Meditation
This is a great time of year to teach older children (and remind ourselves) how to meditate on Scripture. Try the “40 Days of Lent” readings at bible.com. And if you need more help, follow the steps below from John Ortberg.
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
Suggestions for Meditating on Scripture
1. Ask God to meet you in Scripture. Acknowledge that he is present with you. Ask him to begin to wash your thoughts. Anticipate that God will speak to you through his Word. You may be deeply moved in reading or be prompted to take a particular course of action.
2. Read the Bible in a repentant spirit. Read it with a vulnerable heart, realizing that reading for transformation is different from reading to find information or to prove a point. Resolve to obey the Scriptures.
3. Meditate on a fairly brief passage or narrative. Read Scripture slowly. When certain words or thoughts stand out, let them sink into your heart and allow God to use them to speak to you. If you are reading a story, use your imagination to envision the setting and what was happening. “Success” in meditation is not to get through a quantity of Scripture but to get the Scripture through to you.
4. Take one thought or verse with you through the day. Fruitful living comes to the person who meditates on Scripture “day and night” (Psalm 1:1–3). Before you go to sleep at night or as soon as you wake up, choose a single piece of Scripture on which to meditate throughout the day. You’ll discover wonderful truths!
5. Allow this thought to become part of your memory. Memorizing Scripture is a powerful means of transforming your mind. It’s not how many words you memorize that matters; it’s what happens to your mind as you immerse it in Scripture.