The Neglected Art of Reformed Meditation

In my little (Conservative Evangelical) corner of the Christian world, we very much encourage personal Bible reading and prayer. The daily devotional “Quiet Time” is often seen as ideal. Our prayer is probably fairly intercession (asking for things) focused. We are a bit sus about listening to God in prayer (rightly in my view) and not quite sure what to make of silent or contemplative prayer. They are not a big thing with us. We read the Bible and see (again I think basically correctly) that prayer seems to be mostly talking to God with words. Jesus says, “When you pray, say…” (Luke 11:12).

 

We theoretically encourage thinking about the Bible. Perhaps its just be who tends to hurry on form the “Questions for Reflection” in the Bible Reading Notes and tick off the devotions as done. We are certainly in to group Bible study where we aim to discuss the meaning and application of the text, even if our sessions can get easily sidetracked.

 

But it seems that compared to our Reformed forefathers, we have very much neglected “meditation”, which might be something like contemplative prayer, or at least prayerful contemplation, prayerful thinking about God and his Word.

 

John Ball said that without meditation “a Christian life cannot stand.”[1] Thomas Watson called this “serious thinking upon God” “a duty wherein the very heart and lifeblood of religion lies.”[2]

 

For a biblical basis for Christian meditation we might think about Phil 4:8; Lk 2:19; Col 3:2 and explicitly of course Psalm 1:2 (and 119:48)[3].

 

Matthew Bingham explores what the Reformed have meant by meditation. It is sometimes a synonym for, or very close, to prayer, and it can be used to refer to communion with God more generally, but especially for the English Puritans it comes to mean “essentially a sustained thoughtful mediation”[4]. For Bingham, the heart of this meditation is to transform thoughts about God “into heartfelt, soul-stirring, life-transforming convictions”[5]. Meditation is purposeful reflection on the personal significance of Scripture which “attempts to move God’s truth from our heads to our hearts.”[6] Meditation “moves towards personal application and transformation… toward spiritual refreshment and growth.”[7]

 

According to Wilhelmus a Brakel, a Christian meditates “to be kindled with love, to be comforted, and to be stirred up to lively exercise.”[8]  

 

Bingham points out that according to Alec Ryrie, by far the most common way that early modern Protestants speak of their spiritual exercises is as a stirring up of the dying embers of the heart[9]. For Isaac Ambrose, “Meditation is as the bellows of the soul, that doth kindle and inflame holy affections.”[10] Similarly, Manton wants to “blow up those latent sparkles of grace that are in the soul.”[11]

 

Let us make space to meditate on the gospel so that we might fan the fires of faith, hope and joy within our hearts.

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[1] Divine  Meditation, p49 quoted in Matthew Bingham, A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation (Crossway, 2025) p135

[2] Watson, Heaven Taken By Storm, p23; Bingham p135

[3] Bingham, p131, 133f. See also Gen 24:63

[4] p135. See also the previous page.

[5] p136

[6] p136

[7] p136

[8] Christian’s Reasonable Service 4:25; Bingham p137

[9] Ryrie, Reformation Britain p67

[10] Media, p274; Bingham p137

[11] Works 17:275; Bingham p138