Disciplines of a Godly Man

by R. Kent Hughes

Larger segments, especially classic texts, are tailor-made for meditation. The Ten Commandments, with the first four Godward commands and the six manward injunctions following, should be regularly murmured in reverent self-examination (cf. Ex. 20:1–17; Deut. 5:1–22). There are eight Beatitudes that consecutively consider poverty of spirit, mourning over sin, gentleness, spiritual hunger, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and persecution (Matt. 5:3–12). The Lord’s Prayer begins with the foundational awareness “Our Father in heaven,” then presents three upward petitions and three horizontal petitions—a perfect pattern for prayer and meditation (Matt. 6:9–13). There are endless possibilities, including the so-called kenosis passage, Philippians 2:5–11, which begins, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus . . .” Other food for meditation includes Jesus’s parables, the Psalms, and the epigrams of James. Both practical and esoteric passages can provide divine substance for reverent soul chatter.