How Can I Practice Christian Meditation?

By Joel R. Beeke

Spiritual growth is a necessary part of the Christian's life, but a failure to practice biblical meditation hinders such growth. Today, many believers misunderstand this core Christian discipline because they associate it with New Age spirituality and false religions. During the Puritan age, however, many ministers preached and wrote about meditation, and in this pamphlet, Joel R. Beeke guides us through their instruction on this subject. By God's grace, "perhaps we can recover the biblical practice of meditation for our time."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
• Release date: Jul 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781601784926

Joel R. Beeke

Dr. Joel R. Beeke is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, a pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Mich., and editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books. He is author of numerous books, including Parenting by God’s Promises, Knowing and Growing in Assurance of Faith, and Reformed Preaching.

Book preview

HOW CAN I PRACTICE

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION?

JOEL R. BEEKE

REFORMATION HERITAGE BOOKS

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

How Can I Practice Christian Meditation?

© 2016 by Joel R. Beeke

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Direct your requests to the publisher at the following address:

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Printed in the United States of America

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ISBN 978-1-60178-491-9

ISBN 978-1-60178-492-6 (e-pub)

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CULTIVATING BIBLICAL GODLINESS

Series Editors

Joel R. Beeke and Ryan M. McGraw

Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said that what the church needs to do most of all is to begin herself to live the Christian life. If she did that, men and women would be crowding into our buildings. They would say, ‘What is the secret of this?’ As Christians, one of our greatest needs is for the Spirit of God to cultivate biblical godliness in us in order to put the beauty of Christ on display through us, all to the glory of the triune God. With this goal in mind, this series of booklets treats matters vital to Christian experience at a basic level. Each booklet addresses a specific question in order to inform the mind, warm the affections, and transform the whole person by the Spirit’s grace, so that the church may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

HOW CAN I PRACTICE

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION?

Spiritual growth is intended to be part of the Christian life of believers.1 Peter exhorts believers to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). True Christians are members of Christ by faith and partake in His anointing. By Christ’s power they are raised up to a new life and have the Holy Spirit given to them as an earnest, by whose power they seek those things which are above (Col. 3:1). Spiritual growth is only to be expected since it is impossible that those, who are implanted into Christ by a true faith, should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 32, 45, 49, 64).

One hindrance to growth among Christians today is their failure to cultivate spiritual knowledge by meditation. We are conscious that we often fail to give enough time to Bible reading and prayer, but

Reviews for How Can I Practice Christian Meditation?

[j me · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

great introduction to christian meditation; covering the basics of how and why. grateful to have this resource to kick off a long life of meditation and time spent with my savior.