Part 2: Scripture Meditation

Self-Paced Retreats

This is Part 2 of our Let the Thirsty Come retreat series, which highlights different aspects of spending extended quality time with God.

What does it mean to meditate on Scripture, and how does God speak truth and bring transformation as we engage our mind, heart, and situations with the Word of God? This month’s devotional unpacks an example of meditation from Psalm 77 to set the tone for your time with God and his Word.

Discussion and Reflection Questions

  1. As you look at the passages we explored in this devotional (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1, and Psalm 77), what most encourages you to meditate on God’s Word and who he is?
  2. Scripture meditation involves fully engaging ourselves with God, his truth, and his Word. Which one of the following aspects might be most helpful for you to pursue intentional growth in? What would it look like for you to intentionally engage with God and his Word in this way?
    • Engaging your mind – searching out what is true, dwelling on it and pondering it deeply.
    • Engaging your heart – honestly expressing your emotions to God, crying out to him, being aware not only of what God says, but how you feel about it.
    • Engaging your life – honestly wrestling with your life circumstances and what God says is true, and a willingness to trust and to act on what God says in the midst of that wrestling.
  3. When you are in a time of deep difficulty, how do you typically respond? What do you tend to do?
    What would it look like to learn from the example of Psalm 77 as he turns to God and meditates on what is true in times of difficulties?
  4. What do you think about the statement made in this devotional video: “in a time of difficulty, seeing God changes everything”?
  5. Practically, what helps you to slow down and spend unhurried time with God? In contrast, what in your life makes it difficult to stop and dwell deeply on God’s word?

Retreat Activities

This retreat consists of four sections: Scripture Meditation 1, Devotional Reading, Scripture Meditation 2, and a Prayer Response. As the retreat is focused on deepening our engagement with Scripture through meditation, we strongly recommend that you try at least one Scripture meditation activity that you have not done before, or have not engaged with in a long time.

In each section, we include some choices for a main activity, as well as some optional activities to help you rest and transition. Only choose 1 main activity per section. Aim for each section to take you around 30 to 45 minutes, but don’t be concerned if a section takes slightly longer or shorter to complete. If you plan to do this retreat in a single block of 2 to 3 hours, make sure you are including sufficient opportunities for breaks and rest.

Scripture Meditation 1

The purpose of this section is to slow down and engage all of yourself and your life honestly with the Word of God – pondering his Word and talking to him about how it speaks to your mind, heart, and life.

Transition Activity

Psalm 131 – this activity gives you some space to slow down, engage with God, and briefly lay down before him the things that are on your heart and mind. It should probably take you around 10 to 15 minutes. Though the activity is centered on prayer, its goal is not to pray through all the things going on in your life, but rather to lay down the things currently on your mind and entrust them to our good Father.

Main Activity

Engaging Mind and Heart – this meditation activity has you look at a single piece of Scripture from two different angles, paying specific attention to how God’s word engages your mind and impacts your heart.

Possible Scriptures for Meditation:

  • Micah 6:6-8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
  • Ephesians 3:14-21 – What is the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love
  • Luke 15:1-7 – Rejoicing at finding the lost sheep
  • Mark 4:35-41 – Jesus calms the storm
  • Isaiah 30:15-18 – In quietness and trust is your strength
    Note: it is important to understand the context of Isaiah 30 – The nation of Judah is living under the threat of invasion by the Assyrian army. Because of this looming enemy, they are very fearful. Rather than relying fully on the Lord’s strength, they have sought to protect themselves by making alliances with Egypt.

Devotional Reading or Extended Break

Transition Activity (choose 1 or both)

Ideas for Rest – take a few minutes to take a break before starting the next main activity.

Liturgies of the Month:
Communing with God in his Word – dwell on and speak to God about the riches of his Word.
Spiritus Sanctus – use this prayer as a prompt to ask for the transforming power of God’s Spirit in this time of retreat. This could be done sitting or walking.

Main Activity (Choose 1)

Read a Devotional Chapter
While meditation and prayer are the core focus for much of our retreat times, we also find it very helpful to read a chapter from a book that helps you fix your eyes on the beauty of our awesome God and the fullness of the gospel. While we provide a few suggestions, feel free to select a chapter from another book that you have.
Two potentially relevant chapters that explore how God’s word impacts our lives and prayer are:

The Life of Trust by George Müller – May 7, 1841, on meditating on the Word of God

With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray – Chapter 22, “The Word and Prayer”

Take an Extended Break
If reading a devotional chapter feels too intense or like too much input in between the times of Scripture meditation, take an extended break instead. Take 20 to 30 minutes to do something that you find restful and life-giving. You could consider:

  • Sing some praise songs
  • Go for a walk or do something active
  • Have a snack break or lunch break
  • Do something creative: a craft, something artistic, etc.
  • Take a short nap

Your time of spiritual retreat doesn’t need to feel deep or intense. Good times of life-giving rest often make our fellowship and connection with God more meaningful. Whatever you choose, do it with a thankful heart to God who gives us beauty and rest as good gifts.

Scripture Meditation 2


In this section we return to the theme of Scripture meditation in order to continue dwelling deeply on God’s word. For this second time of Scripture meditation, you can revisit the same passage you meditated on earlier, but using a different activity. One often helpful possibility is to take a phrase or sentence from the passage you previously meditated on and dwell on it again using the activity A Shift in Emphasis. Or, you can choose another passage of Scripture to meditate on.

Main Activity

Walking with the Word – this meditation activity works well for passages that you can ponder line by line or phrase by phrase.

A Shift in Emphasis or A Shift in Perspective – these activities have options for meditating specifically on a single short verse or on narrative passages.

Prayer Response

As much of the retreat has been focused on listening and reading, we want to end the retreat by spending some time in reflection and prayer. What are the main takeaways, especially from your time in God’s Word?

Main Activity (choose any)

Closing Reflection and Prayer – this activity can be done journaling, praying while walking, or a combination of both. These options are explained in the activity instructions.

When You Have Extra Time – a few additional ideas for how to spend restful time with God.

Sing Praise – close your retreat time with a couple songs of praise or worship.

Example Retreats

These activities can be done in two short, 1-hour retreats, or as a single 2- to 3-hour retreat. All of the following are just suggestions – change them and customize them with activities you find most helpful.

Short Retreat, Part 1

Short Retreat, Part 2

Two- to Three-hour Retreat

Tips and Reminders

Key Attitude – Fully engage heart and mind with God

The greatest commandment is to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength — God desires all of us. Yet, this takes intentionality and practice, and one or two of these aspects likely comes easier for you than the others. 

As we meditate on Scripture or pray, are we engaging our whole self? Are we pondering his Word deeply with our minds, in touch with the responses of our hearts, living out life with God with all our strength, etc.? There is great hope in this because, as we bring all of ourselves to God, he brings his transforming power to work in every aspect of our lives, giving wholeness, healing, beauty, and fruit.

New to Scripture Meditation?

If the idea of Scripture meditation is new to you, you may find it helpful to read the post Intro to Scripture Meditation. The main thrust of meditating on Scripture is to slow down and deeply ponder the Word of God – how it engages our minds, our hearts, and our lives. Meditation is done with the hopeful expectancy that God promises to use his Word and his Spirit powerfully to bring wholeness and transformation to his people.

In meditation, don’t think that you need to hear some word from God or feel some distinct prompting of his Spirit. Leave such things in God’s hands and don’t dictate to him how he needs to work – he is a Good Father and knows how to lead and bless his kids. Trust that he is working whether or not you perceive it. Our hope is built not on methodology or experience, but on the sure promise that God will finish his work in every son and daughter.

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