There seems to be some misgivings about the idea of “contemplative prayer” (also referred to as Christian Meditation) and in some of the descriptions I've read, I would agree that it can seem iffy.
Contemplation, or sometimes known as Lectio Divina, is in its most basic form, the idea and practice of waiting on the Lord. Often in silence or while you ponder on scripture or when you seek an answer or just to rest in his presence and have your strength renewed.
There are some people who think that this means “emptying your mind” and doing something akin to occultism, and opening yourself up to demons and deception. While I'm sure some websites or institutions may teach this, I would say that is not the true essence of this ancient practice.
I would never defend, nor advocate, any practice of emptying your mind, as this would be contrary to Scripture. What the bible repeatedly states is that we should be filling our minds with the things of God and scripture; focussing purely on God!
So let's take a look at the three basic tenets of this type of praying: silence, waiting, and meditating.
Being silent before the Lord is not an unbiblical position. Nor is finding some quiet alone time with yourself and God. In fact, this is what Jesus instructed (and did: Luke 5:16)!
Matthew 6:6
But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Psalms 62:1
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
Psalms 62:5
For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
Isaiah 41:1
Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;
let the peoples renew their strength;
let them approach, then let them speak;
let us together draw near for judgment.
Let us not forget that the voice of God is not necessarily loud and dramatic, but a small, still voice. How can we hear if we are not still ourselves?
1 Kings 19:12
After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.
Psalms 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God!
Time and time again, the scriptures encourage and implore us to wait patiently on the Lord. Even God himself is patient with us (2 Peter 3:9), so why should we not be for him? It is a fruit of the Spirit, after all (Gal 5:22-24).
Psalms 40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
Isaiah 40:31
...but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength…
Lamentations 3:25-27
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for one to bear
the yoke in youth
Waiting on God should be our desire!
Isaiah 26:8
In the path of your judgments,
O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and your renown
are the soul’s desire.
Isaiah even states that God works for those who wait for him!
Isaiah 64:4
From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
Sometimes all we can do is come before the Lord in patience with our prayers, even when we have no words, trusting in the Spirit to intercede for us.
Romans 8:25-27
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Our fast-paced, instant, “want it now” society has all but lost the art of sitting quietly and having patience. Even more so in prayer. We seem to think that God moves as fast as we expect or think, but it isn't so. God has always moved at his own pace, in his own time.
We just need to learn to wait. Like Habakkuk, we must wait in a determined manner when seeking God. Why ask of God, and then walk away and forget about it? We should stayed focused lest we doubt or get distracted by the busyness of life around us.
Habakkuk 2:1
mI will stand at my watchpost,
and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
Mark 11:24
So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
James 1:6-8
But ask in faith, never doubting ... for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
In all of this, we draw nearer to the Lord. And in doing so, he draws closer to us!
James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Some people don't like the word “meditate” as it conjures up strange Eastern practices with monks sitting cross-legged saying “ommm..” repeatedly.
But that's only one type, and is so far removed from Christian meditation it shouldn't even be compared.
Scriptures often speak of meditation, but not in the “emptying” sense, but rather, meditating on the Lord and his Word. The Psalmist says this often, and usually says only good and delight/joy will come of it.
Psalms 1:2
...but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
Not only meditating on God's Law and commands, but also just about him.
Psalms 63:6
...I think of you on my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night
Psalms 145:5
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
Also in times of distress and need, meditating on God, waiting on his Spirit of comfort for answers and/or peace.
Psalms 77:3
I think of God, and I moan;
I meditate, and my spirit faints.
Psalms 77:6
I commune with my heart in the night;
I meditate and search my spirit [for answers]
Meditating on the things God has done in your life is also something we can do, or even just thinking about his great deeds which are recorded in the bible.
Psalms 77:12
I will meditate on all your work,and muse on your mighty deeds.
Psalms 143:5
I remember the days of old,
I think about all your deeds,
I meditate on the works of your hands.
Not only that, we can and should meditate on God's commands so that we may better understand them, and also commit them to memory in order to better live by his ways.
Psalms 119:15-16
I will meditate on your precepts,
and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Psalms 119:27
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
In everything here, it is nothing but prayer to God. Prayer in its many forms for its many reasons.
To wait. To seek. To draw closer. To understand. To praise.
This is how we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17) and can discover the "depths of God" (1 Cor 2:10) by His Spirit.
This is how we discern and gain wisdom by the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), how we receive God's perfect peace and stop worrying and learn to trust HIM.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 6:18
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
A final thought to end on, as this verse sums everything up nicely, and is the basic essence of a lifestyle of contemplative prayer:
Philippians 4:8
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Just something to meditate on.
Enjoying this? Consider contributing regular gifts for this content on Patreon.
* Patreon is a way to join your favorite creator's community and pay them for making the stuff you love. You can simply pay a few pounds per month or per post that a creator makes, and in return receive some perks!
My new book is out now! Order today wherever you get books
KingsServant | 12th March 2025 | Islam
This is a guest post by “KingsServant” In 2019 a book called Defying Jihad was published by Tyndale House, the reputable Christian publisher telling the story of “Esther Ahmad” a pseudonym used by the author alongside her co-author Craig Borlase, who has previously written alongside, well known Christian personalities such as Matt Redman the singer and Andrew Brunson, an American pastor imprisoned by the Turkish government. As I began to read this book over this past year I was expecting an encouraging account of how a former Jihadi found Christ and escaped her previous accomplices. Very quickly, however, I became uncomfortable, her descriptions of her background involved allegedly committed Muslims doing very un-Islamic things and the unnamed militant group doing unusual things that didn’t fit my knowledge gained from years of study of Islam and interactions with Muslims, including extremists. As my doubts about the authenticity of the book solidified, and yet I couldn’t find anyone else who had questioned these things before me, or on the other hand provided verification of her story. I decided to contact Craig. During our brief and cordial email exchange he told me that he had been in touch with people who knew Esther after she escaped her family home, but so far has not suggested he has any other lines of evidence confirming any of the key elements of her account before that time. As a result, I am writing this article to draw attention to the aspects that raise suspicion. According to “Esther’s” story, she was raised in Pakistan where she was sent to an extremist madrassa (or Muslim school) for girls, there they were shown images of victims of violence and told that Christians and Jews were responsible - the emphasis on Jews and particularly Christians by a militant group based in Pakistan is strange. All the terrorist groups in Pakistan direct their efforts towards Hindus (especially in Kashmir) or other Muslims, since Christians are such a tiny minority there. Things rapidly become even stranger when a Mullah displays weapons to the group of girls telling them “… one day you will get to handle these” as the book continues describing them being encouraged to aspire to physical violence towards Jews and Christians specifically, the description of “Aunt Selma” volunteering for and dying fighting Jihad is likewise out of place. Islamic terrorist groups very rarely recruit women for combat roles, as Devorah Margolin describes Hamas and ISIS as departing from convention by encouraging female participation in violence and even then in only a very restricted way under particular circumstances with a specific fatwa (or Islamic ruling) being issued.1 On page 33, the militant group leader “Anwar” suggests that Esther could find a husband in the west to bring him to Islam. It is strictly forbidden for a Muslim woman to marry a non Muslim man, the idea that they would be encouraged by a scholar to date is about as unbelievable. In a conservative Pakistani culture, she would more likely find herself the victim of a so-called “honour killing” for such a thing.2 After her initial chance encounters with her future husband “John” (not as a result of trying to follow “Anwar’s” advice), on page 92 it is recorded that he said to her “… I’m not against your faith and beliefs…”, it’s the kind of thing that we might expect a liberal in the west to say, but not a Pakistani believer who knows that Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for sinners. Following her conversion according to her account, she engaged in a number of public debates with clerics in which she defended her decision to leave Islam and follow Christ. It is not uncommon for apostates to have meetings with scholars arranged by their family members in the hope that they might be won back to Islam, but it is very surprising that her influential father would want to give his apostate daughter su...
Luke J. Wilson | 05th March 2025 | Lent
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of repentance, fasting, and preparation for Easter in the Christian calendar. It is observed by many Western Christian traditions, including the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheran churches, and some Methodist and Reformed communities. The day falls 46 days before Easter Sunday and is always on a Wednesday. Origins and Historical Development The practice of Ash Wednesday can be traced back to the early centuries of Christianity, though its formal observance developed over time. The use of ashes as a sign of repentance has deep biblical roots, appearing frequently in the Old Testament. People would cover themselves with ashes as an outward sign of sorrow for sin and a desire to turn back to God (e.g., Job 42:6, Daniel 9:3, Jonah 3:6). By the 8th century, the imposition of ashes on the forehead became a common practice in the Western Church. Pope Urban II (r. 1088–1099) helped formalise Ash Wednesday as the official beginning of Lent, reinforcing the idea of a season of penitence leading up to Easter. The name “Ash Wednesday” itself comes from the tradition of marking the faithful with ashes, typically in the shape of a cross, while the priest or minister recites words such as, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19) or “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). The Lenten Fast Fasting has always been a central aspect of Lent, and by the time of the Council of Nicaea (AD 325), a forty-day period of fasting before Easter had become a standard part of Church practice. This was based on the example of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–2) and was intended to prepare believers spiritually for the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Athanasius, the great bishop of Alexandria, regularly wrote paschal (Easter) letters to the churches to encourage fasting, self-control, and moderation during this period. His writings provide valuable insight into how Lent was observed in the early Church and confirm that the practice was well established long before later claims that it had pagan origins. In one of his letters, written around AD 332, he describes the structure of the Lenten fast: The beginning of the fast of forty days is on the fifth of the month Phamenoth [Ash Wednesday]; and when, as I have said, we have first been purified and prepared by those days, we begin the holy week of the great Easter on the tenth of the month Pharmuthi [Palm Sunday], in which, my beloved brethren, we should use more prolonged prayers, and fastings… — Athanasius, Letter III (c. AD 332) The early Lenten fast was stricter than modern observances. Many early Christians abstained not only from meat but also from dairy, eggs, and wine. In some traditions, believers ate only one meal per day, typically in the evening. While practices have evolved over time, the principle remains the same: Lent is a time of self-discipline, spiritual renewal, and preparation for Easter. Meaning and Observance of Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday serves as a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for repentance. The ashes, often made by burning the palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, symbolise both death and the hope of renewal in Christ. The day is also marked by fasting and abstinence in many traditions, such as within Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, the faithful are required to fast and to abstain from meat and dairy on various days. Many other denominations encourage similar practices or personal acts of self-denial as a way of focusing on spiritual growth. Churches hold special services where worshippers receive the imposition of ashes. The act is not merely ritualistic but is meant to be a public declaration of one’s commitment to turn away from sin and seek God’s grace. Greek Orthodox Yearly Fasting Calendar (2025). Fasting isn’t just for Lent! An Anglican Perspective The Ch...
Luke J. Wilson | 28th February 2025 | Early Church
The Bible is often described as “God-breathed,” a phrase taken from 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” But what does it mean for Scripture to be “inspired,” and how did the books of the Bible come to be recognised as part of the canon — the authoritative collection of writings that make up the Bible? Were they really “decided” at the Council of Nicaea, as some popular myths claim? Table of Contents Understanding Biblical Inspiration What is the Canon? The Septuagint and the Deuterocanonical Books How Were the Books of the Bible Selected? Why Were Some Books Excluded? Has the Bible Been Edited or Corrupted Over Time? Did the Church Decide the Canon at Nicaea? Conclusion Further Reading Understanding Biblical Inspiration A helpful analogy for inspiration is that of an architect designing a great building. Consider St. Paul’s Cathedral in London — Christopher Wren was the architect who planned and designed it, yet he himself did not lay a single brick. Instead, countless workers followed his design to bring the cathedral into existence. Similarly, God is the ultimate author of Scripture, yet He worked through human writers to bring His message to us. The Holy Spirit inspired them, guiding their words while allowing their personalities, historical context, and literary style to remain evident in their writings. This means that while the Bible is written by human hands, it carries divine authority because its true source is God Himself. The process of inspiration does not mean God dictated each word like a secretary taking notes, or by possessing the authors, but rather that He ensured the truth of His message was faithfully recorded by the biblical writers. What is the Canon? The word “canon” comes from the Greek κανών (kanōn), meaning “rule” or “measuring rod.” In the context of the Bible, the canon refers to the official list of books recognised as divinely inspired and authoritative for faith and practice. The canon developed over time as the early church recognised which writings carried divine authority. The Old Testament canon was largely settled by the time of Jesus, based on the Hebrew Scriptures used in the Jewish community. The New Testament canon, however, was formed through a process of discernment over several centuries, as the church recognised which writings were truly inspired and authoritative. The Septuagint and the Deuterocanonical Books The Septuagint (LXX) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, produced in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. It was widely used by Greek-speaking Jews and later by early Christians, including the apostles. The Septuagint included several books not found in the Hebrew Bible, known as the Deuterocanonical books (such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, and 1–2 Maccabees). While these books were accepted in many early Christian communities and remain part of the canon in Catholic and Orthodox traditions, Protestant reformers later removed them, considering them useful but not divinely inspired at the same level as the rest of Scripture. The reformers’ view was influenced by Jerome, who, in the 4th century, argued that these books were not part of the Hebrew Bible and therefore should be considered separate. However, he still included them in his Latin Vulgate translation, recognising their historical and devotional value. The Reformers followed Jerome’s stance, moving these books into a separate section rather than outright removing them. It was not until the 19th century that an American Bible Society, citing printing costs and other practical considerations, physically removed these books entirely from Protestant Bibles. This decision solidified what is now commonly referred to as the “Protestant canon” of 66 books. And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example o...
Luke J. Wilson | 23rd February 2025 | Book Release
For 1700 years, the Council of Nicaea has been surrounded by myths, misunderstandings, and outright fabrications. From claims that Constantine “invented” the Trinity to the idea that the council decided the books of the Bible, there’s no shortage of misinformation floating around. That’s why I’m excited to announce my upcoming book, What Really Happened at Nicaea? This book sets the record straight, taking you inside the actual events of 325 AD—what was debated, what was decided, and why it still matters today. If you’ve ever wondered:✅ Did Constantine rewrite Christianity?✅ Was Jesus’ divinity really up for debate?✅ Did Nicaea create the Bible?✅ What was actually said about Arianism? Then this book is for you. Be the First to Know! What Really Happened at Nicaea? will be available soon, and you can be among the first to hear when it’s released. Head over to lukejwilson.com/what-really-happened-at-nicaea.html and sign up for updates. Let’s cut through the myths and uncover the truth about Nicaea! ...
My new book is now available
Order now wherever you get books!
Discover the transformative power of Lectio Divina.
This comprehensive guide invites you on a spiritual journey, enriching your prayer life and deepening your relationship with God through the ancient practice of Lectio Divina.