Difference Between Meditation and Prayer

At a religious convention, a young man in the audience asked whether meditation was a form of prayer, and whether prayer was meditation. The celebrant had difficulty providing a satisfactory answer...

Maybe you are in the same situation, and you are wondering what the difference is between meditating and praying?

Today we are going to see what is the difference between meditation and prayer. Here is a brief summary just for you:

Meditation and prayer are sometimes synonyms and sometimes they complement each other. Both require concentration to awaken one's consciousness.

In this article you will discover:

Without further ado, let’s get to the heart of the matter !  

Conceptual Clarification

Long associated, rightly or wrongly , with spirituality , meditation in the broad sense is today considered an exercise in reflection , free thought, which can be undertaken far from the spiritual framework. It is a deep reflection, an exercise in concentrating the mind on a subject, an object or even a thought. In philosophy, it consists of a search for truth through the contemplation of nature, a truth which cannot then suffer from deductive reasoning. It can be spontaneous, as when during a walk in his garden, Newton was surprised by an apple which fell on his head, revealing to him the laws of gravitation. It can also be prepared, like Descartes and his metaphysical meditations. On the spiritual level , religious or mystical meditation is a purely spiritual practice that takes place in several religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam , Buddhism, Hinduism, Taioisism, to name but a few) or sects (Aum in Japan in particular). It consists of the search for a state of personal well-being, such as inner peace, relaxation or a divine experience.

Prayer , on the other hand, is a spontaneous and direct act, an inner communication with a divinity or the mediator of the latter. It can be a formula consecrated by religion or left to the free choice of the believer. Whether it is codified or not , it is presented in the form of praise , a request for intercession or recognition. Through the prayer of praise, the faithful celebrates and praises the greatness and goodness of the divinity he serves. He expresses calls for help or assistance, when he is in distress or misfortune, in the prayer of intercession (also called prayer of supplication or request). Finally, through the prayer of recognition, the faithful tells the divinity he adores, his gratitude for a benefit granted (deliverance, forgiveness, healing, consecration, ...).

Prayer can, however , be synonymous with meditation , when it is part of a purely metaphysical framework, to the extent that it seeks not communication with the divinity, but communion with it.

Meditation and prayer, grouped within spiritual exercises , can be defined according to Pierre Hadot as "an activity, almost always of a discursive nature, whether rational or imaginative, aimed at modifying, in oneself or in others, the way of living and seeing the world." In a much more spiritual approach, Ignatius of Loyola defines spiritual exercises as "any way of examining one's conscience, of meditating, of contemplating, of praying vocally and mentally, and the other spiritual operations that we will discuss later. Indeed, just as walking, jogging, running, are bodily exercises: so are the different ways of preparing and disposing the soul to free itself from all its disordered affections, and after having freed itself from them, to seek and find the will of God in the regulation of its life, with a view to its salvation."

Meditation

Meditation, which has a strong religious connotation , is included in several major religions as a recommended exercise to achieve various goals. In Judaism, the notion of Hebrew meditation is evoked to speak of an exercise of both reflection and concentration on religious texts , in order to free oneself from human limits and access a state of inner purity that would offer access to new meanings. We can see the beginnings of this meditation with the trance process of the ancient prophets, notably that of Elisha shortly before the military expedition of the northern Israelite kingdom against the country of Moab. In Christianity , meditation is an exercise of examination of conscience to recognize one's sins and turn away from them. It is also a reflection on the life, passion, death, resurrection and teachings of Jesus. It allows us to understand their meaning, their scope, to discover the works of God. Among Catholics, we also meditate on the mysteries (moments on the life of Jesus and Mary). In Islam , one of the five pillars is constant meditation, daily prayers. Thus every good Muslim meditates at least five times a day, every day through prayer.

Islamic meditation is also based, as in Judaism and Christianity, on a holy book, in this case the Koran; and on the contemplation of the works of Allah. In Buddhism, meditation called " mental development " is at the heart of this religion. It is based more on a philosophical than mystical aspect; the Buddhist meditator seeks inner peace or develops his consciousness to learn new things. Buddhist meditation, several thousand years old, is said to allow one to achieve spiritual awakening . Hinduism is undoubtedly the religion that has contributed the most to the world in terms of meditation. There are several types of Hindu meditation , the most famous being yoga. Yoga is a spiritual practice seeking to unite man with his physical, psychic and spiritual sides. It is based on gestures or bodily exercises.

Meditation , almost empty of its spiritual aspect, on the philosophical level, is practiced by several sub-branches of religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Taioism, ... In Buddhism, there is also mindfulness meditation, which consists of a concentration on the senses, a thought, emotions or things of the world, to awaken one's consciousness and free oneself. It allows one to go beyond wisdom, and to obtain full knowledge. In Hinduism, through Vedanta (a form of yoga), the Hindu meditates in a particular position, alone or in a group, until reaching transcendental reality, a state of full consciousness based on relaxation. In Taioism, we speak of Taioist meditation which aims to make the practitioner happy and free. It is based on concentration on visible things such as objects, a body part, or on abstract things such as breathing.

Another approach is that of health. Meditation has many applications, especially in cognitive therapy. When done at a calculated pace, it can reduce stress, anxiety and pain. By learning to focus on one's thoughts , the meditating patient accepts them, understands them and can thus combat those that are negative in his life . This same approach is used to prevent relapses of depression, therefore suicides and personality disorders. On the social level, meditation helps combat psychological disorders.

Prayer: Christian religion

Prayer appears at the heart of many religions, as a deeply religious act, seeking communication with a divinity. In Judaism, prayer is codified, respecting a fixed number and times. Thus, sacred Jewish prayer is done three times a day (four to five times on Sabbath or holiday days). The Jew prays to Yahweh, for all sorts of reasons, in private or in community in a synagogue , with reading of the Torah , the holy book. In community, prayer is led by a rabbi . In Christianity, prayer does not differ from Jewish prayer, with the big difference that it is not codified, and can be done at any time and anywhere, without any special arrangement.

Christian prayer may or may not be accompanied by fasting and meditation , or by objects of worship. Some devote their lives to it, such as monks (in a monastery) and, to a lesser extent, priests and pastors. In Islam, we pray to Allah to celebrate his greatness and ask him for assistance. Islamic prayer can be done at any time and in any place, although it is codified. Muslims pray five times a day, facing Mecca, after having performed ablutions; and men do not pray with women. Friday prayer is the most important of the week, and is generally done in a mosque. Prayer in polytheistic religions does not differ greatly from monotheistic ones. The faithful praise the deities and address their requests to them. In Buddhism, on the other hand, prayer is not recommended, although it exists.

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For Christians, we offer our religious jewelry for prayer

So what is the difference between meditation and prayer ? If you can answer this question spontaneously, then this article has been of great help to you. If you have not been able to do so, perhaps this conclusion will help you.

Meditation and prayer , on a purely mystical aspect, are sometimes synonyms, sometimes they complement each other. Both require concentration. While meditation can also encompass a non-mystical aspect. This is not the case with prayer, which is only done in a spiritual setting.

In addition to this article, we would like to present you another article that answers the question that many believers ask themselves: what is the difference between Jesus Christ and God? If you would like to have the answer to this question, just click here .