“There is a place within where the sea is always calm and the boats are steady, and Christian meditation takes our awareness to that place.” – Eddie Ensley

Imagine waking up one morning to a piercing silence—no radio, television, tablets, computers, clocks, smartphones; no cars, no kids, no commotion of any kind, just silence. You wander around for hours, accompanied only by the sounds of nature and the warmth of the sun on your face. Night falls. With nothing but time on your hands, you lay on your back, gazing at the galaxy of stars brightening the dark sky.

This was what life was like for a shepherd boy named David, who was called in from the hills to eventually be made king over Israel. He was an unlikely candidate—the baby of the family, not much to look at, and no résumé to speak of, yet God chose him above everyone else, simply because David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). 

Where did this come from? How did David become that person at such a young age? 

Hundreds of hours alone on the hillsides gave David plenty of opportunity not only to ponder life’s mysteries but also to commune with his heavenly Father. In vast swaths of solitude, he learned to meditate: to study God’s works and muse on his deeds, to ponder his words and consider his ways (Psalm 63:6, 77:12, 119:115-116). Through days of praise and nights of meditation, David could affirm from personal experience: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1). 

Meditation was a way of life for David, and from his journey we have much to learn. 

Laying a Foundation for Meditative Prayer

Meditative prayer is the first step on our inner prayer journey because it lays the groundwork for deep and meaningful communion with God that is rooted in his Word. As pilgrims, we may feel at times as if we’ve been plunked down in hostile territory. Struggle is inevitable; we fall, we get hurt, we are broken. Messages that challenge who God is and whether we can trust him bombard us day in and day out. Niggling doubts smolder in the furnace of our uncertainties and pain. 

Yet God comes close, inviting us to see things differently, to settle into each day with the security of knowing that there is more than meets the eye, that he holds the universe and indeed all the pieces of our lives in his hands. Meditative prayer trains our ears to hear and our hearts to respond to this life-giving reality. Through patience and practice, we frame our days with truth rather than the shifting sands of circumstance that can so easily sabotage our peace and spiritual growth. 

How Meditative Prayer Works

Meditative prayer is comprised of three interrelated but separate functions—our minds, hearts, and wills—each having a unique significance for our spiritual journey. When we engage all three in tandem, we begin to grasp the magnitude and mystery of God, as well as gain clarity and wisdom to walk through our days. 

Meditative Prayer and the Mind 

Stargazing. When I get away from the city, I love to look at the dark tapestry of night, with its lights scattered like grains of sand across black paper. What I see is a galaxy called the Milky Way, which astronomers estimate is filled with some one hundred billion stars. Yet this doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what is really there, of the intricacy and complexity in the universe beyond us. Since the Hubble telescope was launched in 1990, astronomers and novices alike have been enthralled with the images it sends back to earth—nebulas made up of stars, gas, and dust that are breathtaking in their exquisite beauty. 

What does this have to do with meditation? In a way, we are like spiritual astronomers. At first glance, we see the broad scope of truth, like the tapestry of stars on the night sky. But as we allow the Spirit of God to focus the telescope of our minds, we move into new horizons, seeing things we never could have grasped before. We explore until truth penetrates our vision and we become captivated by what we see. 

God is the transcendent Other, and as Isaiah reminds us, his thoughts and ways are as far above ours as the heavens are above the earth (Isaiah 55:8-9). Yet he has created us in his image—with brains boasting billions of neurons that enable us to ponder and think deeply about him (and our lives in response). This means we have an endless supply of material for meditation. Engaging our mental capacities to ponder who God is or what he has done or how he moves or what he is like remedies spiritual apathy and does wonders for our overall well-being. 

Yet our mind is only the starting place. Andrew Murray, a profound nineteenth-century revivalist who wrote over 200 books on prayer, likened this part of meditation to gathering and preparing spiritual food to eat. But, he notes, this is never enough. To take in truth, we must ingest it, savor it as we would a fine meal—and that requires engaging our heart. 

Meditative Prayer and Heart-Savoring the Experience

A friend who loved the Scriptures and had taught Bible studies for fifteen years once came to me, concerned about her spiritual life. She could explain complex issues from Genesis to Revelation, but she always felt something was missing. She confided honestly, I don’t know how to just be with God. Sometimes I don’t think I know him at all.

It's a common struggle. Followers of Jesus, particularly in the West, are inundated with opportunities to learn God’s Word, yet many of us have found out the hard way that discovering truth is not enough to change us or draw us into God’s loving embrace. Through meditative prayer, we begin to understand that the Father is inviting us into a relationship with his Son through the work of the Spirit within our hearts. We become part of an eternal conversation. 

Transformation begins as we move from the mind to the heart in meditation, which isn’t always easy. Yet through practice, this can become a satisfying source of spiritual sustenance. As Murray reminds us:

The reward of resting for a time from intellectual effort, and cultivating the habit of holy meditation, will come in the course of time. The two will be brought into harmony, and all our study will be animated by the quiet waiting on God, and the yielding of the heart and life to the Word.

Meditative Prayer and the Will

In his book, Eat this Book, Eugene Peterson reminds us that “the most important question we ask of [a] text is not, ‘What does this mean?’ but ‘What can I obey?’” 

Without an act of our will, meditation, no matter how interesting, will not change us or impact our lives. It is important therefore, once we sense God has spoken, or we’ve seen something of his character or ways, that we respond by asking ourselves: “What difference should this really make?” Then we ask the Lord: “What do you want me to do with this?” 

Obedience may entail something as simple as offering gratitude or worship, or a more complex choice, like changing the way we relate to someone or moving into a new ministry. The key is to give God time to reveal what he wants to do in and through us because of what we’ve seen from his Word. Then we must commit to doing it—to turn from sinful patterns, pray for grace and strength, plan to share what we’ve seen with a friend, or whatever else God may lead us to do. 

Steps to Practicing Meditative Prayer

Preparing Your Heart

Take time to acclimate. (Review that section in chapter 1 if you need to). Affirm the presence of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to teach you from his heart today.

Pressing In

The Mind

Read Romans 8:15-16 silently. Now read the passage again aloud, personalizing it: (The Spirit I received, etc.). Ponder the truth you see by asking questions. Some examples might be: 

• To what was I once a slave? 
• Who has adopted me and as what? 
• How can I know this for sure? 
• Why am I free from fear? 

(Feel free to look up cross-references on this passage. Also, jot down pertinent thoughts in your prayer journal).

Narrow it down. Choose a specific word to ponder: Some examples might be Slavery . . . Fear . . . Adoption . . . Spirit . . . Abba. 

Ask:

• What does it mean? 
• Why should understanding this matter to me? 
• What is God saying about it here?

(Again, jot down significant thoughts.)

The Heart 

Mentally release distracting thoughts as you personalize this aspect of your relationship with God. See yourself engaging in intimate communion with the Father and Son through the Spirit within you. 

Ask:

• What do you want me to know, Lord? 
• Why are you bringing this to me today? 
• Who am I and who are you, considering this?

You will sense when God has spoken. Treasure what you feel you’ve heard. Turn it over and over in your heart and mind. Experience the wonder of it. Rest in it. Do not rush.

Offer a response to God. Worship him in the quietness of this moment. 

The Will 

Seek God’s will in relationship to this. 

Ask him:

• What do you want me to do? 
• How do you see me changing? 
• How can I live this truth you have given? 

Write your response in your prayer journal.

Commit to memorizing this passage or reading it daily for one week. 

‍The article above is an excerpt from Tricia’s book The Soul at Rest. Find it on Amazon here.