Trendy meditation practices like yoga may be relaxing, but are they in line with biblical teaching?

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Overview

Christians increasingly are turning to meditation to deal with stressful lives, says Douglas Groothuis in an article for CHRISTIANITY TODAY. Yet some popular meditation practices are based in Eastern religions that, at the source, work from assumptions at odds with biblically rooted Christian faith.

Are techniques like yoga and tai chi harmless ways to relax and get healthy, or do they subtly undermine the Christian faith? What do believers find attractive about these meditation practices? How can we evaluate various practices and their compatibility with Christian discipleship? These are the questions we’ll be asking and discussing in this study.

Table of Contents

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 119:97–104, 145–152; Isaiah 6:1–7; Matthew 11:25–30; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10

LEADER'S GUIDE

    • Identify the Current Issue

    • Discover the Eternal Principles

—Teaching point one: The biblical worldview and approach to prayer are contrary to Eastern religious practices.

—Teaching point two: The Bible values meditative prayer.

—Teaching point three: Christian meditative prayer can deepen your walk with God.

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