Should Christians Meditate? Prayer and Meditation that fills your mind and empties the noise. - Ep 325

Difference Between Prayer and Meditation

Prayer is generally understood as communicating with God. It's a two-way conversation, where you speak to God (through requests, thanks, confessions, adoration) and also listen for His response. Prayer is often outwardly focused, expressing thoughts, feelings, and desires to a divine being. It can be spontaneous, structured, vocal, or silent.

Meditation, in a broader sense, is about focused attention and internal observation. While its specific practices vary widely across cultures and spiritual traditions, the common thread is to quiet the mind, increase awareness, and gain clarity. Some forms of meditation aim to empty the mind, while others focus on a particular thought, image, or sensation.

Advice - 
Does the Christian Faith Support Meditation or Should We Stick with Prayer Only?
The Christian faith absolutely supports a form of meditation, but it's distinct from many secular or Eastern meditative practices. Christians are encouraged to engage in "Christian meditation" which is fundamentally different from practices that aim to empty the mind or detach from the self.

Here's how Christian meditation differs and why it's supported:
Filling the Mind, Not Emptying It: Unlike some Eastern meditation forms that aim to empty the mind, Christian meditation is about filling the mind with thoughts of God, His Word (the Bible), and His character. It involves deep reflection, contemplation, and rumination on biblical passages, God's attributes, and His works.

The saying "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything" means that if you lack core principles or values, you're more susceptible to believing or accepting anything that comes your way. 
The question might be, “What are you going to fill your mind with?”  This is when we must be intentional with our meditation.  Simply emptying ourselves only creates a void to be filled with something else.  The world will have no problem giving you things to put in that void. You must choose to put the good and God in that emptiness. 

Focus on God, Not Self: The purpose of Christian meditation is to deepen one's relationship with God, to understand His will, and to be transformed into Christ's likeness. It's not primarily for self-improvement or personal serenity in isolation from God, though these can be beneficial byproducts.

Biblical Basis: The Bible itself encourages meditation. Numerous Psalms speak of meditating on God's law day and night (e.g., Psalm 1:2, Psalm 119:15, 77:12). Philippians 4:8 exhorts believers to "meditate on these things" – referring to whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or praiseworthy.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Integration with Prayer: Christian meditation often complements prayer. Through meditation on Scripture, one gains understanding and insight that can inform and enrich their prayers. It can be seen as a way of listening to God speak through His Word, preparing the heart for more intentional communication (prayer).


PRAY- Acronym
Praise
Repent
Ask
Yield

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