Learn How to Meditate on Scripture

Learning how to meditate on Scripture changed my life. For me, the practice began as a weekly homework assignment in Bible college. 

One class required students to choose and memorize a passage of Scripture, at least seven verses long, every week. After identifying key words in the passage, I studied their meanings in their original languages of Hebrew or Greek. 

Every day, while doing routine tasks or even while falling asleep at night, I focused my thoughts on one key word at a time, mulling over its meaning and application to my life. Sometimes I made it the focus of a brief prayer.

I’ll give you an example.

Find the key words’ meanings

Let’s say we want to meditate on Isaiah 40:31.

“But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (ESV)

First, identify a few key words. For brevity sake, I’ll focus on the first part of the verse and choose only three key words: wait, LORD, renew.

Next, look up the meanings of these key words in a dictionary and in the original language, Hebrew. I often use this resource in my research: BibleHub

Wait – to bind together as in twisting together to make strong, to wait with expectancy

LORD – Yahweh; the self-existent, eternal One (dive into who God is as manifest through this name in my book Names of God: Living Unafraid)

Renew – sprout, change, grow up

Meditate on the key words

To meditate on the key words, explore them from various angles. Imagine turning a Rubix cube ‘round and ‘round, looking at it from every direction.

Ask questions. Dig deep. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you fresh insights.

For the word “wait,” we might ask questions such as:

• On whom does this verse tell me to wait?
• What do I know to be true about the LORD? 
• What is the promise connected to waiting on Him?
• What happens if I don’t wait on Him?
• For what am I waiting at this time? 

For the word “LORD,” we might ask questions such as:

• Who is the LORD?
• What is He like? He is eternal, therefore His timeline looks much different than mine.
• What biblical characters have had profound experiences with Him?
• How does understanding His character enable me to wait with an attitude of calm and contentment?

For the word “renew,” we might ask questions such as:

• According to this verse, what will be renewed if I wait on the LORD?
• What part of me needs renewal? (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual)
• According to this verse, what does renewing my strength look like, based on the rest of this verse? What does that mean to me, personally?

I find it helpful to envision pictures for the key words as well. Taking the liberty to move to the rest of the verse, I might envision an eagle soaring overhead. How does it respond to strong winds? I might contrast that image with one of a hummingbird.

One of my friends loves to doodle biblical insights in her journal. If she were to meditate on this verse, she would probably sketch an eagle in flight, wings spread. Do whatever works best for you. 

This process might sound like alot of work, but here’s the thing: Do whatever you can to make it work for you in this present season of life. If find the original word meanings seems over the top for you, then scale it back and, instead, read the verse in several Bible versions. And when it comes to focusing your mind on those key words, you can do it anywhere. It’s not like you must sit in silence for an hour a day.

Mull over one key word while you drive to the grocery store. Do it while you’re watching your kids splash in the pool. Do it while you’re taking the dog for a walk. Choose one to ponder after you crawl into bed at night, and let it work in your mind while you sleep.

Benefits of meditating on Scripture

The thoughts on which our minds habitually dwell become our beliefs. Our beliefs influence our behaviors, and our behaviors determine our destiny. That’s why the thoughts we allow to dwell matter so much.

The key to overall well-being starts in our mind, so Scripture instructs us to think on things that are true, honorable, lovely, pure, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

Meditating on Scripture aligns with this directive, therefore we can expect to reap the benefits of God’s blessings for obedience. 

Here are three benefits we experience for meditating on Scripture:

• We experience God’s presence and peace in a vibrant way. (Philippians 4:9) 
• We experience inward transformation. Filling our minds with truth washes untruth away. Peace replaces angst. Gratitude replaces ingratitude. Hope replaces despair. (Romans 12:2)
• We can more readily determine God’s will for our lives—not only the big picture, but every day. (Psalm 119:105; Romans 12:2)

 Theologian J. I. Packer wrote, “Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God. It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.”

J.I. Packer got it right. Meditation isn’t a religious “must do.” It’s a means of connecting with God on a deeper level. It requires intentionality but the rewards are worth it.

If you want to learn more, here’s a great article about Biblical meditation: https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/biblical-meditation/