My Meditation

My Meditation

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Do you have a prayer list? If so, what does it look like? Is it filled with requests? Needs? One Amish saying goes, “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depths of our hearts.”

God does tell us to ask. Matthew 7:7 says, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.” But there are numerous other places in the Bible where we are called to meditate. The Message version of Psalm 19:14 says, “[These words in my mouth] are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar.”

Meditation is a simple way of saying you’re listening to—or chewing on—God’s voice in the depths of your heart. To be able to meditate, you need three things:

1. Quietness. Turn off the television, your music, your computer. Let your mind ponder your favorite Scripture verses and think of God.

2. Discipline. What are your values? What activities do you want to fill your day? What does God want you to cut out so you can have more of Him? Discipline yourself to allow into your life only what’s best for your day. You don’t have to limit yourself to driving a buggy, but you can uphold whatever values you deem fit.

3. Structure. The Amish have definite structure to their days. When our bodies work in an ordered way, we can turn our minds back to God. When we take time to ponder God’s goodness, our meditations rise to Him in sweet prayers. God desires that we fill our days with thoughts of Him. He wants to be our constant companion, and we can find that companionship when we take steps to allow room for His presence.

Dear heavenly Father, what joy we bring to You and to ourselves when we “chew on” Your goodness in our hearts. May structure and quiet and discipline be the pillars to allow more room for You within me.