Do you meditate or do you have relationship?

The traditional bias is that anything that has any remotely akin to Eastern Mysticism is inherently evil such a meditation.

The other traditional stance one sees is to go to the closet. Others go to sabbaticals to hear from God and others to a mountain.

To me this is all misconstrued. Let's look at the meaning of Meditate.

1.to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.
2.to engage in transcendental meditation, devout religious contemplation, or quiescent spiritual introspection. –verb (used with object)
3.to consider as something to be done or effected; intend; purpose: to meditate revenge.
[Origin: 1550–60; < L meditātus, ptp. of meditārī to meditate, contemplate, plan]

—Related forms med·i·tat·ing·ly, adverb
med·i·ta·tor, noun

—Synonyms 1. ponder, muse; ruminate; cogitate, study, think. 3. contemplate, plan, devise, contrive.

To me it is clear this is something done from a mental/carnal perspective. Many say they cannot get their thoughts still and cannot hear from God etc. We do not hear God via our intellect/minds, it is by the spirit, our thought processes do process this information but the mind is not (or should not be) the input/output mechanism. Deep calls unto deep. (Psa 42:5-8)

If you box God into a time-slot in your hurried life, then you MUST put time aside so that HE GOD CREATOR OF ALL THINGS can get your attention to speak with you.

He is God. We do not have to form rituals so that He can talk to us. Really all one needs to do is exercise your spiritual ears and realise He talks with us continually and we with Him.

The problem is, people have a paradigm mindset that God is somewhere distant and we need to do an
"ET phone home" ritual to make contact.

Did He not say He will never leave us nor forsake us? Deuteronomy 31:6

Did He not also say "...My Father and I will come and make our abode with him?" Joh 14:23

No, God is not somewhere distant. He is with us always. Psalm 23 is a good read.

God does not live in temples made of stone, so, if we are the temple then He dwells within us.

I maintain, Praise & Worship, Prayer and the goosebumps anointing that sometimes goes with it does more for us than it does for God even though it does say our prayers and worship are like incense to Him. (Psalm 141:2; Rev 8:3-4) Yes a whisker of smoke. It also says we are to pray without ceasing (1Thes 5:16-28) So how is that possible?

This may sound like I am negative towards ritual prayer but let me explain why.

You are married. You live with your spouse and the only time you communicate is perhaps when you are intimate, the rest of the time you each do your own thing. Ridiculous No? Well that is how I see a relationship with God that boxes Him into a time-slot.

Yes it is good to put time aside to study and meditate but the time itself should not become a ritual, it should be something you do out of love for the Lord and not out of obligation.

I look at how Jesus viewed prayers for the model for my life:

Luk 18:9 And He spoke this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-collector.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed within himself in this way: God, I thank You that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice on the Sabbath, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And standing afar off, the tax-collector would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but struck on his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner!
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

You see when we are trapped into the bondage of religion and have our minds taken captive, we are forced into dead works believing our salvation somehow needs to be maintained. I call it "not crossing the river Jordan syndrome"

You see, anything we perceive as us getting to God, is just like living under the Old Covenant. There, it was man's way to reconcile to God but under the New Covenant, it is God's way to reconcile to man, we now have the Holy Spirit.

Jas 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith will cure the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.
Jas 5:16 Confess faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.
Jas 5:17 Elijah was a man of like passion as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months.
Jas 5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout.

Looking at verse 16

fervent G1754 ἐνεργέω energeō en-erg-eh'-o
From G1756; to be active, efficient: - do, (be) effectual (fervent), be mighty in, shew forth self, work (effectually in).

Fervent is not ascribed to much but rather efficient.

"God is not Deaf" and "be specific when you ask God for something" but remember, God meets your need not your greed.

Sometimes we get prayer requests on forums, sometime I pray other times I do not. You see sometimes God is using circumstances for a growth lesson, praying away those circumstances inhibits the growth of that person.

Mat 18:18 Truly I say to you, Whatever you shall bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven; and whatever you shall loose on earth shall occur, having been loosed in Heaven.

This verse is translated better than the KJV version, notice "having been" hence it is already foreordained, "..not my will but Your will be done"

Mat 21:21 Jesus answered and said to them, Truly I say to you, If you have faith and do not doubt, you shall not only do this miracle of the fig tree, but also; if you shall say to this mountain, Be moved and be thrown into the sea; it shall be done.
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

A lovely proof text for prayer. Seen any physical mountains move lately? So I guess Jesus must have been speaking metaphorically No? Many times the mountains are those principalities in our mind that inhibit us from effective communication with God.

Joh 14:12 Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father.
Joh 14:13 And whatever you may ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

And another. Ever prayed for a Rolls Royce? Did you get it? No? Wonder why?

Mat 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 For the nations seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
Mat 6:34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall be anxious for its own things. Sufficient to the day is the evil of it.

It all hinges on this bit above. Once you have found the kingdom of God and understand His righteousness (judgements), you will not be so presumptuous to ask for things outside of God's will for your life.

It is important to understand, God is God and He is not a Liar, His thoughts are not our thoughts.

He is a 24/7 God, just speak to Him, He hears you as He is always with you.

Blessings