God’s Battle Plan for the Mind: The Puritan Practice of Biblical Meditation

During the seventeenth century, English Puritan pastors often encouraged their congregations in the spiritual discipline of meditating on God and His Word. Today, however, much of evangelicalism is either ignorant of or turned off to the idea of meditation. In God’s Battle Plan for the Mind, pastor David Saxton seeks to convince God’s people of the absolute necessity for personal meditation and motivate them to begin this work themselves. But he has not done this alone. Rather, he has labored through numerous Puritan works in order to bring together the best of their insights on meditation. Standing on the shoulders of these giants, Saxton teaches us how to meditate on divine truth and gives valuable guidance about how to rightly pattern our thinking throughout the day. With the rich experiential theology of the Puritans, this book lays out a course for enjoying true meditation on God’s Word.



Table of Contents:



The Importance of Recovering the Joyful Habit of Biblical Meditation

Unbiblical Forms of Meditation

Defining Biblical Meditation

Occasional Meditation

Deliberate Meditation

The Practice of Meditation

Important Occasions for Meditation

Choosing Subjects for Meditation

The Reasons for Meditation

The Benefits of Meditation

The Enemies of Meditation

Getting Started: Beginning the Habit of Meditation

Conclusion: Thoughts on Meditation and Personal Godliness



Author



David W. Saxton is senior pastor of Hardingville Bible Church in Gloucester County, New Jersey.



Endorsement



“The popular conception of meditation has become so badly misshapen by mysticism, New Age influences, and Eastern religious notions that some otherwise sound Christians today seem to recoil from any mention of meditation as a necessary spiritual exercise. But nothing is more vital or more beneficial for understanding the truth and growing in sanctification than quiet, careful, focused reflection on the words and the meaning of Scripture. That’s what the word meditation means in the Bible. No less than six times in Psalm 119 alone, the psalmist says ‘I will meditate’ on the precepts, promises, and principles of God’s Word. The Puritans had much to say about biblical meditation and the important role it plays in a sanctified thought life. Dave Saxton has written an extremely helpful and encouraging digest of some of the best Puritan teaching on the subject. You need to get a copy, read it, put its principles into practice, and ‘be transformed by the renewal of your mind.’” — John MacArthur, pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California, and president of the Master’s College and Seminary