How to Meditate on the Word
I. COURAGE AND OBEDIENCE ARE STRENGTHENED THROUGH MEDITATION
1 After the death of Moses…the LORD spoke to Joshua…saying: 2 "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore,
arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them…5 No man shall be
able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you
nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage…7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may
observe to do according to all the law…do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may
prosper wherever you go. 8 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. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
(Josh. 1:1-9)
II. OUR INHERITANCE: GOD’S POWER ON OUR HEART AND MIND
16 "This is the covenant (promise) that I will make with them… “I will put My laws (Word) into their hearts (emotions) and in
their minds (understanding) I will write them…" (Heb. 10:16)
A. Mind: God promises to release the spirit of revelation to our mind until we progressively gain living understanding
of His Word. We are promised enough insight to succeed in the assignment that God has given us in this life. Heart: God
promises to empower our emotions until we feel the power of His Word with new holy desires. God promises to write His
Word on our heart and mind (2 Cor 3:3) as He wrote the ten commandments on tablets of stone (Ex. 31:18).
32 Did not our heart burn (with desire) within us…while He opened the Scriptures to us?…45 He opened their
understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (Lk. 24:32, 45)
B. God writes His Word on our heart as we live by it. We are to live by or be spiritually healthy in our heart by feeding
on God’s Word which is the holy transcript of His heart. Our heart lives and becomes strong and healthy by feeding on
God’s Word in spirit and truth. The opposite is also true. Our heart dies and becomes weak and sick without feeding on
God’s Word. The most substantial way in which we feed our spirit and bolster our spiritual strength is by feeding on God’s
Word in spirit and truth (each applies this differently). Many are spiritually in the ICU with a sick heart and a diminished
spiritual appetite. The “voice of the Spirit and the Word” is stronger than the “voice of sinful lust.”
4 He (Jesus) said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of
God.'" (Mt. 4:4)
C. Prayer, fasting, meditation on the Word, and obedience positions our heart before God to freely receive. These
activities do not earn us God’s favor. Analogy: we put our cold heart before the bonfire of God’s presence by seeking
Him in the Word in spirit and truth. God opens His Word to us progressively (little portions) and in accordance to the time
we feed our spirit on His Word.
III. ENCOUNTERING GOD: PRAY-READING THE WORD (COMMUNING WITH THE WORD)
39 You search the Scriptures (Bible study), for in them you think you have…life; these are they which testify of Me.
40 You are not willing to come to Me (dialogue) that you may have life. (Jn. 5:39-40)
39 Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard (encountered) His word. (Lk. 10:39)
A. It is not enough to study the Word, we must give our heart to God and receive from Him as we read it. Bible study
must create an active dialogue in our heart with God. Scripture gives us the “conversational material” in our prayer life. It
creates the language of our heart with God. Using the Word in our prayer language with God makes prayer easy and
enjoyable. We must actually speak the Word back to God and against Satan’s attack on our lives. Many do not speak the
Word back to God or against Satan (they only speak it to others). The power of God’s love touches us as we declare
back it to God. We thank Him for the love that He declares over us.
B. Two broad categories of truth related to pray-reading the Word (meditating on Scripture):
1. Scriptures that focus on promises “to believe” in God’s Word. For example, use Scriptures that declare that
God loves, forgives, leads, protects, or provides for us, etc.
2. Scriptures that focus on exhorting us “to obey” God’s Word. For example, use Scriptures that command us
to bridle our tongue, serve others and give time and money to God, etc.
C. We actively dialogue with God by praying promises that we are “to believe” from His Word. Spiritual warfare: we
speak these truths against Satan’s attack on our lives.
1. First, we thank God for a particular truth. We turn these truths into simple declarations of thanksgiving or trust. For
example, declare, “Thank you that You love me or have forgiven me. I trust that You will lead, provide and protect me.”
8 God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your
bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." (Lk. 6:38)
2. Second, we ask God to reveal (release) particular truths to us. Ask God to release a spirit of revelation (Eph. 1:17). For example,
pray, “Father, reveal to me the certainty of Your provision, or how much You love me, forgive me, or how I have ravished
Your heart.” Or, “Father, release Your promised guidance, provision, and protection, etc.”
D. We actively dialogue with God by praying truths back to Him that exhort us “to obey” His Word. Spiritual warfare:
we speak these truths against Satan’s attack on our lives.
1. First, we commit ourselves to obey God in the specific way set forth in a biblical person or passage. Make simple
declarations of your resolve to obey the Word or imitate the faith of the godly.
37 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart… (Mt. 22:37)
2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole
body. (Jas 3:2)
2. For example declare:
a. “I set my heart to love You and obey You with my speech, time and money, etc.”
b. “I set my heart to love you like David or to endure hardship like Paul.”
c. “I set my heart to pray like Daniel or do miracles like Paul in the Book of Acts.”
3. Second, we ask God to empower us to obey a particular truth or to imitate godly examples of people in Scripture.
Ask God for help to give you wisdom, motivation and power to obey in specific areas.
4. For example pray:
a. “Father help me to love You, to bridle my speech, or use my time and money in full obedience.”
b. “Father, I resolve to love You more, give me power to love you like David
c. “Father, lead me away from temptation” (Mt. 6:13), or “deliver me from the works of the evil one” (Jn. 17:15).
E. Two ways to focus our mind in seeking God: God on His Throne (Rev. 4) and God in our spirit
14 …The love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Cor. 13:14, NAS)
38 Out of his heart (belly, KJV) will flow rivers of living water… (Jn. 7:38)
F. Linger in God’s presence: in dialoging with God in the Word. Take time to linger as you speak slowly to God
(include declaring your love and praise, praying with your spirit and being quiet).
G. Journaling: take time to record thoughts and prayers as you “pray-read” through Scripture. This helps us capture
the truths that the Spirit gives us and to grow in our prayer dialogue with God. The anointing of the Spirit in you is your
best teacher. When you pray the Word in spirit and truth, you and the Spirit work together to provide you with a tailor
made teaching in the Word.
27 The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as
the same anointing teaches you concerning all things… (1 Jn. 2:27)
IV. EXAMPLES OF PRAY-READING THE WORD
A. Jesus promises to reveal the Father’s personality to us as the way to impart love in us for God.
26 I (Jesus) have declared to them Your name (Father’s), and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may
be in them, and I in them. (Jn. 17:26)
1. Pray: “I thank You for Your commitment to declare (reveal) the Father’s heart to me, release more.
2. Pray: “I thank You for imparting Your love to my heart, please release more.
B. God promises to show His power to those who are loyal to Him. Pray: “I thank You committing to show Yourself
strong in me, release it. I set my heart to be loyal to the Spirit’s leadership in all that I do with my speech, eyes, actions,
time and money. Help me to walk this out.”
9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose
heart is loyal to Him. (2 Chr. 16:9)
C. Jesus promises to manifest His presence to those who obey His commandments.
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My
Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him… (Jn. 14:21)
1. Pray: “I thank You for committing to manifest Your presence to my heart, release it more. I set my heart to keep
(obey) Your Word in my speech, time, money, etc. Holy Spirit, help me to do this.”
2. Note: the Father loves everyone in the sense of valuing, caring for and pursuing them. However, He only loves
the lifestyle, choices, sacrifices and fruit of those who pursue 100-fold obedience.
D. We are called to obey the Holy Spirit’s leadership in what we look at. Pray: I set my heart to not look on anything
that quenches the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, help me to do this with consistency.
1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; why should I look upon a young woman? (Job 31:1)
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes… (Ps. 101:3)
E. We are called to obey the Holy Spirit’s leadership in our speech. God promises that our whole body (our human
passions) will be bridled as we obey the Spirit in our speech. Pray: “I set my heart to keep (obey) Your Word in my
speech. Holy Spirit, help me to do this with consistency.”
3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. (Ps. 141:3)
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to
the hearers. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit…. (Eph. 4:29-30)
2 If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body (human passions)…6. The
tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set
on fire by hell. (Jas 3:2-6)
14 Let the words of my mouth…meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight (Ps. 19:14)
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may be blameless. (Phil. 2:14)
18 In everything give thanks…19 Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thes. 5:18-19)
F. God promises to save or deliver those who lay aside filthiness as they meditate on His Word. Pray: “I thank You for
desiring to deliver my soul from filthiness in me, please release it. I set my heart to lay aside all filthiness and to implant
your Word in my heart with meditation and meekness. Please help me to do this with consistency.”
21 Lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to
save (liberate, deliver) your souls. (Jas 1:21)
G. God promised that we are a new creation based on giving us the gift of God’s righteousness. Pray: “I thank You
and declaration my trust that you have given me the righteousness of God, please reveal it to me more by the spirit of
revelation. I declare, that all things are new and the old things of my guilt has passed away in Your sight.”
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new...21 For He
(Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Cor. 5:17-21)
V. THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE
A. The principle is that the Holy Spirit hovers and waits to move in power wherever the Word is spoken by those in
covenant with the Father.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering
over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it
was good… (Gen. 1:2-4)
B. Jesus creates, sustains and governs everything under the Father’s authority by speaking God’s Word (Heb. 1:3;
Col. 1:17). Jesus was the One who spoke God’s Word to create in Gen. 1. We find the phrase “And God said” 10 times
(vv 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29) along with “Let there be…” 8 times (vv 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26). We see the
Spirit’s work in the phrase, “It was so” 7 times (vv 3, 7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30) and “God made” 7 times (vv 4, 7, 12, 16, 21,
25, 27).
C. Jesus gave us a model of how to do spiritual warfare as He spoke the Word in power to drive Satan back. When
Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He used the Word to strike like a sword cutting into Satan’s domain. This was a
clash of powers that sent Satan reeling into retreat. Satan had never confronted a Man saturated in God’s Word and
moving in such authority (Mt. 4:3-11). When we speak the Word to Satan, then it strikes him as a sharp sword that
injures his kingdom.
13 Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day….17 take...the sword of the Spirit,
which is the Word of God... (Eph. 6:13-17)
D. We must fill our hearts with the Word as a lifestyle as well as use the Word in an intentional way during a time of
temptation and/or oppression. We fill our heart for strength and then use the Word like bullets in a gun.