Prayer vs. Meditation: Key Differences And Which is Best

Some days I just want to sit in God’s presence and ponder Him, meditate on His word. But then I feel guilty about not praying. I feel like I should be doing something. So, I did some investigating on prayer and meditation and made some exciting discoveries.

In general, prayer and biblical meditation are two sides of the same coin. Prayer is a conversation with God, whereas meditation is more listening to God through His word. They differ in purpose, method, and focus. Both prayer and meditation are necessary and have scientifically proven benefits.

So, there is no need to feel guilty about not praying when you are meditating on the Bible, or vice versa. Let’s dig into some of the things I discovered to see why that’s the case.

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What is Prayer?

In general, prayer is communicating with God, based on a relationship where one acknowledges their dependence on God and His ability to meet their needs.

As a result prayer brings us closer to God, we get to encounter Him continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The Bible encourages us to express our thoughts, feelings, requests, and gratitude to God.

Prayer can take many different forms. You can pray silently or out loud. You can pray with your eyes open or closed. God is more concerned with our heart as we approach him than the specific posture we take.

Still not convinced? Then check out this article on why it’s okay to pray silently or this one on why it’s okay to pray with your eyes open.

Overall, prayer address God, trusting in who He is and what He can do in regard to our needs, wants, and desires. Through prayer, we trust that God will do what is for His glory and our good. So, let’s look at some key aspects of prayer.

Key Aspects

If we define prayer like we did above, then prayer has many unique aspects that help define and shape it. These may include,

1. Communication with God: Prayer is a means of communicating with a higher power, expressing thoughts, feelings, and requests to God.
2. Adoration and Worship: Prayer often involves expressing love, adoration, and worship towards God, recognizing His greatness and holiness.
3. Confession of Sins: Many prayers include confessing sins and seeking forgiveness, acknowledging one’s shortcomings and asking for divine mercy.
4. Thanksgiving: Gratitude is a significant aspect of prayer, where individuals express thankfulness for blessings, answered prayers, and the goodness of God.
5. Supplication and Requests: Prayer involves making requests and seeking God’s intervention in various aspects of life, including personal needs, health, guidance, and wisdom.
6. Intercession: Praying on behalf of others is a common aspect of prayer, where individuals lift up the needs and concerns of others to God.
7. Listening: Prayer is not only about speaking but also about listening to God. Many believe that through prayer, they can receive guidance, insight, and a sense of God’s will.

Typically, a specific prayer will focus on one or two of these key aspects. So, we can turn them into different types of prayer. For more on the different types of prayer and what makes them unique check out this article.

Benefits

Numerous studies have been done to evaluate the benefits that prayer can provide. According to these studies, prayer offers,

• Stress Reduction: engaging in prayer can contribute to stress reduction (see study).
• Emotional Well-being: Prayer is associated with improved emotional well being and a sense of peace (see study).
• Health Benefits: A few studies indicated that there may be a potential link between religious practices, such as prayer, and better health outcomes (see study).
• Social Support: Lastly, group prayers and participation in religious communities offers social support (see study).

Overall, these studies show that prayer has numerous benefits from a deeper connection with God and others to an increase hope, optimism, mental focus, resilience, gratitude, and much more.

We ought to pray though, not for the benefits, but because we are commanded to by God. God simply, chooses to bless us with these benefits when we choose to obey Him in prayer. Prayer illustrates our relationship with God, recognizing His authority and power to meet our needs.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a concept and practice that has been around for a long, long time. Typically, it is associated with eastern religious practices, but has always been a part of Christianity as well. Biblical meditation is not the same thing as Eastern meditation practices.

All throughout the Bible, we are encouraged to meditate on Scripture (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3; Philippians 4:8, etc.). Thus, we can define Biblical meditation as,

“A spiritual exercise that fills the mind with God’s Word through a continual pondering of Scripture, resulting in a transformative growth in Christ-likeness brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit.”

Curious to know how to meditate Biblically? Then check out this article. It defines exactly what Biblical meditation is and is not, plus tells you exactly how to do it, offering ideas and practical tips to get you started. The Dwell App is a great resource to begin listening to and meditating on Scripture consistently.

A great practice to meditating Biblically is called Lectio Divina. It is a slow, meditative, prayerful reading of Scripture. You can check out this article, to learn more about Lectio Divina, including a step by step guide on exactly how to do it.

Key Aspects

Biblical meditation has key elements that make it unique not only to Eastern meditation practices, but to prayer as well. Biblical Meditation includes,

1. Scripture-Based Reflection: Biblical meditation involves pondering and reflecting on passages from the Bible. It is a deliberate focus on the words and teachings found in the sacred text.
2. Seeking Understanding: Meditating on the Bible aims to gain a deeper understanding of God’s Word, His character, and the principles for righteous living.
3. Application to Life: Biblical meditation goes beyond mere intellectual understanding; it involves applying the teachings of the Bible to one’s life and making practical changes.
4. Prayerful Contemplation: Meditation often includes prayerful contemplation, connecting with God through reflection on His Word and seeking His guidance in understanding and living out the scriptures.
5. Mindfulness of God’s Presence: Biblical meditation encourages a mindful awareness of God’s presence in the process, fostering a closer relationship with Him.
6. Transformation: The goal of meditation is often spiritual transformation, leading to a more Christ-like character and alignment with God’s will.
7. Memorization: Some forms of biblical meditation involve memorizing and internalizing specific verses, enabling individuals to recall and meditate on them throughout the day.

Benefits

According to a recent survey of people who practice Biblical meditation, it can have the following benefits,

• 94% of participants with mild to chronic stress said Christian meditation reduced their stress
• 91% said Christian meditation reduced their depression
• 80% reported that Christian meditation helped them sleep better
• 50% said they experienced other benefits, including pain management, recovery from grief and better focus.

Now that we’ve defined Biblical meditation and prayer, let’s look at some key differences between the two.

Key Differences Between Meditation and Prayer

Though prayer and meditation are two sides of the same coin, they are very different in purpose, focus, activity, intent, outcomes, and methods. The following chart breaks down the key differences between meditation and prayer.

Aspect	Prayer	Biblical Meditation
Nature of Communication	Involves direct communication with God, expressing thoughts, feelings, requests, or gratitude.	Involves contemplation and reflection on biblical passages or spiritual truths, focusing on understanding the Scriptures.
Purpose	Communication with God, seeking guidance, requesting help, or expressing devotion and worship.	Deepen understanding of the Scriptures, gain spiritual insight, and apply biblical principles to one’s life.
Activity Involvement	Active communication, including speaking, listening, and engaging in a personal relationship with the divine.	More contemplative, involving quiet reflection on specific verses or passages in the Bible.
Focus	Personal expression, emotions, and communication with God through various types of prayer.	Focus is on the Scriptures, seeking to understand and internalize the truths presented in the Bible.
Intent and Outcome	Intent: seek divine intervention, guidance, or a closer relationship with God Outcome: may include peace, comfort, or guidance.	Intent: spiritual insights and wisdom from the Scriptures Outcome: may include a deeper understanding of biblical principles.
Methods	Methods can vary widely and may include formal prayers, spontaneous conversations with God, or structured prayer practices.	Methods involve focused reading, reflection, and contemplation on specific passages from the Bible. You could use Lectio Divina or a Christian Meditation App.

We can make a few observations about prayer and meditation from these key differences.

• Prayer is more of a conversation encountering God, whereas Biblical meditation is taking the time to experience God’s Word.
• Prayer asks for help and Christian meditation helps you find the Biblical answers to your problems.
• Prayer is talking to God and meditation is listening to God.
• Prayer can be experienced with others, but Biblical meditation should be just between you and God.

Since, prayer and meditation are different, do we really need both? Can prayer replace meditation? Can meditation replace prayer? Well, let’s find out.

Can Meditation Replace Prayer?

The short answer is no. Meditation cannot replace prayer, or vice versa. They are two sides of the same coin, both are essential to Christian life and spiritual growth. Prayer talks while meditation listens. Prayer asks while meditation seeks. Matthew writes in his gospel,

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8, NIV

We are to ask, seek, and knock. Therefore, we ought to pray, meditate, and act. Since prayer and meditation are two sides of the same coin, you cannot have one without the other. Rather than using meditation to replace prayer, it ought to enhance our prayers.

Both prayer and meditation are vital to encountering God and living Biblically.