1. It is the active seeking of the kingdom of God
(Matthew 6:6,17,18,33; Luke 17:21; Romans 14:17; I Corin 4:20)
2. It is listening to/for the voice of God
(Deuteronomy 4:33)
3. It is becoming aware of the presence of God within
(Psalm 46:10)
4. It is a way of knowing that is greater than mere knowledge of facts
(Psalm 49:3)
5. It is a way to transform lives
(Psalm 1:1-3)
6. It is a way to realize a deeper awareness of Christ's presence in our lives
(Galatians 2:20)
7. It is food and water to the soul that hungers and thirsts
(Psalm 63:1.5)
1. Is it a form of self-hypnosis?
- hypnosis is an exercise of the intellect, a letting go of the will
- meditation is an increase in the over-all quality and depth of our total awareness
- hypnosis is a heightened state of suggestibility
- meditation is a heightened state of awareness
2. Is it escapism?
-it could become that, but those who have reached the highest states of consciousness through meditation have always lived lives of greater service to Mankind
3. Is it self-centered?
- no; meditation allows us to go into the deepest levels of our inner self in order to spiritually rise above the self--it is a bridge between our inner and outer selves
4. Is it "vain repetition"?
(Matthew 6:7)
- Jesus is referring here to those who continually beg God for one thing and then another, asking for the same things over and over, as if the more they ask, the more chance they will have of being heard
- meditation (when using repetitive prayer) seeks to silence that self-centered dialogue so that God's voice can be heard
01. Tranquility (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7)
02. Edification (I Corinthians 14:2,4)
03. Reflection (Psalm 77:12; 143:5)
04. Visualization (Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8)
05. Contemplation (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 46:10)
06. Waking Trance (Numbers 24:4; Acts 10:10; 22:17)
07. Deep Sleep (Genesis 15:12; Job 4:13; Daniel 8:18)
08. Ecstasy (Ezekiel 8:3; II Corinthians 12:2-4)
01. Body Contact - between two people
02. Chanting - using vowel sounds or words
03. Group - individuals desiring unity
04. Guided - using spoken words to "guide" into a meditative state
05. Imaginative - using visualizations
06. Individual - for personal problems
07. Journaling - writing in a journal
08. Logos - focusing on Christ within
09. Music - feeling, sensing, going with the music
10. Object - looking at all aspects of an object
11. Reflective - thinking deeply about something
12. Walking - meditation while walking