Practicing Meditating Only on God’s Word
Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105)–Meditate on the Word of God “day and night, so that you may be careful to do every thing written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). A born-again believer in Jesus Christ, who testified he was deeply into New Age Far Eastern meditation said: “Contemplating God’s word is a good thing. But the contemplative prayer I speak of is not.”
Eastern Contemplative Prayer is Bad.
Brian Flynn, now the director of One Truth Ministries in Minneapolis, says: “Eleven years ago I walked away from the life of a New Age medium and gave my heart to Jesus Christ. As a medium, I performed psychic readings and, through meditative practices, contacted spirit guides. At the time, I did not realize these guides were demonic. Now as a Christian, I no longer have to chant, go into altered states of consciousness or perform rituals to find the peace and truth I found through the Lord and his Word. A more complete testimony of the now Director of One Truth Ministries in Minneapolis, Brian Flynn, is presented in Eastern Meditation Sneaks into the Church, by Prof. Johan Malan, Univ. of Limpopo, South Africa.
Being a converted from New Age meditation, Brian said he was shocked to learn that the Far Eastern technique of meditation had “infiltrated Christianity through…a practice called contemplative prayer.” He said this technique “involves repeating a word or phrase over and over again until reaching what is called “the silence.”Sometime instead of a word or phrase, the breath is focused upon, thus the name “breath prayer.” The goal? Reaching an “altered state of consciousness” and order to communicate with God.”
Brian Flynn shares his experiential understanding of contemplative prayer in light of God’s Word: “Why would God put me in a position to fend for myself in this unknown spiritual realm surrounded by spiritual beings that are not in cooperation with God and his way? He would not.” (2 Corinthian 11:14; 1 Peter 5:8; John 10:10)). Brain adds: “As a former New Age medium, I know the difference between Eastern meditative practices and biblical Christian prayer. Sadly, too many in the Christian community do not”
According to this and other articles by Lighthouse Trails Publishing, Western contemplative prayer tends to use biblical names and phrases as mantras that are more attractive to Christians, rather than “om” and other Eastern mantras. These articles inform and alert us to the fact that a resurgence in efforts to use some ancient religious practices to merge Christian meditation with Eastern meditation started in 1960’s—1970’s, and is grown extensively today.
Meditating and praying in line with the Word of God is good.
Meditate/ meditation occurs in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible twenty time. In all but one occurrence, it refers to focusing God himself, his word, his law, his praise, his works—all thinking about the God of the Bible. In one instance, Isaac is seen going out into the field to meditate/ponder; when God delivers his prospective wife Rebekah to him by camel from a distant land (Genesis 24:63). in Bible context 20 times, in no instance does meditate/meditation refer to silence, breath prayeror “reaching a state of altered consciousness in order to communicate with God.”
Meditate
Ge 24:63 went out to m in the field at the
Jos 1:8 shalt m therein day and night,
Ps 1:2 his law doth he m day and night
Ps 63:6 m on thee in the night watches
Ps 77:12 I will m also of all thy work and
Ps 119:15 I will m in thy precepts and have
Ps 119:23 thy servant did m in thy statutes
Ps 119:48 loved; and I will m in thy statutes
Ps 119:78 but I will m in thy word
Ps 119:148 that I might m in thy word
Ps 143:5 I m on all thy works; I muse on
Isa 33: 18 Thine heart shall m terror. Where
Lu 21:14 not to m before what ye shall
1Ti 4:15 M upon these things; give thyself
Meditation
Ps 5:1 O Lord, consider my m
Ps 19:14 the m of my heart, be acceptable
Ps 49:3 m of my heart… be understanding.
Ps 104:34 My m of him shall be sweet: I will
Ps 119:97 O how I love thy law! It is my m all the day.
Ps 119:99 for thy testimonies are my m
The Word of God offers guidance in communication with God.
- Matthew 4:4–Man shall live…on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
- Proverbs 3:5-6–Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him [to all his word], and he will make your path straight
- Jeremiah 17:9—The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
- Hebrews 4:12-13—The word of God is… a discerner of the thought and intents of the heart.
- Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us that the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things he has revealed in his Word belong to us.
- Psalm 119:105—Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
- 2 Timothy 2:16-17—All scripture is given by inspiration of God so that the person of God might be thoroughly equipped for all situations in life.
- 2 Timothy 2:15—Study and meditate on all the words of God for understanding and his guidance.
- .Jesus Said when you pray do not keep on babbling repetitious like pagans, for you Father knows what you need before you ask him. But you should pray in the manner: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom com, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:7-13).
In examining contemplative prayer in light of God’s Word it is obvious that “the silence” of contemplative praying is out of line with the Word of God. And we should practice meditating only on God’ Word.
Recommend resources that support the Word of God concerning prayer and meditation:
https://youtu.be/Ya9BlyqzgPU (Video on East Meditation infiltrating minds children and adults)
https://youtu.be/fwEoX0zVUMg (video exposing Contemplative Prayer)
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/cp.htm (Articles on Contemplative Prayer)
https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/cpintheworld.htm (In depth article on Eastern Meditation Sneaks into the Church)
