“Blessed, worthy to be envied, is the person who meditates on The Word of God day and night.”

Psalm 1

Lectio Meditatio/Lectio Divina is a simple and powerful way to pray with Sacred Scripture, everyday.

“The Church forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful ... to learn “the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:8) by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures.”(Catechism Of The Catholic Church 2653).

Those who regularly meditate on The Word of God, and apply it to their lives, are ‘like a tree planted by streams of living water … everything they do shall prosper”

Psalm 1

HOW TO DO LECTIO DIVINA

Choose a suitable location in which to pray. Quiet, calm and comfortable. This could be in a church, in front of the blessed Sacrament, in your lounge room or study, or outdoors, in a quiet park.

Select a space that facilitates intimate union with God.

If possible, light a candle, representing the presence of Christ, and His Light illuminating your heart in prayer.

Place both feet on the ground (or, if sitting on the ground, cross-legged), posture upright, hands open, reflecting a heart position of receptivity.

PRAY for the grace to hear the Holy Spirit speak to you, through the scriptures, and through the meditative silence.

A suggested OPENING PRAYER:

“This is my bible. This is the Word of God. This is the seed of the Most High God. When the seed of The Word is sown in good soil - a repentant, receptive and righteous heart - it produces a one hundred fold harvest.

My mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I will never be the same, in Jesus’ Name.”

STEP 1.

LECTIO (READ)

  1. Select a short scripture passage, from the Old or New Testaments. One of the daily church readings is ideal, as the readings follow a beautiful cycle that flow nicely from day to day, week to week.

  2. Read the text slowly and prayerfully, constantly listening for His voice - the ‘spark’ or ‘light’ that is the Holy Spirit, hovering over a word, phrase or theme. You may find it helpful to re-read the text multiple times, to help quiet yourself interiorly and focus on God’s voice. Listen and receive the word, phrase or theme the Holy Spirit wants to speak to you.

STEP 2.

MEDITATIO/CONTEMPLATIO (MEDITATE/CONTEMPLATE)

  1. When a word or phrase strikes you, stop and rest with it. Repeat the word or phrase to yourself. Allow it to speak to you in a personal way, by pondering the word in your heart, reflecting on what it means to you. Allow it to interact with your thoughts, memories and desires.

  2. You may like to imagine yourself in the scene of the passage. What does it look like, sound like, smell like? What else is happening around you? 

  3. Don’t try to say anything to God. Use this time to simply sit in prayerful silence, ready to receive whatever He wants to speak to you. His Voice will often have the sense of something being ‘illuminated’ in your spirit.

  4. Use this time to CONTEMPLATE, or ‘gaze’ upon the Lord. Soak in the Glory that is the surpassing greatness of God, and the gift of God revealing His Heart and Will to us, in His Word, via the Holy Spirit.

STEP 3.

ORATIO (PRAY)

  1. This is the time of more ‘dialogue’ with God. Speak to Him about what has been  illuminated, or revealed, in your spirit during the reading/meditation steps. 

  2. JOURNALLING is an integral part of this step. Write down the revelation you’ve received, what you’re saying to God. what He is saying to you.

  3. The Holy Spirit may prompt you to dive deeper into The Word, looking up corresponding scriptures that relate to the original passage. You may feel led to study the original Greek or Hebrew word/s, to get a more comprehensive understanding of the scripture passage. It may be helpful to read some biblical commentaries on the passage. Flow with the leading of the Holy Spirit. GOOGLE is a helpful study aid in this step.

STEP 4.

ACTIVATIO (ACTIVATE/APPLY)

This is an important step in allowing The Word to ‘come alive’ in our lives.

‘Be doers of The Word, not hearers only’ - James 1:22

“Blessed, rather, are those who hear The Word of God, and obey it” - Luke 11:28

  1. APPLY what you’ve received from The Lord to a practical area of your life. Send forth The Word of God, which has ‘creative power’, into an area of your life that needs healing, provision, breakthrough etc. EXAMPLE: a) an area of financial need - speak Philippians 4:19, “My God shall supply all my needs according to His Glorious Wealth and riches in the heavenly places.” b) if you’re holding on to unforgiveness in your heart, actively decide (and declare aloud), “I will forgive, as the Lord has forgiven me, as it is written in Ephesians 4:32.”

  2. Share what you’ve received with someone else.

ACTIVATE THE WORD

Remain open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and how He desires to ‘personalise’ your Lectio Meditatio process.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is FREEDOM and LIFE”

(2 Corinthians 3:17 + John 6:63)