People ask what type of music will help them focus on prayer and meditation. Everyone’s different, but here’s what works for me…
In “Are Christians Allowed to Meditate,” I wrote about learning to meditate during Communion. For the Southern Baptist Church where I grew up, distributing the Lord’s Supper was tedious. Meditation got me through it. First, the deacons would proceed from the rear of the sanctuary. Then, the minister would pass the bread plates to them. Next, they distributed the bread to everyone in the pews. After that, they would proceed to the front to have the pastor collect the bread plates and place them on the altar. Next, the deacons would sit and receive their bread from the minister. Finally, the pastor would lift the host and say, “Do this in remembrance of me.” We all ate the bread together. Next, the deacons stood and repeated the same process with the cups of juice.
Learning to Meditate by Accident
To prevent an awkward silence, the organist played interludes in the background. As I waited, I found my breath rising and falling with the ebb and flow of each musical phrase. Every measure in a 4/4 count song would be an inhale, and each subsequent measure the exhale. My breath grew measured and slow as I allowed my vision to focus only on the bread in my hand. The world fell away, and nothing else existed.
During the distribution of the juice, the “Jesus shot” became a tiny scrying bowl as the light sparkled and danced on its dark liquid surface. For me, ingestion of the elements was hardly the point of the Eucharist. True communion with God took place as I sat in inner silence and waited. As the music swelled, so did my heart. Every breath was a 4/4 count, the steady rhythm guiding me into meditation. So, for meditation, I often turn to the classical interludes of my childhood Communions.
Wordless Music for Meditation
For meditation, music without words is best. This keeps the mind from becoming distracted. It’s best to avoid instrumental versions of songs that originally had lyrics because you will still recall the lyrics in your mind. It’s better to find music that never had lyrics to begin with. Choose songs with a clear rhythm that you can follow with your breath. This is what I recommend for beginning students of meditation.
I also appreciate the meditative quality of ambient music combined with nature sounds. It’s soothing to imagine yourself on the beach listening to the sound of waves. It’s pleasant to meditate to the sound of bird song combined a babbling stream. I recommend this type of music to those who have been meditating for a while, who have learned how to breathe already. For meditation, the most essential factor is that the music should be free of lyrics.
Lyrical Music for Prayer
For prayer, it’s great to listen to music with lyrics. My wife’s daily commute is her prayer time. Lyrical songs are the heartbeat and breath beneath her prayers. Sometimes a poet can express our feelings better than we can ourselves. As we hear the lyrics, we can let the words be our prayer. Whether you sing aloud or simply join in with your mind, your words become as incense rising heavenward. If an instrumental interlude breaks up the lyrics, you can use that time either for reflection or to create your own freeform prayers.
What style of Music is Best?
What style of music is best for prayer and meditation? Whatever style moves your soul. It’s pointless to debate which sort of spiritual music is the best—it’s all subjective. One might love contemporary worship songs, another enjoys Baroque music, and still another finds inspiration in Black gospel. One is not better than another—It all depends on the person listening. The key is finding music that moves your heart and contains theology with which you agree. Personally, I like the music of John Michael Talbot. But I would not argue with those who prefer John Philip Souza. It’s highly subjective. And there is no one correct way.
Music from Other Cultures and Languages
As a final suggestion, you might try spiritual music from other cultures and languages. Whether this means Gregorian Chants in Latin, shamanic drumming, Sanskrit chanting, or Mayan music, songs from other cultures and languages can help lift you out of your present world and place you in a different dimension. It helps you to detach from your laundry list, your living room, and your livelihood. It lets you connect to the world of spirit. Whatever music you listen to in your prayer and meditation time, I hope you find God in the rhythm, music, and words.
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