A Christian meditation is not much different than a normal one, but instead of trying to clear your mind in order to achieve this sense of peace, you fill your mind with Jesus Christ’s words, and you think positive thoughts.
Meditation, in all of its forms, proves to be highly effective for both the body and soul. By constantly meditating, you free yourself of the daily problems that might cloud your mind, and you unlock a new sense of freedom and fulfillment. The purpose of meditating is to help ease your mind and put your anxiety to rest, giving you peace and calmness in return.
Christian meditation should be the one thing that all Christians do, either collectively or alone, to better their connection with their religion and with God Himself. While praying is considered a form of meditation, it is important to understand that it is not the only one.
For example, some Christians choose to better their knowledge of Jesus Christ’s life by selecting a verse and studying it profusely until they resonate so much with it that they feel like they are living it. Another good way to meditate as a Christian is to let God guide you. It’s never beneficial to enter the state of meditation with anger in your heart. Instead, try to calm down and focus.
How To Enter the State of Meditation as a Christian
It might feel a little weird at first, especially if you have never done any meditation, but it is fairly simple to start meditating. First, you need to make sure you have a private space to yourself. It would be best to have something that inspires you present. For example, some people choose to face a beautiful view or gaze at the sky. Others place the Bible in front of them and light a few candles. This step is truly up to you.
Secondly, you need to take a deep breath and focus on getting rid of those negative thoughts. And don’t panic if you feel like you have many of them; everyone does.
Most people think they need to achieve an empty mind and maintain that, but this could not be further from the truth. When it comes to Christian meditation, instead of trying to achieve an empty mind, try to think to yourself, “What would Jesus Christ do?” By doing this, you allow Him into your heart, and eventually, you are able to repel all sinful thoughts.
We live in such a chaotic world that meditation is the key to a better life, especially for Christians. Meditation can also seal your connection to God even tighter.
The ultimate purpose of Christian meditation is to make you understand that your spirit is more connected to Him than anything else. So, yes, it is crucial to take care of your body and to ensure that you are happy and healthy, but remember to take care of your soul too. This is where meditation comes into the picture.
What Religion Can Use Meditation?
Sadly, over the years, many people found it hard to believe that meditation is not a bad thing. For the longest time, people even thought that those who meditated were witches because they would see them stand still for longer periods of time, usually with their eyes closed on their knees. Thankfully, nowadays, older generations are starting to be educated by the newer ones.
Nevertheless, meditation was always there, present in all religions. There is no need to fight over who invented Christian meditation because everyone connects to their spirit and their God in a different way. This is what makes humans special.
And meditation is not a newly discovered thing. Archaeologists claim that this practice of connecting to one’s God or Gods was done even before the birth of Jesus Christ, 5.000 years earlier, to be exact. Most religions throughout history had a way of meditating. Egyptians would perform rituals in which they asked their Gods to guide them, and Buddhists entered a state of meditation to clean their hearts and become spiritually invincible.
The Japanese would use meditation as a way to calm their rage. It was specially performed by samurais before and after battles.
As you can clearly see, religions from all corners of the world use meditation in one way or another in the hope of fixing something. Those who practice meditation focus on deeply studying verses, scriptures, or words, hoping God will change them or show an alternate way when they fear they are out of options.
Can You Meditate Anywhere?
If you have never meditated before, it is advised to at least try to find “your way.” There are many people who can meditate anywhere, anytime. However, this requires a lot of skill because you need to learn to stop focusing on distractions. To answer briefly, yes, you can meditate anywhere. As long as you can focus on your heart and soul and form a connection to God, Christian meditation will come easy to you.
As a matter of fact, there are priests and nuns who meditate together. You need to understand meditation is personal, and it doesn’t have to last hours. If you find your mind wandering, you can meditate for a few minutes.
There are religions that consider meditation an activity that helps them relax. Therefore, you could be meditating while reading, writing, or even doing activities such as knitting, singing, or gardening. Remember, God is eternal, and He is with you everywhere you go. You don’t need to prove to Him that you are meditating. It would be best if you were comfortable with yourself in order to start meditating.
So, even if you are an individual with a busy schedule that always wants to find time to meditate to connect with God, know you can. Even on your lunch break, at work. While you are eating, try to say a silent prayer and start from there.
Find small moments every day to meditate, and never let yourself get discouraged. He hears you; He listens and will try to guide you. The only thing you need to focus on getting better at is to let Him.