Bible Verses About
Meditation on the Bible
Meditation on the Bible has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I grew up in the era of “Transcendental Meditation,” and young believers were warned that meditation emptied your mind, and left it vulnerable to negative and evil thoughts. Therefore, I never really understood the encouragement from the Bible to meditate.
About 10 years ago, I stumbled upon a little book called Meditation by Jim Downing. It’s old and out-of-print, so I will sum up the wonderful ideas he shared. Downing stresses that meditation is allowing our brain to do what it does best at night. I won’t give you his scientific basis, but I will remind you that people often solve problems by “sleeping on them.”
What do you think about before you fall asleep? The movie you just finished watching? Your business, which is faltering? Mounting bills? What to do with the kids – again – tomorrow? Someone who is ill?
What do you wake up thinking about? Probably the same things. There is a connection.
Bible Verses about How to Meditate
David, the psalmist (song-writer) wrote, “Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord” (Psalm 4:4-5).
“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy” (Psalm 63:6-7).
“I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart and my spirit ponders” (Psalm 77:8).
What Does Your Brain do All Night?
While we sleep, our subconscious is very busy, resting, cleaning, organizing, and working over the past day’s information, getting ready for the upcoming day. This is also why we sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, still brooding on the previous day’s mistakes and disappointments or mulling over what we are going to do tomorrow.
Add to this, recent discoveries that we ought to be turning off our electronic devices at least an hour before we plan to go to bed. Yes, the blue light emitted from them disrupts our brain’s ability to settle down, but more than that, the overstimulation of all that media is filling our subconscious full of unnecessary stuff for the night’s sleep.
Downing suggests that what we go to bed thinking about is what our subconscious will work over all night, and what we will wake up thinking about. We really do have some control over what our subconscious deals with during the night. With that in mind, Downing has a plan.
Priming the Pump
Long ago, when everyone got their water from a river, lake or well, people had hand pumps on their land to bring the water to the surface. If the well had not been used for a while, it would pump dry. A person had to pour water into a hole at the top of the pump and then pump hard until water flowed from the spout. It was called “priming the pump.”
I thought that metaphor was good because if I want to think about God and the Bible while I sleep, I have first to put God and the Bible into my head.
Here is Jim Downing’s suggestion
Before going to sleep, pick up your Bible and read the Psalm number that matches tomorrow’s date. If there is nothing that strikes your heart, then add 30 to that number, and read that Psalm. Continue adding 30 and reading until you find a verse that you would like to think about in the night.
Read it several times and ponder about what it means to you. Then turn out the light, and think about it some more. It’s a discipline. You will probably have to keep dragging your thoughts back to that verse, but eventually you will fall asleep.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, with thoughts of the past or coming day bothering you, remind your heart and mind that you are thinking about the verse. Continue to think about it and pray to God until you fall back to sleep.
When I have gone to sleep singing a song from our worship service, I often am still singing it the next morning.
Next Morning
In the morning, (or sometime before noon – maybe your coffee break?), read the Psalm for the day’s date. Then add 30 to that number and read the next one, add 30 and read that one, and keep adding 30 until you have read 5 psalms for the day. (I save Psalm 119 for the 31st of the month!)
You will have discovered many connections, especially related to the verse you chose the night before. During your day, set times to remind yourself to think about these psalms. Maybe set your phone alarm. Back in Jim Downing’s day, a bus driver reminded himself by looking at street numbers. Or meditate during a break.
When your heart is troubled, remind your mind of the truths you found in God’s word.
“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You” (Psalm 139:17-18).
“O How I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).
“His delight in in the Law of the Lord, and on His Law he meditates, day and night” (Psalm 1:2).
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).