What is Christian Meditation?

What is Christian Meditation?

Mary Fairchild in her article "Christian Meditation From a Biblical Viewpoint" writes that "Christian meditation is altogether different from the increasingly popular practices of mindfulness and self-enlightenment, as well as transcendental meditation. The Scriptures encourage spiritual reflection, both in the Old and New Testament, but with a different motivation, application, and result from other forms of meditation." Mary Fairchild (www.learnreligions.com)

The main difference of Christian meditation and other forms of meditation is the focus. In Christian meditation the focus is on Biblical Scripture. Tim Bryant and other Biblical and Christian counselors have methods or processes of meditation they teach, which focus on memorizing and reflecting on the meaning of Biblical Scripture. 

In Psalm 1:2, God tells us "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night." The word meditate here is the Hebrew word hagah, which according to Strong's Concordance can mean "To meditate, to murmur, to ponder, to speak, to utter."  One of Webster's definitions of meditate is "to engage in contemplation or reflection." Christians are to contemplate (focused study and devotion) on God's law (His Word) and reflect (consideration of) what God is saying. 

Richard Foster states it this way, "Prayer is the interactive relationship we have with God about what we and God are working on together. Christian meditation is the listening side of this interactive relationship. God speaks and teaches; we hear and obey." 

Mike Winger, a popular Youtuber and Pastor, explains Christian meditation this way "Meditate," Winger said, "is a Hebrew word that has a range of meaning but in the context of this passage it is talking about speaking in a quiet voice like when you are really thinking something through. You could picture someone reading to themselves quietly or working out a problem out loud. This is what I call 'thinking out loud.' "It isn’t really related to the idea of monks harmonizing in deep guttural tones with indistinct words. It’s a person who is thinking deeply and thoroughly about the Bible. The type of meditation the Bible is encouraging is not a way of "feeling good" but rather, a way of learning Scripture "so that we can do what it says," Winger clarified." (from article on www.christianpost.com).

For me the focus is the main thing! Is my meditation glorifying to GOD? Am I meditating on God's word and seeking Him to change me through His Word and His Spirit? Is what I am doing God-centered or man-centered? 

Other types of meditation are man-centered (or worse centered in false religious practices that are connected to the demonic). Man-centered meditation focuses on overcoming negative emotions through human will what is sometimes called manifestation, self-actualization or visualization. I have participated in the past in all three and encouraged others to do so, until God dealt with me about these practices. I have learned more about New Age and how the ideas of the New Age movement have infiltrated the Church (and surprisingly gaining more and more influence). 

With this in mind, I recently have been using Neurographic Art to help my son with anxiety and using it myself (my family has a history of anxiety disorders, and I have a self-diagnosed anxiety disorder). However, I was not using it with the mindfulness algorithm that the creator of neurographia art (Pavel Piskarev, Russian psychologist) taught. I was using the free from drawing and rounding the edges of the sharp corners (per videos on the art therapy our minds see sharp edges as pain and round edges as peaceful). Then, coloring in the images with colors. Doodling has always been helpful to me to focus (I probably have ADHD!). 

To me Neurographic Art look like stain glass, which has been used in Christian art for centuries. While drawing, I have played Youtube videos of people reading scriptures or Christian instrumental songs. I would also be comfortable listening to nature sounds (ie. rain, waves, etc). To me, using the focused art style (Neurographic) with Christian contemplative or reflective means (saying a bible verse in my head or out loud while I draw or singing a hymn) helps me focus and be in a contemplative state of mind. So you can call what I do Contemplative Art or Doodle Art, but it is not truly following 100% the Neurographia Art Therapy Model.

I also do not teach people to meditate in other ways other than on Biblical Scripture. I believe lasting change comes through the Word and the Spirit. And I do not desire to promote any New Age practices. 

Check out these 2 articles about Christian Meditation 

Christian meditation: What practices are New Age and what is biblical? | Living

Christian Meditation: What It Is and What It's Not

This link has 12 Verses about Meditation 12 Bible verses about Meditation On God's Word