Flourishing Life

This past two weeks I have been talking about two high-impact disciple-making activities: Bible Reading for Growth and Prayer. In my personal Quiet Time (QT), I combine these two activities into one using an ancient bible reading and prayer method called lectio divina, or 'Holy Reading." There are tons of resources out there on this method. A good one is: http://www.upperroom.org/methodx/thelife/prayermethods/lectio.asp

Another is found in a book, Praying the Word: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, by Enzo Bianchi.

The method is simple. Like many worthwhile endeavors, lectio divina takes a few moments to learn, a lifetime to master.

The basic method is:

1. Pray.

Pray a simple prayer asking for God's guidance and direction and for yourself to be open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in your reading.

2. Read

Read the selected verse or verses. This needs to be fairly short, no longer than a chapter.

3. Meditate

Don't let that word scare you. To meditate is similar to ruminate, chew on God's word. Focus in on a single verse, phrase, word, or concept from the Scripture reading in which you sensed God's voice. Spend some time quietly, in your mind and heart, repeating it over and over until it flows into prayer, the next step.

4. Pray

Let your meditation flow into prayer. Whatever that concept, word, or phrase was communicating, turn it into prayer. Simply talk to God about what you sensed him saying and how you might live that out in your life that day.

5. Contemplate

Again, don't let this word scare you. While praying, your prayer can turn into a kind of wordless prayer, where your reading, meditation, and prayer merge into an experience of God's presence and love. Indeed, this is wordless prayer. At first, this will not come naturally or easily. That's okay. Contemplative prayer is not meant to be easy or natural, but once you've been practicing it, it becomes more natural, more a part of the natural flow of your being being in touch with the Being of God.

6. Obey

Obey God's voice to you. Trust me, if you give yourself to this process, God will speak to you. You simply need to obey. Remind yourself throughout the day. Turn to God in prayer throughout the day. Ask for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to change your attitude and actions to reflect the love and beauty of Jesus Christ in your life.

So, lectio divina is not such a mystery. It's easy to learn. Takes time and effort to master. Like many things in life, Just Do It.