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Praying Lectio Divina

I was first introduced to Lectio Divina a little less than a year ago in a college class on prayer. Since then, I have used Lectio Divina to move from intellectual knowledge about scripture into an encounter with the Divine One. Lectio Divina is Latin for “Divine Reading” and is a practice which combines prayer and scripture reading. This method of meditating on scripture is rooted in the Benedictine order of Catholicism, and it emphasizes reading the word of God to know the one who is the Word (John 1:1). In his letter to the Romans, Paul wonderfully illustrates the heart behind Christian prayer which consequently is also the heart behind Lectio Divina. Romans 8:26–27 Paul states: 
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 
Paul essentially admits that when it comes to prayer we do not fully know what we are doing or how to pray. However, he also states that the Spirit is the one doing the praying, so it is not something we do, but something that the Holy Spirit does in us. If prayer is really the work of the Spirit, then our role is not to pray for the sake of completing a task but to connect with God. While Lectio Divina certainly is not the only way to pray, the movements of Lectio Divina closely align our hearts to His heart in a way that captures both the intellect and imagination.

 The Four Steps of Lectio Divina

There are four steps involved in the process of praying Lectio Divina which have purposefully been laid out to shift the focus of the prayer from an analytical approach to an approach which enters into the text and helps the reader experience it for themselves. I have greatly benefited from these steps because my typical approach to scripture is to try and analyze the purpose of why things were written down and the meaning of the text. Lectio Divina causes me to dig deeper into the word of God and interact with the book as a living and breathing person. I find the Spirit of the text, not merely the words of the Spirit. By following the four steps of Lectio Divina you will not only have a deeper understanding of scripture, but you will come to more deeply know the God who orchestrated the writings. The four steps should be followed in order, and they are Lectio, Meditatio, Contemplatio, and Oratio. 

Lectio

Lectio means "reading" and is the first step. Before you begin reading scripture, it is useful to start with silence. This time is to prepare yourself to hear of the word of God from the Holy Spirit. Set aside distractions. It is a good idea to have a pen and piece of paper by your side to write down distracting thoughts. For example, when I have times of silence things that need to be done usually surface, it helps me to write those things down on a piece of paper and once I do that I can move one. After some time in silence, move on to reading the passage of scripture you have chosen. My favorite passages of scripture for Lectio Divina are the parables of Jesus, Isaiah's vision (Isaiah 6), Revelation 4 and 5, and Peter's vision (Acts 10:9–16). Take plenty of time to read the scripture and be attentive. Maybe read it four or five times. 

Meditatio

Meditatio is the second step of Lectio Divina and is Latin for "meditation." This movement focuses on the passage of scripture you have read. It is a time of reflecting and pondering on the scripture. It is generally advised that you do not interpret the scripture during the first step or try and understand what it is saying, rather in the second step you wait for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the text as you meditate on it. The focus is on Christ as the one who makes sense of the scriptures. 

Oratio

Oratio is the third step and in Latin means "pray." The act of praying here is understood to be a dialogue. During the first step you are reading and not interpreting, in the second step you are allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ, but in the third step, you are talking to God. This is the time to share what is on your heart with God and allow him to speak back to you. The one who is practicing Lectio Divina breaks the silence of Meditatio to pour out their heart to Jesus himself, the man who is the Word. 

Contemplatio

Contemplatio is the fourth and final step of Lectio Divina and means "contemplate." This movement is different than Oratio because it is silent prayer. This is the time when the Holy Spirit is most evident in Lectio Divina. You are no longer speaking to God, but rather listening to what the Holy Spirit has to say to you. Let the Spirit take you where he wants too, even if it is not comfortable. However, Contemplatio is not merely listening to the voice of the Spirit, but it is also union with the Spirit. By following the four movements of Lectio Divina, you have gone on a journey from understanding a passage of scripture to unifying yourself with Spirit of the scripture. 

I hope that these steps prove helpful in bringing spiritual formation to your life. Many authors have written on Lectio Divina, and I am relatively new to this method of prayer. If you find Lectio Divina helpful I encourage you to find an informative book or a mentor who knows more and can help you grow in the practice of contemplative prayer. You can read all you want about Lectio Divina, but it is meaningless unless you practice it. When you have a chance, pull away for fifteen minutes and practice this way of praying through the scriptures and experience for yourself the beauty of Lectio Divina. 

–Elliot W. Ford






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