What is Christian Meditation?

18 May, 2026

When you think of meditation, you may not immediately associate it with Christian tradition. Most discussion around the topic today deals with either Eastern traditions or scientific literature. Early in my walk with Jesus I was skeptical of the word meditation altogether, because the only forms I had any concept of were the culturally popular ones.

Yet, there's a long and rich tradition within both the Jewish and Christian faiths around meditation. Several passages within Scripture could be noted here, but I'll highlight one for today.

Psalm 1:1-2 ESV Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on His law he meditates ¹ day and night.

The Hebrew word that is translated as meditates in the ESV is hagah. It's most often translated this way, but it also can mean to moan, utter, or muse. The main idea behind it is that one thinks about a topic over and over or like a jeweler inspects all the facets, angle-by-angle, appreciating the newness that each one brings.

This meditation isn't necessarily one practiced in silence, though it can be. The person meditating on the Scripture repeats the verse(s) to themselves over and over (whether out loud or internally), inspecting it from every angle and allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to their soul.

Notice that just before the final statement of verse two we see that the man who is blessed finds his delight in the law of the LORD. This joy or delight stems from the time spent in the Word, meditating on the goodness found within and allowing the God who breathed it to speak into your heart and mind.

This is quite different from the Eastern tradition of emptying your mind, opposite even. Here we are actively filling our mind and heart with the Word of God.

It's also different from mindfulness meditation, which focuses on being mindful of your surroundings and inner-self. There's nothing wrong with a good body scan or taking a few minutes to focus on your breath - science has shown us that there are several physiological benefits from doing so. Christian meditation, however, it is primarily about focusing on what God's Word says and how it applies to your life rather than just your current state.

I'm learning to meditate on the Word more often. I've recently tried to pick a passage per week and really chew on it. I like to do so while on walks or in the shower, but literally anytime is fair game. The text says and on his law he meditates day and night.

I'd encourage you to give it a go if you're interested and never tried this form of meditation. The Word hasn't run out of new facets to be explored yet... and it never will. There's always depth to be explored in each one.