian books around you that you read from time to time. Gospel songs, audio or video messages of the word of God aid in keeping you refreshed and sound. Also, store confession audios (made by your Pastor or yourself) and repeat the confessions as you play them. Portable Scripture cards and wall paintings/hangings with scriptures also come in handy. Read Deuteronomy 6:6-9 Proverbs 23:12 for God’s opinion on the matter.
   3. Meditate on one topic at a time. Pick a particular issue or topic for one meditation session. Instead of meditating on different or random things, pick(by the Spirit) a particular topic or issue for one meditation session; this is always effective. Focus always gives precision. Focus produces a lot of results, especially during a period of fasting. Read Jeremiah 40:4 Psalm 1:1-2 for God’s opinion on the matter.
   4. Think about God and his words or a scripture – the first thing when you wake up and the last thing before you sleep. This helps you become God-conscious. Just flood your mind continually with God and his Word. 1 Timothy 4:15 Proverbs 22:17
   5. Ponder over Scriptures. Think about them over and over again. Intentionally create images in your mind about the word God has given you. If you are battling any situation, get what God has said in his Word about that situation, and speak it out. See yourself as one experiencing what God has said. Joshua 1:8 Psalm 64:9
   6. Consciously believe the word in your heart. Ignore every thought or evidence that is contrary to what you have been told by God. Tell yourself “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it! I don’t care about what I see because it’s not real. Only God’s Word is real”. John 6:29 Proverbs 3:5
   7. Speak out the word when praying. You can either read it out from the Bible or utter it when it is brought to your remembrance by the Holy Spirit. Intentionally speak the Word to yourself. Proverbs 18:21 Mark 11: 22-23
   8. Speak the word always. As if you were speaking it casually, just speak God’s word to yourself. These may come to you at times like when you are cooking or taking a shower. Say out loud to yourself, what God has told you. The more you say it, the more you will believe it. In times like this, your belief system can either get stronger or weaker depending on the issuance of your heart, so let God’s word come out. That’s why God tells us to guard our hearts with all diligence. The best way to guard your heart is by blocking the enemy’s darts with your shield of faith. Galatians 6:7 Proverbs 18:21 Joshua 1:8 1 John 5:9

10 Benefits of Meditation

1. It gives you the ability to succeed. Meditation gives you the ability to do God’s word. Joshua 1:8 implies that the more you think and talk about something, the more likely you are, to do that thing. Speaking it is what makes you prosper wherever you go and have good success.
2. It helps you withstand satan and temptation. Meditation is a mighty weapon to ward off Satan and temptations. (Ps. 119:11,15; 1 John 2:14). This is so literal and practical. If you are having sexual images flooding your thoughts and it probably makes you want to indulge in ungodly acts, the way to overcome that situation is by thinking about the Word and saying it out loud. In such a situation, you can intentionally let your mind move to what God has said about your righteousness and declare that “l am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Sin has no power over me, therefore, I am able to overcome this feeling.” This is what I call following the Phil48 rule. Philippians 4:8
3. It brings you all-around prosperity. You become evergreen, you bear much fruit in your season, you never thirst and whatever you do prospers. Psalm 1:1-2. It makes your works flourish so you don’t end up with so many wasted years.
4. It makes you love God more. Meditation augments your affection for God. The more you spend time with someone, the closer you grow to that person. It’s similar to what happens between a hen and her chicks. (Ps. 39:3).
5. It helps others benefit from your fellowship and counsel. Meditation ensures that the Word gains root in your heart. As a result, you are able to give your friends and family good counsel from the word of God. You will always have the right idea, and people will always want to know what you think about situations. (Ps. 66:16; 77:12; 145:7).
6. You get to know God more and this increases your grace and peace. God multiplies our grace and the peace we have as we get to know him more. One sure way to know God better is through meditation. When your grace and peace multiply, you become fearless, full of faith, and ready to tackle whatever life brings. 1 John 4:8 Proverbs 4:2, 2 Peter 1:2
7. It cleanses and keeps you from sin so that you can run to obtain. Whenever you choose to have thoughts of God and his words on your mind, the enemy misses another opportunity to put vain and sinful thoughts in your mind. This helps to wean you from this present evil age and helps you run to obtain the crowns God has for you in heaven. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (Jer. 4:14; Matt. 12:35)
8. It makes you save yourself and those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:15-16. You save yourself in the sense that it you are kept on the path of truth; away from false doctrines. You save those who hear you because you know the right thing and do not communicate wrong doctrines to others.
9. It promotes the fear of God and this brings you wisdom and good works. Proverbs 1:8, Luke 6:45. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. When you begin to function in the wisdom of God, you are always guided divinely according to God’s plan and calendar so you’ll never miss the way and you will always avoid dead works.
10. It provides relief in afflictions  (Is. 49:15-17; Heb. 12:5). The process of any trial in life may be cumbersome but we know God has called us to a glorious end. The way to survive the afflictions that come with trials is to keep your mind focused on what God has said and keep saying only that. Don’t talk about the situation because it’s not real. Only God’s Word is real.

Takeaway

A Christian who does not meditate is like a farm without irrigation. In fact, without meditation, you are literally starving your soul. I would also like you to note that you are always meditating whether you like it or not. Your mind is always thinking about something and absorbing information, so it’s up to you to make sure that your mind is thinking about the right things and your tongue is always saying the right stuff. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God so if what is playing through your earphones is not the word of God, check it again. Always remember the P48 rule.