Practice: Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina or “divine reading” is not an approach to reading Scripture that focuses on what the text meant but rather on what God might want to say or do in you as you read. You read. You meditate on what you read. You pray about what you read. You rest and contemplate what you read. Perhaps you read again and repeat. You move on to the next verse.

In more than one way, lectio divina overlaps with the practices of this course toward studying the Bible. For one, it involves observing the biblical text, a skill we will explore in detail in the next lesson. However, the overlap with this lesson is prayer. In lectio, you read. You reflect. You pray.

Take some time and “chew” on some Scripture. Pick a short passage. Go verse by verse through the passage. After reading a verse. Pause to observe the verse. Meditate on the words of the verse, opening yourself to the Spirit speaking through the passage. Pray about the passage. What is God saying to you? Contemplate the passage some more. If you feel like there is more, read, reflect, and pray on it again. Move on to the next verse.

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