Is meditation OK as a Christian?

What kind of meditation?

Philipians 4:6-9Paul writes: " Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." I believe that this passage gives us the two "spiritually-associated mental processes" we should have as followers of Christ: prayer and meditation. The reason meditation is good is because it's an internal discipline. We help ourselves, not hurt ourselves, when we calm our mind long enough to dwell on the things listed in this verse. I think the key is to "think on these things" though, not opposing things. I would also recommend it in that context. Other spiritually-associated mental processes, on the other hand (astral projection, divination, etc., etc.) are dangerous and in opposition with God's desire for us.

I practice "nothingness" meditation. Catch and release random thoughts. Clear the mind. It is wonderful. Donnie

Yes, but Meditate, on GOD's word.1 Timothy 4:11-16 explains this. Also Leviticus 11:2. A food law you ask, what does this have to do with meditation? Chewing the cud( one of the characteristics of clean meat)in a spiritual sense, means to meditate or think on it. When you study GOD's word,meditate or think on it so it will be sealed in your mind.Rev 9:4 prophesy of when the locust army and Satan(as Anti Christ) comes, tells us why we want to be sealed with GOD's word. KJV Rev 9:4" And it was commanded them that they(the locusts from vs 3) should not hurt the grass of the earth,neither any green thing,neither any tree;but only those men which have not the seal of GOD in their foreheads( in their minds).So please study GOD's word and meditate on it!!!!, If you take your Strong's concordance and look up the word:meditate. You will see verses all through the OLD and New Testament. Look up each verse and you should have an even more complete answer!Jesus is the living word!

(DONNIE;41406)
I practice "nothingness" meditation. Catch and release random thoughts. Clear the mind. It is wonderful. Donnie
You're right Donnie. After all the thoughts come and go, the mind really becomes clear and at peace. Actually, this is how you "get into" meditating on something constructive, so you shouldn't stop there. After your mind is cleared you can take control of it and do some awesome transformation inside (with God's help and guidance through prayer, of course). I've only done it a few times, but you can actually control your body with your mind (i.e. move an arm without physically trying to) when you're "there". Do this by meditating on that action in your head over and over ("arm, move... arm, move..."). In the same way, you can also control your internal processes ("The joy of The Lord is my strength... The joy of the Lord is my strength..."). Does that make sense? Powerful stuff. Once you get your automatic thought process out of the way (clearing the mind by the "catch and release of random thoughts"), you can start crafting your thought process into what you want it to look like. We do this by meditating on God's word, as blessed1195 said, and on the types of things in our personal lives that apply from Philipians 4:6-9. In other words, if you have trouble focusing on the right things... or getting your mind off the "wrong things", try meditating every day or so unitil you've reconstructed how you think. Without meditating, we become sloppy and lazy with our thoughts. It's hard to follow The King with a mind like that. I totally recommend it to every Christian. It's pretty fun stuff... if you get to do it right. If you decide to try it and need some help, I'll share some more.

(DONNIE;41406)
I practice "nothingness" meditation. Catch and release random thoughts. Clear the mind. It is wonderful. Donnie
Could you elaborate on this process. BTW I think meditation can be great. I am certain you can do it destructively and positively... Be wise!

I always meditate before prayer. I started with "8 Minute Meditation" by Davich. Its a little complicated as well as a step by step process to really explain in detail here.Donnie

I don't think the meditation you are doing is the same meditation Paul is speaking of. The one you seem to be talking about can open your mind to evil spirits. The meditation of the bible means to ponder, wonder, basicly just think about Gods word. It doesn't mean all this "empty your mind" enlightenment stuff. In the Old Testament there are two primary Hebrew words for meditation: Haga, which means to utter, groan, meditate, or ponder; and Sihach, which means to muse, rehearse in one's mind, or contemplate. It has nothing to do with "emptying your mind and catching random thoughts". Please look into this more.

I am certain you can do it destructively and positively.
I think you mean constructively don't you Franklin?

I think he meant what he said because it can be really destructive. I guess we should start with a general definition of what meditation is to everyone.Me personally. I really don't like that word.I like to think or to read or to pray. Pray is a good word, muse is a great word!. Meditate.. Just doesn't cut it for me.I guess it is just my personal definition of what I think meditate is and what you are referring to in real sense.I have not found a place where Jesus would meditate. I saw tons of places where He went to pray. Went to pray alone on the mountain. He would leave early in the morning to pray. I do not think meditation is good for Christians (now that is based on my definition of what meditation is) I just have not found it in the Bible.Grace be with you all!MEDIDATE (NO)PRAY (YES)THINK ABOUT WORD OF GOD (YES)A person will not get away from the world just by thinking nothing. I think it only opens up doors.Think about word of God. AND BE FILLED WITH GRACE!HALLELUAH

The word meditate exists 14 times in the KJV Bible (Most of which are in Psalm). Another key verse to support this practice is Paul writing to Timothy: "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all." (1 Tim. 4:15) Meditation is an act that helps us change who we are. We can "give ourselves wholly" to what we meditate on (for good or, I agree, for bad). This is more than just prayer; although prayer is the most vital part of constructive meditation. We need to ask God for His help, but we definitly also need to spend time feeding healthy thoughts so they can become a stronger part of who we are (I don't think the Lord just automatically does that for us). Without transforming our minds we remain careless and carnal in our mindsets. I believe this is what Romans 12:2 is referring to. I agree that the Christ wasn't said to have "meditated". I think He was initially more willing to be holy than we are day-to-day. He needed little self-motivation aside from "not My will but Yours be done..." (Mark 14:36). We, on the other hand, need to force ourselves to latch onto what's good by having a mindset like David confessed he had in many of the Psalms. Check them out: "meditate" in the Bible. I really admire the Psalmist's understanding of choosing to be built on the things of the Kingdom.

(Two;41433)
I think you mean constructively don't you Franklin?
I meant destructively - the appropriate counter would have been "constructively" instead of "positively".My intent was "meditation" in a single word holds multiple and varied definitions of that same word. To some it simply means concentrating and soaking in the Word of God, to others a time of quiet, to others it means trying to tap into the unseen world of higher consciousness, and enlightenment... So depending on the individual definition of "meditation", the benefits or dangers vary on the individuals particular definition of or meaning of the word "Meditation"

Meditation helps one to focus. Those that do not meditate can not understand. Can you sit and concentrate totally on one subject for 15 minutes without any other thoughts entering your mind and changing your direction of thought? Meditation will allow you to achieve that state. There is nothing negative about meditation unless you choose to meditate on evil things. It actually aids you to release those evil thoughts.as in the above post; there are many ways to meditate

(DONNIE;41479)
Meditation helps one to focus. Those that do not meditate can not understand. Can you sit and concentrate totally on one subject for 15 minutes without any other thoughts entering your mind and changing your direction of thought? Meditation will allow you to achieve that state. There is nothing negative about meditation unless you choose to meditate on evil things. It actually aids you to release those evil thoughts.as in the above post; there are many ways to meditate
Is there anyplace online to examine and explore the 8 minute meditation?

Not that I know of. The book is less than $10 and is really just a start. It is the 2nd best life changing experience I have had. Donnie

Wow! That's quite a testimony! - Okay for less than $10 I can take a chance on such a great recommendation!

(DONNIE;41406)
I practice "nothingness" meditation. Catch and release random thoughts. Clear the mind. It is wonderful. Donnie
By "Clearing the mind" and "Catching random thoughts" doesn't that leave the mind open to satan's subtle lies? How do you know who's thoughts those are that you're catching? I would think it's always better to do as recorded in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely. whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."However, clearing the mind and not thinking on anything but whatever pops into it can be dangerous. That's an invitation to satan to put thoughts into your mind that you could think come from God. Too many have been fooled that way. Satan is the father of lies and deceit.I see nothing wrong with meditation if we're meditating on the goodness of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and seeking His guidance..

That was a 2-part phrase. "Catch & Release". Thoughts WILL enter your mind rather you ALLOW or not. You do not have that choice. It's what you do with those thoughts thats important. No need to argue. Meditation is good. Not everything which is not Bible related is bad.Donnie