The Lectio Divina Excercise

The Practice of Lectio Divina…

A very ancient art, practiced at one time by all Christians, is the technique known as lectio divina - a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible, the Word of God, to become a means of union with God. The practice of lectio divina begins with cultivating the ability to listen deeply, to hear “with the ear of our hearts”, allowing ourselves to listen for the still, small voice of God (I Kings 19:12); the “faint murmuring sound” which is God's Word for us, God's voice touching our hearts.

4 Steps of Lectio Divina…

1. LISTENING: Start your devotional time each day asking God to reveal His message to you. In lectio divina we turn to the Scriptures, knowing that we must “hear” - listen - to the voice of God, which often speaks very softly. In order to hear someone speaking softly we must learn to be silent. We must learn to love silence. If we are constantly speaking or if we are surrounded with noise, we cannot hear gentle sounds. The practice of lectio divina, therefore, requires that we first quiet down in order to hear God's Word to us.

2. READING: This step in lectio divina is very different from the speed reading which modern Christians apply to newspapers, books and even to the Bible. Lectio is reverential listening; listening both in a spirit of silence and of awe. We are listening for the still, small voice of God that will speak to us personally - not loudly, but intimately. In lectio we read slowly, attentively, gently listening to hear a word or phrase that is God's word for us this day. Spend a couple of minutes after each day's readings to silently reflect on the Word and allow God to speak to you. 

3. PRAYER: Prayer understood both as dialogue with God, that is, as loving conversation with the One who has invited us into His embrace; and as consecration, prayer as the priestly offering to God of ourselves. In this consecration-prayer we allow the Word that we have taken in and on which we are pondering to touch and change our deepest selves. God invites us in lectio divina to hold up our most difficult and pain-filled experiences to Him. In this oratio, this consecration-prayer, we allow ourselves to be touched and changed by the Word of God.

4. MEDITATING: We simply rest in the presence of the One who has used His Word as a means of inviting us to accept His transforming embrace. No one who has ever been in love needs to be reminded that there are moments in loving relationships when words are unnecessary. It is the same in our relationship with God. Wordless, quiet rest in the presence of the One who loves us – that is meditatio, meditation. Once again we practice silence, letting go of our own words; this time simply enjoying the experience of being in the presence of God. Through meditatio we allow God's word to become His word for us, a word that touches us and affects us at our deepest levels.

Now try it with the following passage of Scripture…  You may want to take a walk outside and find a solitary place around the parking lot.

Matthew 28:16-20 (New International Version)

The Great Commission 
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."