Is Meditation a sin? What a great question! Since the topics of gratitude, mindfulness and meditation are big ones these days, let’s remove the confusion and dive right in to find the answer. You can find the answer to many questions like “Where is Heaven?” or “Who is God?” in the Questions category on our site.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you?”Joshua 1:8-9
Meditation Itself is Not a Sin
In fact, as you can see in the passage above, God commanded Joshua to meditate on His word. Many Christians practice meditating on Scripture. The aim is to eliminate outside distractions and focus on God’s word to hear what God has to say. It slows a person down and allows the Holy Spirit to talk with them.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.Psalm 19:14
The Bible Teaches Meditation Throughout Its Pages
And since Jews and Muslims also see the Old Testament as God’s word, they practice meditation also.
O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged because I have observed Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.
Psalm 119:7-101
What is the Goal of Christian Meditation?
Hindus and Buddhists also practice meditation. Some forms of meditation teach people to empty their minds as a part of meditation. That is not the goal of Christian meditation. Christians are right to be cautious about any form of meditation people teach as part of the practices of any unbiblical religion. And those practices can be mixed right in with benign meditation practices, even by well-meaning Christians.
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Philippians4:8).
No — meditation itself is not a sin. In fact, God commanded meditation in Scripture. In Joshua 1:8-9, God instructed Joshua to meditate on His word day and night, promising that doing so would lead to prosperity and success. Meditation is woven throughout the Bible, and many Christians have practiced it throughout history as a meaningful way to draw closer to God and create space for the Holy Spirit to speak. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.” — Joshua 1:8
Christian meditation is the opposite of what many other traditions teach. While some forms — such as those rooted in Hindu or Buddhist practice — encourage people to empty their minds, Christian meditation is about filling the mind with God’s word. The aim is to eliminate outside distractions, slow down, and focus deeply on Scripture so that the Holy Spirit can speak. It is an act of intentional listening to God, not a clearing of thought. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely… dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8
Meditation is deeply rooted in Scripture — it is far from a modern trend. The Psalms alone are filled with references to meditating on God’s law, commandments, and character. Psalm 119 describes meditating on God’s word as a source of wisdom, insight, and understanding — greater even than that of teachers or the aged. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have all practiced meditation for thousands of years, rooted in the shared foundation of the Old Testament. “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” — Psalm 119:97
Yes — discernment matters. Christians are right to be cautious about forms of meditation rooted in unbiblical religions or that encourage emptying the mind rather than focusing it on God. The concern is that practices from other spiritual traditions can sometimes be quietly mixed in with otherwise harmless techniques — even by well-meaning people. A reliable filter for any meditation practice is Philippians 4:8: is what you are dwelling on true, honorable, right, pure, and worthy of praise? If so, it aligns with what God calls us to.
Christian meditation centers on slowing down, eliminating distractions, and focusing deeply on God’s word. It might mean reading a passage of Scripture slowly and repeatedly, letting its meaning sink in, and sitting quietly to hear what God may be saying through it. The heart posture is one of openness to the Holy Spirit — not a pursuit of mental emptiness, but a pursuit of God’s presence and truth. The goal, as Psalm 19:14 captures so beautifully, is that both our words and the meditation of our hearts would be pleasing to Him. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” — Psalm 19:14
