What Is Christian Meditation

Christian meditation as a form of prayer

Meditation is a form of prayer.

Prayer is ‘the raising of the heart and mind to God’. Most of our training in prayer is limited to the mind. We were taught as children to say our prayers, to ask God for what we or others need. But this is only half of the mystery of prayer. The other half is meditation or the prayer of the heart.

When we meditate, we are not thinking of God or talking to him or asking for anything. We are simply being with God, who is in us in the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we believe that the Spirit of Jesus is present in us. St Paul reminds us, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the indwelling Holy Spirit”. We sing the hymn, “God is dwelling in my heart; he and I are one”.

what meditation involves

In meditation we seek to BE with God. The way we do this is to lay aside all thoughts and images, and learn to give all our attention to the presence of the Lord within us.

First, we sit still, then we bring our mind to stillness by taking a prayer word and repeating the word faithfully throughout the period of meditation. The continuous recitation of the prayer word, popularly known as a mantra, helps us to let go of all other thoughts. When our mind wanders and we are distracted by other thoughts, we simply return to the mantra.

We recommend the prayer word, "Maranatha", from the Aramaic language which Jesus spoke, which means, “Come, Lord”.

What Is Christian Meditation?

Christian meditation as a form of prayer

what meditation involves

Ready to try on your own?