Christian meditation is taking time to get alone with Jesus and meditate on His attributes and remember all that He’s done for us. It is not an exercise to grow in religion, but rather to strengthen your relationship.
What are Christian meditation tips? Christian meditation tips include: meditating on God’s Word, meditating on art, schedule a time for meditation, finding a quiet place, mediating without distractions, meditating on creation, using breath prayer, meditating with worship, ground meditations, and finding an accountability partner.
Here are 10 Christian meditation tips I found to help you in your time with Jesus:
- Meditate on God’s Word
- Meditate through Art
- Schedule a Time for Meditation
- Choose your Quiet Place
- Meditate without Distractions
- Meditate on God’s Creation
- Meditate through Worship
- Mediate through Breath Prayers
- Practice Grounding Meditations
- Find an Accountability Buddy
To start, let’s look at how we can meditate on God’s Word.
1. Meditate on God’s Word
His delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
Psalm 1:2 CSB
Meditating on God’s word is the most important thing we can do as Christians. It is God’s revelation of Himself to us and His very breath.
Since the Word of God is alive and active, we know that when we mediate on it, we can experience rest and peace even in the hardest of times.
Now mediating on God’s for doesn’t always have to look like locking yourself in your room for hours, but instead you can try some fun, creative ways of mediating on it.
Some of these ways are to journal through different verses, memorizing them by painting the words out, or by creating songs to go along with them if you enjoy playing an instrument.
Another tip for meditating on God’s Word is to write short verses of God’s promises to you on sticky notes or notecards and put them around your house where you will regularly see them.
You can make these cards as fun and cute as you’d like, maybe even making it a point to make them with kids, friends, or other family members.
2. Meditate through Art
Mediating through art could be a lot like journaling through Bible verses. You can use art such as drawing, sketching, or painting while meditating on the Lord or a passage of Scripture.
Whether you’re good at art or not, mediating through art can be fun for anyone, and a great way to release things to God and praise Him for who He is.
Genesis 1 describes God as the creator and tells us that we were created in His image, because of this we have the ability to be creative ourselves and display His character through our art.
I personally know people who have used art to display a vision God was giving them or even to paint out their feelings in a way that they could tangibly surrender those feelings and hand them over to God.
The ways for using art to create for God’s glory and are endless, and other avenues such as sculpting, pottery, architecture and more can also be used to meditate on who God is as well.
3. Schedule A Time For Meditation
In our culture today, we’re quick to set a time for different schedules and stick to them. Whether that’s for work, sports, or meetings with coworkers and friends, we’d rarely show up late or ignore our commitments. In the same way, we can be intentional about scheduling time with Jesus and meditating on Him.
It’s easy to forget that meditating is actually good and restful for us because we simply don’t have the time. But, I would encourage you to stop right now and think of a time you can create weekly or even daily to meditate on God’s word.
Would it be helpful to create a reminder or note on your phone? Could you create a personalized calendar or journal to document your time meditating and maybe jot down what you’ve learned each time?
However, you choose to schedule your time and make mediating on Scripture a regular meeting with God, know that this tip is not here to make you legalistic about the time you have, but rather to motivate you to be intentional with your time in meditation.
4. Choose Your Quiet Place
Just like choosing a time for meditation, another tip is to choose your quiet place.
But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16 CSB
Even Jesus got away to pray to the Father and be alone. He chose a quiet place in a world full of chaos. Jesus knew that there was a lot to do and places to be and people to heal, but He still make the decision to focus on God and meditate on His Word first.
But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:6 CSB
Here, in Matthew 6, Jesus is telling us that it’s good to get alone with the Father, and not so that our motivation will stand with the reward, but because the reward itself is being in the Father’s presence and soaking up His goodness and love.
We can meditate in a quiet place, where we can follow Jesus and listen to His voice even in the craziest of times, which leads me to the next tip.
5. Meditate Without Distractions
Meditating without distractions is easier said than done. Our society is so enamored with instant gratification and getting everything as fast as possible.
Multiple times we find ourselves reaching for our phones to distract us from the hard realities and feelings of life.
Hillsong Young and Free puts it best in their song Best Friend,
I don’t want to be on my phone but I can’t be alone
Welcome to the modern way
Trying to be somebody I’m not but it’s not what I want
Tell me there’s another wayAll of the lights I chased are now faded
All the cheap thrills were only time wasted
Tell me why society’s plan should define who I am
Surely there’s a higher way
This is a sad truth to face, but we know that we have victory in Christ to overcome distractions by focusing on Jesus. Later in this song, the lyrics point to Jesus, as does the famous Bible story of Peter walking on water with Him.
When Peter started to sink and was turned away from all the real distractions of his world, the only thing that brought him back was asking Jesus to save him.
In the same way, when we’re caught up in distractions as we try to meditate on God, all we have to do is call on the name of Jesus to refocus us and bring us closer to Him.
Sometimes, we don’t need the storm of distractions to disappear, we just need to call out for Jesus.
6. Meditate On God’s Creation
One of the best ways I connect with God and recognize who He is is through His creation.
Nature itself is an expression of who God is. The stars and space reveal His infiniteness. The ocean displays His deep love and the sand on the seashore show us how many thoughts He has about us.
Whether we’re meditating on God’s majesty through a sunrise or His playfulness in an excited puppy, thinking about His creation can be a fun and reflective way to meditate.
Making a list or writing out what we observe about God through His creation can be an especially fun activity, especially since it’s such an easy way for God to speak new and deep truths to us. We can also look back on our findings as we go and marvel at what God has taught us throughout this process.
Make sure not to worship the creation itself, but the Creator, because in Him everything was created and it was declared good, including you.
7. Meditate Through Worship
Worship is not only a way to praise God and declare Jesus’ worthiness, but also a way for the Holy Spirit to minister to us and speak to us of who God is. Worshipping creates a space to meditate on Him and listen to what He’s telling us.
Worship doesn’t have to be once a week on Sundays too, when Jesus came He said we can worship at all times.
But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him.
John 4:23 CSB
Mediation is something we don’t do as a past time or something we have to strive for, but rather it is worshiping God at all times and should be guided by the Holy Spirit.
To mediate through worship, know that you can have fun with it too. Some ways to do this are to create a worship playlist that you can play in your house, in the car, or wherever you go. You can spend some time just trying new songs or even new genres of music with Jesus to worship Him with.
If you feel like you really connect with Jesus through worship, maybe look up when the next Christian concert is happening in your area and make plans to go. It can be a fun way to spend time with Jesus, as well as a good opportunity to invite others along for the ride.
Another amazing way to worship God and express your love for Him is to dance during worship. Usually, a lot of churches stop at the act of raising their hands during worship, which there’s nothing wrong with, but it says in the Bible that even King David danced like a fool all for the glory of God.
And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.
2 Samuel 6:14-15 NLT
Personally, I have a friend who asks Jesus to teach her how to dance. Of course, she struggled at first with the fear of what people thought of her. Finally, she began to dance, and I mean really dance, professionally dance without taking a dance lesson in her life.
She did it all for Jesus and was lead by the Holy Spirit the whole time, not bumping into anything along the way even though her eyes were completely closed. After worshipping God, she told me of how people approached her crying saying how the Holy Spirit’s lead in her dancing inspired them to break free and worship God in the Spirit too.
Now, my friend is in the process of creating a safe place for people to dance with Jesus as well, and came up with the idea of art dancing.
No matter how you choose to worship God, know that it will be beautiful and it’s all for His glory. If you’re not sure about worship or how to get closer to God through it, ask Jesus to help you and give you creative ways to worship Him, whether that’s through dancing, music, or art.
8. Meditate Through Breath Prayers
Breath prayers are short prayers gathered from either Bible verses, borrowed prayers, or your own prayer. As you go about your day, you can meditate by focusing on your breathing and saying these prayers as you inhale and exhale.
An example of this would be if you’re feeling anxious, to inhale and think or speak Psalm 27:1…
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
Exhale…
whom shall I fear?
And so on. Whatever you’re struggling with, you can find a verse to comfort you and build you up. If you don’t have a verse memorized, no worries, you can always pour out your heart to God in your own words no matter what you’re going through.
Remember, when you truly breathe deeply, your chest is not the thing moving up and down, your stomach is.
Try it with me:
Put a hand on your stomach, and your other hand on your chest.
Inhale. Lord, you are my shepherd. Exhale. You will protect me. Inhale. You know I’m struggling right now. Exhale. But I trust in you.
Did you feel your stomach rise as you breathed deeply? If not, that’s ok, there’s always time to practice.
Whether you’re praying breath prayers through a psalm, your own words, or through borrowed prayers you’ve heard from someone else, know that that it’s ok to give those things to God and meditate on Him.
9. Practice Grounding Meditation
Grounding is a proven psychological technique to help focus and calm us. It is usually used and most helpful when you’re feeling incredibly anxious.
While there are many grounding exercises, I’ve found the most peaceful one to be grounding myself through the senses. You can ask Jesus to help calm your nerves through this activity and thank Him for the calming practices He’s set in place in your life and for the things He’s given you to meditate on.
For grounding, first, think of five things you can see. Consciously name them. Don’t rush through them.
Next, list four things you can hear. Again, take your time.
Now, name three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
This exercise is meant to ground you or bring you back to reality so that you aren’t overwhelmed by negative emotions. Now while there are genuine situations that we should be afraid of, you should use this exercise to remind you that you’re safe and that God is protecting you.
One thing I like to add on is listing five things I’m grateful for, as well as listing all the things I can think of that remind me of Jesus’ presence. This way, we can meditate on Him even when we’re feeling overwhelmed or fearful.
10. Find an Accountability Buddy
Last on our list is to find an accountability buddy. This doesn’t mean they have to be with you and track every time you meditate, but if you genuinely want to grow in your ability to meditate on God, His Word, and His character, it may be a good idea to invite someone else into this.
This way, this person can check in on how you’re doing and help you process what’s working well and what’s not working so well.
If you’re a verbal processor like me, you may find this helpful so that you can talk through where you’re getting hung up and also process all the ways God has met you in it and grown you.
Accountability is a biblical concept that explains how when we have someone who knows what we’re working on, we’re more likely to follow through on it and see healthy results.
Of course, this parter should be chosen carefully, since you want someone you can trust and who will point you to grace and most importantly, to Jesus.
Christian Meditation Matters
As you grow in your relationship with Jesus, know that He will always lead you to the right tips and help you mediate on Him and His word, all you have to do is ask.
Know that you don’t have to try out all of the tips listed, but I’d encourage you to start with the ones you feel would be the most fun and interesting for you, and remember that no matter what you’re going through, Jesus will be there to help you remember His goodness and meditate on His love.