Christianity has become the largest religion in the world that already has several denominations and sects. The Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Churches are the three main divisions of Christianity. Given its vastness, profoundness, and diversity, the Christian family has come up with different practices and traditions based on the Word of God, the Holy Scripture, and Christianity as a whole. These acts and observances are created to further strengthen the relationship of Christians to the Lord and be reminded of the teachings of God.
Christian meditation, moreover, is among the practices that members of the Christian community still conduct today. It refers to a type of prayer done by many to become aware of and reflect upon His revelations. In other words, it is the activity in which Christians thoroughly concentrate on certain passages from the Holy Bible and deliberate the gist of each thought in the context of His love.
Meditation is truly one of the religious practices that are widely carried out today. Luckily, there are many mediums that can help the Christian family on their meditation journey, such as the literature. On that note, Stations of the Risen Christ: Resurrection Meditations showcases the meditation on specific Scriptural passages and Stations of the Cross of Christ on Heelan’s book.
When it comes to meditation, specifically Christian meditation, there are indeed different ways and forms to do it — like the ones below:
Scripture Meditation
It is among the infamous kinds of Christian meditation and probably the oldest one. Meditating on the Scripture is discovered in the Old Testament, specifically the book of Psalms. The Lord wants his children to meditate on His words for them to follow Him. As His people obey His commands, He will shower them with grace. Most of the Psalm verses encourage you to meditate solemnly on God’s love, mercy, miracles, and other defining aspects so that you can develop a better understanding of His ways and plans.
There is no established number of verses for you to meditate on. Thus, it depends on you on how many passages you can read and ponder. All you have to do is pray before choosing, reading, and reflecting on the particular passages. You should also focus on His laws and commandments, absorb the message by heart, and develop ways to apply them as you live each day. To conclude your meditation, a genuine prayer must be done.
Responsive Meditation
Although there were some concerns about this type of meditation, given that it is technically a prayer, there are ways to make this form a complete and better practice. Hence, there are other kinds of practices that are mixed with a simple prayer. After you read and internalize on the word of God or his attributes, a response must be made. The reply can be in the form of a conscious decision or option to turn your life around or a prayerful answer to Him.
Responsive meditation encourages you to become proactive and inquisitive, for its starts with a secure Christian meditation. It ends with praising, thanking, and adoring His throne — with multiple practices in between, such as realizations, requests, confession, and prayer.
Meditation on God’s Character
God has various attributes that are evident and displayed throughout the Holy Bible. And because of that, meditating on the character of the Lord was developed. In this practice, you have to always start by praying and pick a verse in the Bible or a characteristic of God.
For example, you have chosen Psalm 145:8-9 that states, “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” Either you read it silently or speak the verses out. Afterward, you contemplate on them, concentrate on God, and worship him. Like all other meditation practices, always conclude with a prayer.
Contemplative Reading
Contemplative Reading is deemed as almost identical to Scriptural Meditation. It entails reading a particular passage of the Holy Bible and reflecting on the chosen verses. But, it is more particular to the words than the meaning. Hence, contemplative Reading focuses more on the ideas on the scriptural passages to fully uncover God’s love on the entire Bible as a whole. It is the best practice to execute for those who find it difficult to recognize His love and mercy in life and the world.
The Happy Hammock 