Prayer, Meditation and Waiting

Since the beginning of creation, men have sought to find a solution, through various forms of meditation (transcendental meditation, yoga practices, New Age involvement and the like), to find answers for their human dilemmas - worry, lack of mental peace, strife, war and ill health. But they will not find lasting answers or solutions through these secular forms of meditation. Only those who know God, take time to come before Him in prayer and meditation and waiting upon Him, can find and know these answers.

In God's heart nothing supersedes His longing to restore fellowship with the human race and to have actual communication with them. Thus it ought to also be the deepest longing of those who know God to likewise want communication, dialogue, and times of being in His presence, and meditation on the many attributes of God. All the prominant Old Testament saints (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and especially David) sought the face of God, walked and communed with Him.

Jesus Christ makes it all possible

The writer of Hebrews said, "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in all full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19 - 22, NKJV).

We can boldly come to God and have communion with Him through the blood of Jesus. In other words, the blood of Jesus opens the door for us to draw near to God to praise Him, worship Him, pray to Him, to appreciate Him, meditate on His attributes, wait upon Him, and thank Him and to develop an intimate relationship with Him.


The meditations of David

David was a person who truly knew His God and therefore he was a great man of prayer, meditation and waiting upon the Lord. Here are some examples of his meditation:

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him" (Ps. 8:3, 4, NKJV).

"My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue" (Ps. 39:3, KJV, emphasis added).

Notice that "musing" is a state of deep thought or dreaming abstraction, to become absorbed in thought; to turn something over in the mind meditatively; to wonder of marvel. In short, it is the same as "meditation".

"When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches, because thou hast been my help, ..." (Ps. 63:6, 7, KJV).

You can see clearly that David spent night watches (or nighttimes) in giving place to meditating; his mind and spirit swelling, or musing, with great contrmplation upon the Lord.

"I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings" (Ps. 77:12, KJV).

David, in his meditation, dwelt upon all God's work. He also said, "My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord" (Ps. 104:34, NKJV). In other words, to David it was a time of sweetness, a time of preciousness when he would shut himself away, or while alone in the fields give time to meditate upon the Lord.

Meditation is certainly sweetness to the heart and gentleness to the soul; and affects nearly every aspect of us, both spiritually and physiologically. David further said, "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways" (Ps. 119:15, KJV).

I believe more of us would have greater respect of God if we spent more time, as David did, in meditating upon His laws, upon His precepts, on His judgments, and the many aspects of God's divine order.

David also said, "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation" (Ps. 119:99, KJV).

David said that he had more understanding than all of his teachers simply because he had meditated (given deep thought) upon God's testimonies. Therefore by meditating upon the testimonies of God, he was able to have an increased knowledge and wisdom that supperseded all of his instructors. We can do likewise. For all God's people, meditation and musing upon God's great works leads to increased knowledge and wisdom.

Meditation and thought life

Meditation and the thought life of a believer are closely related - in fact almost synonymous. I believe the thought life plays a very important part in successful Christian living. A mind cut loose to run every direction, undisciplined, will cause continued unrest and leave one unstable, insecure, and actually void of receiving anything much from God. This is precisely what James said:

"... he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8, NKJV).

So it is imperative that we understand something about the thought life of the Christain.

Peter offered a suggestion: "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, ..." (1 Peter 1:13, NKJV).

In other words, we need to tuck in the loose ends of our minds (thoughts). Don't let thoughts run wild; gird them up; concentrate on proper, essential, productive, eternal, heavenly things.


Paul also said something about our thoughts: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praisworthy - meditate on these things" (Phil. 4:8, emphasis added).


In given us these guidelines for our thought life, he mentioned 8 categories of things we should meditate on.


Paul also taught us how to control our thoughts:


"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought (including wild thoughts and imaginations) into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4, 5).


We control our thoughts by being obedient to Christ, and by bringing every wild thought and wild imagination under captivity. The evil one wants us to think wild thoughts, but the Holy Spirit in us keeps them under captivity.


Meditation and thoughts of a believer is so important that Paul admonished Timothy: "Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all" (1 Tim. 4:15, emphasis added).


The things that Timothy should meditate upon can be found in Timothy 1 - 4. In general these are the things of God.


I believe that discipline of the whole life begins first with the control of the thought life. Whatever you license in your mind, whether evil or good, you will perform when the opportunity affords itself. In other words, if you license in your secret thoughts, lust or evil desires, when the opportunity comes Satan will see to it that you will perform those acts. Satan knows that he can only attack you mind (part of your soul), but not your spirit. And through your mind he attacks your body.


James said, "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death" (James 1:14, 15).

Only through prayer and meditation, the mind is trained and exercised into discipline and control by the Spirit of God.


Musing and meditation


How shall I spend my time of musing and meditation? The psalmists showed us many ways:


Musing on the Word of God


"Blessing is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night" (Ps. 1:1, NKJV).


Musing upon God


"My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches" (Ps. 63:5, 6).


Musing and meditating upon past blessings


"I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of your hands" (Ps. 143:5).


Waiting


Through Isaiah, God said, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount upon with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31, NKJV, emphasis added).


The statement: "Wait on the Lord" means to wait upon Him like a waitress or a servant. But the Scripture says that believers are sons and not servants (John 15:15; Gal. 4:7).


So, upon this premise, this waiting upon the Lord reminds me of a loving son who sits at the table with his father to cummunicate, listen, and learn; he refuses to run off to other sources for wisdom and knowledge, but waits to learn from his father. Waiting is sweet tarrying before the Lord, in quiet times, often to learn and be strengthened from this tremendous fellowship and communication with God, the Father.


The word, "waiting" implies a time of conquering, controlling, disciplining the restless spirit, quieting ourselves, being silent with a holy, spiritual silence and just being in His presence.


Here, Isaiah was told that to wait upon the Lord was the source of strngth, with the ability to rise above this present world of conflct and problems, like an eagle taking flight.


The benefits of waiting upon the Lord


The psalmist said, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).


I believe, "being still" simply means, "Stop, be quiet, wait in His presence and upon God, not mere daydreaming, but in total concentration and quietness".


Jeremiah said, "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:25, 26, NKJV, emphasis added).


The word "salvation", in this context, comes from the Hebrew word "teshuwah" which means, "Rescue, deliverance or help".


David, the psalmist said, "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him" (Ps. 62:5).


David's expectation was of the Lord. By waiting upon God, we can expect many miracles wrought by Him, both for our own emotional and spiritual life inwardly and outwardly, and also for His leading and provision.


The result of failing to wait upon the Lord


David said, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass" (Ps. 37:7).


What David is literally saying is, don't do anything until you have heard from God; be patient and wait upon the Lord; don't be motivated by others. We could have saved ourselves many a heartbreaking moment and difficult trial if we had not moved ahead of the Lord, doing our own things instead of waiting for our Heavenly Father to give us direction. This is an important truth that needs to be learned by all Christians. It is part of the meditating and waiting process that, when learned and when practiced, can make for a better and more successful Christian life of faith.


Conclusion


God spoke to Joshua when He commisioned him to take over the duties of Moses:


"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous. and then you will have good success" (Joshua 1:8, emphasis added).


God made it clear that if Joshua (or any man) would constantly meditating upon the Word of God then he would have prosperity and good success.


The same thought pattern is reiterated in Psalm 1 where the psalmist said that any man who delights himself in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night, shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. In other words, the blessings of the Lord, the fruitfulness, the productiveness and the prosperous way rest upon the man who will take time to meditate, muse, contemplate, and wait upon the Lord!