Frequently Asked Questions

What is Christian meditation?

If you look up the word "meditate" in the dictionary it means to "engage in thought or
contemplation; reflect." Meditation means the act of meditating; continued or extended
thought; reflection; contemplation; or devout religious contemplation or spiritual
introspection. Therefore the practice of Christian meditation would be to engage in thought,
contemplation, and reflection about our relationship with Christ and/or the Word of God.
There is nothing really mystical about it. We all meditate everyday when are minds are
singled-focused on something for an extended period of time. There are different methods
used to meditate on God but our goal is to create a more fruitful walk with the Lord.

What are the benefits of Christian meditation?

There are countless benefits to Christian meditation. I believe the 3 greatest benefits of
Christian meditation is that it allows us to spend more quality time with God, teaches us to
control our thought life, and helps us maintain our mental health and emotional well-being.

Spend More Quality Time with God- The Psalms 46:10 tells us to be still and know God. In
order to know God we need to spend time with him. The more time we spend in God’s word and abide in his presence, the more we take on his character and likeness. In Luke 19, when Jesus went to Zaccheaus, the tax collector's home, it is said that Zaccheaus told Jesus as a result of his visit, If I has wronged or cheated anyone I will repay them back with interest. When we dwell in God's presence we are changed. When Mary and Martha had Jesus over as a dinner guest, Martha became upset because Mary wasn't helping her with the preparations. Jesus told Martha that she had many cares, but that Mary had made the better choice, to dwell at his side, and it will not be taken away from her.

Control Thought Life- Ephesians Chapter 6 tell us to cast down every fiery dart that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bring every thought into the obedience of Christ.
Meditation helps us to still our minds so that we can observe the subtle or unconscious
thoughts that we’re thinking. If we are not controlling our thoughts, then our thoughts are
controlling us. Many people live unconsciously or by mental default. They have never
examined their internal dialogue and live by reaction instead of purposefully. Meditation can
help you to observe the mental chatter in your mind so that you can eliminate and replace
them with God’s word and rise above lower level consciousness.

Promotes Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being- Just like we rest and cleanse our outer and inner bodies, our minds also need to consistent rest. Without mental rest we become
overwhelmed by the worries and the cares of our lives. We need to mentally detox from all the mental clutter, messages, and information we’re constantly bombarded with. It is during times of quietness, stillness and reflection that we're in the best position hear and commune with God. During meditation we learn surrender every situation to God. In return, we receive that peace that passes all understanding. We release the stress and many toxic emotions that
interfere with our peace of mind.

Is it ungodly for Christians to meditate?

I believe that Christians who are opposed to Christ-centered meditation don't really
understand the practice and its benefits. They also fail to acknowledge that meditating on
Christ is encouraged in the Bible. Read the following scriptures:

>Psalms chapter 46:10 tells us to be still and know that I am God.
>Joshua chapter 1 verse 8, admonishes us to meditate on God's word day and night.
>Psalms chapter 4: 4 persuades us,"When you are in your beds, search your hearts
and be silent.
>David desired in Psalms 104: 34, that his meditations be pleasing to the Lord.
>Isaiah declared in Chapter 50:4, "He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my
ear to listen like one being taught.
>Moses spent 40 days on the mountain abiding and learning from God (Exodus 34-
35).
>Paul received revelation and saw visions from heaven (2 Corinthians 12).John wrote
visions that are recorded in the book of Revelations.
>The Bible says even Jesus spent hours alone with God (Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35).

Our greatest inspirations and truths come during times of quietness, stillness, openness, and
reflection- all components of meditation. Almost any activity can be abused and used for
evil. Sometimes it's not what we do but our motivation for doing it. In the same light, the
practice of meditation can be used to honor God or dishonor Him. Some forms of
meditation encourage participants to empty their minds in an effort to connect with the
supernatural world. That can be dangerous. However, Christian meditation encourages
believers to be still before God so we can dwell in his presence, focus entirely on Him, and
quiet our minds so we can fully embrace His Word.

Why do Christians need to control their thoughts?

Every individual lives by what I call an internal life or mental script that determines their actions and mindsets. Many of these mindsets, which originated from youth, were embedded in our subconscious minds and we’re often not aware they’re there. Even though we receive Christ as our Savior, our conditioning, scripts, patterns, and habits don't leave or change
automatically. Most of us live on mental default most of the time. Because of our busy and
hectic lives, we don’t take the time to be still be enough so that we can observe our thoughts
and challenge, eliminate or alter them in accordance with the Word of God. Consequently, we continue to struggle just like Paul stated in Romans 7, we know what to do, but we just can’t seem to do it. We may listen to an inspiring sermon and get excited for the moment, but before long it wears off and we’re often back to our old behaviors. By meditating, we learn to look objectively at our thoughts and learn to take authority over them instead of the other way around. How can you control your thoughts if you don’t even recognize what they are? For more information read my article,

What is the History of Christian Meditation?

Please visit our Christian Meditation Articles page for links, history, and articles and other informative information on Christian Meditation. 

I’m a Christian. Why am I so worried or depressed?

Each year more than 21 million Americans, many of them Christians, are diagnosed with
depression. If depression runs in your family tree, you have a greater tendency to experience
depression at some time in your life. Depression is generally triggered by a crisis or loss in our lives. Everyone gets down sometimes, but prolonged sadden begins to alter the functioning of our minds and may also create a chemical unbalance in our brains. Healthy thoughts are replaced by negative and debilitating thoughts which start to affect our moods. These destructive thoughts become so embedded in our thinking that they cripple us. The longer depression goes untreated the more debilitating our lives become. One key to overcoming depression is reprogramming your thinking (renewing your mind), but that can be difficult to do when you can hardly get yourself out of the bed. Christian meditation is like the wheel chair that picks you up off the floor and gets you moving in the direction of recovery. Consistent Christian meditation will help you to control your thoughts and renew your mind with God’s word. Worry is fear and comes from not trusting God to meet your needs.


Do the CDs eliminate the need for counseling or anti-depressants?

Most therapists agree that a combination of counseling and medication is needed to treat
depression. The medication plays the same role as the wheel chair. It picks you up off the
ground and assists you in moving in the direction of recovery. Without the medication, patients often aren’t able to elevate their mood enough to start the healing process. The counseling aspect of treatment helps patients to alter or reprogram their thinking. Christian meditation can assist in the healing process and reinforce your therapist’s treatment plan or it may replace the need for anti-depressants, counseling or both. It’s a natural way to recovery and worth a try. For more information, read the article for Christian Counselors, click here.

What should I do after the meditation end?

At the conclusion of each meditation, turn off the CD player and spend some time in silence
just abiding in God’s presence. For most people, you will want to linger with God indefinitely
because it's a simply wonderful feeling. On many occasions God may impress upon you a
word, phrase, scripture, unction, or even a vision. At that time, I will either open the Bible and try to locate a chapter or passage that relates to that particular word or phrase and read it intently looking for any meaning currently relevant to my life or circumstances. You can write any words, messages, or inspirations in a journal. Following journaling spend some time in prayer.

My mind begins to wander off, what should I do?

During the meditation, refrain from trying to memorize everything you hear. Just relax and bring your mind and body to a state of stillness and oneness with God's spirit by focusing on your breathing and keeping your mind free from distractions. Whenever your mind begins to
wander, repeat the scripture, "peace be still,” "I surrender all," "Jesus take control," or "I have the mind of Christ." Only pick one and stick with it throughout the meditation. Your spirit will absorb God’s Word being spoken, so you don't have to focus too heavily on it. If you make the meditation a mental exercise, you are trying to control the outcome and may feel frustrated and stressed in the end. During and at the end of the meditation you should experience a sense of peace, well-being, and the serenity with God.

Why do you encourage deep breathing exercises?

Deep breathing exercises provide an excellent method to relieve stress and rid yourself of toxic emotions that inhabit your body. Emotions become toxic when they create prolonged
depression, oppression, or worry in our lives. The most common toxic emotions include fear,
pain, anxiety, and guilt. You can literally release these emotions from your body by identifying
them and consciously eliminating them through deep breathing exercises. To target specific
emotions, sit quietly and ask yourself, what am I feeling. As you reflect on the emotion, reflect on what thought or action led to your uneasiness or pain. For example, you may feel sad or anxious. Now reflect back on when it started and what may have caused it. Perhaps someone in the grocery store made a rude comment to you. Almost every negative emotion can be traced back to a specific incident. If you can identify the thought, you can work through it and the destructive emotions associated with it. During deep breathing, each time you exhale, mentally say…I release and then insert the emotion you want to release. For example, I release anxiety. Continue to repeat the exercise until all vestiges of the toxic emotion are gone and your peace of mind is restored.


I am plagued with uncontrollable and raging thoughts almost constantly. What
should I do?

Read the article you can access on the Control Negative Thoughts by Hiring a
Mental Gatekeeper.  (Please sign up for Subscription to receive this article.) It contains some techniques to help you stop negative thoughts in their path.


How often should I listen to the meditations?

At least once per day. Instructions regarding a meditation schedule is on the Cd introduction
and/or in the CD inside panel. Meditation works progressively, so the longer and more often
you do it, the greater benefits you’ll receive. Consistent meditation promotes peace of mind
and mental clarity. It will help you to recognize mental clutter and negative thoughts or
emotions that are trying to invade your mind. Just like taking your daily vitamins, you can’t see them working but you feel the positive effects in better health. Meditation works the same. Over time you’ll feel more at peace and your intimacy with God will increase.


Written by Rhonda Jones
Serenity Enterprise ©Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.

"In quietness and confidence has be your peace."